Write a letter to your manager. In your letter: - explain the reason for the leave and the length of leave you need - explain how you will keep up-to-date while you’re away - suggest how your work could be covered while you are away
Sample Response
Dear Mr. Reynolds, I am writing to formally request a leave of absence from work for a period of six weeks, starting from November 15, 2023. The reason for this leave is a deeply personal matter. My close family member, my mother, has been diagnosed with a severe medical condition, and her treatment and recovery will require my full attention and presence during this critical time. During my absence, I am committed to ensuring a smooth transition for the team. To stay updated, I will check my work email regularly and be available for critical matters. I also propose delegating my ongoing tasks to a capable colleague or team member, and I am more than willing to work closely with them to provide necessary guidance and training. Not only this, I will also prepare detailed documentation of my current projects and responsibilities for easy reference. To address my responsibilities during my leave, I suggest that Ms. Sarah Mitchell, who has a good understanding of our current projects, be appointed as the point person in my absence. I would be happy to facilitate this transition by sharing my knowledge with her before my leave begins. Thank you for considering my request. I will be available to discuss further details and make any necessary arrangements to ensure a smooth transition. Sincerely, Emma Walker
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Date preposition Original: from Suggested revision: on Why it matters: Use on with a specific calendar date.
- 2. Specify work context Original: critical matters Suggested revision: urgent work matters Why it matters: Adding work makes the kind of matter more precise in this leave request.
- 3. Remove redundancy Original: colleague or team member Suggested revision: colleague Why it matters: A colleague already conveys the intended workplace team member.
- 4. Faulty additive link Original: Not only this, I will also Suggested revision: In addition, I will Why it matters: Not only normally requires a paired but also structure, whereas In addition links this point correctly.
- 5. More formal term Original: point person Suggested revision: primary contact Why it matters: Primary contact is more precise and suitably formal for a letter to a manager.
- 6. Use concise verb Original: sharing my knowledge with her Suggested revision: briefing her Why it matters: Briefing expresses the intended workplace handover more concisely.
- 7. Avoid vague modifier Original: further Suggested revision: the Why it matters: The definite phrase refers clearly to the arrangements already described.
- 8. Sentence rewrite Original: The reason for this leave is a deeply personal matter. My close family member, my mother, has been diagnosed with a severe medical condition, and her treatment and recovery will require my full attention and presence during this critical time. Suggested revision: I need this leave because my mother has been diagnosed with a severe medical condition, and her treatment and recovery require my full attention during this critical time. Why it matters: Combining the vague statement with the specific reason removes repetition and improves progression.
- 9. Group letter functions Suggested revision: Use separate paragraphs for the leave request, arrangements during the absence, proposed work cover, and closing. Why it matters: The single block obscures the otherwise clear progression through the three requested bullet points.
Suggested Rewrites
- from on
- critical matters urgent work matters
- colleague or team member colleague
- Not only this, I will also In addition, I will
- point person primary contact
- sharing my knowledge with her briefing her
Why this response received Band 7.5
The letter is persuasive and professionally toned, with a clear leave request and detailed, practical arrangements for staying informed and transferring responsibilities. Its main weakness is presentation: the entire response forms one dense block, and a few expressions sound formulaic or repetitive. The highest-priority improvement is to divide the content into purposeful paragraphs and streamline overlapping transition arrangements.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The request fully covers the reason and duration of leave, arrangements for staying updated, and detailed plans for work coverage in an appropriate formal tone.
Make the requested outcome even more direct by explicitly asking the manager to approve the stated dates near the end.
Coherence and Cohesion
Information progresses logically from the request to continuity arrangements and the close, although the lack of paragraph breaks makes the letter unnecessarily dense.
Separate the reason for leave, communication plan, delegation arrangements, and closing request into distinct paragraphs.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is varied and generally precise for a formal workplace request, with only occasional awkward or repetitive phrasing.
Replace formulaic wording such as Not only this and reduce repetition of smooth transition by using more natural, concise expressions.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of sentence forms is handled accurately, including complex clauses used to explain the situation and proposed arrangements.
Refine the few awkward constructions and punctuation choices so that every sentence reads as naturally as the strongest passages.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
Write a letter to your manager. In your letter:
- explain the reason for the leave and the length of leave you need
- explain how you will keep up-to-date while you’re away
- 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.