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IELTS WRITING TASK-1

General
Introduction to Writing Test

Writing module has two activities, Writing Task-1 & Writing

Task-2. You'll be given 60 minutes to complete both tasks.

Response to both writing task should be formal.

► You should spend 20 minutes on Task-1 and 40

minutes on Task-2.

► The word limit for Task 1 is minimum 150 words. And

limit for Task-2 is minimum 250 words.

► Remember, Task-2 contributes twice as much as

Task-1 to the writing score.

► There are four marking criteria for each tasks.

Marking Criteria for Writing Task-1

Criteria (100%) Meaning

Task Achievement (25%) Describing the main points,
including overview, specific
points and a proper organized
structure in at least 150 words.
Coherence & Cohesion (25%) Making your ideas flow logically
and smoothly by using proper
words and phrases.
Lexical Resource (25%) Having a diverse vocabulary and
using them accurately and
effectively.
Grammatical Range and Using a variety of sentence

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Accuracy (25%) structure while using correct
grammar in those structure.

Task-1 Question Type

In Task-1 you are asked to write a letter of correspondence

where you demonstrate your ability to communicate using

English letter-writing conventions. You will be given two

type of letter, formal and informal.

1. Formal Letter :

Purpose: Formal letters are used for official or

professional communication. They are written to

someone you don't know well, or to a person in a

position of authority.

Tone and Style: Maintain a formal and respectful

tone. Use complete sentences, avoid contractions,

and follow a structured format. Begin with a formal

greeting (e.g., "Dear Sir/Madam" or "To Whom It May

Concern") and end with a formal closing (e.g., "Yours

faithfully").

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Content: Provide a clear introduction, main body

paragraphs with specific details, and a formal

conclusion. Include relevant details, but avoid

personal or informal language.

2. Informal Letter :
Purpose: Informal letters are more personal and are

typically written to friends, family, or people you

know well. The purpose may be to share news,

express feelings, or request information in a friendly

manner.

Tone and Style: Use a conversational and friendly

tone. Contractions and informal language are

acceptable. Begin with a more casual greeting (e.g.,

"Dear [Friend's Name]" or "Hi [Name]") and end with

a more relaxed closing (e.g., "Best regards," "Love,"

or simply signing off with your name).

Content: The structure is more flexible. You can

start with a friendly greeting, elaborate on the main

points in a casual manner, and end with a friendly

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closing. Personal experiences, anecdotes, and

emotions may be included.

Tips for Task-1

 Try understanding the task by read the

instructions. Also try to identify whether you
need to write a formal or informal letter.
 Plan your letter before starting to write. Consider
the structure, the main points you want to
include, and the order in which you will present
them.
 In formal letters, use appropriate titles.
 In informal letters, address the recipient in a
more personal way
 Start with a clear and concise introduction that
states the purpose of your letter.
 In informal letters, you can add friendly greeting
or reference to a previous contact.
 Organize your letter into clear and coherent
paragraphs. Each paragraph should focus on a

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specific point, and ideas should be logically
connected.
 Include relevant details and examples to support
your points.
 In formal letters, use appropriate language and
be specific without being overly detailed.
 Demonstrate a range of vocabulary and
sentence structures.
 Avoid repetition and try to use synonyms where
appropriate.
 Keep your sentences clear and concise.
 Avoid unnecessary information that does not
contribute to the main purpose of the letter.
 Summarize the main points in a formal
conclusion.
 In informal letters, you can end with a friendly
closing statement or ask a question.
 Revise your letter for grammatical errors,
spelling mistakes, and punctuation.
 Make sure your handwriting is readable.
 Allocate a specific amount of time for planning,

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writing, and checking.
 Familiarize yourself with different types of letters
and practice writing them regularly.

1. Informal Letter

Generally, if the letter is to friends, people you know well,

or family, and the reason for writing is positive, then it’s

an Informal/Personal letter. It doesn’t have many strict

rules. Here is the structure with examples;

1. Start with something like, “Dear Linda,” or “My

dearest Charlie,”

Then apologize that you forgot to write. “I am

sorry I haven’t written for so long.”

Next, write the purpose of your letter. “I am

writing to thank/tell/ask/apologize/wish…”

2. Start writing on a topic from paragraph 1. This

paragraph must be the biggest one. If possible,
try to write 2 paragraphs.

