Band 8 letter sample | Leave of absence letter

Here is a letter submitted by one of our students.

Topic

You are working for a company. You need to take a few days off work and want to ask your manager about this. In your letter, you have to:

• Explain why you want to take time off work
• Give details of the amount of time you need
• Suggest how your work could be covered while you are away.

Response

Dear Mr. Azim,

I hope this letter finds you in good health. I am writing to you to request for a two-week, unpaid holiday.

The reason behind my request is that my part-time Project Management Professional (PMP) certification course is coming to an end. To conclude the course and obtain the certificate, I will have to sit for an examination, which requires in-depth preparation of everything that we have covered in the past three months. The exam is scheduled to take place in 10 days, after which I will need a long, four-day weekend to freshen up before I go back to work.

I can anticipate your concern with regards to my office work. In fact, I am also very wary about any disturbances that my leave may cause. Therefore, I have discussed this with Ali, whose work is very much connected to my day-to-day operations. Ali was kind enough to be in charge of any matters that are usually delegated to me. Also, I will be available at my personal cell phone number, should any urgent issues arise.

I thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation.

Best regards,

Ahmed

Analysis

This is an excellent letter. There are very few grammar mistakes in it. The student have covered all aspects of the task and used appropriate structure, tone and vocabulary. Overall, this seems to be a band 8.5 letter.