IELTS General Training Writing Task 1: How to Write a Letter (Formal, Semi-formal and Informal)

What the letter task asks you to do

IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 asks you to write a letter of at least 150 words in about 20 minutes. The question describes a situation and gives three bullet points, and you must address all three in a tone that suits the person you are writing to. The tone can be formal, semi-formal or informal, and it must stay consistent from the opening to the closing.

Task 1 is marked on Task Achievement, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy, each worth 25%. In this task, Task Achievement looks at whether the purpose of the letter is clear, whether every bullet point is covered, and whether the tone is appropriate. Task 2 counts twice as much as Task 1, and General Training Task 2 is the same essay format as Academic Task 2.

Decide the tone from the recipient

Look at who the letter is for before you write a word. The relationship decides your greeting, your closing and the language in between.

• Formal: a stranger, a company or an official whose name you do not know. Start with Dear Sir or Madam and end with Yours faithfully. Use full verb forms, polite requests such as I would be grateful if you could, and no slang.
• Semi-formal: someone you know slightly or who has a title, such as a neighbour, landlord, teacher or manager. Start with Dear Mr Smith or Dear Ms Jones and end with Yours sincerely. Be polite and clear, with few contractions.
• Informal: a friend or relative. Start with Dear Anna and end with Best wishes, All the best or Take care. Contractions, phrasal verbs and a friendly personal tone are appropriate.

A paragraph plan that covers every bullet

A letter has no title and does not need an address or date, since the task does not ask for them. Write your name below the closing phrase. Use this plan.

• Opening line: state your purpose in one sentence, such as I am writing to complain about the laptop I bought from your shop last week.
• Paragraph 1: the first bullet point, with specific detail.
• Paragraph 2: the second bullet point, with specific detail.
• Paragraph 3: the third bullet point, with specific detail.
• Closing: say what you expect or hope will happen next, thank the reader if suitable, then use the correct closing phrase and your name.

Common letter purposes and useful language

Most General Training letters have one of five purposes. Learn two or three flexible phrases for each, and add real detail, such as dates, places, amounts and reasons, so that each bullet point is developed rather than answered in one line.

• Complaint: I am writing to complain about... / This is not what I expected... / I would like a refund or replacement.
• Request: I am writing to ask whether... / I would be grateful if you could... / It would help me a great deal if...
• Apology: I am writing to apologise for... / I am very sorry that... / To make up for it, I would like to...
• Invitation: I would like to invite you to... / It will take place on... / Please let me know if you can come.
• Explanation: I am writing to explain why... / The reason for this is... / I hope this makes the situation clear.

A worked example

Task: you bought a pair of shoes online and they arrived damaged. Write to the company. Say what is wrong, what you have already done, and what you want the company to do.

Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing to complain about a pair of shoes that I ordered from your website on 3 October and that arrived damaged. The left shoe has a deep scratch across the toe and the sole is coming away from the leather. I contacted your customer service team by telephone last Friday and was told that someone would call me back within two days, but nobody has done so. I would be grateful if you could send me a replacement pair as soon as possible or refund the full price. I look forward to hearing from you. Yours faithfully, Maria Lopez.

Notice that the purpose appears in the first sentence, each bullet point has its own paragraph or sentence group with concrete detail, and the tone is polite and formal throughout. In your own answer, give each bullet point a separate paragraph.

Mistakes that lose marks

The computer-delivered test has a live word counter and no spell check, so check names, dates and spelling in your last two minutes. Most lost marks come from the following.

• Missing a bullet point, or covering it so briefly that the reader learns nothing.
• Inconsistent tone, such as starting with Dear Sir or Madam and then writing in a chatty style, or ending a letter to a friend with Yours faithfully.
• No clear purpose. The reader should know why you are writing by the end of the first sentence.
• Writing addresses, dates and a title. These are not required and waste words and time.
• Writing under 150 words. This loses marks under Task Achievement. There is no official maximum, so aim for about 170 to 200 words.

Common questions

Short answers to the questions candidates search for most often.

• How long should an IELTS General Training letter be? At least 150 words. A target of 170 to 200 words usually covers three bullet points in good detail.
• Do I need to write my address and the date? No. The task does not require them, so start with the greeting.
• When do I use Yours sincerely and when Yours faithfully? Use Yours faithfully after Dear Sir or Madam, and Yours sincerely after a name such as Dear Mr Smith.
• Can I use contractions in a letter? In an informal letter, yes. In a formal or semi-formal letter, avoid them or use very few.
• Is Task 2 in General Training different from Academic? No. The essay format and the 250-word minimum are the same, and it carries twice the weight of Task 1.

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