General Writing Sample Task 1 #69
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
You are studying for a qualification, and you would like some time off work to complete it.
Write a letter to your manager. In your letter:
- Ask for some time off to complete a qualification.
- Suggest what you will do later at work if you have time off.
- Say how the qualification helps your job or company.
Write at least 150 words.
You do NOT need to write any addresses.
IELTS Tip
When you do not know the name of the reader you should start the letter: “Dear Sir/Madam” and end with “Yours faithfully”. If you do know the name of the reader, you should start the letter with: “Dear Mr/Mrs” and end with “Yours sincerely”, plus your full name.
Sample Band 9 answer
Dear Mr Lee,
I am writing to you about the possibility of taking a fortnight off work in order to complete my Master’s degree in Engineering. I am almost finished writing my thesis, which must be submitted to my university by June 30th. Unfortunately, all my annual leave has been used up. Any time I took off, would naturally be unpaid; I would also check my email daily, and be available for emergency phone calls. On return, I would endeavour to come into the office earlier than usual and work Saturdays in order to catch up on anything I had missed. I have already spoken about my situation to my colleagues Mr Grunewald and Ms Tak, who are both willing to assume my responsibilities for two weeks.
I realise my temporary absence could be an inconvenience to you and the rest of the team, but in the long term, our company will benefit from my research. As you may be aware, I have been investigating 3-D printing for some time, and my thesis compares three printers already on the market with two designs pending patent and production. Since our company is considering developing software for these printers, my expertise will help give us a competitive edge.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,
Alexander Aksyonov
(219 words)