General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · application

Letter to an Australian scholarship provider for funding: IELTS formal letter sample

An IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 formal letter with a Band 8 sample answer, why it scores well and the phrases worth borrowing for your own letter writing.
  • 192 words
  • Formal letters
  • Application
  • 20 minutes

The task

An Australian company offers money to foreign students to study in Australia.

Write a letter to the company. In your letter:

  • →introduce yourself
  • →say what you want to study
  • →how the money will help you

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

Model answer

Band 8 sample letter

Band 8192 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Dear Scholarship Committee,

I am writing to express my strong interest in the International Student Grant currently offered by your organisation. As an ambitious academic from Brazil, I am eager to pursue further education within the Australian university system.

Currently, I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and am keen to enrol in a Master of Renewable Energy programme at the University of Melbourne. My long-term goal is to develop sustainable infrastructure solutions for developing nations, and Australia’s world-leading research in this field makes it the ideal environment for my studies.

Securing this funding would be transformative for my academic journey. While I have saved significantly for my tuition, the high cost of living in Melbourne is a daunting prospect. This financial assistance would alleviate the burden of accommodation and textbooks, allowing me to focus entirely on my research projects rather than managing part-time work commitments. Relieving this pressure would enable me to maintain the high academic standards required for my scholarship eligibility.

Thank you for considering my application and for supporting international scholars. I look forward to the possibility of contributing to the Australian academic community.

Yours faithfully,

Mateo Silva

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 bullet points with sophisticated, cohesive language and maintains an appropriately professional tone throughout. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to connect the financial need to the specific study goals, resulting in a generic letter that lacks persuasive depth.

  • →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

  • transformative

    causing a major positive change to a situation

  • daunting

    seeming difficult to deal with or intimidating

  • alleviate

    to make a problem or burden less severe

  • enrol

    to officially register as a student in courses

  • prospect

    the possibility or likelihood of a future event

  • ambitious

    having a strong desire to succeed at something

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?+

A Band 8 response clearly addresses all bullet points with sophisticated, cohesive language and maintains an appropriately professional tone throughout. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to connect the financial need to the specific study goals, resulting in a generic letter that lacks persuasive depth.

Keep practising

More application letters

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