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3. Sign off with,

“With best wishes, Kathy”

“Yours, Louse”

“With love and many thanks from me, Diana”

Example of Personal/Informal letter

Dear Sarah,
1
I am sorry I haven’t written for so long. My

work keeps me so busy, that I never have a

minute to myself. I am writing to invite you

to my wedding.

Since you have never met my future

husband, you must have a million questions

2 (para 1)
running through your mind right now. I

hope I can tell you enough to put your mind

at ease until we meet. Five months ago I

decided to take a cruise to Bahamas, to get

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away for a little while. And on that cruise

Faith arraigned for me to meet my future

husband Alan. He is the most wonderful,

loving person you could ever imagine and

we are very happy together.

The wedding will take place at my parents’

mansion. The date is October 17, at 7

o’clock. I am so looking forward to

introducing you to Alan, and he can’t wait

to meet you too. I told him all about you

and our friendship.

With love,

Amy.

1. Formal Letter

There are four types of formal letter.

I. Complaint/Request(of information) letter
II. Job application letter

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III. Personal letter
IV. Formal business letter

I. Complaint Letter
This is a letter you write to complain about something. It

could be something you have purchased or a bad service

that you have received, or an accident that happened to

you. You must describe it and demand appropriate actions

from relevant people.

There are 4 paragraphs in this type of letter. They should

look like this:

1. Start with “Dear Sir/Madam,“ (or write person’s name

if it was given in task instructions )

Explain shortly (in one or two sentences) what

you are complaining about. “I am writing to express
my dissatisfaction with the tape recorder that I

purchased in your store.”

2. Explain in more details.

a) What happened, what the problem is.
“I purchased a tape recorder in your store on

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12/3/2005, just 3 days ago. After a few times that

I used it, the “Play” button broke off”.

b) What are you unhappy about.

“I was very surprised to see the new improved

model with 2 years of warranty breaking so soon

and for no reason at all.”

c) What did you do to resolve the situation.

“I contacted your store immediately in order to

return the tape recorder and spoke to the shift

manager. He refused to replace the tape recorder

and suggested that I had it repaired.”

d) How do you feel about the problem.

“You can imagine how receiving this offer upset

me.”

This paragraph should be the longest in the whole letter. You can even

divide it into several parts.

3. Write what you would like them to do, and what

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will you do if they don’t give you what you want.
“I insist that you replace the damaged tape recorder

and send me a new one.Otherwise I will be forced to

stop my payments to your store”.

4. Write formal ending for the letter; your name

and sign.
“I look forward to hearing from you.”

If you know the name of person you are writing

to, sign
“Yours sincerely,

Mr. Smith”

If you don’t know the name of person you are

writing to, sign
“Yours faithfully,

Mr. Smith”

Useful Phrases
For Paragraph 1
 “I am writing to complain about…”
 “I am writing in regard to…”

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 “The reason I am writing to you is (a problem
with…)”
 “I am writing to express my concern
about/dissatisfaction with…”
 “I would like to bring the matter of … to your
attention.”
 “I would like to draw your attention to …”

For Paragraph 2
 “I was supposed to receive … Unfortunately,
that never happened.”
 “You can imagine how unhappy I was to
discover …”
 “I regret to inform you that your service was
below my expectations.”
 “When I tried to contact you by phone, no one
could offer me any sensible answer.”
 “I contacted your representative in
….Unfortunately, he denied me the service
that I requested.”

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For Paragraph 3
 “The ideal solution would be … “
 “I hope you can settle this matter by …(doing
something)”
 “I insist on getting a refund of …”
 “Please look into this matter as soon as
possible.”
 “I believe this matter deserves your urgent
attention.”

Example of Complaint
Dear Sir/Madam,

The reason I am writing to you is poor quality 1

of a food processor, which I bought in your

store two weeks ago. After only two times it

was in use, problems started to appear.

22a

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The first malfunction that I noticed was safety

lock that demanded applying of great force.

My wife had to ask me for help, because she 2b

wasn’t strong enough to push the safety lock

through. We discovered another problem when

tried to use the blender. I put some ice-cream

and milk in the blender and pushed the “Start”

button. It started working but suddenly got

stuck and we were unable to use it since. I was

very surprised to discover that much problems

in a quite expensive model.

