IELTS Semi-formal Letter: Letter to manager requesting professional development training (2)

The task

You work for an international company. You have seen an advertisement for a training course which will be useful for your job.

Write a letter to your manager. In your letter:

→describe the training course you want to do
→explain what the company could do to help you
→say how the course will be useful for your job

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

Model answer

Band 8 sample letter

Band 8204 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Dear Mr. Henderson,

I am writing to express my interest in attending a professional development course titled 'Advanced Data Analytics for Business' scheduled for next month in London. Given our recent transition to cloud-based reporting, I believe this training would be highly beneficial for our department.

The course is a three-day intensive workshop covering predictive modelling and visualisation techniques. It focuses on practical applications within international logistics, which aligns perfectly with our current operational challenges. The curriculum is designed specifically for professionals looking to enhance their decision-making capabilities using large datasets.

To facilitate my participation, I would like to request that the company covers the course registration fee of £450. Additionally, I would require three days of paid leave to attend the sessions. I have already confirmed that my current project deadlines will not be impacted, as I plan to complete my pending tasks in advance of the training dates.

Attending this course will enable me to streamline our monthly reporting process and provide more accurate sales forecasts. By applying these new analytical skills, I am confident that I can help the team identify cost-saving opportunities more effectively.

Thank you for considering my request. I look forward to your response.

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.

Write a letter, get a band free →

Examiner's view

Why this scores well

The response achieves Band 8 by addressing all three bullet points with specific, relevant details while maintaining a professional semi-formal tone. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to link the training benefits back to the specific job role, instead providing generic statements about 'learning new things'.

→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

professional development
learning to earn or maintain professional credentials
intensive
concentrated effort in a short period of time
predictive modelling
using data to forecast future events or trends
facilitate
to make an action or process easier
streamline
make an organization or system more efficient
analytical skills
the ability to collect and interpret complex information

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

© 2026 BandLadder. Written and checked by the BandLadder team. You may quote or cite this page with credit to BandLadder and a link to it; republishing it in full needs our written permission. Content use policy