IELTS General Writing Task 1 Tips and Strategies
IELTS General Writing Task 1 Tips and Strategies
To maximize your performance on IELTS General Writing Task 1, allocate 20 minutes: spend 3-5 minutes planning, around 13 minutes writing, and reserve the last 2 minutes for revising spelling and grammar. Ensure your letter contains between 160 and 180 words. Try not to exceed 200 words in total. Learn more tips given below to write an effective letter and score high.
1. Instructions to be noted
In the IELTS writing test, you will get the instructions for what to write and whom to write. Let’s assume that you will be asked to apply for a job,
Imagine that you need a break from work and you have to request your manager to approve your off.
– Explain the reason why you need a break
– Mention the period of time
– Inform how your work will be completed while you are away
You should write at least 150 words. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
IELTS General Writing Task 1 Tips and Strategies
This is what your instruction will look like. A general situation is given and you are asked to assume that situation. Then you will be asked to cover some information and finally, you will be given a word limit and a time limit.
Read the given question clearly before framing your letter.
2. Find the type of letter
Once you read the question and instructions, understand the situation and to whom you have to write the letter. This will help you to comprehend the type of letter. In total, you will be asked to write a letter in any one of the three kinds of letters. They are as follows,
– IELTS general writing task 1 Formal letter
– IELTS general writing task 1 Semi-formal letter
– IELTS general writing task 1 Informal letter
3. Identify the purpose of the letter
After identifying the type of letter, then you need to understand the purpose of writing the letter. Based on the purpose, you need to change the form of words, tone. Get some examples below to get a better understanding.
| Letter Type | Purpose |
| Formal | Applying for a job Applying for insurance Complaining to a municipality, bank, school, etc Recommendation/suggestion |
| Semi-formal | Asking permission from the manager Complaining to the renter Recommendation to a neighbour Parent letter to the teacher |
| Informal | Writing a letter to your friend about your office trip experience Inviting your long-distance friend to your birthday party Sharing with your aunt about your first-day experience at college Apologising for your mistake |
IELTS General Writing Task 1 Tips and Strategies
4. Structure of the letter writing
A perfect structure of the letter will get you the desired band score on your IELTS general writing test. Organising your letter into different paragraphs is essential to impress your examiner. The basic structure of the letter writing includes three common paragraphs. They are as follows,
1. Opening – Dear sir/Madam, Dear Mr. Chandru, Dear Andrew
2. Main body paragraphs – It contains the purpose, details, suggestion, action, etc.
3. Closing – Yours faithfully, Yours truly, Sincerely, Best wishes, See you, Lots of love
5. Opening of the formal, semi-formal, and informal letter
Start the letter with a greeting/ a correct salutation and the reason you are writing if it is formal or semi-formal. If it is informal, start your letter with a greeting and ask about the recipient’s well-being. Remember that you should not use friendly words if you do not know the person.
IELTS General Writing Task 1 Tips and Strategies
Let’s explore some examples for all three types.
Formal letter:
Dear Sir/Madam,
– I am writing with regard to….
– I am writing to thank you…
– I am writing to inform you about…
– I am writing to inquire about…
– I am writing to recommend…
Semi-formal letter:
Dear Mr. Nirmal,
– I am writing to let you know…
– I am writing to tell you…
– I am writing to you to request…
IELTS General Writing Task 1 Tips and Strategies
Informal letter:
Dear Sanjana,
– I hope you are well and I’m writing to tell you…
– I am writing to tell you about some personal problems…
– I hope you’re well and enjoying your new job…
– Hi! How are you? How about your family?…
– Hi! I hope you are doing well. I’m writing to invite you…
6. Mention the details of the letter
When you write a letter, you will convey a request, apology, recommendation, job application, etc. However, there are some details that need to be mentioned. Let us discuss some examples below,
IELTS General Writing Task 1 Tips and Strategies
| Letter type | Purpose of letter | Details |
| Formal | Applying for a job | Mention the job position that you are applying for, your qualification, skills, and certifications |
| Semi-formal | Complaining to the renter | Tell what is the disturbance, what or who disturbs you |
| Informal | Asking your friend to buy you something | Tell about the product details like name, size, quantity or quality. |
7. Action sentence
It is actually action-oriented information that should be written in the last paragraph of your letter. Here, you are going to tell what your suggestion is and what the reader should do.
IELTS General Writing Task 1 Tips and Strategies
Examples:
Formal letter
– We would appreciate your support on this matter…
– I would appreciate your immediate attention…
– Please let me know if…
– I would like to suggest that…
– I request you to look into the matter…
Semi-formal letter
– I would like you to consider…
– Please do let me know if you can plan…
– I request you to talk to your tenant…
– I hope you will pay attention to this issue
– I hope you will support me with this course…
IELTS General Writing Task 1 Tips and Strategies
Informal letter
– Do let me know how you found it…
– Let’s meet to tell you more about this course…
– Looking forward to meeting you soon…
– Let me know if you can make it…
– Make sure that you have…
8. Closing of the formal, semi-formal & informal letter
Opening and closing is the most important in letter writing whether it is formal, semi-formal, or informal. Give a perfect closing statement by remembering the type of letter writing. Find some examples for all the types,
IELTS General Writing Task 1 Tips and Strategies
Formal letter
– Thanking you
– Yours faithfully
– Yours obediently
– Respectfully
– Yours sincerely
Semi-formal letter
– Sincerely
– Best wishes
– Best regards
– Many thanks
– Regards
Informal letter
– Cheers
– See you soon
– Lots of love
– Warmly
– Best
IELTS General Writing Task 1 Tips and Strategies
9. Vocabulary or lexical resource
Do you know how important vocabulary is? Vocabulary ability or lexical resource is one of the marking criteria for the IELTS general writing task 1. The candidate’s band score will be based on the variety of words they used. To score a band score of 8 and above, test takers should use more sophisticated and different words naturally in their letter whether it is formal, semi-formal, or informal. The IELTS general writing task 1 vocabulary can be easily improved by regular practice.
10. Grammar accuracy & spelling
If vocabulary is one eye for IELTS General Writing task 1, grammatical accuracy and spelling is another eye. A small grammatical or spelling error can make a huge difference in your score. So, make sure that you pay more attention while writing your letter and proofread the letter twice and correct any mistakes. Moreover, use a vast range of grammar structures and use different kinds of sentences to boost your score.
IELTS General Writing Task 1 Tips and Strategies
IELTS General Writing Task 1 Tips and Strategies