Naturally, I returned the blender to you to be

replaced with a new one. Your assistant said

that I would have to wait only a week. After

two weeks the food processor had still not

arrived. Finally, four weeks later, I was

contacted by your representative.Imagine my

feelings when I learned from him that I can not

receive the same model of food processor as I

bought. As a solution he offered that I upgrade

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my model to a better one and this too will take

two weeks.

I am very disappointed with both the

equipment and the service have I

received.Therefore I expect a full refund of

180$ as soon as possible.

Yours faithfully,

Mr. Smith.

II. Request of Information Letter

This is a letter you write to ask a person for information.

For example, you may need to receive the trains’

timetable, or list of books on certain topic from a library or

an itinerary for a trip you have booked to Africa.

There are 3 paragraphs in this type of letter;

1. Start with “Dear Sir/Madam,“ (or write person’s

name if it was given in task instructions)

Explain shortly (in one or two sentences) what

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kind of information you are interested in.
“I am writing to ask for information about

membership in the Shape sports club.”

2. Explain in more details who you are, exactly

what information you need, why,when and in
what form do you need it – a letter, a fax, an e-
mail, a phone-call,etc. This should be the biggest

paragraph of the whole letter.

3. Write formal ending for the letter; your name

and sign.
“I look forward to hearing from you.”

If you know the name of person you are

writing to, sign
“Yours sincerely,

Mr. Smith”

If you don’t know the name of person you are

writing to, sign
“Yours faithfully,

Mr. Smith”

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Example of Request Informtion Letter

Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to ask for complete itinerary of a trip to 1

Africa that I booked with your company.

The trip I refer to starts on August 12,2005. I am

supposed to leave with a group of 16 people. The 2

information I would like to obtain should include

the following:

1) Names and phone numbers of other people in

my group
2) Airline names, flight numbers, departure and
arrival times.
3) Names and locations of hotels that you have
booked for me, and on what bases, bed and

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breakfast, half board or full board.
4) A list of optional day trips that are available and
their prices.
5) A list of local doctors I can contact in case of
emergency.
6) A contact number for your company
representative in Africa.
7) A receipt for the payment I have made on July
28, 2005.

You could send the above-mentioned information

to my e-mail or a fax. I would like to receive it as
soon as possible but not later then a week before
my flight.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,
Mr. Smith

III. Job Application Letter

This is a letter you write to apply for a certain
position that is vacant. In the real life you would

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attach your resume to it. Of course, you don’t have
to do it for IELTS,writing the letter is enough.
There are 4 paragraphs in this type of letter.
1. Start with “Dear Sir/Madam,“ (or write person’s

name if it was given in task instructions)

Write what position are you applying to, and

where it was advertised.
“I would like to apply for the position of secretary

advertised in ‘Herald Tribune’ of April 15th2005.”

2. Write about your skills, diplomas and

experience.
 “I am a Software Engineer with more then ten

years of experience in …”“I graduated in Some

Study Course from Famous University, 1996”“At

present I am employed as a … by company …”

 “I am familiar with…”

 “My skills include working with …, performing …,

managing…”

 “In course of my present job I have been

responsible for the planning and organization of

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…”

 “I am used to working at a fast pace to meet

deadlines”.

 As in previous types of letters, this paragraph

should be the “fattest” in the whole letter.

3. Explain, why you are interested in this job,

express your motivation to
contribute. Ask to schedule an interview as
soon as possible.
 “I would like to apply my skills in your

company.”“I believe the position you offer will

give me opportunity to...”

 “If you find my skills and experience suitable,

please contact me to schedule an interview.”

 “I am looking forward to discussing my

credentials with you personally.”

4. Thank the person.

 “Thank you for your time and
consideration.”

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If you know the name of person you are
writing to, sign
“Yours sincerely,

Mr. Smith”.

If you don’t know the name of person you are

writing to, sign
“Yours faithfully,

Mr. Smith”.

Example of Job Application Letter

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Dear Sir/Madam,
I would like to apply for the position of flight 1

attendant, advertised in “The Wings”issue of

October 2005.

As you can see from my CV, I am a flight 2

attendant with 5 years of experience.

I had a one-year apprenticeship with United
Airways, and the following 3 years I worked for
Sky-High Airlines. The last year I was working for
Air Comfort Airlines,providing customer service
to first class passengers.

