TIPS FOR IELTS GENERAL TASK 1

1. Identify the type of letter you are being asked to write.

 Formal
 Semi-formal
 Informal
Step 2 will help you recognize each type of letter.

2. Identify the purpose of the letter.

TYPE PURPOSE
Requesting information from a company
Applying for a job
Formal Complaining to a bank, store, airline
re:product/service
Making a recommendation/suggestion
Complaining to a landlord
Semi-formal Explaining to a neighbor
Asking a professor for permission
Inviting someone you know well
Thanking a friend
Informal
Apologizing
Asking for advice
Read lots of sample questions. Decide whether the question requires a formal,
semi-formal, or informal response. Steps 1 & 2 will help you choose the right
language, style, and tone for your letter.

3. Open and close the letter correctly. Do this based on the type and purpose
of the letter.
STYLE CHARACTERISTICS OPENING ENDING

To someone you have not

Yours
Formal met, whose name you Dear Sir/Madam,
faithfully,
don’t know

To someone you may or

Dear Mr. Brown, Yours
Semi-formal may not have met, whose
Dear Ms Stone sincerely,
last name you know

Informal To someone you know Dear John, Best

 regards,
well, whose first name you
Dear Anita, Warm
know and use
wishes,
4.Start the letter appropriately.
a. Open a formal and semi-formal letter with a formal sentence and
paragraph. Get down to business and say why you are writing. Don’t try to be
friendly, as you do not know the person you are writing to.
Formal:
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to inquire about…
I am writing in connection with…
Semi-formal
Dear Mr. Johnson,
I am writing to inform you that…
I am writing to…
b. Open an informal letter with a general, friendly paragraph. Acknowledge
your friendship first, before explaining the reason for your letter. In fact, the first
paragraph could include just friendly small talk, unrelated to the reason for your
writing.
Dear Susan
I hope you and your family are all well! It was so wonderful to spend time with all
of you last month. It felt great to catch up with you and Bob, get to know your
children, and have fun together after so long. You have always been dear friends
of mine, and always will be.
Anyway, the reason I’m writing is that I have some good news: I am getting
married in September…

5. Learn and use standard written phrases.

In English letter writing, we use a number of standard expressions and phrases.
These not only save time and effort, but also make it easier for the reader to
understand our meaning. You can add on the specific information you wish to
communicate to these standard phrases. See the list of Useful Expressions
below.

6. Spell commonly used words correctly. Learn and practice the correct

spelling of words you are likely to use on the exam. Examples are: “sincerely”,
 “faithfully”, “in connection with”, “apologize”, and so on. This is an easy way to
boost your score.
7. Divide your letter into paragraphs.
Usually you need four paragraphs:

 Introduction
 Problem / Situation
 Solution / Action
 Conclusion
Make sure to signal the start of a new paragraph in one of two ways:
Indenting: Do NOT leave a line space between paragraphs. Start writing a little
to the right of the left margin.
Skipping a line: Leave a line space between paragraphs. Start writing directly
from the left margin.
8. Use clear handwriting. Make sure your writing is neat and legible, so your
words can be read easily and do not appear to have spelling mistakes. Get
feedback from a teacher on your handwriting. Pay special attention to how you
form and connect letters such as a, e, i, u, n, r, and w.
9. Write at least 150 words. Practice writing letters till you know what 150 words
feels like and looks like. You will lose marks if you write less. You will not lose
marks if you write more.
10. Include all three bulleted points. If you exclude even one of the points
given to you in the question prompt, you will get a lower grade. Answer all the
points.
In your letter:

 explain the problem

 describe why it disturbs you
 suggest a solution
11. Finish in time.
The IELTS General Task I letter is worth about 30% of your writing score, so
make sure you complete the whole letter. Though you have to make up a story to
explain the situation, keep it simple so you don’t run out of time. Make sure to
keep 40 minutes to complete the essay in Task 2, which is worth much more in
terms of points.
12. Read model letters but don’t memorize them. Instead, read the letters to
get an idea of the overall flow and to pick up new vocabulary and expressions.
Make sure to consult only reliable sources, such as Good Luck IELTS, for model
answers.
13. Understand the scoring criteria. Learn how to get a high score by knowing
what examiners look for and how they award or deduct points.
IELTS General Task 1 Grading Criteria
Do everything you are asked to do
Give a full developed response
Task achievement
Include/cover all the necessary points
Write 150 words
Coherence:
Present ideas logically
Use structured paragraphs

Coherence & cohesion Cohesion:

Write so points stick together, make
sense, and convey your message
Use standard expressions & transition
words
Use a wide range of vocabulary
naturally, correctly, and fluently
Use correct spelling
Lexical resource
Choose the right words (word choice)
Use the correct form of words, such as
verbs, nouns, etc. (word form)
Use a wide range of grammar
structures
Include different kinds of sentences –
Grammar range & accuracy
simple, compound, complex
Use effective punctuation
Use correct capitalization
14. Practice writing letters regularly and get them checked by an IELTS
trainer. Not every English teacher understands the demands of this particular
exam, so find someone who has IELTS teaching experience, if possible. Practice
writing answers to sample questions every day in order to improve your skills,
your speed, your confidence, and your score!
IELTS GENERAL TASK 1: USEFUL EXPRESSIONS FOR LETTER-
WRITING
To complete your IELTS letter-writing task within 20 minutes, learn to use and
spell common phrases and expressions correctly. Choose the correct level of
formality based on your question prompt. By using these phrases, you will save
time and effort and earn a higher IELTS score. Most of the expressions below
are arranged from formal to semi-formal to informal.

For a full list of phrases and expressions, check Good Luck IELTS.

Apologizing
Please accept my sincere apologies for…
I am very sorry about…
Sorry for…
Asking for help
I’d be grateful if you could…
I would appreciate it if you could…
Could you please…
Asking for information
I am writing to enquire about…
I am writing to find out about…
I would like to know about…
Closing
I look forward to hearing from you,
I look forward to seeing you,
I look forward to meeting you,
Complaining
I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with…
I am writing to express my annoyance with…
I’m not happy with…
Expressing satisfaction
I was delighted to learn that…
I was thrilled to hear that…
I was very glad to hear that…
Expressing concern
I am writing to express my concern about…
I was very sorry to learn that…
I was really sorry to hear that…
Giving bad news
I regret to advise you that…
I regret to inform you that…
I am sorry to tell you that…
Giving good news
I am pleased to advise you that…
I am delighted to inform you that…
I am happy to tell you that…
Giving reasons
This is due to…
This is a result of
… This is because…
Making suggestions
Perhaps it would be useful to…
Perhaps it would be possible to…
It might be helpful to…
Thanking
I am extremely grateful for…
I really appreciate…
Thank you for…