You are applying for a job and need a letter of reference from someone who knew you when you were at school. Write a letter to one of your old teachers asking for a reference. In your letter: - say what job you have applied for - explain why you want this job - suggest what information the teacher should include
Sample Response
Dear Mr Peterson, I hope this letterHope this letter finds you in good health and spiritsspirit. I am one of your students at the high school where you were teaching chemistry about 12 years ago. I know that it has been a while since I was last in touch with yousince I was in touch with you, but now I would greatly appreciate your helpcould really use your help in securing a job I have long wantedgetting a job which I have always wanted. I am writingSo, I am writing this letter to ask for a letter of reference from you.
I am requesting the referenceI need that letter of reference because I am applying for the position of managerManager at a well-known international hotel groupa very famous and international group of hotels. DeleteBy the way, I am particularly interested in this rolewant this job so badly because it would allow me to travel internationallytravel all over the world and build a solid career in the hotel industry, which has been a long-standing ambitionwhich I have always wanted to do since my childhood. So, kindly write a letter of reference for me that would include information like how long you have known me, what kind of student I really was, and whether or not I was involved in any anti-social activities. Please also mentionPlease also don’t forget to mention that I was the leader of the school debate teama team leader of the debate team of my high school for an extended periodfor a long time. Thank you in advance. Yours sincerely, Jerry Henderson
Why this response received Band 7.0
The letter addresses all three requirements clearly by naming the management role, explaining its career appeal, and suggesting several points for the reference. Its main limitation is an uneven register: phrases such as 'want this job so badly' and the request to mention anti-social activities sound awkward or counterproductive in a professional reference request. The priority is to ask politely for relevant evidence of character, leadership, and reliability.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
All bullet points are covered and developed, but some suggested reference content is poorly chosen and the tone becomes overly casual or directive.
Ask the teacher to highlight academic commitment, debate-team leadership, teamwork, and dependability rather than mentioning possible anti-social activity.
Coherence and Cohesion
The purpose and supporting points progress logically, though two dense paragraphs and repeated 'So' links make the organisation less polished.
Use separate paragraphs for reconnecting and requesting help, describing the job and motivation, and suggesting relevant reference details.
Lexical Resource
The vocabulary is adequate for a reference request and career aims, but several informal or imprecise expressions weaken the professional register.
Replace phrases such as 'want this job so badly', 'very famous', and 'what kind of student I really was' with concise formal wording.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A range of complex sentences is generally controlled and clear, with only occasional awkward tense choices and informal sentence openings.
Refine forms such as 'I was your chemistry student twelve years ago' and avoid beginning formal requests repeatedly with 'So'.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
You are applying for a job and need a letter of reference from someone who knew you when you were at school. Write a letter to one of your old teachers asking for a reference. In your letter:
- say what job you have applied for
- explain why you want this job
- suggest what information the teacher should include
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.