I have a pleasant personality and good

communication skills. I am familiar with service
and emergency instructions, and used to working
unsupervised. My experience includes
administering first aid to ill passengers and
dealing with unusual incidents. I am available to
work weekends, holidays and overtime.

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If you find my skills and experience suitable,
please contact me to schedule an interview. I am
looking forward to discussing my credentials with
you personally.

Thanks you for your time and consideration.

Yours faithfully,
S. Holts.

IV. Formal Business Letter

Any letter other than Complaint, Request,Job
application, or Personal is a Business letter. It could
be an explanation you write to a library about the
books that were never returned, or a letter to Car
Rental Company, describing the road accident you
were involved in.
There are 4 paragraphs in this type of letter.
1. Start with “Dear Sir/Madam,“ (or write person’s name
if it was given in task instructions)

Explain shortly (in one or two sentences) who

you are and/or what are you writing about.

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“I am writing in regard to books I borrowed from the

library on March 15,2005 and never returned”.

2. Explain in more details the purpose of your

letter. Consider the idea that task instructions
give you, write according to it. Make up
interesting details in addition to the original
idea. This should be the biggest paragraph of
the whole letter.

3. Say what kind of answer you expect or what

suggestions do you have for the situation. It is
also a good place to apologize, if applicable.

4. Write formal ending for the letter; your name

and sign.
“I look forward to hearing from you.”

If you know the name of person you are writing

to, sign
“Yours sincerely,

Mr. Smith”

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If you don’t know the name of person you are
writing to, sign
“Yours faithfully,Mr. Smith”

Example of Formal Business Letter

Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to apologize about
1
keeping books that I borrowed
from the college library 3 days ago
longer than it is acceptable.

I have found myself in this

unpleasant situation for a reason.
My close relative was very sick and
2
I had to go visit him at the hospital.
I intended to return the books
immediately after I get back to the
college, but unfortunately I left the
books on a train on my way from
the hospital to the library. It will
take me about two days to get
them back from “Lost and Found”

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department at the train station.

I understand that other students

may need those books and deeply
apologize for the inconvenience. I
will try to return the books as soon
as possible. Please don’t revoke
my library privileges, I promise
that it will never happen again.

Faithfully yours,
John Smith.

Some phrases

Beginnings (Personal/Informal letters):

 Thank you for your (recent/last) letter.

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 Many thanks for your (recent/last) letter
 It was nice to hear from you recently/lately.
 I’m sorry I haven’t been in touch for such a
long time.
 I’m sorry I haven’t written to you for such a
long time.

Beginnings (Formal letters- Describing

the Purpose) Proposed Starting:

 I am writing this letter to you ...

 I am writing to you ...
 I am …… and writing to you to ...
 I am writing to…
 I am writing with regard to…
 I am writing on behalf of…

Describing the Purpose with Reference:

 In response to your letter/ invitation/proposal/

complaint/ advertisement/ written claim ......

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 In reply to your letter /invitation/ proposal/
complaint/ advertisement/ written claim ......
 With the reference of your
letter/invitation/proposal/ complaint/
advertisement/written claim ......

For starting the letter

Apology:
• I am very sorry but..........

• I am terribly sorry, but..........

• I must apologize about..........

• Please accept my apologies..........

• I'd like to apologize for..........

• Please accept my sincere apologies.......... (very formal)

Request:
• Could you please..........

• Could you possibly..........

• I would be grateful if you..........

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• I would highly glad if you..........

• Would it be possible to..........

• I wonder if you could..........

• Would you be kind enough to..........

• would you mind doing.......…

Seeking Help:
• I would appreciate it if you could..........

• I would be grateful if you could..........

• Could you please..........

• I was wondering if you could help me.......... (informal)

• I would like you to..........

Complaint:
• I feel something should be done about..........

• I must complain about..........

• I can not resist myself to inform you that..........

• I am very much unhappy with..........

• I want you to know that..........

• I'm writing to express my dissatisfaction about/with..........

• I'm writing to express my annoyance with..........

• I am not happy about/because..........

• ..........was very disappointing.

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• .......... was utterly disappointing.

Satisfaction:
• I was very happy to learn that..........

• I was very happy to hear that..........

• I was delighted to hear that..........

