IELTS formal letter: Applying to volunteer at a health clinic

Formal letterApplication · General Training

The task

A community health clinic near your home is looking for volunteers to help on weekends. Write a letter to the clinic manager.

In your letter
• introduce yourself and explain why you are interested
• describe any relevant experience or skills
• say when you are available

Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write any addresses at the top of your letter.

Begin your letter as follows:
Dear Sir or Madam,

Write your letter

Then get an estimated band, with checks on every bullet point, your tone and the letter format.

0 words · 150 more to reach 150

Write your own letter first, then compare. Reading a model before you write tends to make you copy it.

The plan

Purpose: apply for the weekend volunteer role.
Bullet 1: who you are and a personal reason.
Bullet 2: two relevant experiences or skills.
Bullet 3: exact days and times, and how long.
Close: offer to provide references; formal sign-off.

Model letter

180 words

Our checker: 8.0Task 8Coherence 8Vocabulary 7Grammar 8

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to apply for the weekend volunteer position advertised on the noticeboard at your clinic.

I am a 26-year-old accountant who moved to this area last year, and I have used the clinic myself several times. I was impressed by how patiently the staff dealt with a waiting room full of people, and I would like to give something back to the community that has made me feel so welcome.

Although I have no medical training, I believe I have skills that would be useful. For two years I volunteered at a blood donation centre in my home city, where I welcomed donors, checked their details and kept the waiting area organised. I also speak English, Yoruba and French, which might help patients who are less confident in English.

I am available every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and on Sunday mornings twice a month. I would be happy to commit to at least six months.

Please let me know if you require references or any further information.

Yours faithfully,
Adebayo Adeyemi

The highlighted paragraph states the purpose; each paragraph after it covers one bullet point. Scored by the MyBandPrep checker on 7 October 2026. An estimate, not an examiner’s mark. How scoring works

Why it works

Task Achievement: The purpose is stated at once and every bullet is developed: a personal reason, two pieces of relevant experience, and precise availability with a commitment.
Coherence and Cohesion: Clear paragraphing by bullet. The concession (Although I have no medical training…) links the paragraphs naturally.
Lexical Resource: Appropriate formal choices for an application: advertised, give something back, commit to, require references, further information.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Relative clauses, a concession, and accurate present perfect and past simple. Most sentences are complex and error-free.

Phrases worth reusing

I am writing to apply for
I would like to give something back to
Although I have no
Please let me know if you require references