General Training Writing Task 1 · semi-formal · request

Requesting a six-month transfer to the head office

You work for an international company and would like to spend six months working in its head office in another country.

Write a letter to your manager. In your letter:

explain why you want to work in the company's head office for six months
say how your work could be done while you are away
ask for his/her help in arranging it

Write at least 150 words. You do not need to write any addresses. Begin your letter: Dear ...,

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Mr. Henderson,

I am writing to formally propose a temporary transfer to our head office in London for a period of six months. Having worked with the regional team for three years, I believe this opportunity would be invaluable for my professional development and our company’s long-term objectives.

My primary motivation is to gain a deeper understanding of the global strategy and operational frameworks developed at headquarters. By immersing myself in the central team, I hope to streamline communication between our branch and the main office, ultimately improving our project delivery timelines.

Regarding my current responsibilities, I have already outlined a transition plan. Sarah, who has been shadowing me recently, is fully capable of managing my ongoing accounts. I propose holding weekly video briefings to oversee progress and ensure that all key milestones are met without disruption.

I would be extremely grateful if you could support this request and guide me through the internal application process. Please let me know if we might schedule a brief meeting this week to discuss how this arrangement could benefit the wider team.

Thank you for considering my proposal.

Yours sincerely,

Alex Rivers

190 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Why this scores well

This response achieves Band 8 by fully addressing all three bullet points with logical, professional justifications and a consistent semi-formal tone. A common mistake for Band 6 candidates is failing to provide a concrete plan for their current workload, resulting in a request that sounds unrealistic or poorly thought out.

Write to someone you know but not closely, such as a manager, landlord or neighbour, using their title and surname.
Polite and friendly at once: a few contractions are fine, slang is not. Close with Yours sincerely or Kind regards.
State the purpose in the first two sentences; small talk costs words you need for the bullets.

Useful phrases from the letter

invaluable: extremely useful or having a very high worth
immersing: involving yourself deeply in a particular activity
streamline: making a process simpler and more efficient
shadowing: following someone to learn about their job
disruption: a disturbance that interrupts an event or process
milestones: significant stages or events in a development

Write your own and get a band

Answer this prompt in a timed General Training writing test and get a band for task achievement, coherence, vocabulary and grammar, with the sentences to fix.

Practise IELTS General writing

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Frequently asked questions

Is this letter formal or informal?

Semi-formal. Write to someone you know but not closely, such as a manager, landlord or neighbour, using their title and surname.

How long should an IELTS General Training letter be?

At least 150 words, and 160 to 200 is the comfortable range. Spend about 20 minutes on it and leave 40 for Task 2, which carries twice the marks.