A strong IELTS General Training Task 1 letter is not a test of how many advanced words you can force onto the page. It is a test of whether you can communicate a clear purpose to the right reader, in the right tone, without missing a single instruction. This IELTS letter writing guide gives you the system to do that under exam pressure - with no guesswork.
Task 1 is worth one third of your Writing score, so a weak letter can pull down an otherwise capable paper. Candidates often lose marks because they sound too informal to a manager, too distant to a friend, or because they answer only two of the three bullet points. These are preventable mistakes. Your target is a letter that feels natural, complete and easy to follow.
Know what the examiner is scoring
Your letter is assessed using four criteria: Task Achievement, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy. Each matters equally. A Band 8 letter does not need to be dramatic or unusually long. It needs to fulfil the task fully, organise ideas logically, use vocabulary precisely and control grammar with very few errors.
Task Achievement is where many high-potential candidates underperform. You must state the purpose clearly and cover every bullet point with enough development. If the task asks you to complain about a service, explain what happened, describe the consequences and request action, each point needs a meaningful response. A one-sentence mention is rarely enough for a high score.
Coherence is your reader's experience of the letter. Can they understand why you are writing from the opening? Does each paragraph have one job? Do your requests and explanations appear in a sensible order? Clear paragraphing and controlled linking do more for your score than stuffing every line with connectors such as ‘moreover’ and ‘therefore’.
First, identify the reader and the relationship
Before writing, decide whether the situation is formal, semi-formal or informal. This decision controls your greeting, vocabulary, grammar and closing. It is not a cosmetic choice.
A formal letter is for someone you do not know personally, such as a company manager, landlord, local council or course organiser. Use a professional tone: ‘I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with…’ or ‘I would be grateful if you could…’ Avoid contractions, slang and overly emotional language.
A semi-formal letter is for someone you know in a professional or limited context, such as a neighbour, former teacher or colleague. You can sound warmer while remaining respectful: ‘I am writing to ask whether you would be able to…’ The language should still be measured.
An informal letter is for a friend or close acquaintance. Contractions, direct questions and personal details are appropriate: ‘Thanks for your message. I’d love to help with your plans.’ Informal does not mean careless. Your ideas still need a clear structure and accurate grammar.
A useful check is this: would you use the same words in a text message to a friend and in a complaint to a hotel manager? If the answer is no, your letter needs a different register.
IELTS letter writing guide: use a reliable structure
The safest structure is simple because it mirrors what the examiner needs to see. Aim for at least 150 words, but write around 170 to 190 words. This gives you space to develop all bullet points without creating a long letter full of avoidable errors.
Start with the correct greeting. Use ‘Dear Sir or Madam,’ when you do not know the recipient’s name. Use ‘Dear Mr Patel,’ or ‘Dear Ms Jones,’ when you do. For an informal letter, ‘Dear Ali,’ is enough.
Your opening paragraph should state the purpose immediately. Do not begin with a vague line such as ‘How are you?’ in a formal complaint, and do not spend three sentences setting the scene before the reader knows why you are writing. Compare these two openings:
‘Dear Sir or Madam,\nI am writing to complain about the poor service I received at your Birmingham branch on 14 May.’
‘Dear Sir or Madam,\nI recently visited your shop and would like to tell you about several issues that I think you should know about.’
The first version is stronger because it names the purpose, situation and key detail at once.
Use the next two or three paragraphs to address the bullet points in a logical sequence. Give each point a clear focus, then add a relevant explanation, example or result. If you are asking a friend to look after your flat, explain the dates, give practical instructions and say how they can contact you. If you are requesting information about a course, state what you need to know and why it affects your decision.
End with an appropriate action or final message. In a formal letter, this may be a request: ‘I would appreciate a full refund within the next 14 days.’ In an informal letter, it may be a friendly next step: ‘Let me know if Saturday works for you.’
Finish correctly. Use ‘Yours faithfully,’ after ‘Dear Sir or Madam,’ and ‘Yours sincerely,’ when you know the person’s name. For an informal letter, ‘Best wishes,’ or ‘All the best,’ is natural. These small conventions signal strong control of register.
Develop every bullet point, not just the easy one
Read the task twice and underline the action behind each bullet point. Are you required to explain, suggest, apologise, invite, complain, request or describe? Candidates sometimes write a fluent letter that answers a different question from the one on the paper.
Turn each bullet point into a short paragraph plan before you write. For example, if the task asks you to write to a friend about a job opportunity, your notes might be: explain where you saw it, say why your friend suits it, invite them to contact you for details. That plan takes less than a minute and protects your Task Achievement score.
Development does not mean adding invented drama. One specific reason is usually enough. Rather than writing, ‘The course was very useful and good for my future,’ write, ‘The course would help me gain the project-management qualification required for my promotion.’ Specific language creates a more convincing, higher-band response.
Use vocabulary that fits the situation
Band 7, 8 and 9 writing depends on precision, not decoration. Learn useful phrase groups by purpose rather than memorising entire letters. For complaints, practise language such as ‘I was disappointed to find that…’, ‘This caused considerable inconvenience because…’ and ‘I would like the matter to be resolved promptly.’ For requests, use ‘Could you please clarify whether…?’ and ‘I would be grateful if you could send me…’
For informal letters, use natural expressions you would genuinely say: ‘I thought of you straight away’, ‘It would be great if you could come’, or ‘Sorry I have not written sooner.’ Do not copy formal phrases into a friendly letter simply because they sound advanced. ‘I would be immensely obliged if you could attend’ is grammatically possible, but it sounds unnatural between friends.
Be equally careful with common word partnerships. We ‘make a complaint’, ‘meet a deadline’, ‘take responsibility’, ‘offer a refund’ and ‘give notice’. Accurate collocations make your writing sound assured without making it sound rehearsed.
Build range without creating errors
A high-band letter uses more than short, basic sentences, but complexity must remain controlled. Combine ideas where it improves clarity: ‘Although I understand that delays can occur, I was not informed about the cancellation until I arrived at the venue.’ This shows range and gives the reader a clear relationship between the ideas.
Use a mix of past, present and future forms when the task requires it. A complaint may need past tense for the problem, present tense for its effect and a future form for the action you expect. Check articles, singular and plural nouns, prepositions and subject-verb agreement during your final review. These are small errors, but repeated mistakes limit your score.
Avoid memorised phrases that do not fit the task. Examiners recognise formulaic writing quickly, especially when it is followed by vague content. A direct, well-developed answer will always outperform a decorative template with weak relevance.
Manage the 20 minutes like a Band 8 candidate
Spend two minutes analysing the task and planning. Write for around 14 to 15 minutes, then reserve the final three minutes to check your work. You are not looking for perfection; you are catching score-limiting mistakes.
Check four things before you move to Task 2: every bullet point is covered, the tone matches the reader, paragraph breaks are clear, and your closing matches the greeting. Then scan for obvious grammar slips and spelling errors. British spelling is acceptable, so write ‘organisation’, ‘apologise’ and ‘colour’ consistently.
Practise with timed tasks, then assess your own letter against the four criteria before comparing it with a high-band model. Get Fluent Now preparation focuses on this examiner-led process: understand the task, build a confident answer and remove the habits that cost bands.
Your next letter does not need to be more complicated. It needs to be more deliberate. Give the reader exactly what they need, in language that fits the relationship, and make every sentence earn its place.