IELTS General Writing Task 1: Letter Writing

IELTS Letter Writing

IELTS Letter Writing is part of General Training Writing Task 1. You write a letter of at least 150 words, usually in about 20 minutes.

Basic structure

A strong letter normally has four parts:

Dear…………..,

Paragraph 1 – Purpose (10 – 20 words) = Personalize the question statement.

Paragraph 2 – Answer to Bullet 1 question (50 – 60 words)

Paragraph 3 – Answer to Bullet 2 question (50 – 60 words)

Paragraph 4 – Answer to Bullet 3 question (50 – 60 words)

Paragraph 5 – Ending Statement (5 – 10 words)

Sign off

Types of letters

Formal letter

• Written to someone you don’t know personally or to an organization.
• Examples: complaint, application, request for information.
• Greeting: Dear Sir/Madam,
• Ending: Yours faithfully,
  

Example    ||   Practice Real Exam Question
 
 

Semi-formal letter

• Written to someone you know, but the situation is professional or respectful.
• Examples: your landlord, manager, teacher, or neighbour.
• Greeting: Dear Mr Smith, / Dear Ms Jones,
• Ending: Yours sincerely,

Example    ||   Practice Real Exam Question
 
 

Informal letter

• Written to a friend or family member.
• Greeting: Dear John, / Dear Sarah,
• Ending: Best wishes, / Take care, / See you soon,

Example    ||   Practice Real Exam Question
 
 

The most important rule

Answer ALL the bullet points.

IELTS usually gives you three things to cover. Make sure you address every one clearly and with enough detail.

Tone

Your tone must match the situation.

Formal:

I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with…

Semi-formal:

I am writing to ask if you could possibly…

Informal:

I’m really sorry, but I won’t be able to make it.

What IELTS examiners assess

• Task Achievement – Did you answer the question completely?
• Coherence and Cohesion – Is the letter logically organized?
• Lexical Resource – Did you use appropriate vocabulary?
• Grammar Range and Accuracy – Did you use a good range of accurate grammar?

Useful formula

Think of every letter as:

Purpose → Details → Action/Request → Closing

For example:

I am writing to complain about…
The main problem is that…
I would appreciate it if you could…
I look forward to hearing from you.

Common mistakes

• Writing fewer than 150 words
• Forgetting one of the bullet points
• Using the wrong level of formality
• Memorizing a template and forcing it into the question
• Repeating the same vocabulary
• Writing one huge paragraph
• Spending too much time on the introduction
• Using informal expressions in a formal letter

Time management: Spend about 3–4 minutes planning, 15 minutes writing, and 2–3 minutes checking your grammar, spelling, and whether you answered all the points.