IELTS General Training letter: formal, semi formal or informal?
The Task 1 letter looks like the easy part of IELTS General Training. Then the results come back and Writing is the lowest score. Tone is very often the reason.
In IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 you write a letter of at least 150 words in about 20 minutes. The question tells you who you are writing to and gives you three bullet points to cover. Two things decide most of your Task Achievement mark: whether your tone fits the reader, and whether you cover all three bullet points properly.
Look at the reader first
Write to your manager. Ask for two days off next week. Explain why, and say how your work will be covered.
Write to a friend who has invited you to their wedding. You cannot go.
Cover all three bullet points
If one bullet point gets one line, or goes missing, your band drops, however good your English is. Give each bullet point its own paragraph, in the same order as the question. It makes your letter easy to follow and easy for the examiner to tick off.
Be yourself in the details
Invent a real sounding reason: a sister's wedding in Accra, a hospital appointment for your son, a leaking kitchen ceiling. Real details make the letter natural, and natural English scores better than a learned model letter that fits nobody.
A letter routine for the exam
- Read the task. Who is the reader? Decide formal, semi formal or informal.
- Write the purpose of the letter in your first sentence.
- One paragraph for each bullet point, in order.
- Match your closing to your opening: Dear Sir or Madam with Yours faithfully, Dear Mr Adeyemi with Yours sincerely, Dear Tom with Best wishes.
- Stay around 160 to 190 words. Save your time for Task 2.
Exam rules change. Always check with the exam provider and the organisation you are applying to.
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