IELTS General Writing Task 1: How to Write a High Score Letter

Below are the latest Task 1 writing topics that have appeared in recent IELTS General writing tests (2025).

IELTS Writing Task 1 (a letter)

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic:

You have noticed that the street where you live has become dirty and that garbage is not being cleaned regularly. Write a letter to your local council. In your letter:

Explain the problem and how it is affecting your area
Describe your concerns about the impact of the issue
Suggest what the council should do to improve the situation

You recently bought a new piece of technology for your home. Your friend is interested in buying the same item. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter:

Explain what the technology is
Describe how it helps you
Give your advice on whether your friend should buy it or not.

You recently went on a sightseeing tour which you did not enjoy. Write a letter to the manager of the tour company. In your letter:

Explain why you chose that particular tour
Describe what you did not like about it
Suggest two ways the tour could be improved.

You are having some difficulties with your fitness routine and would like some advice from your friend, who is a fitness instructor. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter:

Explain the challenges you are experiencing with your fitness routine.
Ask for advice on how to overcome these difficulties.
Say what specific concerns or goals you have.

Your child’s school is planning a week-long overseas trip, and the school principal is looking for parents willing to volunteer. Write a letter to express your interest. In your letter:

Explain why you would like to join the trip
Ask some general questions about the trip
Describe how you can contribute to the trip as a parent

You recently became a member of a sports club, but you have noticed some issues that need to be addressed. Write a letter to the club manager. In your letter:

Explain why you decided to join the sports club
Describe the problems you have encountered
Suggest what the manager could do to improve the situation

Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Content

IELTS General Writing Task 1 Opening and Closing
IELTS Writing Task 1 General Starting Lines
IELTS General Writing Task 1 Scoring
Transition words in letter writing

How to Write a High-Scoring Letter for IELTS General Writing Task 1

The IELTS letter writing task tests your ability to communicate clearly and effectively in written English, with an emphasis on proper structure, coherence, vocabulary, and the correct tone, whether writing a formal or informal letter.

✓ Identify the kind of letter the questions requires as a response before you start writing. There are three types of IELTS letters:

formal
semi-formal
informal

Choosing the correct tone for your response is critical for a high IELTS score.

✓ Choose the correct opening and closing for your IELTS letter. Each type of IELTS letter needs the appropriate opening/greeting, lexical resource/vocabulary/transition words/grammatical range, and closing sentence or phrase. Here are some relevant examples:

IELTS writing skills
How to pass IELTS

IELTS General Writing Task 1 Opening and Closing

Letter type | Formal

A letter to a person you do not know/have never met.

Dear Sir,

Dear Madam,

Yours faithfully

Letter type | Semi-formal

To a person you may/ may not know, but you know their last name.

Dear Mr. Smith,

Dear Ms. Johnson,

Yours sincerely

Letter type | Informal

To a person you know well

Dear Mike,

Dear Susan,

Best regards

All the best

IELTS Writing Task 1 General Starting Lines

Begin a formal or semi-formal letter using a formal introductory sentence.

Trying to be friendly is inappropriate because you do not know the person you are writing the letter to.

Use the introductory sentence to explain the purpose of your letter:

Dear Sir, (or Dear madam,)

I am writing to enquire about...

I am writing in response to...

I am writing in connection with...

I am writing in order to...

Dear Mr. Smith,

I am writing to complain about...

I am writing in relation to...

✓ Begin informal letters using an introductory sentence or two in a friendly tone. Then introduce the reason why you are writing to this person.

Example informal letter opening lines IELTS General Training Writing Task 1

Dear Susan,

Thanks for your last letter with all the news. It was great to hear about everything you’ve been doing and I’m sure you’ll be really happy with the new apartment. I‘ve got some good news too – that’s why I’m writing to you …

✓ Make the purpose of your letter clear. Is it to ask for something? Is it to enquire about something? Is it a letter requesting information? Is it to complain about something? Is it to thank someone for something? Try to learn the normal phrases people use to support such a purpose.

✓ People often use standard phrases when writing letters and to express opinions (and when speaking). Many IELTS candidates find it difficult to fully complete the IELTS General writing Task 1 in the time allowed, because they spend a lot of time thinking about what to say. You can save a lot of time in IELTS preparation by learning the standard phrases people use in real life for IELTS letter writing.

Ending Informal Letter IELTS General Writing Task1

When concluding an informal letter for IELTS Task 1, you might use one of the following examples to end on a warm and personal note:

Looking forward to catching up soon. Take care!
Can't wait to hear from you!
Give my love to everyone, and see you soon.
Missing you tons and talk to you later.

Ensure you sign off with an appropriate closing before your name, such as:

Warm wishes,
Best,
Cheers,
Yours truly,

✓ The IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 letter requires you to write a minimum of 150 words. You should practice IELTS letter writing until you are confident that you can write a good letter with a minimum of 150 words and under 20 minutes, which is the time limit. If you write less than 150 words – marks will be deducted from your score, but you will not be penalized if you write more than 150 words.

✓ Spelling in IELTS writing is important. You will lose marks for incorrect spelling, so it makes sense to learn how to spell common words used in letters correctly.

✓ Focus on the question. If the questions asks you to do something – do it, and do not write about other things which are not relevant. You need to use a little imagination in General IELTS Task 1 letter writing; however, focus on the information given in the question prompt and do not get distracted by overly complicating unnecessary details.

✓ Make sure you respond to all the points mentioned in the question. There are usually three bullet points. If your letter does not address one of the points mentioned in the question – marks will be deducted from your final score.

