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IELTS General Training Writing Tips For Writing A Letter

This document provides tips for writing a letter in the IELTS General Training Writing test. It discusses the appropriate tone and structure for formal and informal letters, including differences in greetings, vocabulary, questions and punctuation. Sample openings, closings and formats are given for both informal letters to friends and formal letters to employers or managers. Common exam questions are answered and mistakes to avoid are highlighted.

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79 views

IELTS General Training Writing Tips For Writing A Letter

This document provides tips for writing a letter in the IELTS General Training Writing test. It discusses the appropriate tone and structure for formal and informal letters, including differences in greetings, vocabulary, questions and punctuation. Sample openings, closings and formats are given for both informal letters to friends and formal letters to employers or managers. Common exam questions are answered and mistakes to avoid are highlighted.

Uploaded by

salim
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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IELTS General Training Writing Tips for Writing a Letter

Write at least 150 words and you have 20 minutes to finish this task
Remember that the examiner is looking for the following things:
• The tone must be appropriate (formal or informal)
• The purpose of the letter must be clear
• You must cover all of the points
• The letter must be well-organized
• You need to use some good (and relevant) vocabulary

Type of Letter Beginning Ending


Formal, no name Dear Sir or Madam, Yours faithfully,
Formal, with surname e.g. Dear Mr. Smith, Yours sincerely,
Informal, a friend e.g. Dear John, Best wishes. / See you soon.

Informal and Formal


Some important differences between an informal and a formal letter can be seen below.
Informal letter:
• Beginning: Dear + first name,
• Friendly greeting: I hope this letter finds you well.
• Contractions: I'm, didn't, couldn't, there's, I’d...
• Questions: Do you remember...? Why don't you...?
• Exclamation: ...earlier than I thought it was!
• Linking: Well, Anyway, so, and
• Phrases: had a great time, couldn't have asked for, working flat out, back to normal
• Ending: Hope to see you soon + first name
Formal letter:
• Beginning: Dear Sir or Madam,
• No greeting necessary
• No contractions: I’m should be I am, didn’t should be did not...
• Normally avoid direct questions: "I would like" instead of "Can I have?"
• No exclamation marks (!)
• Linking: However, Consequently, and, also
• Phrases and vocabulary: with regard to, appliance, it was installed, the following day,
failed to (meaning "didn't"), procedure, he assured me, report the issue,
contacted, under warranty, I am entitled to, replacement, phone me personally
• Ending: I await your prompt response, Yours faithfully, + full name
Note: Both letters also contain 'neutral' vocabulary that can be used in any type of letter.
For example, I didn't highlight words like 'hosts', 'deadline' or 'assignment' because they
could be used in both formal and informal contexts.

The Opening Sentence


After writing "Dear..." it's a good idea to establish the main purpose of the letter straight
away in your opening sentence. Here are some examples:
1. Formal letter (e.g. complaining to a manager) I am writing to complain about the
unacceptable state of the room I was given, and the unhelpful attitude of certain members
of staff at your hotel.
2. Informal letter (e.g. thanking a friend) I hope you're well. OR I'm just writing to say
thanks for letting me stay over at your house while I was in London last week.

Beginning the letter by explaining why you are writing (formal letter):
• I am writing with regard to...
• I am writing to inform you that...
• I am writing to bring to your attention some issues with...
Requesting or suggesting something (formal letter):
• I have decided that I would like you to...
• I am entitled to ask for...
• I was wondering if it would be possible (for me) to...
• I hope that you will...
• I would like to suggest that...
Ending the letter with a request for action (formal letter):
• I look forward to receiving your response.
• I await your prompt response.
Common Questions from students:
1. Should I write the date at the top of a formal letter?
No, in the IELTS test you should not write the date or your address.
2. Should I use indentation at the start of a new paragraph?
You can either indent or miss a line. Just make sure it's clear that you have begun a new
paragraph. Personally, I think missing a line is clearer.
3. Should I end the letter with "Yours..." on the left or on the right?
Always end the letter on the left.
4. Should I sign the letter before writing my name?
No, don't sign your name. You don't even need to put your real name. Personally, I use a
first name (e.g. John) for informal letters, and a full name (e.g. John Smith) for formal
letters.

Things to avoid:
Here are some mistakes that you should avoid in writing task 1 of the General Training
test:
• The beginning and ending of the letter don't match.
• The main purpose of the letter isn't clear.
• You didn't cover all of the points.
• You wrote too much about one point, and neglected the others.
• You didn't separate your paragraphs clearly.
• You didn't get the 'tone' right (formal or informal).
The letter doesn't 'flow' well because ideas are badly organized.
Follow this format when writing a letter to a friend or family member:

Dear first name,

Introductory sentence (e.g. I hope this letter finds you well.)

Body Paragraph 1 (2 or more sentences related to the first bullet point from the topic)

Body Paragraph 2 (2 or more sentences related to the second bullet point from the topic)

Body Paragraph 3 (2 or more sentences related to the third bullet point from the topic)

Closing sentence

See you soon. / Talk to you soon. / Best of luck. / Best wishes.

First name

 Remember to ask 1 question (?) in 1 of your Body Paragraphs

 Remember to use 1 exclamatory sentence (!) in 1 of your Body Paragraphs


Follow this format when writing a formal letter (e.g. your teacher or boss):

Dear Mr. / Ms. Last name,

Introductory sentence (reason for writing the letter)

Body Paragraph 1 (2 or more sentences related to the first bullet point from the topic)

Body Paragraph 2 (2 or more sentences related to the second bullet point from the topic)

Body Paragraph 3 (2 or more sentences related to the third bullet point from the topic)

Closing sentence (e.g. I look forward to receiving your response.)

Yours sincerely,

First + Last name

 Remember don’t ask any questions (?) and don’t use exclamation marks (!)
Follow this format when writing a formal letter (e.g. manager of a company):

Dear Sir or Madam,

Introductory sentence (reason for writing the letter)

Body Paragraph 1 (2 or more sentences related to the first bullet point from the topic)

Body Paragraph 2 (2 or more sentences related to the second bullet point from the topic)

Body Paragraph 3 (2 or more sentences related to the third bullet point from the topic)

Closing sentence (e.g. I await your prompt response.)

Yours faithfully,

First + Last name

 Remember don’t ask any questions (?) and don’t use exclamation marks (!)

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