General Writing Sample Task 1 #88

IELTS Exam Tip

IELTS General Training Task 1 questions are divided into two parts: the situation, which
gives you information to explain the context, and the task, which tells you what you need to
include in your letter.

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

You are taking a course at a local college. The deadline for your project was last
week but you haven't finished it.

Write a letter to your lecturer. In your letter

 introduce yourself
 explain why you haven't handed in the project yet
 request more time to do it.

Write at least 150 words.

Model answer
Dear Ms. McKeen,

My name is Leo Smith and I am a first-year student in your Marketing class at Capilano
College. I am writing to you because I have a problem with the project you set about social
media. The due date was last week but I'm afraid I haven't finished it yet. As you know, I
have been absent from class for almost ten days with COVID-19 symptoms and I have not
been attending lectures. I only managed to get the reading list from a friend and go to the
library to do research yesterday. You will see from your records that I have never missed a
deadline for an assignment so far during my course.

However, I am requesting an extension of one week in this case because I am so behind

with my work. I hope you will take my illness into consideration and grant me an extension.

Yours sincerely,
Leo Smith

(155 words)

IELTS
 Succeeding at any exam requires positivity, preparation, and practice!

The IELTS General Writing Task 1 measures your ability to communicate about
common practical issues. You have 20 minutes to respond to a question prompt,
by writing a letter to a person, company, or institution. Your response is worth
about 30% of your writing score and is graded separately from the Task 2 essay.

The information below includes test-taking tips, strategies, expressions, sample

questions, model letters, and references. It can help you get the highest possible
score on the letter-writing section of the IELTS. Use it regularly to keep track of
your progress. All the best!

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.

TYPE PURPOSE
Requesting information from a company
Applying for a job
Formal Complaining to a bank, store, airline
re:product/service
Making a recommendation/suggestion
Complaining to a landlord
Semi-formal Explaining to a neighbor
Asking a professor for permission
Inviting someone you know well
Thanking a friend
Informal
Apologizing
Asking for advice
Read lots of sample questions. Decide whether the question requires a formal,
semi-formal, or informal response. Steps 1 & 2 will help you choose the right
language, style, and tone for your letter.

3. Open and close the letter correctly. Do this based on the type and purpose
of the letter.
STYLE CHARACTERISTICS OPENING ENDING
To someone you have
Yours
Formal not met, whose name Dear Sir/Madam,
faithfully,
you don’t know
 To someone you may
or may not have met, Dear Mr Brown, Yours
Semi-formal
whose last name you Dear Ms Stone sincerely,
know
Best
To someone you know
Dear John, regards,
Informal well, whose first name
Dear Anita, Warm
you know and use
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. Practice writing letters till you know what 150 words
feels like and looks like. You will lose marks if you write less. You will not lose
marks if you write more.
10. Include all three bulleted points. If you exclude even one of the points
given to you in the question prompt, you will get a lower grade. Answer all the
points.
In your letter:

 explain the problem

 describe why it disturbs you
 suggest a solution
11. Finish in time.
The IELTS General Task I letter is worth about 30% of your writing score, so
make sure you complete the whole letter. Though you have to make up a story to
explain the situation, keep it simple so you don’t run out of time. Make sure to
keep 40 minutes to complete the essay in Task 2, which is worth much more in
terms of points.

12. Read model letters but don’t memorize them. Instead, read the letters to
get an idea of the overall flow and to pick up new vocabulary and expressions.
Make sure to consult only reliable sources, such as Good Luck IELTS, for model
answers.
13. Understand the scoring criteria. Learn how to get a high score by knowing
what examiners look for and how they award or deduct points.
IELTS General Task 1 Grading Criteria
Do everything you are asked to do
Task achievement
Give a full developed response
 Include/cover all the necessary points
Write 150 words
Coherence:
Present ideas logically
Use structured paragraphs

Coherence & cohesion Cohesion:

Write so points stick together, make
sense, and convey your message
Use standard expressions & transition
words
Use a wide range of vocabulary
naturally, correctly, and fluently
Use correct spelling
Lexical resource
Choose the right words (word choice)
Use the correct form of words, such
as verbs, nouns, etc. (word form)
Use a wide range of grammar
structures
Include different kinds of sentences –
Grammar range & accuracy
simple, compound, complex
Use effective punctuation
Use correct capitalization
14. Practice writing letters regularly and get them checked by an IELTS
trainer. Not every English teacher understands the demands of this particular
exam, so find someone who has IELTS teaching experience, if possible. Practice
writing answers to sample questions every day in order to improve your skills,
your speed, your confidence, and your score!

