IELTS General Training letter: formal, semi-formal and informal
Task 1 in General Training is a letter of at least 150 words that must cover all three bullet points in the right tone. The question tells you who you are writing to, and that decides the tone, the greeting and the ending.
Choose the tone from the reader
| Letter to | Tone | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|
| A company or official you don't know by name | Formal | Dear Sir or Madam, | Yours faithfully, |
| Someone you know by name but not well (a manager, a landlord) | Semi-formal | Dear Mr Khan, | Yours sincerely, |
| A friend or family member | Informal | Dear Sara, / Hi Sara, | Best wishes, / See you soon, |
A simple plan
- Opening sentence: say why you are writing.
- One paragraph per bullet point, in the order given, with a detail or example in each.
- Closing sentence: say what you would like to happen next.
Example opening (formal)
"I am writing to complain about a laptop I bought from your online shop on 12 May, which stopped working after two days."
Common mistakes
- Missing one of the three bullet points: this limits your Task Achievement band.
- Mixing tones, for example "Hey" with "Yours faithfully".
- Using contractions and slang in a formal letter, or stiff formal phrases in a letter to a friend.