General Training

Writing Task 1
Overview
Below are possible situations and letters
you might be asked to write about:
•Letter of complaint
•Application or resignation letter
•Inviting a friend or colleague to join you at an
event or social occasion
•Making a request
•Making formal arrangements
•Explaining something to a friend or colleague
•Making an apology
 3 TYPES:
 FORMAL
 SEMI-FORMAL
 INFORMAL
Look at the four examples
The first and third questions are formal. We
don’t know the name of the managers and they
are formal situations.

The second question does not give us the name

of the manager, but we can assume that we
know their name because of the word “your”
and this would therefore be a semi-formal
letter.
The last letter specifically mentions ‘friend’ and
we can therefore use an informal tone.
When it says ‘write a letter to a friend’, make
sure you always use informal language.
 Style Characteristics Opening Ending

To someone you have not

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

To someone you may or

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

To someone you know well,

Dear John, Best regards,
Informal whose first 
Dear Anita,
name you know and use
How To Write an
Informal Letter
The only time you will be writing an informal
letter is if the instructions tell you to write to ‘a
friend’.
In all other situations you will either write
a formal letter or a semi-formal letter.
STRUCTURE 
Dear [First name only of friend],

Paragraph 1- Say why you are writing to them (I’m

just writing to let you know that….)
Paragraph 2- Bullet point 1 and supporting details 
Paragraph 3- Bullet point 2 and supporting details 
Paragraph 4- Bullet point 3 and supporting details 
Looking forward to hearing from you soon. 
Best regards, [or  Warm wishes,]
[Your first name only] 
Language
Informal language does not mean you can relax and write
like you would in a text message to a friend. Remember
that this is an English test and your grammar and
spelling will have to be correct.

Avoid using abbreviations like ‘luv’ or ‘bcuz’. Also, don’t

use acronyms like ‘LOL’ or ‘OMG’ and never use
emoticons.

It is a good idea to use contractions like ‘I’ve’, ‘I’d’ and

‘I’m’. This is one of the ways that you can show the
examiner that you know how to write an informal letter.
Stating Purpose
 I’m just writing to let you know that….
 I’m writing to tell you about….
Apologising
 I’m very sorry about…..
 I’d like to apologise for….
Asking for help
 I’d be really grateful if you could…..
 I was wondering if you would give me a hand

with…..
 I was wondering if you would do me a favour.
Expressing Satisfaction
 I was over the moon to hear about….
 I was thrilled to find out that/about……
Giving bad news
 I’m afraid I’ve a bit of bad news for you.
Checklist
 Have I read and thought about the instructions carefully?
 Am I sure that this is an informal letter?

 Have I done a plan?

 Have I covered both the reason for writing and the 3 bullet

points?
 Have I supported each bullet point with relevant details?

 Have I used informal language?

 Have I used paragraphing correctly?

 Are my ideas easy to understand?

 Have I avoided copying the word in the question and varied

my vocabulary?
 Have I checked my letter for grammar and spelling mistakes?
Sample Informal Letter
Task 1

An English-speaking friend has written to you to ask how

your IELTS studies are going. Write a letter telling to your
friend how you are preparing for the test. In your letter:

say what progress you are making

explain how you are preparing for the test
say which section you are finding the most difficult

You should write at least 150 words.

You do not need to write your own address.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear ................................
Dear Sheila,
Salutation
Hello! How are you? I hope you are doing well. It is really good to hear from you again. I am
INTRO
writing in response to the letter you sent me about my IELTS studies.

