IELTS Writing Task 1 Letter Salutation Checker: Master Formal and Informal Greetings

Here's what happens: 90% of IELTS General Training students write the wrong salutation, and they don't realize it's costing them band points. You open your letter with "Hi mate" to a bank manager. You write "Dear Sir or Madam" to your friend's mum. These aren't small mistakes. They signal that you don't understand register, which directly tanks your Lexical Resource and Task Response scores.

Your salutation is your first move. In IELTS Writing Task 1, it's not about being polite. It's a linguistic choice, and examiners are watching for it. The opening line tells them whether you understand who you're writing to, what your relationship actually is, and why you're writing. Get this wrong, and you start behind.

I'm going to show you exactly how to pick the right greeting every time using a framework to check your own work before you hit submit. Whether you're using an IELTS writing checker or reviewing manually, these principles will keep your letter on track.

Why Your Letter Salutation Actually Matters in Task 1

IELTS examiners evaluate writing on three key things: Task Response, Coherence & Cohesion, and Lexical Resource. Your salutation touches all three. It proves you understand the task (you know who you're talking to), it sets the right tone (coherence), and it shows vocabulary range (you picked an appropriate register).

Band 7 writing needs "appropriate register for the task and audience." Band 6 gets away with "generally appropriate register, though may be inconsistent." The difference? Band 7 writers nail it from line one. Band 6 writers waffle on tone, misjudge formality, or pick salutations that don't fit.

One word change in your greeting can shift how the entire letter lands.

Formal Greetings for Task 1: When and How to Use Them

Use formal greetings when you're writing to someone you don't know, or when the situation is official, professional, or involves hierarchy. Think: your employer, the bank, government office, landlord, university admissions department, customer service complaints.

The standard formal greetings:

• "Dear Sir or Madam" (no name)
• "Dear Mr. Smith" or "Dear Ms. Jones" (you have their name)
• "Dear Dr. Chen" (they have a professional title)

See the pattern. "Dear" plus title or neutral form. No first names. In British English, which IELTS uses, you don't put punctuation after the greeting. Your letter body starts on a new line, usually indented.

This works because you're using a formal title with someone in a business context. That distance is exactly what the situation calls for.

Informal Greetings: Letters to Friends and Casual Contacts

Informal greetings show up in Task 1 letters to people you actually know: friends, relatives, casual acquaintances. Think: "Complaint to a friend about holiday accommodation" or "Letter to a pen pal you've been writing to for years."

Common informal greetings:

• "Dear [First name]" (e.g., "Dear Sarah")
• "Hi [First name]" (casual, but still correct in writing)
• "Hello [First name]" (friendly, sits between "Dear" and "Hi")

The shift is immediate. You drop the title. You use only the first name. You're closer to the reader. Here's what most students get wrong: they think "Hi" is too casual for a written letter, so they avoid it. But "Hi Sarah" isn't wrong. It matches the informal register in real English-speaking contexts.

This works because you're writing to someone you know. First name, warm tone, conversational follow-up. Everything matches the actual relationship.

Real Mistakes: Three Scenarios Where Students Derail

Let me show you actual Task 1 scenarios and point out where students go wrong. Using an IELTS writing correction tool would catch these, but understanding them yourself is better.

Scenario 1: Complaint to your airline about lost baggage

Why this fails: "Hi guys" treats a serious complaint like a text to friends. You're writing to a customer service department, not your mates. You've broken Task Response immediately because you misjudged the formality level. This sounds like you don't understand the situation.

This works. You've matched formality to the context. The salutation signals that you understand this complaint needs professional, serious tone.

Scenario 2: Letter to your friend about their summer trip

Why this fails: You've used formal business language for a friend. "Dear Mr. Robertson" and "I am writing to enquire" create distance that doesn't exist in your actual relationship. You've overcompensated. The letter sounds stiff and unnatural. Band 6 territory, not Band 7.

Natural. First name, warm tone, conversational questions. Your salutation and the body match. Coherence & Cohesion improves because it feels genuine.

Scenario 3: Letter to your university's accommodation office requesting a room change

Why this fails: "Hey" is way too casual for an official request to a university department. You're not texting them. The sentences that follow are also short and conversational, which sounds more like speech than formal writing. Your Grammatical Range score takes a hit.

Now you've signaled that this is a formal request to an institution. The formality matches what's at stake.

Gray Areas: When Formality Gets Blurry

Not every Task 1 scenario is black and white. Sometimes you're writing to someone you know, but the context is semi-professional. Your neighbour who's also the building supervisor. Your cousin who's now your boss. A university lecturer you've emailed with before but aren't friends with.

