IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 Letter Templates

IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 asks you to write a letter of at least 150 words in about 20 minutes. Depending on the task, the letter may be personal, semi-formal or formal, and Task 2 contributes twice as much to your Writing band, so 20 minutes is the ceiling, not the target.

The prompt gives you the situation, the reader and three bullet points. Your job is to explain why you are writing, cover all three bullets, and keep one tone from greeting to sign-off. The templates below give you that skeleton for each letter type.

Want to FINALLY Pass the IELTS General Training Test And Reach Your Goals? Get Your FREE Lume Account Today to Unlock… 10,000+ PRACTICE QUESTIONS with detailed answers FREE MOCK TESTS with fast & accurate AI scoring Get BETTER SCORES with a PERSONALIZED study plan GET YOUR FREE ACCOUNT NOW (Limited seats available!)

Key Takeaways

• At least 150 words in about 20 minutes. Task 2 is worth twice as much, so do not let the letter run over.
• Three tones: formal (a reader you do not know), semi-formal (someone you know in a professional role), informal (a friend or relative).
• Every letter has the same four parts: greeting, purpose, one paragraph per bullet point, closing.
• Task achievement checks the purpose, all three bullets, the letter format and a consistent tone.
• Templates are a skeleton. Memorised, formulaic language that does not fit the situation is marked down.

How is a General Training letter marked?

Task 1 is marked on four equally weighted criteria: task achievement, coherence and cohesion, lexical resource, and grammatical range and accuracy. For General Training, task achievement assesses your ability to:

Task achievement checks that you…	What it means in the letter
Clearly explain the purpose of the letter	The reader knows why you are writing by the end of the first paragraph
Fully address the three bullet points	Every bullet gets its own paragraph, including the parts hidden behind “and”
Extend the three functions appropriately	Each bullet has a detail or reason, not a single bare sentence
Use an appropriate format	A letter with a greeting and a sign-off, not an email or an essay
Use a consistent, appropriate tone	No slang in a complaint to a manager, no “Yours faithfully” to your cousin

The band descriptors draw the line clearly. At band 7, all bullet points are covered, the letter presents a clear purpose and the tone is consistent. At band 6, the purpose is generally clear but there may be minor inconsistencies in tone. At band 5, one or more bullets may not be adequately covered.

Which tone does the prompt want?

The prompt tells you. Look at who the reader is and how the greeting is set up, then pick one row and stay in it.

Tone	Reader	Greeting	Sign-off	Typical tasks
Formal	Someone you do not know by name, or an organisation	Dear Sir or Madam,	Yours faithfully,	Complaint, application, request for information to a company
Formal (named)	A named person you do not know personally	Dear Mr Patel, / Dear Ms Lee,	Yours sincerely,	Letter to a hiring manager, a council officer, a landlord you have not met
Semi-formal	Someone you know in a work or community role	Dear Mr Patel, / Dear Anna,	Kind regards, / Best regards,	Your manager, a teacher, a neighbour, your landlord
Informal	A friend or relative	Dear Sam, / Hi Sam,	Best wishes, / Love, / See you soon,	Invitation, thanks, advice, news, apology to a friend

Formal letters avoid contractions (I am, not I’m) and phrasal verbs where a single verb exists. Informal letters use both freely. Semi-formal sits in between: polite and direct, contractions in moderation.

The four-part structure every letter uses

Part	Content	Words
Greeting	Matched to the reader, as in the table above	2-4
Paragraph 1: purpose	Who you are, if needed, and why you are writing	25-35
Paragraphs 2-4: bullets	One paragraph per bullet point, each with a detail or reason	40-50 each
Closing line and sign-off	What you want to happen next, then the sign-off and your name	15-25
Total	–	170-200

Aim for 170 to 200 words. IELTS states that short answers may not give enough evidence of the language needed for higher bands, and anything well past 200 is time taken from Task 2.

