IELTS General Training Task 1: how to write the letter

In General Training Writing Task 1, you write a letter of at least 150 words, and the usual advice is to spend about 20 minutes on it. The task describes a situation and gives you three bullet points to cover. It looks simpler than an essay, but many candidates lose marks for the wrong tone, an unclear purpose, or a bullet point that is only half answered. This guide shows you how to choose the right style and cover everything the task asks for.

What the task looks like

A typical task describes a situation, for example:

You recently stayed at a hotel and left a personal item in your room. Write a letter to the hotel manager. In your letter:

• describe the item you left
• explain where you think you left it
• say how you would like the hotel to return it

The instructions normally tell you to begin your letter with Dear ... and say that you do not need to write any addresses. Start straight away with the greeting.

Step 1: Decide the tone

Before you write a word, ask two questions:

1. Who am I writing to? A company, a manager, a neighbour, a friend?
2. What is our relationship? Have we met? Is the relationship professional or personal?

The answers give you one of three styles: formal, semi-formal or informal. Tone matters for your score. Examiners consider whether the purpose of the letter is clear and whether the tone is appropriate and consistent from start to finish.

Formal letters

When: you are writing to a person or organisation you do not know, usually about a practical or business matter. Examples include complaining to a company, applying for a job, or writing to a local council.

Opening and closing:

• Dear Sir or Madam, ... Yours faithfully, (when you do not know the person's name)
• Dear Mr Harris, / Dear Ms Chen, ... Yours sincerely, (when you know the name)

These pairings follow the traditional British convention, which is widely taught for IELTS.

Style:

• no contractions (I am, not I'm)
• polite, indirect requests (I would be grateful if you could ...)
• precise, neutral vocabulary (inform, request, unfortunately)

Useful first lines:

• I am writing to complain about ...
• I am writing to enquire about ...
• I am writing with regard to ...

Semi-formal letters

When: you know the person, but the relationship is professional or respectful. Examples include your landlord, your manager, a teacher, or a neighbour you do not know well.

Opening and closing:

• Dear Mr Patel, / Dear Anna, (use the form of name that suits your relationship)
• Kind regards, / Best regards, / Yours sincerely,

Style:

• polite and clear, but warmer than a formal letter
• occasional contractions are acceptable, but keep them limited
• direct requests softened with could you or would you mind

Useful first lines:

• I hope you are well. I am writing to let you know that ...
• I am writing to ask whether it would be possible to ...

Informal letters

When: you are writing to a friend or a family member.

Opening and closing:

• Dear Sam, (the task usually asks you to begin with Dear)
• Best wishes, / Take care, / See you soon, / Love, (for close family or friends)

Style:

• contractions are natural (I'm, can't, you'll)
• phrasal verbs and everyday expressions (catch up, get together, I can't wait)
• a friendly, personal tone, but still clear organisation and accurate grammar

Useful first lines:

• Thanks so much for your letter. It was great to hear from you.
• I'm sorry I haven't been in touch for so long.
• I've got some exciting news to tell you!

Informal does not mean careless. Text-message abbreviations (u, gonna, thx) and emojis are not appropriate.

Step 2: Make the purpose clear immediately

The reader should know why you are writing by the end of your first or second sentence. Compare:

• Unclear: I stayed at your hotel last week and it was a very nice stay with a good breakfast.
• Clear: I am writing because I believe I left a silver watch in my room when I checked out of your hotel on 3 May.

Step 3: Cover all three bullet points fully

The bullet points are your plan. A simple approach is to write one paragraph for each bullet point. Develop each one with some detail rather than mentioning it in a few words.

Bullet point: describe the item you left

• Too thin: It is a watch.
• Developed: It is a silver watch with a black leather strap and my initials engraved on the back. It was a gift from my parents, so it has great personal value to me.

If a bullet point is missing, or covered too briefly, your Task Achievement score is likely to suffer, even if your grammar is excellent.

You can invent realistic details, such as names, dates and places, but keep them relevant. You are not tested on whether the details are true.

A simple structure

1. Greeting: Dear ...,
2. Opening paragraph: the purpose of the letter (1-2 sentences).
3. Paragraph for bullet point 1
4. Paragraph for bullet point 2
5. Paragraph for bullet point 3
6. Closing sentence: for example, I look forward to hearing from you. (formal) or Write back soon! (informal)
7. Sign-off and name: Yours faithfully, Maria Lopez or Best wishes, Tom

Around 160-200 words is a comfortable length.

Keep the tone consistent

A common problem is mixing styles. For example:

Dear Sir or Madam, I'm writing coz your delivery was super late and I'm really fed up. I would be grateful if you could issue a full refund.

The first sentence is informal and the second is formal. In a complaint to a company, the whole letter should be formal:

Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing to complain about a delivery that arrived nine days later than promised. I would be grateful if you could issue a full refund.

Equally, writing to a close friend with I am writing to inform you that I shall be visiting your city sounds cold and unnatural.

Common mistakes

• Using Yours faithfully after a name, or Yours sincerely after Dear Sir or Madam.
• Starting with a long description of yourself instead of the purpose of the letter.
• Forgetting the closing sentence and sign-off.
• Writing one long block of text instead of clear paragraphs.
• Answering two bullet points well and the third in a single short sentence.
• Copying long phrases from the task instead of using your own words.

Final checklist

• Is the tone right for the reader, and consistent throughout?
• Is the purpose clear in the first two sentences?
• Have I developed all three bullet points?
• Do my greeting and sign-off match?
• Have I written at least 150 words?

Practise your writing

The habits that improve your letters, such as a clear purpose, full development and a consistent tone, also matter in Task 2, which carries more weight. When you practise Task 2 essays, you can paste them into StudyChat to check your essay for free and get an estimated band score with feedback. Scores are AI estimates rather than official results, and StudyChat is not affiliated with IELTS or its official partners.