IELTS General Training Letter: The Complete Task 1 Guide

You're staring at a letter prompt with 20 minutes on the clock. You need to sound natural, nail the tone, and actually answer what's being asked. Most students panic here. They either turn into stiff, robotic automatons when they should be casual, or they ramble about irrelevant stuff and run out of time.

Here's the thing: IELTS Task 1 letters aren't complicated once you understand what examiners actually want—the exact structure, when to shift your tone, and how to organize your thoughts under pressure. You're writing 150 words minimum. You've got less than 20 minutes. That's it.

Let me walk you through this.

What Examiners Actually Grade in an IELTS General Training Letter

The IELTS Writing Task 1 for General Training is marked on four criteria, and they're weighted equally. Each one directly affects your band score, so you can't afford to slack on any of them.

• Task Response (25%): Did you answer every part of the prompt? Did you use the right tone? Does the letter do what it's supposed to do?
• Coherence and Cohesion (25%): Does the letter flow? Can a reader follow your ideas without getting lost?
• Lexical Resource (25%): Do you use a variety of appropriate words? Or do you repeat the same five words the whole time?
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy (25%): Are your sentences grammatically correct? Do you use both simple and complex structures?

The mistake most students make is fixating on Task Response and ignoring the other three. You could answer the prompt perfectly and still score Band 6 if your grammar is shaky or you keep using the same vocabulary over and over.

The Three Letter Types You Need to Know

General Training letters fall into three buckets. Each one has a different tone and structure, so you need to identify which one you're writing in the first 30 seconds of reading the prompt.

1. Formal Letters

You write a formal letter when the recipient is someone in authority or a stranger: a company manager, a local council, a university administrator, a newspaper editor. Usually you're complaining, requesting something, asking for information, or applying for something.

Formal letters use "Dear Sir or Madam" (if you don't know the name) or "Dear Mr. Smith" (if you do). You close with "Yours faithfully" or "Yours sincerely". Your tone stays polite, direct, and professional. No slang. No casual language.

2. Semi-Formal Letters

Semi-formal letters go to people you know professionally or acquaintance-level: a colleague, a teacher, a landlord, a gym manager. You know them, but you're not friends. The tone is friendly but still respectful.

Semi-formal letters use "Dear [Name]" and close with "Best regards" or "Kind regards". You're more relaxed than in formal letters, but you still stay professional. You can use mild contractions like "I've" or "can't", but you're not too casual.

3. Informal Letters

Informal letters go to friends or family. You can just be yourself. The tone is warm, conversational, personal. You use contractions freely, ask questions, maybe crack a joke.

Informal letters use "Dear [Name]" and close with "Love", "All the best", or "Cheers". You sound like yourself. You ask questions, share feelings, include personal details.

The Structure That Works Every Time

IELTS letters have four basic sections. Follow this and you'll nail coherence and cohesion automatically.

1. Opening (1-2 sentences): State your purpose. Don't waste words.
2. Body (2-3 paragraphs): Develop your main ideas. One idea per paragraph.
3. Closing (1-2 sentences): Wrap up and say what you expect to happen next.
4. Sign-off: Use the right closing based on letter type.

Let's use a real example. Prompt: "You rented an apartment from a property manager. It has several maintenance issues (broken window, leaky tap, faulty heating). Write a letter requesting repairs."

See what happens? Each paragraph has one main idea and you develop it with specific details. You're not waffling. You're not repeating yourself. The reader gets it immediately.

Formal vs. Informal: The Tone Shifts That Matter

This is where students crash hard. They mix formal and informal language in the same letter, which makes the examiner confused about what tone they're going for. And the examiner's job is to assess whether you can control tone, so mixed language kills your Task Response score.

Formal Letter Mistakes

This mixes informal intensity with formal context. "Super annoyed", "ASAP", "driving me crazy" — that's how you text a friend, not how you address a property manager.

Polite. Specific. Professional. The examiner recognizes the formal tone right away.

Informal Letter Mistakes

You sound like a robot. Formal language in a letter to your friend is awkward. Examiners catch this immediately.

Natural. Warm. Personal. This is how you actually talk to a friend.

How to Vary Your Vocabulary Without Sounding Fake

Band 7+ writers vary their word choices. Band 5-6 writers repeat the same words constantly. This is an easy fix if you know the trick.

You use "window" four times in four sentences. It's brutal to read. The examiner sees this and marks down your Lexical Resource instantly.

You mention "window" once, then use descriptions and synonyms: "damage", "broken pane", "this issue". Your vocabulary shows range without being pretentious.

Specific techniques that work right now:

• Use synonyms. Instead of repeating "problem", try "issue", "difficulty", "concern", or "challenge".
• Use pronouns and descriptions. Instead of repeating a noun, refer to it as "it", "this", or "the matter".
• Use phrases, not single words. Instead of "broken", write "no longer functioning" or "requires immediate repair".
• Choose precise verbs. Instead of "said", use "mentioned", "expressed", "suggested", or "requested".