Template: formal complaint letter

Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing to complain about [the product / service] I [bought / used] at [place] on [date]. [One sentence on what went wrong]. [Bullet 1, usually what happened]: When I [verb], I found that [problem]. [Detail that shows the impact]. [Bullet 2, usually how it affected you]: As a result, I [was unable to / had to] [consequence], which [cost me / caused] [time, money, inconvenience]. [Bullet 3, usually what you want]: I would therefore be grateful if you could [refund / replace / repair] [item] by [date]. [Reason this is reasonable]. I look forward to your prompt reply. Yours faithfully, [Full name]

Template: formal request or application

Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing to [enquire about / apply for] [the course / position / service] [advertised in / listed on] [source]. [Bullet 1]: I am particularly interested in [aspect] because [reason linked to your situation]. [Bullet 2]: In terms of [experience / background], I have [relevant detail], which [why it matters to the reader]. [Bullet 3]: I would appreciate it if you could let me know [specific question] and whether [second specific question]. Thank you for considering my [request / application]. I look forward to hearing from you. Yours faithfully, [Full name]

Template: semi-formal letter to someone you know

Dear [Mr Patel / Anna], I am writing to [let you know about / ask for your help with / suggest] [topic]. [Bullet 1]: As you may know, [background]. Recently, [what changed]. [Bullet 2]: I was wondering whether it would be possible to [request], since [reason]. [Bullet 3]: If this suits you, I could [offer / next step] on [day]. Alternatively, [second option]. Please let me know what you think. Kind regards, [First name or full name]

Template: informal letter to a friend

Dear [Sam], It was great to hear from you! I’m writing because [news / invitation / thanks / apology]. [Bullet 1]: You’ll never guess what happened last [week / month]. [Short story with one vivid detail]. [Bullet 2]: I’d love it if you could [come / help / join], because [personal reason]. [Bullet 3]: Let me know if [day] works for you. If not, we could always [alternative]. Can’t wait to see you. Best wishes, [First name]

Opening and closing lines by purpose

Purpose	Formal / semi-formal opening	Informal opening
Complaint	I am writing to complain about…	I need to tell you about a bit of a disaster with…
Request	I am writing to ask whether it would be possible to…	I’ve got a favour to ask you.
Application	I am writing to apply for the position of…	–
Apology	I am writing to apologise for…	I’m so sorry about…
Thanks	I am writing to thank you for…	Thanks so much for…
Invitation	I would like to invite you to…	Are you free on…? I’m having…
Feedback	I am writing to give you some feedback on…	I just wanted to tell you what I thought of…

Tone	Closing lines
Formal	I look forward to your reply. / I would appreciate a response at your earliest convenience.
Semi-formal	Please let me know what you think. / Thank you again for your help.
Informal	Write back soon! / Can’t wait to catch up. / Give my love to the family.

Model answer: formal complaint

Prompt: You recently bought a coffee machine from an online shop, but it stopped working after one week. Write a letter to the shop. In your letter: explain what you bought and when; describe the problem; say what you would like the shop to do.

Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing to complain about a coffee machine I ordered from your website, which developed a fault after only seven days of normal use. I purchased the BrewMax 300 on 2 March, and it was delivered two days later. My order number is BM-58214, and I paid the full price of $189, as I had chosen this model specifically for its reputation for reliability. On the eighth day, the machine began leaking water from its base each time I switched it on, and the following morning it would not heat up at all. I have followed every step in the troubleshooting section of the manual, including descaling it, but the fault remains. Since the machine is clearly defective and well within the warranty period, I would like you to arrange a collection and send a replacement unit within the next fourteen days. If a replacement is not available, I would accept a full refund to my original payment card. I look forward to your prompt reply. Yours faithfully, Daniel Okafor

175 words. The purpose is in the first sentence, each bullet has its own paragraph with a specific detail, the request is concrete, and the tone never slips.

Model answer: informal invitation

Prompt: You are planning a weekend trip and want an old friend to join you. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter: describe the trip you are planning; explain why you want your friend to come; suggest how you could meet before the trip.

