Learn how to choose the right tone, organise your ideas and write a clear IELTS General Training Task 1 letter.
This is Part 1 of my free IELTS General Training Task 1 letter lessons:
Part 1: The essentials
Learn how to understand the task, choose the right tone and structure your letter.
Part 2: The language you need for GT Letters and Emails.
Learn useful language for common purposes such as requesting, complaining, apologising, giving advice and making suggestions.
Part 3: Vocabulary for informal letters
Learn informal vocabulary, phrasal verbs and expressions that can help your letters sound more natural.
Part 1: The essentials
For IELTS General Training Writing Task 1, you have to write a letter or email of at least 150 words in about 20 minutes. The letter may need to be formal, semi-formal or informal, depending on who you are writing to and why.
To write a successful IELTS GT letter, you need to:
- choose the appropriate tone (formal, semi-formal or informal)
- use an appropriate opening and closing
- address all three bullet points
- organise your ideas clearly
- use language that is appropriate for the situation
In this lesson, you’ll learn how to plan and structure an IELTS General Training Task 1 letter, choose the right tone and make sure you cover everything the task asks for.
Understand the IELTS letter question
In IELTS General Training Writing Task 1, you are given a situation and asked to write a letter. The question gives you three bullet points, which tell you what information you need to include.
The person you are writing to also tells you what tone and style you should use. For example, a letter to a friend will normally be informal, while a letter to someone you do not know may need to be formal.
Look at this example:
Your friend would like to visit you but unfortunately you are not free when they want to come. Write a letter to your friend.
- Apologise
- Explain why you are busy
- Suggest another time
Before you look at the model answer, think about these questions:
- Who are you writing to?
- Why are you writing?
- What tone should you use?
- What three things do you need to include?
Don’t write the letter yet. First, let’s look at how to analyse the question.
1. Choose the RIGHT TONE
One of the most important things to do when you read an IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 question is to identify who you are writing to. This will help you decide whether your letter should be formal, semi-formal or informal.
Ask yourself:
Who am I writing to? How well do I know this person?
You should then choose a tone that is appropriate for your relationship with the reader and the situation.
Formal letters
Use a formal tone when you are writing to someone you don’t know personally, or when the situation requires a professional tone.
For example:
- a job application
- a letter of complaint to a company
- a request to an organisation
- a formal request to someone in a position of authority
Informal letters
Use an informal tone when you are writing to someone you know well, such as a friend or family member.
For example:
- inviting a friend to visit you
- giving a friend advice
- telling a friend some news
- congratulating a friend
Semi-formal letters
Some IELTS teachers recommend thinking only in terms of formal or informal, but there are situations where a semi-formal tone is more appropriate.
For example, you might be writing to:
- a colleague
- a neighbour
- a teacher you know
- your manager about a social event
The situation also matters. You might write to someone you know, but still need a relatively polite tone because of what you are asking them to do.
The important thing is to choose a tone that is appropriate for the reader and the situation, and to keep this tone consistent throughout your letter.
Letter of COMPLAINT
You recently bought a piece of equipment for your kitchen but it did not work. You phoned the shop but no action was taken. Write a letter to the shop manager. In your letter
– describe the problem with the equipment
– explain what happened when you phoned the shop
– say what you would like the manager to do
How to start a formal letter:
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to complain about…
Why? You don’t know the person you are writing to, and you are making a formal complaint.
Write a letter to the manager of a TV company who is planning to make a program about a well-known place. In the letter:
– Make a suggestion for this TV program.
– Say how you know that place
– Say why you think it would make a good subject for a TV Programme.
Semi-formal example
Dear Mr Smith,
I am writing to ask if you would be able to…
Why? You know the person’s name, but the situation requires a polite, professional tone.
You have recently moved to a different house. Write a letter to an English-speaking friend. In your letter
– explain why you have moved
– describe the new house
– invite your friend to come and visit
Informal example
Hi Sarah,
I’m really sorry it’s taken me ages to write, but…
Why? You know the person well, so you can use a friendly, conversational tone.
Remember:
The right tone depends on who you are writing to, your relationship with them, and the purpose of your letter.
2. Use a CONSISTENT TONE
Choosing the right tone is important, but you also need to maintain that tone throughout your letter.
Your opening, vocabulary, grammar and closing should all be appropriate for the person you are writing to and the situation.
For example, don’t start with a very informal:
❌ Hi John! How’s it going?
and then suddenly switch to very formal language:
❌ I would like to request that you…
and finish with:
❌ Lots of love xxx
These expressions don’t belong to the same tone.
