IELTS Writing Task 1 Practice Question Letter (General Training)

This is a practice question for IELTS Writing Task 1 (General Training).

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task and write at least 150 words.

General Training Task 1#

You are planning to attend a friend’s wedding in another city.

Write a letter to your employer requesting time off work. In your letter:

• Explain the reason for your request
• Provide details about the dates you need off
• Suggest how your work responsibilities will be managed during your absence

Task Instructions#

• You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
• Write at least 150 words.
• Do NOT write any addresses.
• Begin your letter as follows: Dear Mr. Thompson,

Sample Answer Outline#

1. Introduction: State the purpose of the letter
2. Body Paragraph 1: You can explain the reason for the time off request
3. Body Paragraph 2: Provide specific dates and duration of absence
4. Body Paragraph 3: You should suggest how work responsibilities will be managed
5. Conclusion: Express gratitude and offer to discuss further if needed

Model answer (Band 8 style)

Write your own answer first, then compare structure and vocabulary. Task 1 (General Training letter) · 207 words.

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Dear Mr. Thompson,

I am writing to request three days of leave next month to attend a close friend’s wedding in Edinburgh.

The groom has been one of my best friends since primary school, and he has asked me to be his best man. As well as attending the ceremony, I will be helping with preparations on the day before and giving a speech at the reception, so it is very important to me to be there.

I would like to take Thursday 14 and Friday 15 of next month off, as well as Monday 18, because I will be travelling back on the Sunday evening and will not arrive home until very late. This would mean I am away from the office for three working days in total.

I have already thought about how my work can be covered. I will complete the monthly sales report before I leave, and my colleague Sarah Patel has kindly agreed to deal with any urgent client enquiries in my absence. I will also brief her on my current projects and remain available by email for anything important.

Thank you for considering my request. I would be happy to discuss it if you have any concerns.

Yours sincerely, James Walker

Task Achievement

All three points are covered with specific details: the reason, the exact dates and a realistic plan for covering work.

Coherence & Cohesion

Each paragraph corresponds to one bullet point, with a clear purpose statement and polite closing.

Lexical Resource

Polite workplace language: request leave, in my absence, brief her on, Thank you for considering my request.

Grammatical Range

Accurate future forms (“will be travelling”, “will complete”), present perfect and conditional sentences.

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Evaluation Criteria

• Task Achievement
• Coherence and Cohesion
• Lexical Resource
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy

For more writing tasks, you can visit General Training Task 1 Letter.