General Training Writing Task 1 · semi-formal · giving information

Letter to Manager Proposing Improved Workflow Processes: IELTS semi-formal letter sample

An IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 semi-formal letter with a Band 8 sample answer, why it scores well and the phrases worth borrowing for your own letter writing.
  • 193 words
  • Semi-formal letters
  • Giving information
  • 20 minutes

The task

You have an idea for a new way of working that would benefit your team.

Write a letter to your manager. In your letter:

  • →identify the current inefficiencies in the team's workflow
  • →propose your new idea for improving the process
  • →explain the potential benefits to the company

Write at least 150 words. You do not need to write any addresses. Begin your letter: Dear Mr/Ms [Name],

Model answer

Band 8 sample letter

Band 8193 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Dear Ms. Sterling,

I am writing to share some observations regarding our current project management workflow and to propose a strategy that could enhance our team's productivity.

At present, our reliance on manual data entry across multiple spreadsheets leads to significant bottlenecks. Team members frequently spend hours reconciling conflicting versions of documents, which often results in duplication of effort and minor errors in reporting. These inefficiencies consume time that could be better spent on client-facing tasks.

To address this, I suggest we migrate to a centralized project management software, such as Asana or Monday.com. This would allow for real-time collaboration and automated status updates, eliminating the need for constant manual cross-referencing. I have already researched a few cost-effective tiers that would integrate seamlessly with our existing communication tools.

Implementing this change would significantly reduce our administrative overhead and improve data accuracy. By streamlining our internal processes, the team would gain approximately five hours of capacity per person each week, allowing us to take on additional accounts without increasing headcount. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss this further during our next one-to-one meeting.

Thank you for considering my suggestion.

Yours sincerely,

James Anderson

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Examiner's view

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response thoroughly addresses all three bullet points with a clear, professional structure and logical flow. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to provide specific benefits, instead offering only vague statements about 'working faster' without explaining the impact on company capacity.

  • →Write to someone you know but not closely, such as a manager, landlord or neighbour, using their title and surname.
  • →Polite and friendly at once: a few contractions are fine, slang is not. Close with Yours sincerely or Kind regards.
  • →State the purpose in the first two sentences; small talk costs words you need for the bullets.

6 phrases

Useful phrases from the letter

  • bottlenecks

    points in a process that cause delays

  • reconciling

    making different documents agree with each other

  • duplication of effort

    doing the same work more than once

  • centralized

    brought together into one main location

  • administrative overhead

    the costs and time of managing tasks

  • headcount

    the total number of employees in company

Frequently asked questions

Is this letter formal or informal?+

Semi-formal. Write to someone you know but not closely, such as a manager, landlord or neighbour, using their title and surname.

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 thoroughly addresses all three bullet points with a clear, professional structure and logical flow. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to provide specific benefits, instead offering only vague statements about 'working faster' without explaining the impact on company capacity.

Keep practising

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