The General Training letter is the most predictable task in IELTS Writing. The situation is everyday, the three things to cover are printed for you, and the structure never changes.
What decides the band is one choice you make in the first ten seconds: who am I writing to?
The task, in short
| Task | A letter responding to an everyday situation |
| Length | At least 150 words. Aim for 160 to 190 |
| Time | About 20 of the 60 minutes |
| Content | Three bullet points, all of which must be covered |
| Style | Formal, semi-formal or informal, depending on the reader |
| Weight | Half as much as Task 2 |
The official description lists the kind of situations to expect: writing to an accommodation officer about a problem with your room, to a new employer about managing your time, to a local newspaper about a plan for an airport, to a renting agency about the heating.
Step one: choose the register
Find the line in the task that says who the letter is to. Everything follows from it.
| You are writing to | Register | Greeting | Closing |
|---|---|---|---|
| A company, an official, someone unnamed | Formal | Dear Sir or Madam, | Yours faithfully, |
| A manager, landlord, teacher or neighbour you know by name | Semi-formal | Dear Mr Chen, / Dear Ms Rahman, | Yours sincerely, |
| A friend or relative | Informal | Dear Sam, | Best wishes, / See you soon, |
Use a title with a surname and never with a first name: Dear Ms Rahman, not Dear Ms Aisha.
The register is not only the greeting. It runs through every sentence.
| Formal | Semi-formal | Informal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contractions | No | Safer without | Yes |
| Sentences | Longer, complete | Complete, direct | Shorter, conversational |
| Requests | I would be grateful if you could… | Could you please… | Can you…? |
| Vocabulary | inform, request, purchase | tell, ask for, buy | let you know, get |
| Feelings | Restrained | Polite and warm | Open |
The band descriptors look for exactly this. At Band 7, “The tone is consistent and appropriate to the task.” At Band 6, “There may be minor inconsistencies in tone.” A letter that begins Dear Sir or Madam and ends Can’t wait to hear from you! has shown the examiner the inconsistency in two lines.
Step two: the six-part structure
| Part | What it does |
|---|---|
| 1. Greeting | Sets the register |
| 2. Opening | Says why you are writing |
| 3. Paragraph for bullet 1 | |
| 4. Paragraph for bullet 2 | |
| 5. Paragraph for bullet 3 | |
| 6. Closing line and sign-off | Says what you expect next, in the same register |
State the purpose at once. In a formal or semi-formal letter the first sentence does this: I am writing to enquire about… In an informal letter, one friendly line comes first, and then the purpose. The descriptors reward this directly: at Band 7 the letter “presents a clear purpose”; at Band 6 “the purpose is generally clear”.
One bullet, one paragraph. This makes it impossible to forget one, and it gives the examiner the clear organisation that Coherence and Cohesion asks for.
Read each bullet for its real size. Explain the problems needs more than one problem. Say what happened and how you felt is two things in one line.
Invent the detail. The task gives a situation and no facts. Dates, names, prices, room numbers and reasons are yours to make up, and they are what turn a bullet point from mentioned into developed.
Keep the three paragraphs roughly even. About 40 to 50 words each.
Phrases by purpose
These are starting points, not sentences to memorise whole. Adjust them to the situation.
| Purpose | Formal or semi-formal | Informal |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | I am writing with regard to… | I’m writing to let you know… |
| Complaining | I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with… | I’m afraid I wasn’t very happy with… |
| Requesting | I would be grateful if you could… | Could you do me a favour? |
| Apologising | Please accept my apologies for… | I’m so sorry about… |
| Inviting | I would like to invite you to… | How about coming to…? |
| Suggesting | May I suggest that… | Why don’t we…? |
| Thanking | I am very grateful for… | Thanks so much for… |
| Giving bad news | I regret to inform you that… | I’ve got some bad news, I’m afraid. |
| Closing | I look forward to hearing from you. | Write back soon! |
A model letter
An original task in the standard format.
You are going to study at a college in another city next month and you need somewhere to live.
Write a letter to the college accommodation office. In your letter
- explain your situation
- describe the kind of accommodation you need
- ask for the information you require
The reader is an office, not a named person: formal.
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to enquire about accommodation for students, as I will be joining the college next month.
