IELTS General Training Task 1: how to write a clear letter

In IELTS General Training, Writing Task 1 is a letter. You write at least 150 words, and the official recommendation is to spend about 20 minutes on it. The whole Writing test is 60 minutes, and Task 2 counts for more of your Writing score than Task 1, so the second task needs the larger share of your time. A letter follows a pattern, and once you know the pattern you can write one quickly and clearly.

Read the task and the three points

The task describes a situation and gives you three bullet points, such as "explain what happened", "say how it affected you" and "tell the manager what you want". Each bullet point must appear in your letter. Before you write, make a quick list of the three points. Missing one is the most common way to lose marks on this task.

Choose the right tone

Look at who you are writing to. The tone, greeting and ending change with the reader:

• Formal (a person you do not know, such as a manager or a company): Dear Sir or Madam, ... Yours faithfully,
• Semi-formal (a person you know by name, such as a landlord or a teacher): Dear Mr Khan, ... Yours sincerely,
• Informal (a friend or a relative): Hi Sam, ... Best wishes, or See you soon,

Keep the same tone from the first line to the last. In a formal letter, avoid short forms such as "can't" and very casual expressions.

A simple structure

1. Greeting. Match it to the reader.
2. Reason for writing. One clear sentence: I am writing to complain about the noise during my stay in your hotel.
3. One short paragraph for each bullet point. Give details, a reason or an example for each. This is where most of your words go.
4. What you want next. I would be grateful if you could reply by Friday.
5. Closing and name. Match the greeting, as in the list above.

Useful phrases for polite requests

• I would be grateful if you could...
• I would appreciate it if you would...
• I look forward to hearing from you. (Notice the -ing after "look forward to".)

A suggested time plan

This is a suggestion, not an official rule. Spend about 3 minutes reading and planning, about 14 minutes writing, and about 3 minutes checking your letter. Practise with a timer so the real test feels familiar.

Common mistakes

• Writing fewer than 150 words.
• Leaving out one of the three bullet points.
• Using the wrong tone, for example a very casual letter to a manager.
• Copying the wording of the task instead of using your own words.
• Spending 35 minutes on Task 1 and leaving too little time for Task 2.

Practise and get feedback

Try a letter in one of our timed IELTS General Training practice tests. Then send your letter to our writing feedback service for written feedback and a voice note from a teacher. You also get an estimated score for each marking criterion, as a guide for your practice, not an official result. If you also take CELPIP, our article on the CELPIP writing email covers the same skill for that test, and the guide to IELTS Writing Task 2 covers the second task.

This article is about the General Training version of the test. The Academic version has a different Task 1.