Practice writing several IELTS Writing Task 1 letters against the clock - no more than 20 minutes. You should aim to leave a few minutes to check grammar/spelling and that you have answered each bullet point in the question.

Examples of transition words used in letter writing to link sentences and paragraphs

As part of your IELTS preparation, you should learn to use transition words effectively in your writing.

moreover
in addition
furthermore
additionally
not to mention
likewise
in the same vein
again
also
and
as well as
because
before
but (this one is a bit more informal)
despite that
finally
furthermore (this one is a bit more formal)
hence (this one is a bit more formal)
in contrast
on the other hand
otherwise
conversely
instead
however
nevertheless
notwithstanding
on the contrary
still
yet

IELTS General Writing Task 1 Letter Writing Examples

This is a collection of IELTS letter writing questions and sample answers from the IELTS General Training Writing Test. Writing Task 1 requires you to write a letter of approximately 150 words in response to a situation described in the question.

The situation may be writing a letter to a friend, writing a letter to complain about something or writing a letter to request information; therefore, your writing style needs to be appropriate, either informal if writing to a friend, or formal if writing to a business or someone in authority.

Clearly, there are many possible ways to respond to these IELTS Writing Task 1 questions; however, the following examples should give you some idea of how to approach the task and what is required.

IELTS General Training Writing Task 1

Informal Letter Model Answers

Writing to a retired couple you know Example
Going to another country to study Example
Starting an import/export business Example
Postponing a visit Example
Describing your new house Example
Job vacancy in multinational company Example
Describing your new job Example

IELTS General Writing Task 1 Semi Formal Letter Model Answers

IELTS sample letters

Letter to school principal, help maintain school building - Example
Letter to headmaster | son's absence from class - Example
Letter to a college, giving a talk to students - Example
Letter to your boss, working from home - Example
Letter to a colleague, an overseas trip - Example
Letter to a museum, discovery of a historical object - Example
Complaint letter about a product - Example
Letter complaining about a damaged product - Example

Formal Letter Sample Answers IELTS General Task 1 Writing

Letter to a company, job application research assistant - Example
Letter to an insurance company - Example
Letter to a company about a faulty computer - Example
Letter to a company, work experience opportunity - Example

IELTS Letter Writing Template

Formal letter

Greeting: Dear...,

Introduction: why are you writing? State purpose of the letter

Paragraph #1: explain the situation / outline the problem

Paragraph #2: suggest a solution / recommend an action

Conclusion: what do you expect to happen next?

Closing: thank you / saying goodbye

Signature / name

IELTS Sample Letters/Model Answers

Write a letter complaining about a damaged product

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to complain about the BBQ Grill and Smoker that I recently bought from your company. I have been a customer of yours for many years and was excited when I found out you had expanded into new markets.

However, when my order arrived, it had some problems with it. One of the wheels on the bottom was jammed and wouldn't revolve at all. So I contacted customer service to see what could be done about this issue. After sending in pictures as proof of the damage, they told me they would send a replacement part but not until next week, and there were no guarantees that it wouldn't happen again!

It's disappointing because I just spent $400 on this product and now can't use it at all. Can you please look into this matter? And please let me know if there is a way to solve this problem to prevent it from happening again.

Yours faithfully,

[Your name]

Task 1: Letter Writing

Write a letter to the editor of a local newspaper

The local community park, which has been a part of your childhood and holds sentimental value to many residents, is being considered for redevelopment into a shopping complex. Write a letter to the editor expressing your opinion on this matter.

In your letter, you should:

Explain how you came to know about the plans for the redevelopment of the park.
Discuss the importance of the park to you and the community.
Suggest an alternative solution that would benefit both the community and the developers.

Dear Editor,

I am writing to you after learning from your esteemed publication about the proposed redevelopment of our cherished Green Meadows Park into a shopping complex. As someone who grew up playing in Green Meadows, this news comes as a profound shock, not just to me but to many in our community.

Green Meadows Park has long been a welcome oasis in our urban landscape, offering a much-needed respite from the bustle of city life. It is where generations of children have taken their first steps, families have bonded over picnics, and older residents have found peace and companionship. The thought of replacing this natural sanctuary with commercial infrastructure is deeply distressing.

I earnestly urge the developers to consider alternative locations for this project that do not rob our community of its green space. Furthermore, I propose a community forum where residents and developers can brainstorm a plan that meets commercial needs without sacrificing our park. Perhaps a compromise could be reached by developing only a portion of the area, with the majority being preserved as public green space.

With hope for an amicable resolution,

Regards,

[Your Name]

How is General Training IELTS Task 1 Letter Writing Scored?

Task achievement

The examiner will look for task achievement first. They will check if you have addressed all parts of the task, presented and organized your information clearly, used a range of vocabulary appropriate to the task, and used an appropriate register throughout.

Coherence and cohesion

The examiner will also assess how well your letter flows. Good flow includes making sure that each paragraph has a clear focus and smoothly leads on from the one before, as well as using a range of linking words and phrases to connect your ideas coherently.

Lexical resource

As well as looking at the overall range of vocabulary and word choice you use, the examiner will also take note of any more advanced lexis (vocabulary) that you use.

Grammatical range

The examiner will look at the range of different grammatical structures that you use in your letter. The examiner will look for a good range of sentence types, as well as a variety of clauses (e.g., relative clauses, time clauses, conditionals, etc.).

Punctuation

Punctuation is important to help the reader understand your letter. The examiner will look for a good range of punctuation marks and check that you have used them correctly.

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