IELTS General Training Writing Task 1: the letter
General Training Task 1 is a letter of at least 150 words in about 20 minutes. Two things decide the mark: covering all three bullet points, and getting the register right — which is set by who you are writing to, not by how serious the subject is.
The three registers
| Register | Written to | Opening | Closing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formal | Someone whose name you do not know | Dear Sir or Madam, | Yours faithfully, |
| Semi-formal | A named person in a formal role | Dear Mr Alvarez, | Yours sincerely, |
| Informal | A friend or family member | Dear Priya, | Best wishes, / All the best, |
Mixing them is the most visible error in this task. Contractions and phrasal verbs belong in the informal letter; an informal letter written in stiff officialese is just as wrong as a complaint to a council written like a text message.
The bullets are the mark scheme
- One paragraph per bullet point, in the order given.
- Open with your purpose in the first line — the examiner should know why you are writing immediately.
- Cover all three. A letter missing one is capped on Task Achievement no matter how well it is written.
- Close appropriately for the register you opened with.
Invent whatever detail you need. The scenario is fictional and specifics are rewarded — a named street, a date, an amount — because they generate language that a vague letter never reaches.
Task 1 General Training — FAQs
2 questions
No. Start at "Dear …". Addresses are not required and do not count towards the 150 words.
Look at who it is addressed to. No name means formal; a first name means informal; a title with a surname means semi-formal.
More writing question types
Sources
Written from the test board's own published material and checked on 1 October 2026.