IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 requires you to write a letter of at least 150 words in 20 minutes. Unlike Academic Task 1 which describes data, the General Training letter is a real-world communication task. Depending on the prompt, you might write a formal complaint, an informal request to a friend, or a semi-formal letter to a community organisation. Understanding the three register types and their distinct language conventions is essential for a Band 7+ score.
The Three Register Types
Every IELTS GT Task 1 letter is either formal, semi-formal, or informal. Formal letters are written to unknown recipients in official contexts — a company, government authority, or institution you have no personal relationship with. Semi-formal letters go to people you know professionally but not personally — a manager, landlord, or college administrator. Informal letters are to friends and family. The register must be consistent throughout — mixing formal and informal features is penalised under Coherence and Lexical Resource.
The prompt tells you the register: “Write a letter to your friend” signals informal. “Write a letter to the manager of the hotel where you recently stayed” signals formal. “Write a letter to your English teacher” may be semi-formal depending on context. Identify the register before planning a single sentence.
Opening and Closing Formulas
Formal: Begin with “Dear Sir or Madam,” or “Dear Mr/Ms [Name],” and close with “Yours faithfully,” (if you used Sir/Madam) or “Yours sincerely,” (if you used a name). Semi-formal: Begin with “Dear [First Name],” or “Dear Mr/Ms [Surname],” and close with “Best regards,” or “Kind regards,”. Informal: Begin with “Hi [Name],” or “Dear [Name],” and close with “Best wishes,” or “Take care,” or “Speak soon,”. Using the wrong closing formula for the register is a Band 7 blocker.
Addressing All Three Bullet Points
Every IELTS GT Task 1 prompt includes three bullet points specifying what the letter must cover. Failing to address all three is the most common cause of a low Task Achievement score. Allocate roughly equal space to each bullet point — approximately three to four sentences per point. The bullet points also guide your paragraph structure: one paragraph per bullet point produces a clear, coherent letter.
Vocabulary for Common Letter Types
Complaint letters require polite but assertive language: “I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with…”, “I would appreciate it if you could…”, “I would be grateful if this matter could be resolved promptly.” Request letters use conditional politeness: “I would be most grateful if you could…”, “I wonder if it would be possible for you to…”. Informal letters use conversational expressions: “I just wanted to let you know…”, “It was so great to hear from you!”, “You won’t believe what happened…”.
Practice Strategy for GT Task 1
Practise one letter per day for four weeks, rotating through all letter types. After writing, check: Did I address all three bullet points? Was my register consistent throughout? Did I use the correct opening and closing formula? Was the letter at least 150 words? Give your letters to a qualified reviewer for band-by-band feedback, or use an AI essay checker calibrated to IELTS scoring criteria. Building a template for each register type reduces cognitive load under exam conditions.
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