Instead, make sure your opening, main paragraphs and closing match.
✅ Informal
Hi John!
Can I ask you a favour?
Chat soon!
✅ Semi-formal
Dear John,
I’m writing to ask if you would be able to…
All the best,
✅ Formal
Dear Mr Jones,
I am writing to ask if you could…
Best regards,
Remember: you don’t need to use complicated or extremely formal language to get a high score. The important thing is to use language that is appropriate for your reader and to keep the tone consistent throughout your letter.
If you’re unsure about the tone, go back to the question and ask yourself: Who am I writing to? How well do I know this person? What am I trying to achieve?
⚠️ Don't be too formal
One of the easiest ways to make an informal IELTS letter sound unnatural is to use language that is too formal for the person you’re writing to.
This is a common problem for strong English speakers. They know lots of formal vocabulary and grammar, so they use it in the exam because they think it will help them get a higher score.
But in IELTS General Training Writing Task 1, more formal does not mean better. Your language needs to be appropriate for the person you are writing to.
When you’re writing an informal letter, switch on your informal brain. Write in a way that sounds natural and conversational, as if you were talking to the person.
This can feel uncomfortable in an exam, especially if you’re used to writing academic English, but using the right level of formality is an important part of writing an effective IELTS letter.
Compare these two responses. Which one do you think would get the higher score?
Example A
Dear friend,
I was pleased to receive a letter from you, informing me of your upcoming visit to my hometown.
I sincerely apologise but I will be unable to accommodate you during the week you requested, as I will not be available. I am sorry to inform you that I have been requested to complete a training course at my company. However, I will be happy to rearrange a mutually convenient date in the near future.
What is your opinion on the matter? Please let me know your availability. I propose next week if that is suitable for you. Please accept my unreserved apologies.
I look forward to hearing from you,
Yours sincerely.
Fiona
Example B
Hi Sam!
Great to hear from you, and I’m glad everything’s going well for you. I can’t believe you’ve finally got some time to come and visit!
Unfortunately, next week’s not great timing – I’ve got loads of stuff to do at work and I’m on that training course I’ve been wanting to do for ages. It’s a bit tricky to rearrange because they only run the course once a year – you know what these things are like.
How about the week after though? The training will be over by then and I’ll have much more time to show you around. I could get a couple of days leave.
Let me know what day’s best for you and I’ll come and pick you up at the station. Can’t wait!
All for now,
Fi x
What do you think?
Letter B is better, even though the first letter uses more formal and sophisticated language.
Why? Because Letter B sounds natural and appropriate for a friend. It uses contractions, everyday vocabulary and conversational expressions. The first letter sounds more like an email to a company or someone you don’t know.
For IELTS, the best language is not the most formal language. It is the language that is most appropriate for the situation.
10 features of an INFORMAL letter
An informal IELTS letter should sound natural, friendly and conversational, but it still needs to be clear and accurate. You don’t need to use slang or lots of idioms to get a high score.
- Choose an informal opening and closing
Hi John! / See you soon! / Lots of love! - Use contractions
I’m, I’d, I’ll, can’t, don’t - Use direct questions
Do you remember…? / You know what I mean? - Use direct language and commands when appropriate
Let me know! / Give me a call! - Use phrasal verbs
I’ll pick you up. / We could hang out. - Use informal vocabulary
Choose natural everyday words instead of unnecessarily formal ones:
select → choose
attend → go to
participate in → take part in - Use a conversational, “spoken” style
Great to hear from you!
Can’t wait!
All for now. - Make informal suggestions
How about…? / Why don’t we…? / Let’s…? - Use friendly expressions and, if you are confident, an idiom or two
loads of stuff / It was great fun / I’m over the moon - Don’t be too formal or too polite
Remember that you are writing to someone you know well. Your language should sound friendly and natural, not like a business letter.
Remember: always check who you’re writing to and why you’re writing. Don’t use an informal style if you’re writing a formal letter, such as a letter of complaint or a job application.
If you want to make your informal letters sound more natural, see my 10 ways to make your IELTS GT letter less formal lesson in the Resource Library.
The best vocabulary isn’t necessarily the most advanced vocabulary. It is the vocabulary that is appropriate for the situation.
Informal vs Formal vocabulary
In Example A, the writer uses several words and expressions that are more formal than necessary for a letter to a friend. We can make the language sound more natural and conversational by choosing everyday alternatives:
- to receive → to get
- informing me → telling me
- to apologise → to say sorry
- I will be unable to → I can’t
- accommodate you → put you up
- you requested → you asked for
- I will not be available → I’m not free
- to inform you → to let you know
- I have been requested → they asked me to
- to complete → to finish
- however → but
- a convenient date → a date that suits you
- What is your opinion? → What do you think?