IELTS GENERAL TASK 1: USEFUL EXPRESSIONS FOR LETTER-

WRITING
To complete your IELTS letter-writing task within 20 minutes, learn to use and
spell common phrases and expressions correctly. Choose the correct level of
formality based on your question prompt. By using these phrases, you will save
time and effort and earn a higher IELTS score. Most of the expressions below
are arranged from formal to semi-formal to informal.

For a full list of phrases and expressions, check Good Luck IELTS.
Apologizing
Please accept my sincere apologies for…
I am very sorry about…
Sorry for…
Asking for help
I’d be grateful if you could…
I would appreciate it if you could…
Could you please…
Asking for information
I am writing to enquire about…
I am writing to find out about…
I would like to know about…
Closing
I look forward to hearing from you,
I look forward to seeing you,
I look forward to meeting you,
Complaining
I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with…
I am writing to express my annoyance with…
I’m not happy with…
Expressing satisfaction
I was delighted to learn that…
I was thrilled to hear that…
I was very glad to hear that…
Expressing concern
I am writing to express my concern about…
I was very sorry to learn that…
I was really sorry to hear that…
Giving bad news
I regret to advise you that…
I regret to inform you that…
I am sorry to tell you that…
Giving good news
I am pleased to advise you that…
I am delighted to inform you that…
I am happy to tell you that…
Giving reasons
This is due to…
This is a result of
… This is because…
Making suggestions
Perhaps it would be useful to…
Perhaps it would be possible to…
It might be helpful to…
Thanking
I am extremely grateful for…
 I really appreciate…
Thank you for…

IELTS GENERAL TASK 1: SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Formal
You are looking for a full-time job. Write a letter to an employment agency. In
your letter:

 introduce yourself
 explain what sort of job you would like
 say what experience and skills you have
Begin your letter as follows: Dear Sir/Madam

You should write at least 150 words. You should spend about 20 minutes on this
task.

Semi-formal
You are going to take a short holiday in Singapore and you want to rent a holiday
apartment while you are there. Write to the tourist information office. In your
letter:

 explain what you need

 say when you plan to be there
 ask for information about prices
Begin your letter as follows: Dear Mr/Ms __________

You should write at least 150 words. You should spend about 20 minutes on this
task.

Informal
 You stayed at your friend’s house when you attended a conference in Australia.
Unfortunately, you left a large envelope with some important documents in your
room. Write a letter to your friend. In the letter:

 thank your friend for the stay

 describe where you left the envelope
 ask him/her to return it to you by post
Begin your letter as follows: Dear _________

You should write at least 150 words. You should spend about 20 minutes on this
task.

For more sample IELTS questions, visit:

Good Luck IELTS: Sample IELTS Letter Topics 1

Good Luck IELTS: Sample IELTS Letter Topics 2
Good Luck IELTS: Sample IELTS Letter Topics 3

IELTS GENERAL TASK 1: MODEL LETTERS:

Informal
Last month you had a holiday overseas where you stayed with some friends.
They have just sent you some photos of your holiday.

Write a letter to your friends. In your letter:

 thank them for the photos and for the holiday

 explain why you didn’t write earlier
 invite them to come and stay with you
Write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write any address.

Begin your letter as follows: Dear __________

Dear Ajay and Sunita,

Thanks so much for your kind letter, with the lovely photos of my holiday in
Mumbai. Sorry for the delay in replying, but your package arrived as I was about
to leave town on a business trip. I’ve just returned to Toronto today.

Looking at the photos brings back so many happy memories of the times we
spent together and the wonderful hospitality you extended to me. I felt completely
pampered by both of you! You surrounded me with warm friends, tasty food,
amazing sights, great shopping, unforgettable cultural events and laughter-filled
evenings. I would have been lost without you! I can’t thank you enough.

These good memories gave me an idea. I know you’ve always wanted to visit
Canada. Why don’t you plan a holiday and stay with me this summer? The
weather is great at that time of year and I could take two weeks off from work.
Aside from seeing Toronto, we could drive to Niagara Falls, Thousand Islands,
Montreal, Ottawa, and Quebec City. I would be thrilled if you could make it.

Thank you both again for the beautiful holiday and the photos, which are already
up on my wall. Now, I’m really looking forward to hearing from you.

Warm wishes,
Carol
(205 words)
For more formal, semi-formal, and informal letters, check Good Luck IELTS
– Sample IELTS Letters