Dear Maya, I hope you’re doing well! I’m writing because I’ve finally booked that mountain cabin we always talked about, and I really want you to come with me. The plan is to drive up on Friday the 14th and stay until Sunday afternoon. The cabin sleeps four, it’s right next to a lake, and there’s a walking trail that starts at the front door. I’m thinking long hikes in the day and board games by the fire at night. I’ve already paid the deposit, so all you’d need to bring is warm clothes and good walking boots. Honestly, it wouldn’t feel right going without you. We haven’t had a proper catch-up since you moved, and you’re the only person I know who actually enjoys getting up early to watch the sunrise. It would be just like our university camping trips. Why don’t we meet for coffee at our old place on Market Street next Saturday? We could sort out food and who’s driving, and you can tell me all your news. Let me know soon! Love, Priya

178 words. Contractions and an exclamation are fine here, and every bullet is covered with a personal detail.

What loses marks in a General Training letter

Error	Criterion affected	Fix
Missing or merging a bullet point	Task achievement	One paragraph per bullet; tick each one off before you start writing
Purpose unclear until the end	Task achievement	State why you are writing in the first two sentences
Tone switching mid-letter	Task achievement	Pick formal, semi-formal or informal from the reader and stay there
Wrong sign-off for the greeting	Task achievement (format)	Dear Sir or Madam pairs with Yours faithfully; a name pairs with Yours sincerely or Kind regards
Writing an email or an essay	Task achievement (format)	Greeting, paragraphs, closing line, sign-off. No subject line
Copying the prompt	Lexical resource	Refer to the situation in your own words
Pasting memorised phrases that do not fit	Lexical resource	Use templates for structure, not as ready-made sentences
Bullet points or notes in the answer	Coherence and cohesion	Write full, connected sentences throughout
Spending 30 minutes on the letter	Task 2, which is worth double	Stop at 20 minutes

Twenty-minute plan

1. 0-2 min: Read the prompt. Circle the reader, the purpose and the three bullets. Decide the tone.
2. 2-4 min: Note one detail or reason for each bullet. Check each bullet for a second requirement hidden behind “and”.
3. 4-16 min: Write greeting, purpose paragraph, three bullet paragraphs, closing line and sign-off.
4. 16-20 min: Check the word count, that the sign-off matches the greeting, and that no bullet is missing.

FAQ

How many words should a General Training Task 1 letter be?

At least 150. A practical target is 170 to 200: enough to extend every bullet point, short enough to leave 40 minutes for Task 2.

How do I know whether the letter should be formal or informal?

From the reader. A company or someone you have never met means formal. Someone you know in a work or community role means semi-formal. A friend or relative means informal.

Should I write an address or a date?

No. Official sample prompts state that you do not need to write any addresses and tell you to begin with “Dear…”. Start with the greeting and go straight to your purpose.

Can I use contractions in an IELTS letter?

Yes in informal letters, sparingly in semi-formal ones, and not in formal letters. Mixing styles is what costs marks, not the contraction itself.

Is it better to use a template or write freely?

Use a template for the structure: greeting, purpose, one paragraph per bullet, closing. Write the sentences yourself. The band descriptors mark down memorised or formulaic language that does not fit the task.

Is Academic Task 1 different from General Training Task 1?

Yes. Academic Task 1 asks you to describe a graph, table, chart or diagram. General Training Task 1 is always a letter. Both are at least 150 words in about 20 minutes, and both are worth half as much as Task 2.

Related practice resources

• IELTS Writing Task 1 templates (Academic)
• IELTS Writing Task 2 templates
• IELTS grammar rules for Writing and Speaking

Want to FINALLY Pass the IELTS General Training Test And Reach Your Goals? Get Your FREE Lume Account Today to Unlock… 10,000+ PRACTICE QUESTIONS with detailed answers FREE MOCK TESTS with fast & accurate AI scoring Get BETTER SCORES with a PERSONALIZED study plan GET YOUR FREE ACCOUNT NOW (Limited seats available!)