4.Start the letter appropriately.

a. Open a formal and semi-formal letter with a formal sentence and paragraph. Get down to
business and say why you are writing. Don’t try to be friendly, as you do not know the person
you are writing to.

Formal:
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to inquire about…
I am writing in connection with…

Semi-formal
Dear Mr Johnson,
I am writing to inform you that…
I am writing to…

b. Open an informal letter with a general, friendly paragraph. Acknowledge your friendship
first, before explaining the reason for your letter. In fact, the first paragraph could include just
friendly small talk, unrelated to the reason for your writing.

Dear Susan
I hope you and your family are all well! It was so wonderful to spend time with all of you last
month. It felt great to catch up with you and Bob, get to know your children, and have fun
together after so long. You have always been dear friends of mine, and always will be.

Anyway, the reason I’m writing is that I have some good news: I am getting married in
September…

5. Learn and use standard written phrases.

In English letter writing, we use a number of standard expressions and phrases. These not only
save time and effort, but also make it easier for the reader to understand our meaning. You
can add on the specific information you wish to communicate to these standard phrases. See
the list of Useful Expressions below.

6. Spell commonly used words correctly. Learn and practice the correct spelling of words you
are likely to use on the exam. Examples are: “sincerely”, “faithfully”, “in connection with”,
“apologize”, and so on. This is an easy way to boost your score.

7. Divide your letter into paragraphs.

Usually you need four paragraphs:

• Introduction

• Problem / Situation

• Solution / Action

• Conclusion

Make sure to signal the start of a new paragraph in one of two ways:
Indenting: Do NOT leave a line space between paragraphs. Start writing a little to the right of
the left margin.
Skipping a line: Leave a line space between paragraphs. Start writing directly from the left
margin.

8. Use clear handwriting. Make sure your writing is neat and legible, so your words can be
read easily and do not appear to have spelling mistakes. Get feedback from a teacher on your
handwriting. Pay special attention to how you form and connect letters such as a, e, i, u, n, r,
and w.

9. Write at least 150 words. Practice writing letters till you know what 150 words feels like and
looks like. You will lose marks if you write less. You will not lose marks if you write more.

10. Include all three bulleted points. If you exclude even one of the points given to you in the
question prompt, you will get a lower grade. Answer all the points.

In your letter:

• explain the problem

• describe why it disturbs you

• suggest a solution

11. Finish in time.

The IELTS General Task I letter is worth about 30% of your writing score, so make sure you
complete the whole letter. Though you have to make up a story to explain the situation, keep
it simple so you don’t run out of time. Make sure to keep 40 minutes to complete the essay in
Task 2, which is worth much more in terms of points.

12. Read model letters but don’t memorize them. Instead, read the letters to get an idea of
the overall flow and to pick up new vocabulary and expressions.

13. Understand the scoring criteria. Learn how to get a high score by knowing what examiners
look for and how they award or deduct points.

Succeeding at any exam requires positivity, preparation, and practice!

The IELTS General Writing Task 1 measures your ability to communicate about common
practical issues. You have 20 minutes to respond to a question prompt, by writing a letter to a
person, company, or institution. Your response is worth about 30% of your writing score and is
graded separately from the Task 2 essay.

The information below includes test-taking tips, strategies, expressions, sample questions,
model letters, and references. It can help you get the highest possible score on the letter-
writing section of the IELTS. Use it regularly to keep track of your progress. All the best!
TIPS FOR IELTS GENERAL TASK 1

1. Identify the type of letter you are being asked to write.

Formal

Semi-formal

Informal

Step 2 will help you recognize each type of letter.

2. Identify the purpose of the letter.

TYPE PURPOSE

Formal Requesting information from a company

Applying for a job

Complaining to a bank, store, airline re:product/service

Making a recommendation/suggestion

Semi-formal Complaining to a landlord

Explaining to a neighbor

Asking a professor for permission

Informal Inviting someone you know well

Thanking a friend

Apologizing

Asking for advice

Read lots of sample questions. Decide whether the question requires a formal, semi-formal, or
informal response. Steps 1 & 2 will help you choose the right language, style, and tone for your
letter.

3. Open and close the letter correctly. Do this based on the type and purpose of the letter.

STYLE CHARACTERISTICS OPENING ENDING

Formal To someone you have not met, whose name you don’t know Dear Sir/Madam,
Yours faithfully,
Semi-formal To someone you may or may not have met, whose last name you know Dear
Mr Brown,

Dear Ms Stone Yours sincerely,

Informal To someone you know well, whose first name you know and use Dear
John,

Dear Anita, Best regards,

Warm wishes,

4.Start the letter appropriately.

a. Open a formal and semi-formal letter with a formal sentence and paragraph. Get down to
business and say why you are writing. Don’t try to be friendly, as you do not know the person
you are writing to.

Formal:

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to inquire about…

I am writing in connection with…

Semi-formal

Dear Mr Johnson,

I am writing to inform you that…

I am writing to…

b. Open an informal letter with a general, friendly paragraph. Acknowledge your friendship
first, before explaining the reason for your letter. In fact, the first paragraph could include just
friendly small talk, unrelated to the reason for your writing.

