IELTS Writing Task 1 Letter Greeting Checker: Why Your Salutation Kills Your Band Score

You've spent 20 minutes crafting the perfect complaint letter. Your tone is formal. Your vocabulary is sharp. Then you open with "Hi there" and you've already lost points before the examiner reads a single complaint. This is where most students stumble. The greeting in IELTS Task 1 isn't just window dressing. It signals whether you understand register, formality, and who you're actually writing to. Get this wrong, and you're signaling that you don't understand the basics.

Here's the thing: the IELTS band descriptors don't explicitly score greetings in isolation, but they absolutely measure Coherence and Cohesion (how your ideas flow and connect) and Lexical Resource (your vocabulary choices). A weak greeting damages both. A proper greeting strengthens them. This is where an IELTS writing checker catches what many students miss. Let's fix this before your next test.

Why Your IELTS Letter Greeting Matters More Than You Think

Task 1 letters are worth 50% of your IELTS Writing score. You get 20 minutes to write 150+ words. The greeting happens in the first 10 seconds. If you misread the formality level right from the start, you've already created a coherence problem. The examiner will spot the mismatch between your opening and the rest of your letter immediately.

A Band 7 answer won't have greeting problems. A Band 5 answer will almost always have them.

The IELTS band descriptors specifically mention: "use a range of cohesive devices appropriately" (Coherence and Cohesion at Band 7+). An informal greeting in a formal letter is a cohesive failure. It breaks the tone unity of your entire response. You've established the wrong register on line one, and the examiner is now reading everything that follows with suspicion.

Formal vs. Informal: The Three Types You Need to Know

IELTS Task 1 gives you three letter types: formal, semi-formal, and informal. Each demands a different greeting. Your job is simple: identify which one the prompt requires, then match your salutation exactly.

Formal Letters (Complaints, Job Applications, Official Requests)

Formal letters are written to people you don't know. Hotel managers. University admissions officers. Council members. Company leaders. Anyone you wouldn't call by their first name in real life.

See the pattern? Formal greetings use titles and surnames. They maintain distance and respect. When you write "Hi there" to a hotel manager, you've signaled that you don't understand register. That's a Coherence and Cohesion penalty right there.

Semi-Formal Letters (Requests to Teachers, Professional Inquiries)

Semi-formal is the middle ground. You're writing to someone in a professional setting, but there's some familiarity. A university lecturer you've met. A manager at a company where you're applying for an internship. Someone you wouldn't be strangers with, but you're not friends either.

Why is "Dear Sir or Madam," weak here? Because it's too stiff. You're signaling distance where none exists. Your letter now feels off, like you're treating a familiar contact as a total stranger.

Informal Letters (To Friends and Acquaintances)

Informal is where you relax. You're writing to someone you know and like. A friend's parent you're asking for a favor. A neighbor you chat with regularly. Someone whose first name you'd use naturally.

Using formal language with a friend creates the wrong tone. You're treating them like a stranger. That's a register mismatch.

How to Read Your IELTS Prompt for Greeting Clues

The prompt itself tells you what formality level to use. You just need to read carefully.

Example 1: Formal Letter

"You have recently arrived in a small town. You want to join a local club to make new friends. Write a letter to the club secretary requesting information about the club's activities."

Key phrase: "Write a letter to the club secretary." You don't know this person. You've never met them. You use a title. You use "Dear Sir or Madam," or "Dear [Title] [Surname]," Simple.

Example 2: Informal Letter

"A friend has asked you to travel with him/her on holiday. You are unable to go, but you would like to explain why and to suggest an alternative arrangement. Write a letter to your friend."

Key phrase: "Write a letter to your friend." You know this person well. You use their first name. You can use "Hi" or "Hello" followed by their name. That's it.

The examiner isn't testing your greeting directly. They're testing whether you understand the social context and can match your language to it. That's part of Coherence and Cohesion. That's also part of Task Response (writing appropriately for your audience and purpose). If your register is wrong from the first line, you've failed on both counts.

