IELTS General Training letters: learn

In this lesson you will

Identify the purpose of the letter and the right register (personal, semi-formal or formal) from the prompt
Use matching openings and closings, and keep the tone consistent from start to finish
Express common functions (apologising, explaining, suggesting, requesting, offering) in informal and formal language
Develop each bullet point into a paragraph and write a complete letter of at least 150 words in 20 minutes

Before you start

Think about these questions, or answer them aloud.

→Who was the last person you wrote a letter or a long email to? Was it formal or informal?
→How would you say “Sorry, I can't come” to a close friend, and to a company?

The task

In IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 you write a letter of at least 150 words in about 20 minutes. The prompt describes a situation and gives you three bullet points to cover. The tone can be personal, semi-formal or formal, depending on who you are writing to.

The prompt also tells you how to begin (Begin your letter as follows: Dear …) and that you do not need to write any addresses. You do not need a date or a subject line either.

The B1 course practised complaint and request letters. This lesson covers the full range: letters to friends, to people you know a little, and to organisations, for many different purposes.

Three registers
Register	Typical reader	Opening	Closing	Style
Personal (informal)	A friend or relative	Dear Sam,	Best wishes, / Love, / Take care,	Contractions, phrasal verbs, direct questions, a friendly first line
Semi-formal	Someone you know but not closely: a neighbour, your manager, a teacher	Dear Mr Collins, / Dear Sarah,	Best regards, / Kind regards, / Yours sincerely,	Polite and clear; some contractions are fine; no slang
Formal	An organisation or a person you do not know	Dear Sir or Madam,	Yours faithfully,	No contractions, indirect requests, more formal vocabulary

Read the prompt for purpose and tone

Before you plan, answer two questions from the prompt:

Who is the reader? A friend → personal. Someone you know by name in a more distant role → semi-formal. A company, council or organisation → formal.
What is the purpose? To apologise, thank, invite, explain, complain, request, apply, give advice… Your first paragraph should make the purpose clear.

In British usage, Dear Sir or Madam goes with Yours faithfully, and Dear Mr / Ms + name goes with Yours sincerely. Whatever you choose, keep the same tone all the way through: a formal letter should not end with Cheers!

Functions in two registers
Function	Personal	Formal
Opening	It was great to hear from you!	I am writing with regard to…
Apologising	I'm really sorry I couldn't make it.	I apologise for being unable to attend.
Explaining	The thing is, …	The reason for this is that…
Suggesting	Why don't we…? / How about…?	I would suggest that… / It might be possible to…
Requesting	Could you let me know…?	I would be grateful if you could…
Offering	I'd be happy to…	I would be pleased to…
Ending	Can't wait to see you! / Write back soon.	I look forward to hearing from you.

The task

You live in a block of flats. Your neighbour, Mr Collins, is going to be away for a month and has asked you to look after his plants. You have agreed, but you will also be away for one weekend during that month.

Write a letter to your neighbour. In your letter:

confirm that you are happy to help
explain the problem
suggest a solution

Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write any addresses. Begin your letter as follows: Dear Mr Collins,

Model letter (semi-formal)

Dear Mr Collins,

Thank you for your note. I'd be very happy to look after your plants while you are away next month. Gardening is one of my hobbies, so it will be a pleasure rather than a chore, and I'll make sure they are watered every couple of days, as you asked.

There is one small problem, however. I have just found out that I need to attend a family wedding in another city on the weekend of the 14th, so I will be away from Friday evening until Sunday night. I'm worried that the plants on your balcony might dry out during that time, especially if the weather is warm.

I have spoken to my sister, Laura, who will be staying in my flat that weekend, and she has offered to water them on the Saturday. If you are comfortable with this, I could give her your spare key on Friday and collect it again when I return. Alternatively, I could move the balcony plants into the shade before I leave.

Please let me know which option you prefer.

