IELTS Writing Task 1 GT: How to Write a Letter

By Muntasir Jul 23, 2026 6 min read

TL;DR

GT Writing Task 1 asks for a letter of at least 150 words, written in about 20 minutes. The tone is formal, semi-formal or informal, set by the situation and the person you are writing to. Each prompt gives three bullet points stating the information to include. Cover all three, use a greeting and sign-off matching the tone, and write full sentences and paragraphs, not notes or a list. Off-topic answers lose marks, so stay on the situation given in the prompt.

IELTS Writing Task 1 GT: How to Write a Letter

General Training Writing Task 1 asks you to respond to a situation by writing a letter. The prompt gives a scenario plus three bullet points naming the information your letter must include. You write a personal, semi-formal or formal letter, and the situation and the recipient decide which, according to the official General Training Writing format. The same official format sets a minimum of 150 words and a recommended limit of 20 minutes.

This differs from Academic Task 1, where you describe a chart, graph or diagram instead of writing a letter. For the full difference between the two Writing papers, see our guide to Academic vs General Training. This guide covers the three letter tones, the structure examiners expect, the word count and timing rules, and the greeting and sign-off conventions each tone follows. It ends with the mistakes costing the most marks.

Identify the tone from the prompt

Every GT Task 1 prompt sets up a situation and names or describes the person you write to. The official format states letters are personal, semi-formal or formal in style, depending on the prompt and the recipient. Personal letters are usually called informal letters. Read the situation first and decide who you are writing to before you plan the content. Your choice of tone drives the vocabulary, the sentence length and the greeting you use.

Formal letters

Write a formal letter when the recipient is someone you do not know by name, such as a company, an organisation or an official you have never met. Formal letters use full sentences without contractions and avoid casual phrasing. State your purpose in the first line and stay polite even when you complain. An example situation is writing to a hotel manager about a poor stay, without knowing the manager's name.

Semi-formal letters

Write a semi-formal letter when you know the recipient but the relationship is not close, such as a landlord, a neighbour or a colleague's manager. The language stays polite and direct, with less distance than a formal letter and less familiarity than an informal one. Contractions are best avoided, though the tone stays warmer than a letter to a stranger. An example situation is writing to your landlord about a repair in your flat.

Informal letters

Write an informal letter to a close friend or family member. The tone is conversational, contractions are fine, and the letter reads like natural, friendly writing. Everyday vocabulary, personal detail and a warm closing line all fit here. An example situation is writing to a friend to invite them to a family celebration.

Structure the letter

Your letter needs three parts: an opening stating your purpose for writing, a body addressing the situation, and a closing wrapping up the letter. The three bullet points in the prompt name exactly what to cover in the body, according to the official General Training Writing format. Planning takes a minute at most: number each bullet point, decide the order, then write. The list below shows the shape examiners expect.

Opening: state why you are writing, in one or two sentences.
Body: address each of the three bullet points, usually in a paragraph each.
Closing: end with a final sentence fitting the tone, such as a request, thanks or a farewell remark.

Write your answer as full, connected paragraphs. The official format requires a whole piece of connected text, and notes or bullet points inside your answer are not accepted, per the General Training Writing format. One paragraph per bullet point keeps your structure visible to the examiner. Join your ideas with linking words such as because, also and so, and give each paragraph a clear first sentence.

Word count and timing

GT Task 1 has a firm minimum length and a recommended time limit. Missing either target puts your score at risk. The table below sets out both numbers next to the time left for Task 2.

Requirement	Target
Minimum word count	150 words
Recommended time for Task 1	No more than 20 minutes
Total Writing test time	60 minutes, covering Task 1 and Task 2
Time left for Task 2	About 40 minutes, after spending 20 on Task 1

Stick to 20 minutes on Task 1 so you have time left to plan and write Task 2. Task 2 needs a longer answer and the larger share of the hour, so an overrun on the letter costs you twice. Count the words in one of your own letters once, then learn how many lines of your handwriting reach 150. Checking your line count during the test is far faster than counting every word.

Match your greeting and sign-off to the tone

The opening and closing lines set the tone before the examiner reads your body text. The official format does not prescribe the wording of greetings or sign-offs, so treat the pairings below as standard English letter-writing convention rather than a rule you are marked against. They still help you, because a matched greeting and sign-off hold one tone across the whole letter. Pick the row fitting your recipient and stay inside it.

Tone	Typical recipient	Conventional salutation	Conventional sign-off
Formal	Someone you do not know by name, such as a company or an unfamiliar official	Dear Sir or Madam	Yours faithfully
Semi-formal	Someone you know but are not close to, such as a landlord or a manager	Dear Mr Smith or Dear Ms Smith	Yours sincerely
Informal	A close friend or family member	Dear John or Hi Sarah	Best wishes, Regards or Love

Keep the pairing consistent through the letter. Switching from a formal salutation to a casual sign-off, or the reverse, weakens the tone you set at the start. When you address a named person, use the same level of formality in your closing line. When the prompt gives you no name, a formal greeting with a formal sign-off is the safe pair.

Avoid these common pitfalls

These mistakes cost marks even when your English is strong. Most of them come from rushing the first read of the prompt. Check your letter against each point below before you stop writing. Two minutes of checking is worth more than two extra sentences.

Wrong tone: casual language in a formal letter, or stiff language in an informal one, breaks the match between your writing and the recipient the prompt describes.
Missing a bullet point: each prompt names the information to include through its three bullet points, so leaving one out means your letter does not cover what was asked, per the General Training Writing format.
Writing notes instead of prose: the answer must be a whole piece of connected text, not a list or set of notes, according to the same official format.
Drifting off the situation: answers not related to the topic are penalised, so stay inside the scenario the prompt sets up, per the official format.
Writing under 150 words: the task sets a minimum of 150 words, so track your count as you write and check it before you stop.

Timed work is the fastest way to make the 20 minute limit feel normal. Our full-length IELTS practice tests include a General Training Writing Task 1 letter section, and they are free with no signup required. Write one letter per session, start the clock at your first read of the prompt, and check your word count at the end. Then review the tone, the three bullet points and the sign-off before you move on to Task 2.