How to Write the IELTS General Training Letter

The letter is the whole of Task 1 for every General Training candidate. The situation changes from test to test, and so does the reader. This guide shows how to choose your style, cover the bullet points and keep your tone steady. It is part of the Writing Task 1 guide, which also covers the Academic task.

What the task asks

You get a situation, a reader and three bullet points. Your letter answers all three.

The task tells you what to include in three bullet points. You do not need to write any addresses at the top of your letter source: ielts.org.

The task tests whether you can write a letter that is well organised and appropriate in its register and style source: ielts.org.

Register means how formal your language is. Getting it right is part of the task, not an extra.

Personal, semi-formal or formal

The reader decides the style.

The style depends on who you write to and how well you are supposed to know them. A letter to a friend is personal. A letter to a manager is semi-formal or formal source: ielts.org. A formal letter goes to someone you do not know personally source: ielts.org.

The other official pages sort letters a little differently. IDP uses two groups. Formal is for someone you do not know. Informal or semi-formal is for a friend, colleague or someone you know source: IDP. The British Council uses three groups. You write formally to companies or officials, semi-formally to colleagues or landlords, and informally to friends or family source: British Council.

This guide uses ielts.org's three names: personal, semi-formal and formal.

What every letter needs

Task Achievement on the letter checks five things.

In plain words: say why you are writing, and answer all three bullet points with detail. Set it out as a letter, and keep one tone.

Your letter should open with a greeting and end with a sign-off. It should not have sub-headings or bullet points source: ielts.org.

For band 7 or higher, the purpose should be clear. It helps to state the main purpose in the opening paragraph source: ielts.org.

For band 6 or higher, you need to cover each bullet point. If a bullet asks for suggestions rather than a suggestion, make more than one source: ielts.org. Some bullet points contain more than one element, so watch for "and" and for plurals source: IDP.

Underline each thing the bullets ask for before you plan. A bullet with "and" in it is two jobs.

Covering a bullet also means adding appropriate and relevant detail to it source: ielts.org.

A bullet answered in one short sentence has nothing extended. Add a reason, a detail or an example. One paragraph for each bullet point is a simple plan that keeps all three visible.

Formal letters

A formal letter goes to someone you do not know, such as a company or an official. It should sound polite and distant.

A formal letter should not be too chatty or too friendly. "Dear Sir or Madam" is a greeting used for formal letters source: ielts.org.

The greeting and the closing need to match in style. "Dear Sir/Madam" goes with "Yours faithfully". Formal letters also use longer sentences with passive forms, and modals source: IDP. Modal verbs are words such as "would" and "could".

Here is the opening of a formal letter, written for this page. The invented task asks you to write to a hotel about a problem with a booking. Its bullets: say what happened, explain how it affected you, and say what you want the hotel to do.

Dear Sir or Madam,^{note 1}

I am writing to complain about a booking I made at your hotel for 14 to 16 March.^{note 2} When I arrived, I was told that no room had been reserved,^{note 3} although I had received a confirmation email. I would be grateful if you could explain how this happened.^{note 4}

1. "Dear Sir/Madam" is the greeting for someone you do not know, and it goes with "Yours faithfully" source: IDP. This letter would close that way, so the two ends match.
2. For band 7 or higher, "the purpose should be clear" source: ielts.org. The first sentence says why the letter exists, before any detail.
3. Formal letters use "passive language (be + past participle)" source: IDP. "I was told" and "had been reserved" keep the focus on the problem, not on blaming one person.
4. At band 7, "the tone is consistent and appropriate to the task" source: ielts.org. The writer is annoyed, but the request stays polite, which suits a reader the writer has never met.

Semi-formal letters

A semi-formal letter goes to someone you work with, such as a manager. It also suits bad news for someone you know, such as an apology to a neighbour. It sits between the other two styles.

A semi-formal letter is "more neutral in style (neither formal nor informal)". It suits a letter to a manager, or an apology to a neighbour. To get band 7 or above for the content, write in a consistent style. Do not include language that is too formal or too informal source: ielts.org.

A semi-formal letter can use contractions, some more formal vocabulary and more personal language. Use "suggest" and "recommend" to make suggestions. Avoid language that belongs only in texts or on social media source: ielts.org.

A greeting such as "Dear Mr. Smith" suits a semi-formal letter to a colleague or landlord source: British Council.

Here is part of a semi-formal letter, written for this page. The invented task asks you to write to your manager about changing your working hours. Its bullets: say what change you want, explain why, and suggest how to make it work.

Dear Ms. Patel,

I'm writing to ask whether I could change my working hours next month.^{note 1} My daughter starts at a new school, and I'll need to collect her at 3 pm on weekdays.^{note 2} I'd suggest starting an hour earlier,^{note 3} at 8 am, so that my total hours stay the same.