The rule: shift toward formality when hierarchy, money, official complaints, or professional consequences are involved. Shift toward informality when the relationship is personal and the request is casual or friendly.

Letter to your manager? "Dear Michael" is formal enough and shows you respect the professional boundary. Letter to your best friend? "Hi Tom" or "Dear Tom" both work, but "Hi Tom" feels more natural and genuine.

Common Salutation Errors That Hurt Your Score

Error 1: Register shifts within the same letter

You start formal ("Dear Mr. James, I am writing to request...") but switch to casual mid-letter ("But honestly, I'm super frustrated because..."). Examiners notice immediately. Your Coherence & Cohesion drops because you've broken tone. The salutation sets an expectation. Breaking it confuses the reader and damages your mark.

Error 2: Using "To Whom It May Concern"

This is archaic. Modern British English doesn't use it. Examiners see it as outdated or evasive. Stick with "Dear Sir or Madam" if you don't have a name. That's the current standard.

Error 3: Punctuation mistakes after the salutation

American English uses a colon: "Dear Sir:". British English, which IELTS follows, uses nothing or a comma. "Dear Sir," is fine. "Dear Sir" followed by a line break is also fine. Never use a colon.

Error 4: Wrong title or misspelled name

If the prompt gives you a name, use it exactly. "Dear Mr. Johnson" not "Dear John." Check the spelling. A misspelled name looks careless and suggests you didn't read the task carefully. Task Response takes a hit.

Your Three-Question Salutation Checker for IELTS Letters

Before you finalize your letter, run through these three questions. If you answer them correctly, your salutation will be right.

Question 1: Do I know this person personally?

Yes = use their first name. No = use their title or "Dear Sir or Madam." That's the binary choice.

Question 2: Is this a formal, professional, or official context?

Complaint to an organization? Professional request? Official inquiry? Use formal. Casual chat with a friend? Personal favour? Use informal. The context of the task, not your relationship alone, determines the formality level.

Question 3: Does the salutation match the tone of my body paragraphs?

Your first sentence after the salutation should match the formality level. If your letter is full of formal structures ("I would like to request," "I regret to inform you"), your salutation should be formal. If you're chatty and casual, your salutation should reflect that. Examiners check for consistency in Coherence & Cohesion. Don't start formal and drift casual.

Practice: Six Real IELTS Task 1 Prompts

Write your salutation for each one. Then check the answer below to see if you've got it.

Prompt 1: Write a letter to the manager of a leisure centre complaining that the swimming pool has been closed for three months with no explanation.

Answer: "Dear Sir or Madam," or "Dear Manager," (if no specific name is given). This is a formal complaint to an institution.

Prompt 2: Write a letter to an old school friend who just moved to a new city, asking how they're settling in and suggesting a visit.

Answer: "Dear [Friend's name]," or "Hi [Friend's name]," Both work. This is personal and warm.

Prompt 3: Write a letter to the editor of a local newspaper about concerns regarding new traffic restrictions in your area.

Answer: "Dear Sir or Madam," or "Dear Editor," This is formal and public-facing, even though you don't know the person.

Prompt 4: Write a letter to a property management company requesting a refund of your deposit after moving out of a rental apartment.

Answer: "Dear Sir or Madam," or "Dear Property Manager," Money and official processes are involved, so formality is required.

Prompt 5: Write a letter to your cousin asking for advice about choosing between two job offers.

Answer: "Dear [Cousin's name]," or "Hi [Cousin's name]," Personal relationship, casual context.

Prompt 6: Write a letter to the admissions office of a university requesting an extension on your application deadline.

Answer: "Dear Sir or Madam," This is an official, institutional request. Formality is necessary.

Score yourself: Did you choose formal for 1, 3, 4, and 6, and informal for 2 and 5? If yes, you've understood the principle. If not, re-read each scenario and identify what made it formal or informal.

Want to check your entire letter for tone consistency and register accuracy? Use an IELTS essay checker to evaluate your salutation alongside your full response.

How a Letter Salutation Checker Can Help Your Score

A good IELTS writing checker flags salutation errors by analyzing the task context and comparing it against your letter's formality level. It catches register shifts, misspelled names, and salutations that don't match the audience. But the real skill is understanding why the salutation matters, which you now do.

For more specific guidance on matching your greeting to the tone of the entire letter, check out our guide on IELTS band score criteria. It covers how to make sure your salutation, opening sentences, and closing all work together for maximum coherence.