IELTS Writing Task 1 Letter Formatting Checker: The Band 7 Blueprint

You've got 20 minutes. The letter content is solid. Your grammar checks out. Your tone feels right. Then the examiner opens your submission and sees formatting that makes them pause—addresses in the wrong place, no spacing between sections, a closing that doesn't match the greeting.

Here's the reality: examiners don't fail you on formatting alone. But messy letter layout reads as carelessness, and that doubt creeps into how they score your Task Response and Coherence & Cohesion. Band 7 letters look professional. Band 5 letters look rushed.

This guide shows you exactly how IELTS wants letters structured, which layout mistakes hurt your score, and how to format like someone who actually scores Band 7. If you want to catch formatting issues automatically, our free IELTS writing checker flags these mistakes in seconds.

Why Letter Formatting Actually Affects Your Band Score

IELTS marks Task 1 on four criteria: Task Response, Coherence & Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range & Accuracy. Formatting doesn't appear as its own criterion. But don't relax yet.

The Band Descriptor for Coherence & Cohesion explicitly names "appropriate register and format." Your letter's layout, your greeting, your closing, how you organize information—all of it counts toward that band. A Band 7 letter has clear structure that makes ideas easy to follow instantly. A Band 5 letter is a wall of text that looks chaotic before anyone reads a word.

Examiners process hundreds of letters each week. The properly formatted ones stand out as confident and controlled. That impression carries through the whole assessment.

The IELTS Letter Structure: What Examiners Expect

IELTS letters need five core elements in this exact order:

1. Your address (optional but standard)
2. The date
3. The recipient's address
4. The salutation
5. The body (typically 3 paragraphs)
6. The closing
7. Your signature and name

Here's what this looks like:

Notice the spacing. Each section gets its own line. The date stands alone. Blank lines separate everything. This isn't decoration—it's how English professionals write letters. When an examiner sees this, they immediately know you understand the convention.

Formal vs Informal: Matching Your Tone to the Task

The prompt tells you if you're writing formally or informally. Most test-takers skip over this detail. That's a Band 5 mistake.

Formal letters go to organizations, businesses, people you don't know, or authority figures. You open with "Dear Sir or Madam," "Dear Mr. [Name]," or "Dear Ms. [Name]." You close with "Yours faithfully," (if you used a generic greeting) or "Yours sincerely," (if you used their name). The tone is professional but never robotic.

Informal letters go to friends, family, or people you know well. You open with "Dear [First Name]," and close with "Best wishes," "Warm regards," or "Cheers." Your tone can be warmer, sentences can be shorter, and contractions are fine.

The Three-Paragraph Body: Structure Examiners Recognize

Your letter body should follow this simple logic:

Opening paragraph: State why you're writing in one or two sentences. What's your purpose? What do you want?

Middle paragraph: Expand here. Add reasons, background, specific details. This is usually your longest section.

Closing paragraph: Wrap up your request or explain what comes next. End on a polite, forward-looking note.

Each paragraph should run 3-5 sentences. Anything shorter feels incomplete. Anything longer starts rambling. The Band Descriptors reward "appropriate paragraphing" under Coherence & Cohesion—this structure is exactly what "appropriate" means in IELTS.

Common Letter Layout Mistakes That Lower Your Band Score

Here's what examiners see constantly, and why it hurts:

No spacing between sections

This is unreadable. It's all the information, but it screams you don't know professional letter conventions. Band 5 at best.

Date format mistakes

IELTS accepts "15 May 2026," "May 15, 2026," or "15/05/2026." Don't write "15th May 2026" (too casual). Don't write "05/15/2026" unless you're American (and even then IELTS prefers day-month-year). Pick one format and stick with it.

Address in the wrong spot

Your address goes at the top. Not the bottom. Not buried in the middle. Top. That's where a recipient would look to reply to you.

Font or size changes mid-letter

You're writing an exam letter, not a poster. One font, one size, all the way through. If it's handwritten, keep your handwriting consistent. If typed, keep it simple and clean.

Forgetting space for a signature

Leave a blank line between "Yours faithfully," and your printed name. Even if you're typing. It shows you understand the physical form of a signed letter.

Band 7 vs Band 5: Two Responses, Same Prompt

Both writers tackle the same task: "Write a letter to a hotel manager asking about group booking discounts."

What's wrong: No sender address. No recipient address. No date. The greeting is too casual ("Dear manager"). The closing is just a first name instead of a formal sign-off. One giant paragraph instead of three. Tone wobbles between formal and casual.

What's different: Full address at top and bottom. Proper date format. Formal greeting and closing that match. Three distinct paragraphs, each with a clear job. Stronger vocabulary ("inquire," "approximately," "dietary requirements," "finalize"). Longer, more complex sentences that still flow. This is Band 7 letter formatting working together with quality content.

Salutations and Sign-Offs: A Quick Reference

Use this table. It covers every scenario:

Never use "To Whom It May Concern." It's outdated and stiff. Never write "Hello" or "Hi" in a formal letter. Never sign off with just your first name if it's formal. These knock you from Band 7 to Band 6.

Length, Spacing, and How Your Letter Should Look

Your letter hits 150-200 words (IELTS minimum for Task 1). That's roughly four or five sections when you count address, date, greeting, body, and closing. On an A4 page, this takes up about half to three-quarters of the space. It looks balanced, not crammed and not sparse.

Use single line spacing inside paragraphs. Use a blank line between them. This is standard professional letter style and makes reading easier. The examiner shouldn't squint or struggle.

If you're writing by hand (fewer test centers require this now), write clearly. Your handwriting doesn't need to be beautiful, but it has to be legible. Band 7 is readable without effort.

When you're done writing, take 30 seconds to scan for formatting only. Don't edit content. Just check: blank lines between sections? Correct salutation? Proper sign-off? Space for a signature? This quick pass catches 80% of formatting issues.

How to Check Your IELTS Letter with a Writing Checker

A good IELTS writing checker flags layout issues fast. It catches missing addresses, wrong salutations, bad closings, and spacing problems. But it can't judge whether your tone fits the prompt or whether your content fully answers the question.

Use a checker as your starting point. First, check your structure against the template above. Second, run it through a tool to catch mechanical errors. Third, read your letter aloud to make sure your register matches the prompt's formality level. Band 7 happens when all three line up. If you're still unsure about your salutation choices, our letter salutation guide walks through every scenario in detail.

Next Steps: Actually Checking Your Work

Formatting alone won't get you to Band 7, but it removes doubt from the examiner's mind. The moment your letter looks professional, the focus shifts to content and language quality.

Here's what to do: Write your practice letter. Check it against the template above. Then use our free IELTS writing correction tool to flag any formatting or structural issues. If you're working on making your requests clearer, our letter request clarity guide shows you how to communicate what you want without being rude. And if you're writing a complaint letter, don't miss the complaint letter guide, which covers tone and structure specific to that task.

For more detailed feedback on all aspects of your IELTS writing, including grammar, vocabulary, and task achievement, try our full IELTS writing evaluator. It works for both Task 1 letters and Task 2 essays.