Six Greeting Mistakes That Cost You Bands

Mistake 1: Mixing Formality Levels

You open formally but write informally in the body. Or vice versa.

Formal greeting. Casual body. This is a Band 5 answer. The examiner sees the inconsistency instantly. You've broken the most basic rule of register consistency.

Mistake 2: Missing the Comma

The comma after the greeting is non-negotiable in British English. IELTS uses British English conventions. Missing it signals careless writing. It's a Grammatical Range and Accuracy penalty.

Mistake 3: Using Only a First Name in Formal Letters

In formal contexts, first names alone are too casual. You're damaging your register consistency score.

Mistake 4: Wrong Capitalization

"Dear" always starts with a capital D. "Sir," "Madam," and titles like "Mr." are capitalized. This is basic grammar. The examiner expects you to get it right.

Mistake 5: Forgetting to Match Your Closing

Your greeting and closing must work together. If you open formal, you close formal. If you open informal, you close informal. This is where register consistency gets tested across the entire letter.

This mismatch is jarring. You opened formal and closed casual. The examiner will dock points for Coherence and Cohesion. Your register isn't consistent throughout.

Mistake 6: Overthinking When You Don't Know the Name

Many prompts don't give you a name. You see "write to the manager" or "write to the director" with no name provided. Stop overthinking. Use "Dear Sir or Madam," and move on. It's perfect. It's safe. You won't lose a single point.

How to Spot Formality in 30 Seconds (Your Checklist)

You have 20 minutes for Task 1. You can't spend five minutes deciding on formality. Use this checklist.

• Is there a name in the prompt? If yes, use it. If no, assume formal.
• Does the prompt say "friend," "relative," or "acquaintance"? That's informal. If it says "manager," "organization," or "official," that's formal.
• Are you making a complaint or formal request? Complaints about hotels, banks, or services are always formal. Formal job applications are always formal. Formal university inquiries are always formal.
• Is this a personal favor or social arrangement? Asking a friend to meet you. Asking an acquaintance for help. Informal to semi-formal.
• Have you met or do you know this person? If no, formal. If yes and it's a friend, informal. If yes and it's professional, semi-formal.

The Greeting-to-Closing Matching Rule

This is important enough to emphasize twice. Your closing signature must match your greeting's formality. Period.

When you use "Dear Sir or Madam,", you must close with "Yours faithfully,". This pairing is standard in British English business writing. Why "faithfully"? Because you don't know the person. You're signing off formally to someone you've never met.

When you use "Dear Ms. Chen," or another named greeting, you close with "Yours sincerely,". You know who you're writing to, so "sincerely" is appropriate.

When you use "Hi John," or an informal greeting, you close with "Best wishes," or "Best regards," or "Take care,". You're keeping things warm and personal.

The examiner will catch a mismatched greeting-closing pair instantly. It signals a lack of control over register, which is exactly what Coherence and Cohesion measures.

Real IELTS Prompts: What They're Actually Asking

Scenario 1: The Formal Complaint

"You recently stayed at a hotel and were very dissatisfied with the service. Write a letter to the hotel manager complaining about the service and requesting a refund."

Greeting: "Dear Sir or Madam," or "Dear [Manager Name if provided],"

Why formal? You're complaining to someone in authority at a business. You don't know them. You need to be professional.

Closing: "Yours faithfully," if you used "Dear Sir or Madam," or "Yours sincerely," if you named the manager.

Scenario 2: The Friendly Request

"An English-speaking friend is visiting your city next month. Write a letter describing your city and suggesting activities you could do together."

Greeting: "Hi [Friend's name]," or "Dear [Friend's name],"

Why informal? It's a friend. You're close. You don't need formal language.

Closing: "Best wishes," or "All the best," or even "Talk soon,"

Scenario 3: The Semi-Formal Inquiry

"You want to apply for a volunteer program at a local organization. Write to the program coordinator asking about requirements and application procedures."