1. A semi-formal letter can use contractions, such as "I'm" for "I am" source: ielts.org. The contraction suits a manager the writer knows, and the purpose still comes first.
2. Covering a bullet means "adding appropriate and relevant detail" source: ielts.org. The reason extends the second bullet, so the manager knows why the change matters.
3. Semi-formal letters use "suggest" and "recommend" to make suggestions source: ielts.org. The suggestion is polite, not an order. It answers the third bullet, and it solves the manager's likely problem before the manager asks.

Personal letters

A personal letter goes to a friend or someone close to you. It can sound like you talking.

A personal letter is, for example, a letter to a friend source: ielts.org. An informal letter is conversational. It can include contractions and more direct speech. "Dear John" goes with a closing such as "Best wishes" source: IDP.

Personal does not mean careless. Keep full sentences and correct grammar, because the other three criteria still mark your language.

Here is part of a personal letter, written for this page. The invented task: a friend wants to move a weekend trip you planned together. Its bullets: say the change is fine, suggest a new date, and say what you have already booked.

Dear Sam,

Of course we can move the trip, so please don't worry about it.^{note 1} How about the weekend of the 20th instead?^{note 2} I've already booked the campsite, but I've checked, and they're happy to change the date.^{note 3}

1. An informal letter is "Conversational" source: IDP. The opening sounds like a reply to a friend, and it still makes the purpose clear: the trip can move.
2. For band 6 or higher, "you need to cover each bullet point" source: ielts.org. This sentence answers the second bullet directly, with a date the friend can say yes or no to.
3. An informal letter "Can include contractions" source: IDP. "I've" and "they're" make it warm, but every sentence is still complete and correct.

Keep one tone

Choose your style once, then keep it to the last word.

The tone needs to be appropriate to the context of the task and the purpose of your letter. It also needs to be consistent source: ielts.org.

At band 5, "the tone may be variable and sometimes inappropriate" source: ielts.org.

Check the greeting and the sign-off together. "Dear Sir or Madam" with "Best wishes" is a mismatch a reader sees at once. Then read the letter once only for tone, and change any sentence that sounds like a different letter.

What changes from band 6 to band 7

The step from band 6 to band 7 on the letter is about a clear purpose and a steady tone.

At band 6, "all bullet points are covered and adequately highlighted. The purpose is generally clear. There may be minor inconsistencies in tone." At band 7, the letter "presents a clear purpose. The tone is consistent and appropriate to the task. Any lapses are minimal" source: ielts.org.

So "generally clear" becomes "clear", and "minor inconsistencies" become "minimal" lapses. Put your purpose in the first sentence. Then give each bullet its own detail, and read the letter once for tone alone.

Purpose, bullets and tone all sit under Task Achievement. Your grammar and vocabulary are marked under the other three criteria, which how IELTS Writing is marked explains. The band score calculator shows what your Writing band means for your overall score.

The General Training hub covers the rest of the test. If you are still choosing a test, read Academic vs General Training. Academic candidates describe a chart, a map or a process diagram instead. To plan your Writing practice band by band, see how to improve your IELTS Writing score.

The task wording, addresses and register points come from ielts.org's General Training Writing format page. The points on format, purpose, bullet points and tone come from its Writing test resources page, and the semi-formal points from its article on how to write a semi-formal letter. The five checks come from the Writing key assessment criteria, and the band wording from the Writing band descriptors (updated May 2023). The points marked IDP come from IDP's article on writing a letter (updated 12 June 2026). The points marked British Council come from its guide to formal and informal English (updated 11 September 2025). The two PDFs were last opened on 26 September 2026. The other pages were last checked on 3 October 2026. The tasks and letter extracts were made up for this page and are not from any test.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to write addresses?

No. You do not need to write any addresses at the top of your letter source: ielts.org.

How many words does the letter need?

At least 150, in about 20 minutes source: ielts.org.

Can I use contractions?

In a semi-formal letter, yes source: ielts.org. An informal letter can include them too source: IDP.

In a formal letter, leave them out. A formal letter should not sound chatty.

What if I do not know the reader's name?

Use the greeting the task gives you. A task can ask you to start with "Dear Sir or Madam" source: ielts.org.

A formal letter is written to someone you do not know, and "Dear Sir/Madam" goes with "Yours faithfully" source: IDP.

So if you do not know the reader's name, the letter is almost always formal. Close it with "Yours faithfully".

Where can I see a complete letter?

This guide shows parts of letters only. Sample tasks and marked example responses are linked from ielts.org's General Training sample test questions and the British Council's General Training Writing practice page.