Formal request to manager for leave of absence

The task

You work in an international company.

Write a letter to the manager to give you some time off. In your letter:

→the reason why you need the time off
→when you need the time off
→who should replace you when you are not around

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

Model answer

Band 8 sample letter

Band 8183 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Dear Mr. Henderson,

Please accept this letter as a formal request for a short period of leave from my position as a Senior Analyst. I am writing to ask for time off to attend to an urgent family matter that requires my presence in another city.

I would like to request three days of leave, specifically from the 14th to the 16th of next month. This timing aligns with the completion of the quarterly audit, ensuring that my absence will not disrupt the primary workflow of the department.

Regarding my responsibilities during this period, I have discussed the matter with Sarah Jenkins from the accounts team. She is well-acquainted with my current projects and has kindly agreed to oversee my urgent tasks and respond to any critical client inquiries in my stead. I have already prepared a handover document detailing the status of all active files to ensure a seamless transition for her.

Thank you for considering my request. I am happy to discuss any further arrangements needed to ensure my duties are covered effectively while I am away.

Yours sincerely,

James Sterling

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.

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Examiner's view

Why this scores well

This response achieves Band 8 by addressing all bullet points with specific, logical details while maintaining a consistently professional and polite tone. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to propose a specific colleague for coverage, which weakens the practicality of the request.

→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.

6 phrases

Useful phrases from the letter

leave of absence
a period of time away from work
attend to
to deal with or take care of something
aligns with
to be in accordance or agreement with something
disrupt
to cause a disturbance or interrupt a process
well-acquainted
having knowledge or experience of a specific thing
seamless transition
a smooth changeover without any noticeable problems

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 many words 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.

What does the examiner look for?+

Keep practising

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