You have decided to leave your current job even though you enjoy it. Write a letter to inform your manager of your decision. In your letter: - tell the manager your decision and the reason? - describe what you have learnt in your current job? - ask the manager to write you a reference letter?
Sample Response
Dear Sir,
I am writing this letter to express my gratitude as well as discontent that I have planned to switch to another organization. It has been more than five years since taking up my current role in our company. Moreover, my family and I have taken an extreme step to relocate to another city. Hence, it is a crucial decision for me to hunt for a suitable job in the new place. However, I am definitely going to miss my colleagues, who were always supportive despite any priority challenges in numerous tasks in the project.
Additionally, there are many learnings from this job which I will practice and cherish throughout my career. I have gained the utmost knowledge of time management skills from my co-workers, which has benefitted me in many scenarios. Apart from this, you have given guidance on leadership goals and how to handle the team during a time of crisis.
Furthermore, I request you to provide me with a letter of reference which is required for my onboarding in my future workplace. I will definitely miss our entire team, and I hope that our paths cross once again in the near future.
Thank you for your consideration.
Yours faithfully,
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Add sentence subject Original: since taking up my current role Suggested revision: since I took up my current role Why it matters: The subordinate clause needs an explicit subject to show who took up the role.
- 2. Use natural collocation Original: an extreme step Suggested revision: the significant step Why it matters: Significant step conveys the importance of relocating without the unnatural intensity of extreme.
- 3. Clarify the change Original: a crucial decision for me Suggested revision: a major change for me Why it matters: Relocation is more naturally described as a major change than as a decision in this context.
- 4. Use formal wording Original: hunt Suggested revision: look Why it matters: Look for is more appropriate than the informal metaphor hunt for in a workplace letter.
- 5. Name the location Original: place Suggested revision: city Why it matters: The new city refers precisely to the relocation destination already mentioned.
- 6. Clarify colleague support Original: despite any priority challenges in numerous tasks in the project Suggested revision: when project tasks involved competing priorities Why it matters: The original phrase combines words in an unclear and unnatural way.
- 7. Use standard noun Original: learnings Suggested revision: lessons Why it matters: Lessons is the natural countable noun for knowledge gained from a job.
- 8. Choose precise verbs Original: which I will practice and cherish Suggested revision: that I will apply and value Why it matters: Lessons are applied and valued rather than practised and cherished.
- 9. Use natural degree Original: the utmost knowledge of Suggested revision: valuable knowledge about Why it matters: Utmost does not naturally modify knowledge in this construction.
- 10. Use natural wording Original: scenarios Suggested revision: situations Why it matters: Situations is a more natural word for the workplace contexts described.
- 11. Add indirect object Original: you have given guidance Suggested revision: you have given me guidance Why it matters: Give requires an indirect object here to identify who received the guidance.
- 12. Correct word choice Original: leadership goals Suggested revision: leadership Why it matters: Guidance concerns leadership skills or practice, whereas leadership goals changes the intended meaning.
Suggested Rewrites
- since taking up my current role since I took up my current role
- an extreme step the significant step
- a crucial decision for me a major change for me
- hunt look
- place city
- despite any priority challenges in numerous tasks in the project when project tasks involved competing priorities
Why this response received Band 7.0
The letter fully covers the decision, relocation reason, lessons learned, and reference request, with clear paragraphing and a consistently respectful tone. Its main limitation is imprecise or unnatural wording, such as the mixed opening sentiment and several strained collocations, which sometimes obscures the intended nuance. Prioritise natural, exact phrasing while retaining the current logical structure and complete task coverage.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The purpose is clear, all three bullet points are covered, and the ideas are developed in a suitably formal tone despite a slightly confusing opening sentiment.
State the resignation and relocation reason more directly in the opening so the purpose is immediately unambiguous.
Coherence and Cohesion
The letter progresses logically through the decision, learning, and reference request, with effective paragraphing despite somewhat formulaic transitions.
Use fewer routine linking adverbs and make the relationships between sentences flow more naturally.
Lexical Resource
The response shows a good range of work-related vocabulary, but several strained collocations reduce precision and naturalness.
Replace phrases such as “extreme step,” “priority challenges,” and “utmost knowledge” with simpler, idiomatic alternatives.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A variety of complex structures is generally controlled, and the remaining grammatical slips do not impede meaning.
Proofread articles, prepositions, and clause construction to make the complex sentences consistently accurate.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
You have decided to leave your current job even though you enjoy it. Write a letter to inform your manager of your decision. In your letter:
- tell the manager your decision and the reason?
- describe what you have learnt in your current job?
- ask the manager to write you a reference letter?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.