IELTS General Training Task 1 letter: formal, semi-formal and informal
How to write an IELTS General Training Task 1 letter: choosing the right tone, covering all three bullet points and opening and closing correctly.
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The short answer
Identify the purpose and reader, cover every bullet point in its own paragraph, and keep the tone consistent from greeting to sign-off.
Choose the right tone
The prompt tells you who the reader is. A manager or company needs a formal letter; a friend needs an informal one; a neighbour you know a little often needs semi-formal language.
- Formal: Dear Sir or Madam, ... Yours faithfully
- Semi-formal: Dear Mr Lee, ... Yours sincerely
- Informal: Hi Anna, ... Best wishes
Cover all three bullet points
Missing a bullet point limits your Task Achievement. Give each one a short paragraph with a specific detail.
Opening example (formal)
I am writing to complain about the washing machine I purchased from your store on 3 March.
Manage your time
Spend about 20 minutes on the letter and save 40 for Task 2, which carries more weight.
Related guide: IELTS writing time management
Check tone and accuracy
Reread your letter from the recipient’s perspective, check every bullet point, and find any sentence where the tone slips.
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Official sources and further reading
Practice examples and study routines are illustrative advice, not official band-scored answers or predictions of exam questions.