IELTS General Writing Task 1: Letter Types, Format and Structure
Last reviewed: 16 September 2026
This guide explains the publicly available IELTS General Training Writing criteria using my experience as a former IELTS examiner. It does not disclose confidential materials and is not published on behalf of IELTS, the British Council, IDP or Cambridge.
Quick answer
IELTS General Training Task 1 asks you to write a letter in one of three registers: formal, semi-formal, or informal — part of the broader IELTS General Training test. You must address all three bullet points in the prompt, write at least 150 words, and use a tone appropriate to your relationship with the recipient.
Task Achievement assesses how fully, appropriately, accurately and relevantly you fulfil the letter task. It replaces Task Response, which is used for Task 2. However, it is not weighted more heavily than the other three Task 1 criteria — Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy are all equally weighted alongside it.
Source: official IELTS General Training Writing format.
Anatomy of the question
Every Task 1 prompt gives you four things:
- A situation
- A reason for writing
- A recipient or relationship
- Three bullet points to address
The recipient and situation determine the register. The bullet points determine the required content. Getting the register wrong is a Task Achievement problem even when every bullet point is technically covered.
The three letter registers
Formal
Usually written to someone you do not know personally, or when communicating with an organisation in an official capacity. Examples: a complaint to a company, a request to an organisation, a letter to an unknown manager or official.
Typical features:
- “Dear Sir or Madam” when no name is given
- Clear, polite purpose
- No conversational slang
- Generally avoid contractions
- An appropriately formal closing
Semi-formal
This is determined by the relationship, not merely by job title. A landlord, teacher, manager, or neighbour may require semi-formal language when the candidate knows the person but the purpose remains professional or sensitive.
Typical features:
- The person may be addressed by name
- Polite and respectful, but less distant than a formal letter
- Some personal language may be appropriate
- Contractions depend on the relationship and purpose
Informal
Usually written to a friend or family member.
Typical features:
- First name
- Natural conversational language
- Contractions
- Personal reactions and details
- Friendly closing
A caution: the same recipient category can require different language depending on the relationship described in the prompt. A landlord you have never met will usually require a formal tone; a landlord you know personally may require a semi-formal tone. The complete situation in the prompt should determine the final choice.
Greetings and closings by register
| Register | Possible greeting | Possible closing |
|---|---|---|
| Formal, recipient unnamed | Dear Sir or Madam | Yours faithfully |
| Formal, recipient named | Dear Mr Brown / Dear Ms Brown | Yours sincerely |
| Semi-formal | Dear Mr Brown / Dear Sarah, depending on the relationship | Kind regards / Best regards |
| Informal | Dear Anna / Hi Anna | Best wishes / See you soon |
These are useful conventions, not phrases to insert mechanically. The greeting and closing should remain consistent with the relationship and tone used throughout the letter.
A flexible structure
- Greeting appropriate to the relationship
- Opening that establishes the purpose
- Development of all three bullet points
- Any necessary request, next step, or final personal remark
- Closing appropriate to the register
This is a flexible framework, not a memorised template. Paragraph divisions should follow changes in purpose or subject. Address all three bullet points in a clear, logical order — following the prompt order is often the simplest approach, but another order can work when the letter remains easy to follow.
Common Task Achievement mistakes
- Missing a bullet point entirely
- Addressing a bullet point too briefly to develop it
- Wrong register for the stated relationship
- Using a memorised opening that does not fit the situation
- Making the letter formal at the beginning but informal later
- Listing the bullet points without developing them
- Including unrelated detail while leaving required content underdeveloped
- Using an inappropriate closing
- Writing an essay rather than a letter
That last one is especially common among candidates who practise Task 2 more frequently — the habits of essay writing (thesis statements, formal linking phrases) can leak into a letter where they feel out of place.
A quick register-check method
Before submitting, ask yourself:
- Who am I writing to, and how well do I know them?
- Why am I writing — complaint, request, explanation, apology, or invitation?
- Do the greeting, vocabulary, level of directness, and closing all match that relationship?
A letter can contain correct grammar and still feel inappropriate because its social tone is wrong.
For a look at how the four criteria work together in Task 2 by comparison, see IELTS Writing Task 2 Marking Criteria Explained. If your Writing score has plateaued across several attempts, Why Your IELTS Writing Score Is Not Improving covers Task 1-specific patterns as well.
Not sure if your register is landing correctly?
Submit two writing tasks for individual feedback on Task Achievement, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy.
Get Writing Feedback →FAQ
- How do I know which register to use?
- Look at the stated relationship in the prompt, not just the recipient’s role. See "Anatomy of the question" above.
- Does Task 1 need a specific number of paragraphs?
- No fixed number is required. Paragraph divisions should follow changes in purpose — typically an opening, one or more paragraphs developing the bullet points, and a closing.
- What's the minimum word count and does going over help?
- Write at least 150 words. Writing more does not automatically improve the score; additional content helps only when it is relevant, developed, and accurately expressed.
- Can I use contractions in a formal letter?
- Contractions are natural in informal letters and may be suitable in some semi-formal situations. They are generally best avoided in a formal letter. The decision should follow the relationship and purpose rather than a rule applied without context.
- Do I need to write an address or date?
- No. Unless the task specifically instructs otherwise, begin with an appropriate greeting. Do not spend time inventing postal addresses or dates.
- Do I need a subject line?
- Usually not. Your opening paragraph should make the purpose clear. A subject line is not a standard requirement for IELTS General Training Task 1.