You are working for a company. You need to take some time off work and want to ask your manager about this. Write a letter to your manager. In your letter: - explain why you want to take time off work? - give details of the amount of time you need? - suggest how your work could be covered while you are away?
Sample Response
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing this letter in regards to three hours off from my job for the next three months.
Actually, I am planning for an upgraded course in the current scenario in QA/ QC management. After certain intervals, quality assurance laws and their related quotes have been changed over the last decade. I think it is better to be updated in the relevant fields, and also, it will be helpful for the organization to deliver excellent quality.
I have enquired about the advanced course with numerous leading universities in our town. Both full-time and part-time courses are available for the same. Due to the importance of the job nature, I have selected the evening batch for three hours daily. I think this time is ample for me to cover the classes.
I had already discussed this matter with fellow members of my department. For daily three hours, I hand over my job to Mr Rahul for three months. Furthermore, I will complete my pending jobs every weekend without fail. Apart from this, I will be available on my mobile number for any immediate urgencies.
Expecting a favourable reply and I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Correct fixed phrase Original: in regards to Suggested revision: regarding Why it matters: Regarding is the correct concise form for introducing the subject of the request.
- 2. Clarify daily leave Original: three hours off from my job Suggested revision: taking three hours off work each day Why it matters: The revision makes clear that the request is for three hours every day rather than three hours in total.
- 3. Remove conversational linker Original: Actually, Suggested revision: Delete Why it matters: This conversational transition is unnecessary at the start of the explanation.
- 4. Correct course phrase Original: planning for an upgraded course Suggested revision: planning to take an advanced course Why it matters: Take an advanced course is the natural verb and adjective combination.
- 5. Remove vague phrase Original: in the current scenario Suggested revision: Delete Why it matters: This phrase is vague and does not add information about the proposed course.
- 6. Express frequency clearly Original: After certain intervals Suggested revision: Periodically Why it matters: Periodically states clearly that the changes happen at recurring intervals.
- 7. Clarify technical changes Original: quality assurance laws and their related quotes Suggested revision: quality-assurance standards and related requirements Why it matters: Laws and quotes do not clearly describe the professional guidance that changes over time.
- 8. Use active change verb Original: have been changed Suggested revision: have changed Why it matters: The intransitive form is appropriate because no agent making the changes is identified.
- 9. Use natural expression Original: better to be updated Suggested revision: important to stay up to date Why it matters: Stay up to date is the natural expression for maintaining current professional knowledge.
- 10. Use singular reference Original: in the relevant fields Suggested revision: in this field Why it matters: The response identifies one QA/QC field, so the singular reference is clearer.
- 11. Remove redundant connector Original: , and also, Suggested revision: , and Why it matters: And already expresses addition, so also and the extra comma are redundant.
- 12. Correct enquiry phrase Original: enquired about the advanced course with Suggested revision: enquired about advanced courses at Why it matters: A person enquires about courses at universities rather than enquiring with a course.
Suggested Rewrites
- in regards to regarding
- three hours off from my job taking three hours off work each day
- Actually, Delete
- planning for an upgraded course planning to take an advanced course
- in the current scenario Delete
- After certain intervals Periodically
Why this response received Band 6.5
The response addresses all three requests with useful detail about the course schedule and proposed cover arrangements, and its paragraphing makes the message easy to follow. The main weakness is frequent awkward or imprecise phrasing, alongside recurring grammatical slips that reduce professionalism. Prioritise clear, idiomatic sentences when explaining the course and the handover plan so the request sounds more credible and polished.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The letter clearly requests three hours off daily, explains the training purpose, and gives practical arrangements for covering the work.
Clarify exactly when the evening course overlaps with working hours and address the manager directly for a more convincing request.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas are grouped by the three bullet points and progress clearly, although some linking expressions are mechanical.
Connect sentences through their meaning rather than repeatedly relying on stock transitions such as “Furthermore” and “Apart from this.”
Lexical Resource
There is sufficient range for the workplace and training topic, but frequent inaccurate collocations make the language sound unnatural.
Use precise phrases such as “advanced course,” “industry standards,” “work commitments,” and “urgent matters.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
The response attempts varied sentence structures, but errors in tense, articles, word order, and sentence completion recur.
Keep the request and handover plan in consistent future forms and revise fragments into complete sentences.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
You are working for a company. You need to take some time off work and want to ask your manager about this. Write a letter to your manager. In your letter:
- explain why you want to take time off work?
- give details of the amount of time you need?
- suggest how your work could be covered while you are away?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.