Tips to Improve Letter Writing for Task 1 General in IELTS
The IELTS Writing test is for 60 minutes – 20 minutes for Task 1 and 40 minutes for task 2. In the IELTS General Writing Task 1, you are required to write a letter in at least 150 words. It can be a personal, semi-formal, or formal letter depending upon the situation. You have to write a letter in response to a given situation, describe a situation, or request information. You get instructions about the points to be included in your letter. You must include all the points in your letter otherwise you will get a low Band Score. In the IELTS Writing Task 1, you are assessed for the following:
- Task achievement/ Task Response
- Coherence and Cohesion.
- Lexical Resource
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy
25 TIPS to improve Letter Writing for Task 1 General in IELTS
- You get instructions about the points to be included in your letter. You must include all the points in your letter otherwise you will get a low Band Score.
- Before writing the letter, you must decide which type of letter you have to write. There are three types of letters in the IELTS General Writing Task 1 and all have a different beginning and a different way of ending.
- A personal letter is written to someone you know very well, such as your friend or relative.
- A semi-formal letter is written to someone you don’t know well personally, such as your landlord or professor.
- A formal letter is written to someone you don’t know, such as a company or a college.
- Follow the structure of a letter. You structure your letter as follows:
| Salutation Paragraph 1 – opening statement(reason for writing) Paragraph 2 – first point with detail Paragraph 3 – second point with detail Paragraph 4 – final point with detail Paragraph 5 – closing statement( your expectation) Signing off |
7. Spend 4-5 minutes collecting all your points.
8. Plan and structure your letter.
9. Finish writing your letter in the next 12-13 minutes.
10. Spend 2-3 minutes reviewing your response. Make corrections wherever necessary.
11. You can use a pen or a pencil to write your response, but if you write with a pencil, you will be able to rectify your mistakes easily.
12. The spelling matters. Ensure that your spellings are correct.
13. Use linkers – transition words, such as moreover, however, and conversely, to link your points.
14. Use the correct language – formal or informal – according to the type of letter you have to write.
15. Take care of grammar. Match the verb/ verbs with the subject/ subjects.
16. Tense matters. So, use the correct tense.
17. Take intermediate and advanced level grammar quizzes to overcome your grammatical errors.
18. You get 20 minutes for task 1 and you should not take more than 20 minutes for it.
19. Get your response corrected by an instructor.
20. Practice writing different types of letters based on different situations.
21. Understand which type of letter poses a challenge for you.
22. The different letters that you can expect are:
– Application letter – Apology letter – Amendment Letter – Request letter – Instruction letter – Invitation letter – Complaint letter – Letter to a friend
23. Take many practice tests before writing the IELTS exam. www.yunolearning.com is one of the best online sources to go to.
24. Learn to paraphrase the information given in different questions.
25. Enhance your vocabulary so that you do not repeat the same words very often.
Examples of different types of letters:
- Formal: You have recently received a letter from your bank saying that your new debit card is enclosed with that letter. However, you do not find any card in the envelope. You decide to write a letter to complain about the bank’s manager. In your letter write:
- Reasons for writing
- Concern about the missing card
- What you want to know from the bank
Write at least 150 words.
- You have done a bakery course and are looking for a temporary job for a few months as you wish to join a degree course starting after six months. Write a job application to the owner of a famous bakery in your area. Invent all the necessary details. In your letter
- Introduce yourself
- Give reasons for taking up a part-time job
- Your qualification and experience
Write at least 150 words.
| Salutation Dear Sir Dear Madam | Signing off Yours faithfully |
- Semi-formal: Someone in your neighborhood is getting renovation work done at home. You get disturbed as it is done even beyond 9:00 p.m. and you have two school-going. kids. Write a letter to the president of your society. In your letter:
- Give reasons for writing
- Ask the president to remind the neighbor of the norms of your society
- Suggest solution
Write at least 150 words.
- You work for a company and you need three days’ leave. Write a letter to your manager. In your letter:
- Explain the reasons for leave
- Give details of the time
- Suggest how your work can be taken care of by someone else in your absence
| Salutation Dear Mr Holmes | Signing off Yours sincerely |
- Informal: You have got a new job at a hill station which you and your best friend visited years back and both of you still cherish those memories. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter:
- Give reasons for being at this hill station
- Refer to your holiday with your friend
- Invite your friend
Write at least 150 words.
- You live with your old grandmother. However, you will have to leave her alone for a week next month as you have to go out for official work. You decide to call your cousin to come and spend some time with her in your absence. In your letter, include:
- For how long you will be out
- Medication and special care of your grandmother
- Some other important instructions
Write at least 150 words.
| Salutation Dear James or Hi James | Signing off See you soon or Take care or All the Best |
FINAL TIP Write legibly. The examiner should be able to understand what you have written. Practice erasing and writing clearly. Slowly, with practice, you will become conscious of the types of errors you tend to make.