I have been accepted onto the one-year Diploma in Hospitality Management, which begins on 3 September. I currently live more than three hundred kilometres away, so I will need to move to the city, and I do not know the area or anyone who lives there.
Ideally, I would like a single room in a shared flat with other students, within walking distance of the main campus. I would prefer a room with a desk, since I expect to study in the evenings, and I would need access to a kitchen because I intend to cook for myself.
I would be grateful if you could tell me whether the college has rooms of this kind available and what the monthly rent would be. Could you also let me know whether bills are included and how I should apply?
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours faithfully,
Lin Htet
171 words.
Why it works.
- The purpose is in the first sentence.
- Each bullet point has a paragraph: the situation, the room wanted, the questions.
- Invented details develop every point: a course, a date, a distance, a desk, a kitchen.
- The third bullet asks for information, and the letter asks four specific questions, not one vague one.
- The register holds. No contractions, I would be grateful if you could, and a closing that matches the greeting.
For a semi-formal and an informal letter on other situations, see Task 1 samples.
How the letter is marked
Four criteria, equally weighted. Task Achievement is the one specific to the letter, and the official format page says it refers to “how well your letter achieves its purpose”.
| Band | What the descriptors say |
|---|---|
| 7 | ”All bullet points are covered and clearly highlighted but could be more fully or more appropriately illustrated or extended. It presents a clear purpose. The tone is consistent and appropriate to the task.” |
| 6 | ”All bullet points are covered and adequately highlighted. The purpose is generally clear. There may be minor inconsistencies in tone.” |
| 5 | ”All bullet points are presented but one or more may not be adequately covered.” |
Three things move you up that table: every bullet covered, a purpose the reader cannot miss, and a tone that does not slip.
What caps the letter at Band 6
- A thin bullet point. One sentence on the third bullet because time ran out.
- A slipping register. Formal opening, chatty middle.
- No clear purpose until the second paragraph.
- Memorised openings that do not fit the situation, such as I hope this letter finds you well to a company you are complaining to.
- Under 150 words. A short letter gives too little evidence for the higher bands.
- Running over 20 minutes. Task 2 is worth twice as much.
Practise it
Write one letter in each register this week, on any three situations, and time each at 20 minutes. Then check them against three questions: is the purpose in the opening, does each bullet have a paragraph, and is there a single sentence that belongs in a different register?
The IELTS writing checker scores General Training letters on all four criteria, so you can see whether it is the content, the organisation or the language that is holding the band down.
Related: Writing Task 1 explained covers both versions of the task, and Academic vs General Training shows what else differs.
Sources
- IELTS General Training Writing test format Official Task 1 format: a letter of at least 150 words in about 20 minutes, three bullet points, a personal, semi-formal or formal style depending on the reader, and that Task Achievement refers to how well the letter achieves its purpose.
- IELTS Writing band descriptors (PDF) The public General Training Task 1 descriptors quoted in this guide at Bands 5, 6 and 7.
Last reviewed October 5, 2026. See our editorial policy for how guides are checked and corrected.
Frequently asked questions
- How many types of letter are there in IELTS General Training?
- Three registers: formal, semi-formal and informal, which the official description calls personal. Within them the purpose varies: a complaint, a request, an apology, an invitation, giving information, thanking someone or applying for something.
- How do I know if an IELTS letter is formal or informal?
- Look at who you are writing to. A friend or relative means informal. A named person you deal with professionally, such as a manager or landlord, means semi-formal. A company, an official or anyone you do not know means formal.
- Do I need to write an address or date in the IELTS letter?
- No. Begin with the greeting, for example Dear Sir or Madam, and end with a closing and your name. Addresses and dates are not required and add nothing to your score.
- Can I use contractions in an IELTS General Training letter?
- In an informal letter, yes, and they help it sound natural. In a formal letter, no. In a semi-formal letter teachers disagree, so the safe choice is to write the full forms.
- What happens if I miss a bullet point in the IELTS letter?
- Your Task Achievement score is limited, however good the rest is. At Band 5 the public descriptors say all bullet points are presented but one or more may not be adequately covered. Give each bullet its own paragraph so none is lost.
- Should I use my real name in the IELTS letter?
- It does not matter. You can sign with your own name or an invented one. Use a full name in formal and semi-formal letters and a first name in an informal letter.