This is an IELTS writing task 1 letter from the real general training exam on the topic of writing a letter to your manager to ask about giving a presentation based on a conference you attended.

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IELTS Essay: Letter to a Manager

You recently attended a conference and would like to give a presentation to your colleagues about it. Write a letter to your manager and include

  • The topic of the conference
  • Why you want to present about it
  • When it could be done

Dear Lisa,

How are you? I am writing because I recently attended a conference while I was out of town last week on the topic of marketing in the digital age. The conference pooled together a collection of researchers, influencers, and corporate figures who shared novel strategies and developments taking place recently.

I would like to do a presentation for all the employees at our office because I feel what I learned was pertinent to our current transition. We are increasing our social media presence and the majority of our marketing budget is now online but many of my colleagues are not up to date with changes in the field.

My suggestion is at the next all-staff meeting, I can take a 10 minutes slot before or after lunch to go over the key points. It should not take much longer than that as I can send out my notes and some research articles by email afterwards.

Let me know if you think this is a viable idea.

Regards,

Abdul

Analysis

1. Dear Lisa,

2. How are you? 3. I am writing because I recently attended a conference while I was out of town last week on the topic of marketing in the digital age. 4. The conference pooled together a collection of researchers, influencers, and corporate figures who shared novel strategies and developments taking place recently.

  1. Address the letter to someone.
  2. You can begin with a greeting.
  3. Include the first bullet point.
  4. Add in some more detail if you want.

1. I would like to do a presentation for all the employees at our office because I feel what I learned was pertinent to our current transition. 2. We are increasing our social media presence and the majority of our marketing budget is now online but many of my colleagues are not up to date with changes in the field.

  1. Begin to develop the second point.
  2. Add more detail to it.

1. My suggestion is at the next all-staff meeting, I can take a 10 minutes slot before or after lunch to go over the key points. 2. It should not take much longer than that as I can send out my notes and some research articles by email afterwards.

3. Let me know if you think this is a viable idea.

4. Regards,

5. Abdul

  1. Develop the last point.
  2. Keep developing it.
  3. Add an ending sentence.
  4. Use a phrase like regards or sincerely.
  5. Write your name at the end of the letter.

Vocabulary

What do the words in bold below mean? Take notes on a piece of paper to aid memory retention.

Dear Lisa,

How are you? I am writing because I recently attended a conference while I was out of town last week on the topic of marketing in the digital age. The conference pooled together a collection of researchers, influencers, and corporate figures who shared novel strategies and developments taking place recently.

I would like to do a presentation for all the employees at our office because I feel what I learned was pertinent to our current transition. We are increasing our social media presence and the majority of our marketing budget is now online but many of my colleagues are not up to date with changes in the field.

My suggestion is at the next all-staff meeting, I can take a 10 minutes slot before or after lunch to go over the key points. It should not take much longer than that as I can send out my notes and some research articles by email afterwards.

Let me know if you think this is a viable idea.

Regards,

Abdul

Answers

Practice writing sentences with the words below on a piece of paper:

recently attended went there not that long ago

conference big meeting

while as I was

out of town in another city

last week a week ago

topic subject

marketing advertising

digital age now that computers are everywhere

pooled together combined

collection put together

researchers scientists

influencers people popular on social media

corporate figures businesspeople

shared novel strategies told about new ways

developments taking place recently changes happening in the last few years

employees colleagues

pertinent very relevant

current transition changing now

increasing growing

social media presence more time on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc.

majority most of

marketing budget money for advertising

colleagues co-workers

up to date current

in the field the area being studied

suggestion advice

all-staff meeting all employees together

slot place

go over talk about

key points crucial areas

should not take much longer than that won’t be that long

send out email

notes what you wrote down

research articles scientific papers

afterwards following that

let me know if you think this is a viable idea tell me if it is a good idea

Regards sincerely

Pronunciation

Practice with this tip using Google voice search to improve your pronunciation:

ˈriːsntli əˈtɛndɪd 
ˈkɒnfərəns 
waɪl 
aʊt ɒv taʊn 
lɑːst wiːk 
ˈtɒpɪk 
ˈmɑːkɪtɪŋ 
ˈdɪʤɪtl eɪʤ
puːld təˈgɛðə 
kəˈlɛkʃən 
rɪˈsɜːʧəz
ˈɪnflʊənsəz
ˈkɔːpərɪt ˈfɪgəz 
ʃeəd ˈnɒvəl ˈstrætɪʤiz 
dɪˈvɛləpmənts ˈteɪkɪŋ pleɪs ˈriːsntli
ˌɛmplɔɪˈiːz 
ˈpɜːtɪnənt 
ˈkʌrənt trænˈzɪʃ(ə)n
ɪnˈkriːsɪŋ 
ˈsəʊʃəl ˈmiːdiə ˈprɛzns 
məˈʤɒrɪti 
ˈmɑːkɪtɪŋ ˈbʌʤɪt 
ˈkɒliːgz 
ʌp tuː deɪt 
ɪn ðə fiːld
səˈʤɛsʧən 
ɔːl-stɑːf ˈmiːtɪŋ
slɒt 
gəʊ ˈəʊvə 
kiː pɔɪnts
ʃʊd nɒt teɪk mʌʧ ˈlɒŋgə ðæn ðæt 
sɛnd aʊt 
nəʊts 
rɪˈsɜːʧ ˈɑːtɪklz 
ˈɑːftəwədz
lɛt miː nəʊ ɪf juː θɪŋk ðɪs ɪz ə ˈvaɪəbl aɪˈdɪə
rɪˈgɑːdz

Vocabulary Practice

Remember and fill in the blanks:

Dear Lisa,

How are you? I am writing because I r_____________________d a c______________e w________e I was o_____________n l____________k on the t_______c of m____________g in the d____________e. The conference p___________________r a c____________n of r______________s, i______________s, and c__________________s who s____________________s and d_________________________________y.

I would like to do a presentation for all the e________________s at our office because I feel what I learned was p__________t to our c_____________________n. We are i____________g our s__________________e and the m__________y of our m______________________t is now online but many of my c____________s are not u___________e with changes i______________d.

My s________________n is at the next a__________________g, I can take a 10 minutes s______t before or after lunch to g_________r the k____________s. It s____________________________________t as I can s_________t my n_________s and some r______________________s by email a________________s.

L_________________________________________________a.

R_________s,

Abdul

Listening Practice

Learn more about this topic in the video below and practice with these activities:

Reading Practice

Read more about this topic and use these ideas to practice:

https://www.skillsyouneed.com/present/presentation-tips.html

Speaking Practice

Practice with the following speaking questions from the real IELTS speaking exam:

Public Speaking

  1. Why is public speaking important?
  2. What qualities make someone a good public speaker?
  3. What kind of people are usually asked to do public speaking?
  4. Has the way that people speak in public changed much?
  5. Why are people so scared of public speaking?

Writing Practice

Practice with the related topic below and then check with my sample answer:

You want to arrange a conference for your company, and you need to ask one of your colleagues to give a presentation in this conference.

Write a letter to your colleague. In your letter include:

Details about the conference

Why you want your colleague to give presentation

What arrangement will you do for this conference

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