Here's what most students get wrong: they spend 35 minutes on the letter body and 30 seconds throwing in a greeting. That ratio kills your score. The way you open and close a formal letter can cost you 1-2 band points on Coherence & Cohesion alone, and examiners spot it immediately.
You might think "Dear Sir or Madam" and "Yours faithfully" are just box-ticking formalities. They're not. They're literally the first and last things an examiner reads, and they signal whether you understand register—a core IELTS writing skill. Get them wrong, and you've already lost points before your body paragraphs even matter.
In this post, you'll learn the exact rules for matching your salutation and sign-off to each letter type, what separates Band 6 from Band 7-8, and the specific mistakes that tank your score. You'll also get a practical checklist you can run through before submitting any letter. Use our free IELTS writing checker to test your letters against Band 7-8 standards.
The IELTS Writing Task 1 band descriptors explicitly call out "appropriate register" in the Task Response section. That means examiners are actively checking whether you've picked the right tone and formality level. Your greeting and closing are the first signals of whether you understand that.
Here's what happens in real marking: if you write a formal letter to a named manager and open with "Hi John," the examiner immediately knows you don't understand the difference between formal and informal registers. That's not a small error. It damages your coherence score and task response score at the same time.
Band 7-8 responses show "consistent use of appropriate register" throughout. That consistency starts in line one and ends in your signature. If your salutation and sign-off contradict each other, or clash with the letter's content, you won't reach Band 7. It's that simple.
IELTS letter questions fall into two categories. Master these, and you'll nail this part every single time.
When the question gives you the person's name, title, or position, this is your structure:
That's it. Formal, direct, appropriate. One key thing: you never use "Yours faithfully" with a named person, and you never sign off with just "Regards" alone (that's too casual for formal letters).
When you don't have a specific name, you use this structure:
This pairing exists because of British English convention, which is what IELTS uses. "Yours faithfully" is paired specifically with "Dear Sir or Madam"—they're a matched set. Mix them up, and examiners notice immediately.
Band 6 uses correct but basic salutations and sign-offs. Band 7-8 uses correct salutations and sign-offs, and more importantly, never slips into informality. The difference isn't that Band 7-8 does something fancier. It's that Band 7-8 never wobbles.
Weak (Band 6): "Hi Sarah, Thanks for your help with the project. Looking forward to hearing from you. Best, Alex"
Why this fails: A formal letter to a manager demands formal language throughout. "Hi" and "Best" are far too casual. You've mixed registers, and the examiner sees that as a register control issue.
Strong (Band 7-8): "Dear Ms. Chen, I am writing to inquire about the project timeline. I would appreciate your guidance. Yours sincerely, Alex Johnson"
Why this works: "Dear Ms. Chen" plus formal tone throughout plus "Yours sincerely" equals consistent register from start to finish. The examiner sees control and confidence.
This pairing error is more common than you'd think. You write "Dear Sir or Madam" but then sign off with "Yours sincerely." That's backwards. "Yours sincerely" pairs with named recipients. "Yours faithfully" pairs with unknown recipients.
Wrong: "Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing regarding my application. Yours sincerely, Maria"
Correct: "Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing regarding my application. Yours faithfully, Maria"
A letter says "Write to the manager, John Roberts" and the student writes "Dear John." In formal British English, you never do this. You write "Dear Mr. Roberts." Using the first name alone signals informality, which doesn't fit a business letter.
Wrong: "Dear Michael, I hope this letter finds you well..."
Correct: "Dear Mr. Foster, I hope this letter finds you well..."
"Regards" by itself is borderline too casual. "Thanks" is definitely too casual for formal business writing. Use "Yours sincerely," "Kind regards," or "Best regards" instead. That's the Band 7-8 standard.
Wrong: "Regards, James"
Correct: "Yours sincerely, James"
If you know someone's name, always include their title. Write "Dear Mrs. Wong," not "Dear Wong," and never skip the title and write the full name.
Wrong: "Dear Patricia Chen, I am writing..."
Correct: "Dear Ms. Chen, I am writing..."
Pro tip: If you're unsure whether to use "Mr.," "Mrs.," or "Ms.," use "Ms." It's gender-neutral and safe in modern business writing. No risk involved.
Your sign-off isn't just "Yours sincerely." It's "Yours sincerely," plus a comma, plus a line break, plus your full name. That's the complete unit, and it matters for maintaining proper letter formality.
Correct format:
Yours sincerely,
James Mitchell
You never skip your name. You never write just your first name. Always include your full name, and always put a comma after the closing phrase before the line break. This is basic formatting, but Band 7-8 responses get it right 100% of the time.
| Scenario | Salutation | Sign-Off |
|---|---|---|
| Named person (Mr., Ms., Dr., etc.) | Dear Mr. Smith | Yours sincerely, [Full Name] |
| Unknown recipient | Dear Sir or Madam | Yours faithfully, [Full Name] |
| To a company or organization (no specific person) | Dear Sir or Madam | Yours faithfully, [Full Name] |
Before you submit, run through this checklist. It takes about two minutes and catches 90% of register errors.
If you answer yes to all four, you're safe. If you answer no to any, fix it before submission.
Quick trick: Copy your letter into a text editor and read just the first and last paragraphs out loud. Does it sound formal and consistent? Or does it sound awkward or too casual? If it's off, rewrite the greeting and closing.
Let's walk through a real IELTS scenario. The question asks you to write to the manager of a local community center about a broken facility.
Scenario: Write a letter to the manager (name: Mr. David Chen) at Springfield Community Center. Complain about a broken tennis court and ask what will be done to fix it.
Band 7-8 Response:
Dear Mr. Chen,
I am writing to bring to your attention a serious problem with the tennis court at Springfield Community Center. The playing surface has deteriorated significantly over the past month, making it unsafe for use.
[Body paragraphs explain the issue, its impact, and your request for action]
I would appreciate your prompt attention to this matter.
Yours sincerely,
Robert Williams
Why this scores Band 7-8: "Dear Mr. Chen" correctly uses title and surname. The tone stays formal throughout. "Yours sincerely" matches a named recipient. Full name is included. No register shifts anywhere. Done.
If you want to strengthen your overall Task 1 control, check out our guide on letter tone consistency across all sections, which shows how to maintain formality in your opening, body, and closing paragraphs together.
IELTS Task 1 letters are always formal or semi-formal. Never informal. When in doubt, be more formal, not less. A letter to a company, a manager, a landlord, a school, or any organization requires the formal structure: "Dear [Title] [Surname]" or "Dear Sir or Madam," followed by "Yours sincerely" or "Yours faithfully."
The only exception is if the question explicitly says something like "write a friendly letter to a friend." That's rare in Task 1, and when it happens, the question will be clear about it.
For more on tone control throughout your entire letter, our opening line checker covers how your first sentence should match your salutation's formality level.
Salutation check: Did I write "Dear [Title] [Surname]" or "Dear Sir or Madam"? Is there a comma after the name? (Yes, always.)
Sign-off check: Did I use "Yours sincerely" with a named recipient? "Yours faithfully" with an unknown recipient? Is there a comma? Is my full name on the line below?
Tone check: Does the greeting match the body? Does the closing match the greeting? No sudden shifts to casual language.
If all three checks pass, you're ready. This one detail alone can lift you from Band 6 to Band 7 on coherence and cohesion.
For a deeper look at tone control across your entire letter, our guide on closing paragraphs shows how to keep your final thought formal and consistent with your opening.
Use our IELTS writing checker to spot salutation, sign-off, and tone errors before they cost you points. Get instant feedback on your letter's register and band score.
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