IELTS Semi-formal Letter: Letter to manager proposing an office celebration party

The task

You want to organise a party in your office to celebrate something.

Write a letter to your manager about the party at the office. In your letter:

→say what the party is about
→mention why it is necessary
→explain what you expect from him/her to do

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

Model answer

Band 8 sample letter

Band 8163 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Dear Mr. Henderson,

I am writing to propose that we host a small celebration in the office next Friday afternoon to commemorate the successful completion of the Q3 marketing project.

Our team has worked exceptionally hard over the past three months, frequently putting in extra hours to meet our challenging deadlines. A brief gathering would be a wonderful way to acknowledge these efforts and foster a positive atmosphere before we embark on the upcoming Q4 initiatives. It is crucial for team morale to feel that their dedication is recognised by the leadership.

To make this possible, I would appreciate your approval to use the staff breakout area from 3:00 pm onwards. Additionally, could the company provide a small budget for refreshments and snacks? I have already volunteered to coordinate the logistics, including the ordering of catering and the subsequent clean-up, so there will be no disruption to our workflow.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this suggestion.

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

A Band 8 response clearly addresses all three bullet points with a coherent structure and appropriate semi-formal register suitable for a manager. A common Band 6 error is failing to explain the necessity of the event, instead focusing only on the request for permission or budget.

→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

commemorate
To show respect or celebrate an important event
exceptional
Much better than average or very high quality
morale
The confidence and enthusiasm of a specific group
logistics
The practical organisation of a complex activity
embark
To begin a new or important project
disruption
A disturbance that prevents something from continuing normally

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

More request letters

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