How to Write a Formal Letter for IELTS General Writing Task 1

How to Write a Formal Letter for IELTS General Writing Task 1. The letter contains three model answers that have three paragraphs namely the introduction, body, and conclusion. The letter must be clear and to the point.
IELTS General Writing Task 1 includes letter writing. It might be in formal, informal, or semi-formal patterns. Candidates need to complete the task within 20 minutes. IELTS Writing Practice Papers can be considered for the students' writing section preparation and enhance their writing skills effectively. IELTS writing score is marked based on band scores. The band scores range from 0 to 9.

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In IELTS general writing task 1, which is an IELTS letter writing task, the examiner checks if your letter contains the following characteristics:

1. Purpose/ Intention of the letter
2. Tone of the letter
3. Main Idea is highlighted/ bulleted.
4. Format of the letter

The candidate needs to identify formal and informal letters before proceeding. We can identify this by the name or the designation of the person to whom the letter is being written to. In this article, we will go through a few points which will help while attending the IELTS test.

Structure of IELTS Formal Letter

The question statement usually talks about the situation and the content of the letter in general writing task 1. The question always indicates to whom the letter will be addressed to. While writing the letter, the candidate is expected to cover all the points given in the question statement. A lot of IELTS Writing Practice papers will help you get a good band score. Candidates need standard format with formal language and structure in IELTS formal letter

Respected Sir/Ma’am,

Paragraph 1 - Start by mentioning the purpose of the letter which in this case is, requesting for some time off work.
Paragraph 2 - Elaborate on the first bullet point and explain why you need the time off.
Paragraph 3 - Focus on the second point and mention all the details related to your absence from the office.
Paragraph 4 - Explain a plan for point 3.

Yours sincerely,
Your name

Types of IELTS Formal Letter Writing

Formal letters have various types. Few of them are mentioned here which will help the candidates to identify the type of formal letter.

• Letter of complaint (personal, business or product-related)
• Letter of enquiry (information, booking information)
• Letter of recommendation (for jobs or education-related)
• Letter of request (refund, requirements, leave and others)
• Letter of suggestion (plan, idea)

Tips for IELTS Formal Letter

The reason for the IELTS general letter writing should be mentioned in the opening paragraph. It is one of the basic criteria of IELTS Writing Task 1, letter writing. Below mentioned are a few tips and tricks for IELTS Writing Task 1.

• The letter must be of minimum 150 words.
• Begin the letter by addressing the person whom you are writing
• Provide the foundation and the cause for the letter
• No need to include address in the letter
• Include all the important points and follow the structure
• Pay great attention to the tone of the letter
• Avoid grammatical, spelling and punctuation mistakes
• Use a range of vocabulary and do not repeat same words
• Make sure to meet the word count
• Conclude the letter in a formal tone.

Note: In formal letters, usually the name of the person you are expected to address the letter to is not given.

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Tone Used in IELTS Writing Task 1

An important component for writing task 1 general formal letters is the tone. It is often difficult for non-native English speakers to understand the formal tone. However, practicing a lot of IELTS letter writing samples will help to improve the tone. Formal letters are usually written to someone who is respected and in a position of authority. Candidates are required to be polite, professional and less direct while addressing the concern. Using more formal words in IELTS formal letter writing will improve the tone. The tone of the letter is very important to make sure that the message is conveyed properly to the reader. You can use punctuation like exclamation marks to show our feelings or emotion .Using informal or casual tone in an IELTS general letter writing task can bring down the IELTS band score. An IELTS general writing formal letter usually contains longer sentences in passive voice and the tone should under no circumstance be conversational.

The chart below shows the difference between formal and informal language

The greeting of a formal letter should be - Respected Sir/Madame or Dear Sir/Ma’am
The ending of a formal letter should be - Yours sincerely/yours faithfully

This is how you’re expected to approach a formal letter and present each bullet point in detail. Missing out on any of the bullet points might lead to deduction of marks and hence practicing the letter writing is very important. You can get various IELTS letter writing samples to study and practise.

Conclusion in IELTS Letter Writing task 1

A formal letter should conclude with a formal note of request. Here are a few examples of how one can end a formal letter:

• Hope to hear from you soon.
• I’m looking forward to your response.
• Thank you for considering my candidature

The above pointers will definitely help the candidate to overcome any and all sorts of issues that they might face while preparing for the IELTS exam. The IELTS general writing task 1 will help you with IELTS preparation and to improve the band score. Making sure to use vocabulary and conclude the letter in a formal and correct tone is very important.