My preparation for the IELTS is going fine but I do not have enough time for studying. I am
too tired in the evenings after a full day in the office, so I have to rely on the weekends. I
might need to book some private lessons if I want a good score.
• say what progress you are making

One thing I like to do is to read newspapers in English while I travel to work on the train. This is helping me
with my vocabulary and grammar. I also send out e­mails using the same language to practise for the writing B
section. When I get home, I like to watch British television series with the subtitles turned off. My listening
skills have improved greatly since I started watching such shows, which is more interesting than listening to
O
music. D
explain how you are preparing for the test Y

The most difficult section for me is the writing section because my grammar is not good enough.
I am trying my best to learn the rules of English but some of the verbs seem to have more than
one meaning and this is causing me trouble. I hope to sit the test in about three months and
please do pray for my success.
say which section you are finding the most difficult

I hope to hear from you again soon. CONCLUSION

Best regards, Complimentary Close

Tina
How To Write a Formal/Semi-
Formal Letter
STRUCTURE 
Dear Sir/Madam, [ Dear Mr. Last Name ]
Paragraph 1- Introduce yourself and say why you are
writing to them. (I am writing with regard to…) 
Paragraph 2- Bullet point 1 and supporting details 
Paragraph 3- Bullet point 2 and supporting details 
Paragraph 4- Bullet point 3 and supporting details 
I look forward to hearing from you. 
Yours faithfully , [or Yours sincerely,]
[Your Full Name]
Useful Language
Beginning
 I am writing with regard to…
 I am writing to bring to your attention…
 I am writing to inform you that…
 I am writing to express my dissatisfaction
with…..
Requests and Suggestions
 I would be grateful if you would…
 I would like you to…
 I am entitled to request that you….
 I was wondering if it would be at all possible

to….
 I would like to suggest that….
Ending
 I look forward to hearing from you.
 I look forward to receiving your response.
 I await your prompt service.
 I thank you for your consideration.
 Please respond at the earliest convenience.
Checklist
 Have I read and understood the instructions?
 Is it a formal, semi-formal or informal letter?

 Have I made a plan?

 Have I included both the reason for writing and the 3 bullet

points?
 Have I supported each bullet point with relevant details?

 Have I used appropriate language?

 Have I separated my letter into paragraphs?

 Are my ideas clear and easy to understand?

 Have I avoided copying the question and varied my vocabulary?

 Have I checked my letter for grammar and spelling mistakes?

Sample Formal Letter
On a recent holiday you lost a valuable item. Fortunately
you have travel insurance to cover the cost of anything
lost.
Write a letter to the manager of your insurance company.
In your letter

•describe the item you lost

•explain how you lost it
•tell the insurance company what you would like them to

do
Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to inform you that I recently lost my digital camera while on holiday
in Canada.

The camera is a black Canon 70d and cost $1550 when I bought it new last
month. It has a resolution of 20 megapixels, a Canon 67 millimeter lens and was
in a brown leather case with my name on it.

I lost it when I was having coffee with my husband in the backpacker area of
Vancouver . I believe the coffee shop was called Highlands Coffee and it was on 
Main Street between Broadway and Georgia Street. We had been at the coffee
shop for around 45 minutes when I noticed it was missing.

I am entitled to make a claim for the value of the above mentioned item and
request that you send me details on what I need to do to in order to proceed.

I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.

Yours faithfully,
John Smith
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I write the address and date like a normal letter?
 No, in the test there is no reason to do either of these

things.

Are paragraphs important?

 Yes, very important. You should also skip a line between

paragraphs to make it very clear to the examiner.

How many main ideas should I include?

 The question will give you a reason to write the letter and

3 bullet points with information you must include. You

should therefore have 4 main ideas: why you are writing
the letter and the three bullet points. You should have
one paragraph only for one main idea.
In this example we would have to mention 4 things:
why you are writing (to complain), who you are,
details of the accident and how the supermarket
could prevent similar accidents.
Can I use words and phrases from the question?
 No, you should avoid this. Instead you should

use synonyms and paraphrasing to vary your language.

Should I finish letters on the right or left?

 It is normal to end letters on the left in the UK. Please

do this, even if it is not customary in your culture to do

so.

Should I sign my name at the end?

 There is no need to do this. Just write your first name

for an informal, both your first and family name for

formal letters and semi-formal letter.
Tips
Make a Plan
Plan before you write.  I know that it takes a little extra
time, but it will actually save you time because you will
know exactly what to write and you will not get lost.

