IELTS Writing Task 1: Letter tips & ticks for 8 bands by Tim Rutter | letter examples & answers

#IELTS #General #Letter #Writing. Learn how to write a #formal, #semiformal and #informal letter with simple steps for 8+ bands and useful tips and tricks to improve your IELTS writing score.



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The purpose of this section is to help you with the Writing Task 1 of the IELTS General test. In Task 1, candidates are asked to respond to a given problem with a letter requesting information or explaining a situation. It is suggested that about 20 minutes is spent on Task 1, which requires candidates to write at least 150 words. Depending on the task suggested, candidates are assessed on their ability to:

- engage in personal correspondence
- elicit and provide general factual information
- express needs, wants, likes and dislikes
- express opinions (views, complaints etc.)

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TIPS FOR IELTS GENERAL TASK 1
1. Identify the type of letter you are being asked to write.

Formal
Semi-formal
Informal
Step 2 will help you recognize each type of letter.

2. Identify the purpose of the letter.

Formal - Requesting information from a company
Applying for a job
Complaining to a bank, store, airline re: product/service
Making a recommendation/suggestion

Semi-formal - Complaining to a landlord
Explaining to a neighbour
Asking a professor for permission

Informal - Inviting someone you know well
Thanking a friend
Apologizing
Asking for advice

3. Open and close the letter correctly. Do this based on the type and purpose of the letter.

Formal - To someone you have not met, whose name you don’t know - Dear Sir/Madam, Yours faithfully,
Semi-formal - To someone you may or may not have met, whose last name you know - Dear Mr Brown,
Dear Ms Stone Yours sincerely,
Informal - To someone you know well, whose first name you know and use Dear Jack, Dear Angelina, Best regards,
Warm wishes,

4. Start the letter appropriately.

a. Open a formal and semi-formal letter with a formal sentence and paragraph. Get down to business and say why you are writing. Don’t try to be friendly, as you do not know the person you are writing to.

Formal:
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to inquire about…
I am writing in connection with…

Semi-formal
Dear Mr Johnson,
I am writing to inform you that…
I am writing to…

b. Open an informal letter with a general, friendly paragraph. Acknowledge your friendship first, before explaining the reason for your letter. In fact, the first paragraph could include just friendly small talk, unrelated to the reason for your writing.

Dear Susan
I hope you and your family are all well! It was so wonderful to spend time with all of you last month. It felt great to catch up with you and Bob, get to know your children, and have fun together after so long. You have always been dear friends of mine, and always will be.

Anyway, the reason I’m writing is that I have some good news: I am getting married in September…

5. Learn and use standard written phrases.

In English letter writing, we use a number of standard expressions and phrases. These not only save time and effort but also make it easier for the reader to understand our meaning. You can add on the specific information you wish to communicate to these standard phrases. See the list of Useful Expressions below.

6. Spell commonly used words correctly. Learn and practice the correct spelling of words you are likely to use on the exam. Examples are: “sincerely”, “faithfully”, “in connection with”, “apologize”, and so on. This is an easy way to boost your score.

7. Divide your letter into paragraphs.

Usually, you need four paragraphs:

Introduction
Problem / Situation
Solution / Action
Conclusion
Make sure to signal the start of a new paragraph in one of two ways:
Indenting: Do NOT leave a line space between paragraphs. Start writing a little to the right of the left margin.
Skipping a line: Leave a line space between paragraphs. Start writing directly from the left margin.

8. Use clear handwriting. Make sure your writing is neat and legible, so your words can be read easily and do not appear to have spelling mistakes. Get feedback from a teacher on your handwriting. Pay special attention to how you form and connect letters such as a, e, i, u, n, r, and w.

9. Write at least 150 words.

10. Include all three bulleted points.
explain the problem
describe why it disturbs you
suggest a solution
11. Finish in time.

This lesson will help you:
- Understand the task and what's being asked in the IELTS Writing Task 1.
- Determine how to make a plan for your letter.
- Understand the best way to begin the letter.
- Learn how to use conversational phrases and vocabulary to improve your score.
- Use an informal and conversational tone well.
- Use a variety of structures throughout your letter, which will help you get a better score in IELTS Writing.
- Understand the best kinds of grammar structures to use.
- Learn how to best use your time.