General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · making arrangements

Letter to Museum Manager Requesting Educational School Visit: IELTS formal letter sample

An IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 formal letter with a Band 8 sample answer, why it scores well and the phrases worth borrowing for your own letter writing.
  • 181 words
  • Formal letters
  • Making arrangements
  • 20 minutes
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The task

You are a teacher at a secondary school (high school). You have been asked to arrange a visit to a local museum or tourist attraction for some of your students.

Write a letter to the manager of the museum or tourist attraction. In your letter:

  • →who you are
  • →which school do you teach at
  • →why the school would like the students to visit the museum/attraction
  • →ask about educational facilities or information that the museum/attraction can provide

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

Model answer

Band 8 sample letter

Band 8181 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Dear Mr. Henderson,

I am writing to inquire about the possibility of arranging a guided tour of the City History Museum for a group of my students. I am a history teacher at Oakwood Secondary School, and I am currently coordinating an enrichment programme for our Year 10 cohort.

We are eager for our students to visit your facility as it perfectly aligns with their current curriculum module on the Industrial Revolution. Seeing the machinery and artefacts in person would provide them with invaluable context that classroom resources simply cannot replicate, helping to bring their academic studies to life.

Could you please advise if you offer any specific educational facilities for school groups, such as a dedicated lecture space or access to primary source archives? Furthermore, I would appreciate knowing if your museum provides information packs or worksheets tailored for secondary students to assist with their learning during the visit.

I look forward to hearing from you regarding potential dates and any associated group costs. Thank you for your time and assistance in supporting our students' education.

Yours faithfully,

Eleanor Rigby

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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 a professional, coherent tone and precise vocabulary. The most common mistake for Band 6 candidates is using overly casual language or failing to explicitly ask about the educational facilities requested in the prompt.

  • →Write to an organisation or someone you do not know: open with Dear Sir or Madam, close with Yours faithfully.
  • →If you know the person's surname, use Dear Mr or Ms and close with Yours sincerely.
  • →No contractions, no slang; polite indirect requests such as I would be grateful if you could.

6 phrases

Useful phrases from the letter

  • cohort

    a group of people with a shared characteristic

  • enrichment programme

    educational activities designed to supplement the core curriculum

  • aligns with

    corresponds to or matches something else closely

  • artefacts

    objects of historical interest made by human beings

  • replicate

    to make an exact copy or reproduce something

  • tailored

    specially designed or adapted for a particular purpose

Frequently asked questions

Is this letter formal or informal?+

Formal. Write to an organisation or someone you do not know: open with Dear Sir or Madam, close with Yours faithfully.

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?+

This response achieves Band 8 by addressing all bullet points with a professional, coherent tone and precise vocabulary. The most common mistake for Band 6 candidates is using overly casual language or failing to explicitly ask about the educational facilities requested in the prompt.

Keep practising

More making arrangements letters

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