• I was thrilled to find out that..........

• I was glad to hear that..........

Suggestion:
• Perhaps we could...........

• Perhaps you can............

• I would like to suggest that...........

• May I suggest that............

• Could you please...........

• I would highly appreciate it if you...........

• Would it be a good idea to...........

• Perhaps it would be a good idea to...........

Asking for Information:

• I would like to know about/if...........

• I am writing to inquire about...........

• I am writing to find out about...........

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• What I am looking for is...........

• I would like you to inform me...........

• I would appreciate it if you could provide me...........

Providing Information:

• I would like to inform you that...........

• Perhaps you should be informed that............

• I guess you would be glad to know that...........

• Please be informed that............

• For your kind notification...........

• I should let you know that...........

Giving good news:

• I am happy to advise you that... (formal)

• I am pleased to inform you that... (semi-formal)

• I am delighted to tell you that... (informal)

• I thought you might like to know that... (informal)

• I am happy to inform you that... (semi-formal)

Giving bad news:

• I regret to advise you that... (formal)

• I regret to inform you that... (semi-formal)

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• I am sorry to tell you that... (informal)

• I am afraid I have some bad news... (informal)

Conveying regards:
• Please convey my greeting and best wished to your parents.

• Please pass on my best wishes to your wife and children.

• Please give my best regards to your family.

• Please give my regards to your parents.

• My best wishes to your parents.

Concern/sympathy:
• I am/was sorry to hear about...

• I am writing to express my concern about...

• It breaks my heart to hear that... (informal)

• I wish I could revert it in any way... (informal)

To End the letter:

Apology:
• Once again, I am sorry for any inconvenience caused..........

• I hope I did not cause you too much problem..........

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• Please accept my apologies once more..........

• I am so sorry for the whole thing..........

• I hope you will accept my apologies..........

• Kindly accept my apologies ..........

Complaint:
• I expect to hear from you soon..........

• Hopefully, you will pay immediate attention to this matter ..........

• I highly expect your kind attention about the situation..........

• I want you to take immediate action about the misunderstanding.......…

Request:
• Thank you again for your attention to this matter..........

• Could you possibly resend the papers?..........

• I expect to hear from you again.......…

Thanking:
• Thanks.

• Thank you.

• Thanks a lot to you for...

• Thank you very much.

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• I can't thank you enough.

• I am extremely grateful for...

• No words can express my gratitude.

Wishing Good Luck:

• I wish you a good trip ahead.

• I wish you good luck with your interview.

• Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll do well.

• Wishing you all the best.

Providing Information:
• I would like to inform you that I have already sent the papers you asked

me to...........

• Perhaps you should be informed that the last date has already been

over............

• I hope this information will be helpful for you, please contact me for

any other information ...........

• This is all I would like to inform you. Please feel free to contact me for

any information.........…

Expecting a reply from someone:

• I am looking forward to hearing from you .......

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• I am waiting to hear from you soon...........

• I look forward to hearing from you soon............

• I am expecting to hear from you soon...........

• I am eagerly waiting for your response............

Closing the Letter:

• I look forward to hearing from you.

• I look forward to seeing you.

• I look forward to meeting you.

• I look forward to getting a reply from you soon.

• I really look forward to your cooperation in this.

Signing off:
Personal Letter: Yours truly, Yours ever, Best regards, Best wishes,

Many thanks, Love, Lots of love, All the best, Best wishes.

Official Letter: Yours sincerely, Yours faithfully, Yours obedient.

Stating Experience/qualification:

My qualifications include:
● I have two years of job experience in the related field...

● I have been working for ...… for the last five years.

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● I worked part-time for three years as …... at .......

● At the moment I am employed by …... and my job responsibilities

include .....

● I have experience in ......

● I have a post-graduation degree on .......

● I have a diploma in …...

● I have hands-on experience in ......

● I graduated from ...... University three months ago and my major

was......

● I have finished my post-graduation from the ...... University and have

been awarded .......

Curriculum Vitae (CV):

● Please find attached my Curriculum Vitae

● I am attaching my CV for your kind consideration

● The CV and reference letter have been attached

Ending:
● I look forward to hearing from you.

● I can further discuss my candidacy for the post in a formal interview.

● I am available for an interview at your convenience.

General Writing Task-1 by Nafisa Alam