Greeting: "Dear [Coordinator's name]," or "Dear Mr./Ms. [Surname],"

Why semi-formal? You're writing to someone professional, but it's not a complaint or formal grievance. You're politely inquiring.

Closing: "Yours sincerely," or "Best regards,"

When you're checking your band score on specific criteria, these greeting-closing pairs will help you verify you're on the right track. If your greeting feels formal but your closing feels casual (or vice versa), that's a red flag for your entire response.

Your IELTS Greeting Checklist (Copy and Use This)

For Formal Letters:

• Dear Sir or Madam,
• Dear Mr. [Surname],
• Dear Ms. [Surname],
• Dear Dr. [Surname],
• Dear Professor [Surname],
• To Whom It May Concern,

For Semi-Formal Letters:

• Dear [Mr./Ms./Dr.] [Surname],
• Hello [First Name],
• Dear [First Name],

For Informal Letters:

• Hi [First Name],
• Hello [First Name],
• Dear [First Name],

Memorize these. You won't second-guess yourself again.

How Your Greeting Affects Your Band Score

The IELTS band descriptors measure four things: Task Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy. Your greeting touches at least two of these.

Coherence and Cohesion (Band 7+): The descriptor says "Uses a range of cohesive devices appropriately, though there may be some under/over use." A greeting that breaks register consistency directly undermines this. A correct greeting that matches the body and closing reinforces it. You're showing the examiner that you understand how to maintain tone throughout.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy (Band 7+): The descriptor says "Uses a variety of complex structures with accuracy and flexibility." Correct capitalization, proper punctuation, and formal structures in the greeting show grammatical control. Errors like a missing comma, lowercase "dear," or an inappropriate register in a formal context indicate lack of control.

Task Response (Band 7+): "Addresses all parts of the task appropriately." Part of addressing the task appropriately is matching your register to your audience. If you're writing a formal letter and use "Hi there," you've failed to address the task appropriately.

The Real Impact: A single greeting mistake won't drop you from Band 7 to Band 5. But combined with other register inconsistencies (informal body paragraphs, casual vocabulary, mismatched closing), it signals to the examiner that you don't fully control formal writing. That's the difference between a Band 6.5 and a Band 7. At lower bands, greeting errors pile on with other coherence problems and create a Band 5 or Band 6 ceiling.

When the Prompt Doesn't Give You a Name

This happens often. The prompt says "Write to the manager" but doesn't name them. Here's what you do.

Use "Dear Sir or Madam," Stop there. You won't lose points. It's universally correct in formal British English business correspondence. It's the safest choice you can make.

If you're worried about sounding repetitive because you have to write multiple Task 1 letters, you can alternate with "To Whom It May Concern," But "Dear Sir or Madam," is more common in modern business writing, so default to that.

Don't try to be creative and make up a name. Don't use "Dear Manager,". Don't use generic titles like "Dear Hiring Manager," unless the prompt specifically uses that language. Stick with the standard.

What Makes a Band 7 Letter Greeting? (And What Doesn't)

A Band 7 letter greeting is appropriate to the context, grammatically correct, and consistent with the rest of the letter. Band 5 greetings break register or have punctuation errors. The difference comes down to whether you've read the prompt carefully and matched your salutation to the audience and purpose.

Band 7: Dear Mr. Johnson, (named recipient, formal context, correct punctuation, matches a formal body and closing)

Band 5: Hi there, (informal opening in a formal context, signals lack of register awareness)

The examiner forms this judgment in seconds. Your greeting is often the tell.

Common Questions About IELTS Letter Greetings (Answered)

Put Your Greeting Into Practice: Three Real Examples

Example 1: Formal Complaint Letter

Prompt: You stayed at a hotel last month and were disappointed with the service. Write a letter to the hotel manager complaining and requesting compensation.

Notice: Formal greeting, formal body, formal closing. Register is consistent throughout. The examiner sees a Band 7 answer before reading a single complaint.

Example 2: Semi-Formal Inquiry

Prompt: You want to inquire about a volunteer position at a local environmental organization. Write to the program coordinator.