IELTS Writing Task 1 Letter Greeting & Closing Checker: Get Your Band Score Right

Let me be blunt. Most IELTS students lose points on letters before they even finish the first sentence. Why? They mess up the greeting or closing. Not the content. Not the arguments. The actual format.

Here's the thing. The examiner spends maybe 2-3 minutes reading your letter. The first thing they see is your salutation. The last thing they see is your sign-off. Get those wrong, and you're signaling that you don't understand formal letter conventions. That hits your Coherence & Cohesion score hard, which counts for 25% of your mark.

This post walks you through exactly how to open and close an IELTS General Training letter so you nail this every single time. You'll see real examples, common mistakes, and the specific rules examiners are checking for.

Why Your Letter Opening Matters More Than You Think

You have 150 words minimum for Task 1. That's tight. Every word counts. Your opening line sets the tone for everything that follows. If you get the greeting wrong, the examiner immediately questions whether you understand formal register.

The IELTS band descriptors for Writing Task 1 specifically assess "Coherence & Cohesion" and "Task Achievement". A correct greeting shows you know how formal letters work. A sloppy one suggests you're guessing.

Here's what examiners actually look for in your opening:

• Correct salutation format (not too casual, not too stiff)
• Proper punctuation after the greeting
• Appropriate capitalization
• Clear statement of why you're writing (usually in the first sentence after the greeting)

The Formal Letter Opening: Rules That Don't Change

IELTS General Training letters require formal or semi-formal greetings. You're writing to someone you don't know well, or to an organization. This isn't an email to your mate.

Here are the three most common formal letter openings:

Use this when you don't know the recipient's name or gender. It's universally accepted in IELTS. The comma after the greeting is crucial. No comma? Your punctuation mark is wrong.

Use this if you know the person's name. Include the title (Mr., Mrs., Ms., Dr.) and always use a comma. No period after the title in British English. In American English, you'd write "Mr. Johnson." but IELTS typically follows British conventions.

Ms. is safe when you don't know a woman's marital status. This is becoming the standard choice, even if you do know her status.

Now, here's where most students fail.

Salutation Punctuation Rules: British vs. American

IELTS primarily uses British English conventions. That matters for punctuation after your greeting.

In British formal letter format, you use a comma after the salutation:

In American business letters, you use a colon:

Choose one and stick with it. The comma is safer for IELTS because the exam expects British conventions. Using a colon won't fail you, but a comma is the expected choice.

How to Close Your Letter: Three Essential Closings

Your closing is just as structured as your opening. There's no room for creativity here. Examiners want to see that you understand professional letter format.

The rule is simple: your closing must match your opening. If you opened with a name, you close with one sign-off. If you opened with "Dear Sir or Madam", you close with a different one. Here's why.

Use this when you opened with "Dear Mr. Jackson" or "Dear Ms. Patel". You named them, so you close with "Yours sincerely". This signals a personal connection, however formal.

Use this when you opened with "Dear Sir or Madam". You didn't know the person's name, so you close more formally with "Yours faithfully". This is the classic pairing in British formal letters.

"Kind regards" works with both formal and semi-formal openings. It's modern, it's professional, and it's always correct. If you're unsure between "Yours sincerely" and "Yours faithfully", use "Kind regards" instead. You won't lose marks.

Now, the mistakes.

Register Consistency: The Silent Killer of Band 6 Essays

This is where most students self-sabotage. They'll open formally but close casually, or vice versa. Examiners notice immediately. It signals confusion about register.

Let's say your Task 1 prompt asks you to write to a gym manager about poor facilities. Here's what register mismatch looks like:

If you're writing about tone and register in your letter, check out our detailed guide on formal vs informal tone in Task 1 letters. It breaks down exactly which words and phrases signal the wrong register.

Capitalization Rules: What Gets a Capital Letter

Capitalization in greetings and closings is strict. Get it wrong and you're losing marks in Grammar & Accuracy.

Here's what you capitalize:

• The first word of your greeting: "Dear"
• The title before a name: "Mr.", "Mrs.", "Ms.", "Dr."
• The person's name: "Jackson", "Patel", "Thompson"
• The first word of your closing: "Yours", "Kind"

Here's what you don't capitalize:

• Words after titles (unless they're proper nouns): "faithfully", "sincerely", "regards"
• Punctuation doesn't affect capitalization: "Dear Sir or Madam," not "Dear Sir Or Madam,"

Real IELTS Examples: Greeting and Closing in Context

Let's see this in action. Here's a real IELTS Task 1 scenario:

Prompt: "You recently attended a conference and found that one of the sessions was cancelled without notice. Write a letter to the conference organizers to complain. Write at least 150 words."

You don't know the organizer's name. What's your move?

Notice every element:

• Generic greeting because no name was provided
• Comma after "Madam" and after "faithfully"
• Capitals only where they belong
• Full name, not initials
• Closing matches opening in formality

Now, here's what a weaker response looks like:

Want to see how the entire letter structure holds up? Our guide on IELTS letter structure covers how greetings and closings fit into the bigger picture of organization and flow.

Task 1 Format Checklist: Before You Submit

Use this checklist every time you finish a Task 1 letter. Don't skip it. Most students do, and it costs them points.

• Do I have a greeting? (Yes = Good)
• Is it formal or semi-formal? (Casual greetings = Red flag)
• Is there a comma after the greeting?
• Do my opening and closing match in formality level?
• Did I use the right closing for my greeting? (Name = "Yours sincerely" | No name = "Yours faithfully")
• Is there a comma after my closing?
• Did I capitalize only the first word of my greeting and closing?
• Did I write my full name, not initials or just a first name?

If you can't answer "yes" to all eight, fix it before moving on. These aren't style choices. They're IELTS requirements.

For a complete breakdown of layout and formatting errors that go beyond greetings and closings, check out our post on using our IELTS writing checker. You can paste your letter and get instant feedback on format errors and band score predictions.