Best regards,

Elena Rossi

How a strong writer does it

Purpose and register: Elena knows her neighbour, but not closely, so the letter is semi-formal: Dear Mr Collins, a few contractions (I'd, I'm), polite phrases, and Best regards.
One paragraph per bullet point, in the same order as the prompt, plus a one-line closing request.
Each bullet is developed: not just I am happy to help, but why (Gardening is one of my hobbies) and how (every couple of days). The problem has a specific reason (a family wedding), times (Friday evening until Sunday night) and a consequence (might dry out).
A practical solution with an alternative: the sister with the spare key, or moving the plants into the shade. Offering a choice is polite to the reader.
Cohesion: however, so, If you are comfortable with this, Alternatively connect the ideas without sounding mechanical.

Length: about 190 words.

Matching

From informal to formal

Match each informal sentence with its formal equivalent. There is one extra formal sentence.

AI look forward to seeing you at the party.
BI have considerable experience of working with children.
CI apologise for being unable to attend the meeting.
DPlease do not hesitate to contact me if you require any further information.
EI would be grateful if you could reply at your earliest convenience.
FI am writing to enquire about the position advertised on your website.
GThank you for resolving this matter so promptly.

1.Sorry I couldn't make it to the meeting.
2.Can you get back to me as soon as you can?
3.Thanks a lot for sorting this out so fast.
4.I'm writing to ask about the job on your website.
5.Drop me a line if you need anything else.
6.I've got loads of experience with kids.

Gap fill

A personal letter

Complete the letter to a friend with words and phrases from the box. There are two extra items.

Dear Tom, It was great to from you, and congratulations on your new job! I'm really that I couldn't come to your party last Saturday. The is, my car broke down on the way, and by the time it was fixed, it was nearly midnight. , I'd love to celebrate with you properly. meeting for dinner one evening next week? There's a new Italian restaurant near my office that everyone says is fantastic. Let me which day suits you best. Can't to hear all about the new job! Best wishes, Anna

Writing task

Your turn: a formal letter

Set a timer for 20 minutes: 3 minutes to plan, 14 to write and 3 to check.

You recently saw an advertisement for volunteers to help at an international film festival in your city.

Write a letter to the festival organisers. In your letter:

explain why you would like to volunteer
describe any relevant skills or experience you have
say when you are available

Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows: Dear Sir or Madam,

Write at least 150 words · about 20 minutes

20:000 / 150 words

Save words to review them later with flashcards.

register
the level of formality of language in a particular situation
“Choose a formal register for a letter to a company.”
enquire
to ask for information (formal)
“I am writing to enquire about your evening courses.”
with regard to
about; concerning (formal)
“I am writing with regard to my recent order.”
at your earliest convenience
as soon as you can (formal)
“Please reply at your earliest convenience.”
resolve
to find a solution to a problem
“Thank you for resolving the matter so quickly.”
considerable
large in amount or degree
“She has considerable experience in customer service.”
keen
very interested in something or eager to do it
“He is a keen follower of world cinema.”
fluent
able to speak a language easily and well
“I am fluent in Spanish.”
shift
a period of work at a particular time of day
“Volunteers can choose day or evening shifts.”
chore
a boring job that you have to do regularly
“Watering the plants is a pleasure, not a chore.”
spare key
an extra key that you keep in case you need it
“I left a spare key with my neighbour.”

Key points

GT Task 1: a letter of at least 150 words in about 20 minutes, covering three bullet points.
The reader decides the register: friend → personal; someone you know in a more distant role → semi-formal; organisation → formal.
Match opening and closing (Dear Sir or Madam → Yours faithfully; Dear Mr Collins → Yours sincerely / Best regards) and keep the tone consistent.
Make the purpose clear in the first paragraph, then give each bullet point its own developed paragraph.
Use the right language for each function in each register: apologising, explaining, suggesting, requesting, offering.

Check your answers in the practice exercises to record a score.

Up next · Writing B2 Intermediate

B2 writing mock test

Go to lesson

Warm-up

In this lesson you will

Before you start

The task

Read the prompt for purpose and tone

Quick check: which register?

The task

Model letter (semi-formal)

How a strong writer does it

From informal to formal

A personal letter

Tone and development

Your turn: a formal letter

Key points

Warm-up

In this lesson you will

Before you start

The task

Read the prompt for purpose and tone

Quick check: which register?

The task

Model letter (semi-formal)

How a strong writer does it

From informal to formal

A personal letter

Tone and development

Your turn: a formal letter

Key points