Use contractions
Contractions such as I’m, I’ve, I’ll, can’t, don’t and what’s are a natural feature of informal writing.
Remember: In an informal letter, don’t be afraid to write the way you would naturally speak to a friend.
Language functions
Learn the language you need for different functions
The three bullet points in an IELTS General Training Task 1 letter often ask you to perform different functions, such as making a request, apologising, giving advice or asking for information.
Learning useful language for these functions means you can adapt the expressions to different IELTS letter questions, rather than memorising a complete answer.
For example:
- Making requests
- Complaining
- Giving advice and making suggestions
- Apologising
- Making an announcement
- Expressing regret
- Telling a story or explaining what happened
- Saying thank you
- Asking for information
- Applying for a job
👉 Continue to Part 2: The language you need for IELTS GT letters
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use direct questions in a formal IELTS letter?
Yes. Direct questions are not automatically too informal for a formal letter. What matters is whether the question is polite and appropriate for the situation.
Compare:
Direct:
What is the name of the hotel?
Indirect:
Could you tell me what the name of the hotel is?
An indirect question can sound more polite and is often useful in a formal letter, but you don’t need to make every question indirect.
For example, which of these would be most appropriate in a formal letter asking for a refund?
- Give me a refund.
- I want a refund.
- Could you give me a refund, please?
- I would be grateful if you could give me a refund.
Number 4 is probably the best choice. It is polite, clear and appropriately formal without sounding unnecessarily complicated.
- ❌ Give me a refund: This is a COMMAND, so it’s not polite – Band 4
- ❌ I want a refund: This is not a question, so it’s inappropriate – Band 5
- ✅ Could you give me a refund please? This is direct but polite – Band 6
- ✅ I would be grateful if you could give me a refund. This is indirect and more complex – Band 7+
Do I need to write my IELTS letter in the same order as the bullet points?
No. You must address all three bullet points, but you do not have to deal with them in the same order as they appear in the question.
In fact, the bullet points are often not in the most natural order for your letter.
For example, the question above asks you to:
- Apologise
- Explain why you are busy
- Suggest another time
But you could organise your letter in a more natural way.
You could start with your main message:
Would it be OK if we met next weekend instead?
[Suggest another time]The thing is, I forgot that I was supposed to be working this weekend.
[Explain why you’re busy]I’m really sorry about that!
[Apologise]
This is perfectly acceptable because all three points have been covered clearly.
Think about the purpose of your letter
Your organisation should make sense for the purpose of the letter, rather than simply following the order of the bullet points.
In a formal letter, it is often appropriate to get straight to the point:
I am writing to request a refund for…
In an informal letter, you have more freedom to begin with a friendly, conversational opening:
How are things?
I haven’t seen you for ages!
Hope you and your family are well.
What have you been up to recently?
Remember: the bullet points tell you what you need to include, not necessarily where you need to put it.
Quick Practice
This short gap-fill will help you practise some of the key features of informal letters, including contractions and informal vocabulary.
Complete the letter, then check your answers and notice how the informal language makes the letter sound more natural and conversational.
Conclusion
Many students have learnt to write in a relatively formal style at school, so they naturally use this kind of English when they write an IELTS letter to a friend.
But in IELTS General Training Writing Task 1, the best language is not necessarily the most formal or complicated language. Your tone needs to be appropriate for the person you are writing to and the situation, and it should remain consistent throughout your letter.
This is reflected in the IELTS Writing Task 1 criteria:
Band 7: The tone is consistent and appropriate to the task.
Band 6: There may be minor inconsistencies in tone.
So, if you’re writing an informal letter, practise reading and writing natural, informal English. Look at plenty of high-quality model letters so that this style becomes more familiar and comfortable.
And be careful when using examples you find online. Many IELTS letter examples are much too formal, so don’t assume that formal English is automatically better English.
Remember
Appropriate English is better than impressive English.
👉 Continue with the free GT letter lessons
You’ve now learned how to analyse the question, choose the right tone and write an appropriate informal or formal letter.
Next, learn the language you need for the different functions in IELTS General Training Task 1.
About Fiona
Fiona is an IELTS trainer, ex-examiner and course creator based in the UK. She has a Master’s in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (Distinction) and over 35 years of teaching experience. She has helped thousands of IELTS candidates develop the language and exam skills needed to achieve their target scores.
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