Dear Susan

I hope you and your family are all well! It was so wonderful to spend time with all of you last
month. It felt great to catch up with you and Bob, get to know your children, and have fun
together after so long. You have always been dear friends of mine, and always will be.

Anyway, the reason I’m writing is that I have some good news: I am getting married in
September…
5. Learn and use standard written phrases.

In English letter writing, we use a number of standard expressions and phrases. These not only
save time and effort, but also make it easier for the reader to understand our meaning. You
can add on the specific information you wish to communicate to these standard phrases. See
the list of Useful Expressions below.

6. Spell commonly used words correctly. Learn and practice the correct spelling of words you
are likely to use on the exam. Examples are: “sincerely”, “faithfully”, “in connection with”,
“apologize”, and so on. This is an easy way to boost your score.

7. Divide your letter into paragraphs.

Usually you need four paragraphs:

Introduction

Problem / Situation

Solution / Action

Conclusion

Make sure to signal the start of a new paragraph in one of two ways:

Indenting: Do NOT leave a line space between paragraphs. Start writing a little to the right of
the left margin.

Skipping a line: Leave a line space between paragraphs. Start writing directly from the left
margin.

8. Use clear handwriting. Make sure your writing is neat and legible, so your words can be read
easily and do not appear to have spelling mistakes. Get feedback from a teacher on your
handwriting. Pay special attention to how you form and connect letters such as a, e, i, u, n, r,
and w.

9. Write at least 150 words. Practice writing letters till you know what 150 words feels like and
looks like. You will lose marks if you write less. You will not lose marks if you write more.
10. Include all three bulleted points. If you exclude even one of the points given to you in the
question prompt, you will get a lower grade. Answer all the points.

In your letter:

explain the problem

describe why it disturbs you

suggest a solution

11. Finish in time.

The IELTS General Task I letter is worth about 30% of your writing score, so make sure you
complete the whole letter. Though you have to make up a story to explain the situation, keep
it simple so you don’t run out of time. Make sure to keep 40 minutes to complete the essay in
Task 2, which is worth much more in terms of points.

12. Read model letters but don’t memorize them. Instead, read the letters to get an idea of the
overall flow and to pick up new vocabulary and expressions. Make sure to consult only reliable
sources, such as Good Luck IELTS, for model answers.

13. Understand the scoring criteria. Learn how to get a high score by knowing what examiners
look for and how they award or deduct points.
14. Practice writing letters regularly and get them checked by an IELTS trainer. Not every
English teacher understands the demands of this particular exam, so find someone who has
IELTS teaching experience, if possible. Practice writing answers to sample questions every day
in order to improve your skills, your speed, your confidence, and your score!

IELTS GENERAL TASK 1: USEFUL EXPRESSIONS FOR LETTER-WRITING

To complete your IELTS letter-writing task within 20 minutes, learn to use and spell common
phrases and expressions correctly. Choose the correct level of formality based on your
question prompt. By using these phrases, you will save time and effort and earn a higher IELTS
score. Most of the expressions below are arranged from formal to semi-formal to informal.

For a full list of phrases and expressions, check Good Luck IELTS.

Apologizing
Please accept my sincere apologies for…

I am very sorry about…

Sorry for…

Asking for help

I’d be grateful if you could…

I would appreciate it if you could…

Could you please…

Asking for information

I am writing to enquire about…

I am writing to find out about…

I would like to know about…

Closing

I look forward to hearing from you,

I look forward to seeing you,

I look forward to meeting you,

Complaining

I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with…

I am writing to express my annoyance with…

I’m not happy with…

Expressing satisfaction

I was delighted to learn that…

I was thrilled to hear that…

I was very glad to hear that…

Expressing concern

I am writing to express my concern about…

I was really sorry to hear that…

Giving bad news

I regret to advise you that…

I regret to inform you that…

I am sorry to tell you that…

Giving good news

I am pleased to advise you that…

I am delighted to inform you that…

I am happy to tell you that…

Giving reasons

This is due to…

This is a result of

… This is because…

Making suggestions

Perhaps it would be useful to…

Perhaps it would be possible to…

It might be helpful to…

Thanking

I am extremely grateful for…

I really appreciate…

Thank you for…

Informal
Last month you had a holiday overseas where you stayed with some
friends. They have just sent you some photos of your holiday.

Write a letter to your friends. In your letter:

• thank them for the photos and for the holiday

You do NOT need to write any address.

Begin your letter as follows: Dear __________

Dear Ajay and Sunita,

Thanks so much for your kind letter, with the lovely photos of my holiday
in Mumbai. Sorry for the delay in replying, but your package arrived as I
was about to leave town on a business trip. I’ve just returned to Toronto
today.

Looking at the photos brings back so many happy memories of the times
we spent together and the wonderful hospitality you extended to me. I felt
completely pampered by both of you! You surrounded me with warm
friends, tasty food, amazing sights, great shopping, unforgettable cultural
events and laughter-filled evenings. I would have been lost without you! I
can’t thank you enough.

These good memories gave me an idea. I know you’ve always wanted to

Thank you both again for the beautiful holiday and the photos, which are
already up on my wall. Now, I’m really looking forward to hearing from
you.
Warm wishes,
Carol
(205 words)