IELTS Formal Letter: Formal Letter to Bank Manager Requesting Emergency Loan

The task

As an international student in Sweden, you have an account with a local bank. The monthly bank transfer you receive from your parents has been delayed this month due to an error at your parents' bank.

Write a letter to your bank. In your letter:

→introduce yourself and ask for a loan
→say why you need the money
→tell how you intend to pay back the money

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

Model answer

Band 8 sample letter

Band 8178 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Dear Mr. Svensson,

I am writing to formally request a short-term emergency loan of 8,000 SEK. My name is Alex Rivers, and I have been a loyal customer at your branch for over two years while pursuing my Master’s degree at Uppsala University.

The monthly transfer I typically receive from my parents in the UK has been delayed this month due to an unexpected administrative error at their bank. Consequently, I am currently facing a shortfall regarding my rent and essential living expenses, which are due by the end of this week. As I have always maintained a healthy balance, this situation is quite unusual.

I intend to repay this loan in full by the 25th of this month. My parents have provided written confirmation that the wire transfer issue is being resolved, and the funds will be deposited into my account as soon as their bank completes the reversal process. I am happy to provide any documentation required to facilitate this request.

Thank you for your time and assistance in this urgent matter.

Yours sincerely,

Alex Rivers

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

A Band 8 response clearly addresses all three bullet points with appropriate professional language and a consistent formal tone. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to provide a specific, realistic repayment plan, which makes the request appear unconvincing to the bank.

→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

shortfall
a deficit or lack of required funds
loyal customer
a client who has used services for years
administrative error
a mistake made during clerical or bank processing
repayment
the act of paying back borrowed money
facilitate
to make a process easier or possible
consequently
as a result of the previous situation

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

More request letters

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