Formal Letter Requesting an Office Transfer

The task

You would like to work in a different city to be closer to your family.

Write a letter to your employer to request a transfer to another office. In your letter:

→explain why you would like to move
→request that your employer place you in a specific city
→request that it be completed by a certain date

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

Model answer

Band 8 sample letter

Band 8199 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Dear Mr. Henderson,

I am writing to formally request a transfer from the London branch to our office in Manchester. Having been a dedicated member of the marketing department for three years, I believe my skills would continue to be an asset to the company in this new location.

My primary motivation for this request is to be closer to my immediate family. My parents reside in the North West and have recently encountered some health challenges. Relocating would allow me to provide them with necessary support while maintaining my full-time professional commitments to the firm.

I am specifically requesting a placement at the Manchester city centre office. I am familiar with the regional team there, and I am confident that my experience with our current digital campaigns would facilitate a seamless transition into their ongoing projects.

Regarding the timeline, I would appreciate it if this move could be finalised by 1 September. This date would allow me sufficient time to conclude my current projects here in London and ensure a smooth handover of responsibilities to my colleagues.

Thank you for considering my request. I look forward to discussing this matter further at your convenience.

Yours sincerely,

Jonathan Miller

Write your own and get a band

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 earns a Band 8 by addressing all three bullet points with specific, logical details while maintaining a consistently professional tone. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to provide a specific date or providing a vague reason for the move, which results in an incomplete task response.

→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

asset
a person or thing that is useful
immediate family
a person's parents, siblings, spouse, and children
professional commitments
tasks or duties related to one's job
seamless transition
a change that happens smoothly without problems
finalised
to complete the last part of a plan
handover
the act of passing responsibility to someone else

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?+

Keep practising

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