Read Instructions Carefully
The instruction tells you about the purpose, content, and recipient of your
letter.
Understand Different Types of Letter
There are three types of letters in the IELTS: a formal letter, a personal letter, or a
semi-formal letter.
Formal letters: writing to someone you don’t know, such as a company
Semi-formal letters: writing to someone you don’t know well, such as your
professor
Personal letters: writing to someone you know very well, such as a friend.
Use Proper Opening and Closing
There are different ways to open and close a letter based on who you are writing
to.
Formal letters
Opening: Dear Sir/Madam
Closing: Yours faithfully + your full name
Semi-formal letters
Opening: Dear Mr./Miss/Mrs.+ the last name of the recipient
Closing: Yours sincerely + your full name
Personal letters
Opening: Dear + the first name of the recipient
Closing: Best regards + your first name
Structure Your Letter
Paragraph 1: Directly state the purpose of your letter in formal and semi-formal
letters. Here are some useful sentences you can use in your writing.
Formal and semi-formal letters:
I am writing this letter with regard to…
I am writing to express my…
I am writing to inform you…
Personal letters usually include a greeting first and then state the purpose:
How are you doing?
I hope you are doing well.
How have you been?
Main body: In the main body, you can use three paragraphs to cover the bullet
points one by one. Also, think of some relevant details to enrich the content of your
letter.
Conclusion paragraph: Usually, you can use the last paragraph to call to
action, express thanks or ask for a response. Here are some examples.
Formal/Semi-formal letters:
If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Personal letters:
I can’t wait to hear from you.
Looking forward to seeing you soon.