IELTS General Training Writing Task 1: How to Write the Letter

In General Training Writing Task 1 you write a letter of at least 150 words in about 20 minutes. The task describes a situation and gives you three bullet points that your letter must cover. You may be writing to a friend, to someone you know a little, or to an organisation.

What it tests

• Covering all three bullet points clearly, and developing each one.
• Making the purpose of the letter clear from the start.
• Choosing a tone that suits the reader and keeping it consistent.
• Organising the letter into logical paragraphs with a suitable opening and close.

It is marked on Task Achievement, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy.

Letter types and tone

Tone	Typical reader	Opening and close	Style
Informal	A friend or family member	"Hi Jo," / "Dear Jo," … "Best wishes," or "Speak soon,"	Contractions, friendly phrases, a personal touch.
Semi-formal	A neighbour, colleague, landlord or teacher you know	"Dear Mr Okafor," … "Kind regards,"	Polite and clear; some contractions are fine.
Formal	A company, manager or official you do not know	"Dear Sir or Madam," … "Yours faithfully,"	No contractions or slang; direct, polite requests.

Common purposes include complaining, requesting, apologising, thanking, inviting, explaining a problem and giving advice. Many letters combine two or three of these.

Step-by-step plan (20 minutes)

1. Read the task (2 minutes). Who is the reader? What is the main purpose? Underline the action word in each bullet point (explain, describe, suggest, say).
2. Plan (2–3 minutes). One body paragraph per bullet point. Jot down a detail or example for each one so the point is developed, not just mentioned.
3. Write (12 minutes). Greeting; one or two sentences stating why you are writing; three body paragraphs; a closing line suited to the purpose; sign-off and name.
4. Check (2 minutes). All three bullets covered? Tone consistent from greeting to sign-off? At least 150 words?

Common traps

• A missing or thin bullet point. Mentioning a bullet in half a sentence is not the same as covering it. Each one needs its own developed paragraph.
• Inconsistent tone. Starting with "Dear Sir or Madam" and ending with "Cheers!" shows poor control of register.
• An unclear purpose. Long background before the reason for writing.
• Copying the task wording. Copied phrases do not count. Rephrase the situation in your own words.
• Memorised letter phrases. Stock lines that do not fit the situation add nothing.
• Under length. Under 150 words limits your score. Aim for 160–190.
• Using bullet points or notes. The letter must be written in full sentences.

Try it: mini-example

This prompt and model answer are original practice material written for Bee English.

Task: You recently joined a local sports centre, but the swimming lessons you paid for have been cancelled several times. Write a letter to the manager. In your letter: explain what you paid for; describe the problems you have had; say what you would like the centre to do.

Model letter (semi-formal to formal)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing about the beginner swimming course I booked at Riverside Sports Centre, which has not been delivered as advertised.

When I joined in early September, I paid for a ten-week course of Tuesday evening lessons, together with a three-month membership that includes use of the pool.

Unfortunately, four of the first six lessons have been cancelled, each time with less than a day's notice. On two occasions I only found out when I arrived at the pool, having left work early to get there. No replacement sessions have been offered, and the staff at reception were unable to tell me when the course would return to normal.

I would therefore like the centre either to add the missed lessons at the end of the course or to refund the cost of them. I would also appreciate being informed of any future cancellations by email or text message.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Daniel Reyes

Why this works

• The purpose is clear in the first sentence.
• Each bullet point has its own paragraph and is developed with specific detail (dates, number of lessons, what happened).
• The tone is polite but firm throughout, and the sign-off matches the greeting.
• The request is concrete: two acceptable solutions plus a reasonable extra request.
• The letter is about 165 words: comfortably over the minimum without padding.

Related guides

• IELTS Writing: complete guide
• Task Achievement and Task Response, band by band
• Lexical Resource: vocabulary and register
• Writing Task 2: the essay

Sources

• IELTS, General Training Writing format
• IELTS, Writing band descriptors (PDF)