Writing without a plan is like trying to drive to a strange

place without a map. You will get lost and have to stop
and ask for directions.

Remember that you will have to state why you are

writing and then cover the three bullet points. Follow
the basic structure that will help you plan your letters
 Use the Correct Style
One of the keys to a high band score is using the appropriate style, formal, semi-formal or
informal.

The question will tell you the situation and should indicate if you are writing to a friend,
colleague or someone you don’t know.

If you have never met the person before and you don’t know their first or last name, then you
should use a formal style. You should definitely use a formal tone for letters of application
and when making complaints. Formal styles allow us to sound respectful and professional;
however, if we use this tone with someone we know it can often sound cold or unfriendly.

If the person is a friend then you should use an informal style. With people we know well, we
don’t need to sound too formal and the letter should have a relaxed tone.

Semi-formal is often the one that confuses people. Semi-formal is used when you know the
name of the person, but it is within a professional or official context. Imagine writing a
letter to a colleague or someone from a different company you know. If you write in a
formal style it will sound unfriendly, but informal might sound disrespectful. In this
situation we should use a semi-formal style.
Answer the Whole Question
The question will always have three bullet points
and you are expected to cover all three of these in
your letter. A good thing to do is to separate them
into three separate paragraphs and then you know
that you have properly answered the question.

Some points may take longer to write about than

other, but you should avoid writing 5-6 sentences
about one point and then only one sentence about
the other two.
Boost Your Grammar Score With Complex
Sentences
To help you make complex sentences, think of
the ideas you need to include in your letter at
the planning stage and then think about how
you could combine some of these in complex
sentences.
Use the Correct Tense
The questions will be designed so that you have
to use a range of tenses. In other words, the
examiner will be testing your ability to write in
a variety of tenses.

Try to make a plan before you write and mark

which tenses you will use in the plan.
Begin and End Your Letter Correctly
Formal and you don’t know the name:
 Dear Sir/Madam
 Yours faithfully

Semi-Formal
 Dear [Mr(s).  Family Name]
 Yours sincerely

Informal:
 Dear [First Name]
 Best wishes
Go Over the Word Limit
Part of answering the question correctly is writing at least
150 words. The examiner will count every word, so don’t
think you can get away with just writing around 150 words,
it must be more or you will lose marks.
You will not have time to count how many words you have, so
the best thing to do is practice with the official IELTS exam
paper and count how many words you write on that. You
will then be able to see how much of your writing 150
words looks like.
Try to write about 10% over 150 words when you are
practicing and this will help you in the exam.
 Follow the 100% Rule
The biggest mistake students make in the IELTS writing test is
trying to show off their grammar and vocabulary. By ‘show off’
I mean that they try to use very complex grammar and
vocabulary. This is fine if your English is at a very high level,
but not so good if it means you make lots of mistakes.
It is much better to use simple language and use it correctly,
than using complex words and phrases and making lots of
mistakes.
For this reason, I suggest you follow the 100% rule. If you are
not 100% sure about the grammar or vocabulary you have just
written, delete it and write it in a simpler way.
Also, make sure you leave yourself 2 or 3 minutes to check your
spelling and grammar at the end.
Don’t Be Overly Informal
You might be asked to write to a friend, but that
doesn’t mean you should stop using correct
grammar and spelling.
Avoid using abbreviations like ‘cus’ instead of
‘because’ or ‘u ‘ instead of ‘you’.
You should also never use text message style
acronyms like ‘LOL’ or ‘OMG’.
Emoticons are also not allowed.
Ideas Should Be Relevant But Don’t Have
To Be Not Amazing
You will have to think of some ideas and
supporting details but don’t worry, these do
not need to be interesting or amazing, they just
need to be relevant.
For example, in a question you will have to
explain why you need to take time off work.
Don’t try to impress the examiner a
wonderfully dramatic story, just keep it simple
e.g. family or health problems.
End