IELTS General Training · Writing Task 1

IELTS General Training Writing Task 1: How to Write the Letter

In IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 you write a letter of at least 150 words in response to a situation — to a company, someone you know slightly, or a friend. Here is how to pick the right tone, a structure that covers every bullet point, useful phrases, and three sample letters.

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What General Training Writing Task 1 asks for

A situation and usually three bullet points to cover — for example, describe a problem, explain what happened, say what you want.
At least 150 words, in about 20 of the 60 minutes of the Writing test.
A tone that fits the reader: formal, semi-formal or informal.
It is scored on Task Achievement, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy.

Formal, semi-formal and informal letters

Formal letter

Written to: Someone you don't know: a company, a manager, a council, a landlord's agency.
Opening: Dear Sir or Madam, (or Dear Mr/Ms + surname if you know it)
Closing: Yours faithfully, (Sir or Madam) / Yours sincerely, (named person) + full name
Tone: Polite and precise. No contractions, no slang. Typical purposes: complaint, application, request for information.

Semi-formal letter

Written to: Someone you know but not closely: a neighbour, a teacher, a colleague, your landlord.
Opening: Dear Mr Patel, / Dear Anna, (depending on how you normally address them)
Closing: Kind regards, / Best wishes, + your name
Tone: Friendly but respectful. A few contractions are fine. Typical purposes: request, apology, suggestion.

Informal letter

Written to: A friend or relative.
Opening: Dear Sam, / Hi Sam,
Closing: Best wishes, / Love, / See you soon, + first name
Tone: Warm and natural, with contractions and everyday phrases. Typical purposes: invitation, thanks, news, advice.

A four-paragraph structure

Purpose — one or two sentences saying why you are writing.
Bullet 1 — its own paragraph, with a specific detail (a date, a place, a number).
Bullet 2 — its own paragraph.
Bullet 3 — usually what you want to happen, then a closing line and sign-off.

Before you write, spend two minutes deciding the tone and one detail for each bullet. A letter that misses a bullet point or uses the wrong tone loses marks for Task Achievement however good the English is.

Useful phrases for IELTS letters

Opening (formal): I am writing to complain about… · I am writing to enquire about… · I am writing with regard to…
Opening (informal): Thanks so much for your letter… · I hope you and your family are well. · I've got some exciting news…
Requesting: I would be grateful if you could… · Could you possibly…? · I would appreciate it if…
Complaining: Unfortunately, … · I was disappointed to find that… · This has caused considerable inconvenience because…
Apologising: I am sorry to say that I will not be able to… · Please accept my apologies for…
Closing: I look forward to hearing from you. (formal) · Let me know what you think! (informal)

IELTS General Training letter samples

Three sample letters written by our team to show the structure and tone. They are not official material and were not graded.

Formal · complaint

Task: You recently bought a piece of equipment for your kitchen, but it did not work. You phoned the shop, but no action was taken. Write a letter to the shop manager. In your letter: describe the problem with the equipment; explain what happened when you phoned the shop; say what you would like the manager to do.

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to complain about a coffee machine I bought from your Riverside branch on 3 September, and about the way my complaint has been handled so far.

When I set the machine up, it heated the water but did not pump it through, so it has never produced a single cup of coffee. I followed every step in the manual, including the descaling procedure, but the problem remained.

On 6 September I phoned the store and explained the fault. The assistant took my details and promised that someone would call me back within two days to arrange a collection. More than a week later, nobody has contacted me.

I would therefore be grateful if you could arrange for the machine to be collected and either replaced or fully refunded. I have kept the receipt and the original packaging.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Daniel Okafor

155 words

Semi-formal · request

Task: You are going to be away from home for two weeks and need a neighbour's help. Write a letter to your neighbour. In your letter: explain why you will be away; say what you would like your neighbour to do; offer something in return.

Dear Mrs Chen,

I hope you are well. I am writing to ask a small favour, as I will be away from 12 to 26 October.

My company is sending me to a training course in Singapore, and unfortunately my partner will be travelling for work at the same time, so the flat will be empty for two weeks.

I wondered whether you might be able to water the plants on the balcony twice a week and take in any parcels that arrive. I will leave a spare key and a list of the plants that need the most water, so it shouldn't take more than ten minutes.

Of course, I would be very happy to do the same for you whenever you go away — and I'll bring you something back from Singapore as a thank-you.

Kind regards,

Lucy

140 words

Informal · invitation

Task: You are planning a party to celebrate a special occasion. Write a letter to a friend. In your letter: explain what the occasion is; give details of the party; invite your friend and explain why you want them to come.

Dear Tom,

I've got some great news — I finally passed my driving test last week, at the third attempt! To celebrate, I'm having a small party and I'd love you to come.

It's on Saturday 18 November, from about 7 pm, at my place. Nothing too fancy: my brother is cooking a big curry, and we'll probably end the evening with the old board games we used to play at university.

You really have to be there, because you were the one who kept telling me not to give up after I failed the second time. It wouldn't feel right celebrating without you. If you can come, bring whoever you like.

Let me know if you can make it!

Best wishes,

Priya

123 words

FAQ

How many words should an IELTS General Training Task 1 letter be?

At least 150 words. Aim for roughly 160–190: enough to cover every bullet point fully without leaving too little time for Task 2.

How long should I spend on the letter?

About 20 minutes of the 60-minute Writing test. Task 2, the essay, is worth more, so don't let the letter run over.

Do I need to write addresses or a date?

No. Start with the greeting (“Dear…”) and end with the sign-off and your name.

How do I know whether the letter should be formal or informal?

Look at who you are writing to. A company or someone you don't know: formal. Someone you know but not well: semi-formal. A friend or relative: informal.

What is the difference between Academic and General Training Writing Task 1?

Academic Task 1 asks you to describe a graph, table, chart or diagram. General Training Task 1 is a letter responding to a situation. Task 2, the essay, is similar in both.

How is the letter scored?

On the same four criteria as all IELTS Writing: Task Achievement (did you cover every bullet in the right tone?), Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy.

Sources

Task format and scoring criteria are from IELTS (ielts.org), read 28 September 2026. Structure, phrases and sample letters are our own.