Here's the thing most IELTS students miss: your letter salutation can cost you points before you've written a single body paragraph. Not because it's worth massive marks on its own, but because a grammatical error in your opening creates an immediate negative impression with the examiner. You've got 20 minutes for Task 1. You literally can't afford sloppy grammar in the first three words.
The gap between Band 6 and Band 7 often comes down to consistency—and that consistency starts with how you greet your reader. The IELTS band descriptors for Grammatical Range and Accuracy reward precision and control. A correct, formal salutation shows you understand register and punctuation before you even hit the main content. That's exactly what our IELTS writing checker evaluates first.
IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 requires a letter. You'll get one of three types: formal, semi-formal, or informal. Each has different salutation rules, and examiners notice when you mix them up.
Band 5 writers use generic greetings like "Hi Sir" or skip punctuation entirely. Band 7 and 8 writers apply the correct register from line one and never break it. The descriptors specifically note that Band 7 writers show "accurate grammar and punctuation" while Band 6 writers have "errors that occasionally impede communication." A punctuation error in your salutation doesn't destroy meaning, but it signals a lack of control.
Your job isn't just to hit 150 words. It's to prove you can shift your tone, vocabulary, and grammar based on context. The salutation is your first chance to prove exactly that.
Formal letters make up a huge chunk of IELTS Task 1 prompts. You'll write to a college principal, a hotel manager, or a council official. The rules here are strict, and examiners check them first.
Rule 1: Always use a comma after the salutation. Not a period. Not nothing. A comma.
Correct: Dear Sir or Madam,
Wrong: Dear Sir or Madam. / Dear Sir or Madam: / Dear Sir or Madam
Rule 2: When you don't know the person's name, use the standard phrase. "Dear Sir or Madam," is traditional and safe. Most IELTS prompts don't give you a name—that's exactly when you use this. No variations. No "Dear Sir/Madam" or "Dear Sir and Madam."
Rule 3: If you know their name, use title and surname only. "Dear Mr. Smith," or "Dear Dr. Patel," follow this exact pattern. Capitalize the title, add a period after the abbreviation, and use the surname only—not the first name.
Correct: Dear Mr. Thompson,
Wrong: Dear Thompson, / Dear Mr. Thompson / Dear Michael Thompson,
The prompt tells you the relationship. Actually read it. This is where most students slip up.
A formal letter to an institution uses "Dear Sir or Madam," or the person's title and surname. You maintain a respectful distance. No contractions. No casual language. This covers complaints to airlines, requests to local councils, or applications to universities.
A semi-formal letter goes to someone you know slightly—a work contact, an acquaintance. You can use their first name if the prompt suggests familiarity, but you keep things professional. "Dear John," works here, but you'd still skip the slang.
An informal letter is to a friend or family member. This is your only chance to relax in Task 1. You can write "Hi Sarah," or "Dear Sarah," depending on your relationship. Grammar still matters, but you can use contractions and a conversational tone.
Pro tip: If the prompt says "write to the manager," that's formal. If it says "write to your friend," that's informal. When you're unsure about register, read the prompt twice. Getting this wrong in your salutation throws off everything that follows.
These errors show up constantly. The good news? They're all preventable.
Mistake 1: Wrong or missing punctuation. "Dear Sir or Madam." with a period, or no punctuation at all. A comma is the only correct choice. This hits your Grammatical Range and Accuracy band immediately.
Mistake 2: Mixing formal and informal register. Starting with "Hello," and then writing a formal letter to a council. Or using "Dear Sir or Madam," in a letter to your best friend. The prompt determines your register. Lock it in at the salutation and don't break it.
Wrong: "Hello! Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing to complain about..." (Two conflicting greetings. Pick one.)
Mistake 3: Making up a name when you shouldn't. If the prompt doesn't give you a name, don't invent one. Use the standard formula. Some students write "Dear Mr. Johnson," when the prompt only says "the hotel manager." You're guessing, and it looks uncertain.
Mistake 4: Capitalization errors. "dear sir or madam," with a lowercase "d" looks careless. "Dear SIR OR MADAM," with capitals on every word signals you don't know the rules. Capitalize the first letter and proper nouns only. "Dear Sir or Madam," is the model.
Write it as "Dear Sir or Madam," with a comma at the end. Capitalize only the D and S. No period, no colon, no extra punctuation. This single phrase is the safest choice when the prompt doesn't give you a recipient's name, and it's what examiners expect for formal IELTS writing correction tasks. Consistency with this format prevents punctuation errors that lower your band score.
You won't have time to second-guess yourself during the exam, so practice this now until it's automatic.
Let's walk through actual scenarios so you see exactly how to apply this.
Scenario 1: Formal complaint letter (no name given). The prompt says "Write to a restaurant manager about a poor dining experience." You don't have a name.
Correct: Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to lodge a formal complaint about my recent dining experience at your restaurant on 15th August.
Scenario 2: Formal letter with a named recipient. The prompt says "Write to Dr. Patricia Chen, the head of admissions." You have a name and title.
Correct: Dear Dr. Chen,
I am writing to enquire about the application process for the Master's program beginning in September.
Scenario 3: Informal letter to a friend. The prompt says "Write to an English-speaking friend who has invited you to stay." You know this person well.
Correct: Dear Sarah,
Thanks so much for inviting me to stay with you next month. I'm really looking forward to it!
Notice how the tone, vocabulary, and grammar shift immediately after the salutation. That consistency is what lifts your band score.
You've got 20 minutes for Task 1. You can't spend two minutes debating commas. The answer needs to be automatic.
Here's the drill. Write five practice letters this week—one for each register/scenario combo. Time yourself. Write only the first two paragraphs, not the whole thing. Focus on getting the salutation and opening paragraph flawless. After each one, check the punctuation, capitalization, and tone shift. Did you stay in register? Is the comma there? No overthinking.
Five practice rounds and the pattern sticks. Your brain stops treating the salutation as a choice and starts treating it like a formula. That's when you'll nail it under exam pressure.
Pro tip: Write your salutation first, pause for two seconds, and re-read the prompt. Does your greeting match the recipient and relationship described? Any doubt? Fix it before you write another word.
The IELTS band descriptors don't treat "big" and "small" errors the same way. But they do assess whether your grammar is "generally accurate" at Band 7 or has "errors that occasionally impede communication" at Band 6.
A missing comma in your salutation is a tiny, completely avoidable error. It signals to the examiner that you either didn't know the rule or weren't careful enough to check. Either way, it plants doubt right at the start. The examiner then reads the rest of your letter looking for more sloppiness.
A flawless salutation? It signals control and awareness of register. It tells the examiner you know what you're doing. That positive first impression doesn't guarantee a higher band, but it builds the right foundation for one. When you're working on other elements of your letter, like closing phrases and how to sign off professionally, this same attention to detail matters.
Once your salutation is locked in, the rest of your letter quality matters just as much. Understanding how to maintain formal or informal register throughout your entire letter ensures you don't accidentally slip into the wrong tone after that perfect opening. Our free IELTS essay checker catches register inconsistencies and punctuation errors across your whole response, not just the salutation, so you can see exactly where your tone drifts and fix it before exam day.
Get instant feedback on your salutation, grammar, punctuation, and register consistency. Our IELTS writing evaluator catches errors in real time and shows you exactly how to improve your band score.
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