Grammar: Common Mistakes That Cost You Points

You don't need perfect grammar for Band 7+, but you do need consistent accuracy and a mix of sentence types. Most Band 5-6 writers make the same few mistakes repeatedly.

Mistake 1: Missing Subjects or Verbs

"Broken" and "Need" have no subjects. This reads like a text message, not formal writing.

Mistake 2: Tense Chaos

You jump between past ("lived"), present perfect ("find"), past ("was"), and present ("leaks"). That inconsistency gets marked down immediately.

Present perfect (recent actions) and simple present (ongoing states). Consistent.

Mistake 3: Sentence Fragments When You Should Use Complete Sentences

Fragments can work in creative writing for emphasis. In IELTS Task 1 letter writing, they mark you as inexperienced.

How to Write an IELTS Task 1 Letter in 18 Minutes Out of 20

You've got 20 minutes total for Task 1. Here's how to spend them.

• Minutes 0-2: Read and identify. Read the prompt. Identify the letter type (formal, semi-formal, informal). Identify the three main things you need to cover. Jot them down fast.
• Minutes 2-5: Plan. Write four short lines: opening sentence, body idea 1, body idea 2, closing sentence. Takes 90 seconds and saves you 5 minutes of writing time.
• Minutes 5-17: Write. Don't edit as you go. Don't aim for perfection. Write fast. You're targeting 150-180 words, roughly 25-30 words per paragraph.
• Minutes 17-20: Check. Read it once. Look for missing subjects or verbs, tense inconsistencies, and obvious spelling errors. Fix the three worst problems. Don't rewrite the whole thing.

The key is not shooting for 300 words. You're not scored on length. You're scored on whether you hit 150 words minimum and answer the prompt correctly. Most students write too much and blow through their time.

Three Real Prompt Types and How to Tackle Each One

Here are three Task 1 letter types you'll actually see on test day and exactly how to approach each one.

Prompt Type 1: Complaint or Problem Letter

Typical prompt: "You bought a faulty product. Write a letter to the company requesting a replacement or refund."

Your structure: Opening (state the problem), Body 1 (describe the issue in detail), Body 2 (explain how it affects you), Closing (request action with a deadline).

This is formal, so use "Dear Sir or Madam" or the manager's name. Stay professional. No emotional language. Be assertive without being angry.

Prompt Type 2: Request or Information Letter

Typical prompt: "You want to take a training course. Write a letter to the provider asking about start dates, fees, and course content."

Your structure: Opening (express interest), Body 1 (question about dates), Body 2 (question about fees), Body 3 (question about content), Closing (ask for a response and give contact info).

This is often formal or semi-formal. Be polite and clear. Ask questions professionally, not like you're demanding answers.

Prompt Type 3: Invitation or Personal Letter

Typical prompt: "Your friend invited you to their birthday party, but you're unsure if you can attend. Write a letter asking about the date, location, and what to bring."

Your structure: Opening (thank them and show excitement), Body 1 (ask about date and time), Body 2 (ask about location and directions), Body 3 (ask about what to bring), Closing (express you'd love to come and suggest a phone call).

This is informal. Sound like yourself. Be warm and enthusiastic. Ask questions conversationally, not formally.

The Biggest Mistakes That Wreck Your Band Score

Beyond grammar and tone, there are a few mistakes that show up constantly in Band 5-6 letters that you need to avoid.

Not addressing all parts of the prompt. The prompt asks for three things. You cover two. You lose marks on Task Response. Read the prompt once, underline the three things, then make sure each one gets its own sentence or paragraph.

Writing too much. You write 280 words. You've spent 18 minutes. Now you have 2 minutes left for Task 2, where you need 250+ words. This kills your overall score. Stop at 180 words and move on.

Using the wrong letter opening. The prompt says the recipient's name is "Mr. Chen". You write "Dear Sir or Madam". That's wrong. Always use the name if you have it. Also, if you write "Dear Sir or Madam", you must close with "Yours faithfully". If you use a name, close with "Yours sincerely".

Being too casual in formal letters or too stiff in informal letters. This is the biggest tone mistake. You sound uncertain about who you're writing to. Pick a tone and stick with it.

What's the minimum word count for Task 1?

IELTS Task 1 requires a minimum of 150 words. If you fall short, you lose marks on Task Response immediately. Your goal is to hit 150-180 words with relevant, well-organized content that answers the prompt completely.

Why Tone Control Matters for Your Writing Score

Task 1 tests whether you can adjust your tone for different audiences. That's a fundamental writing skill examiners care about. If you struggle here, understanding formal and informal language conventions directly improves your Task Response score. Once you lock in the patterns, tone becomes automatic.

The same applies to clarity. If your letters feel unclear, your paragraphs probably lack strong organization. This ties to coherence and cohesion. Strong paragraph structure with clear topic sentences makes Task 1 much easier to execute under time pressure.

Building Vocabulary Range Without Forcing It

The difference between Band 6 and Band 7 is rarely about sophisticated vocabulary. It's about using the right word in the right place and varying your choices naturally. When you practice varying your word choices and sentence structures, your Lexical Resource score rises quickly. The key is repetition with different letter prompts until variation becomes your default.