Fatima from Bhopal wrote 120 words about her complaint and nine words about what she wanted done. That third bullet point was the one that mattered.

Each bullet point is part of the task, so give each one its own paragraph and develop it with a detail, a reason or an example. In the public band descriptors, bullet points that are missing or thin limit your Task Achievement band.

What Band Descriptors Require for Bullet Points

For a General Training letter, the public IELTS Writing band descriptors describe bullet points at each band.

  • Band 7: all bullet points are covered and clearly highlighted, but could be more fully illustrated or extended.
  • Band 6: all bullet points are covered and adequately highlighted, but details may be irrelevant, inappropriate or inaccurate.
  • Band 5: all are presented, but one or more may not be adequately covered.

IELTS’s published sample scripts for a room-sharing task make the same point. The examiner comments on the Band 5.5 letter and the Band 7 letter both mention the third bullet point.

Extending Each Bullet Point

A bullet point gets covered when the reader learns more than the topic. Extend it with some of these moves:

  • Detail: what exactly happened, or what exactly you need.
  • Reason: why it matters to you.
  • Example: one concrete case.
  • Consequence: what happens if nothing changes.

If a bullet asks for action, add who should act and by when. This is advice, not an IELTS rule, but it turns a bare request into something the reader can do.

A Practice Task and Model Paragraph

The task below is original. Look at what the third bullet point asks for.

Practice task (written for this post)

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

You recently attended a professional conference in a fictional town called Riverdale and left a folder of important documents at the venue.

Write a letter to the conference manager. In your letter:

  • explain where and when you attended the event
  • describe the lost folder and its contents
  • say what you would like the manager to do

Write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

A thin answer to the third bullet point gives the manager nothing to act on.

Incorrect: “Please find my folder and send it to me.”

Correct: Say where to look, how to reach you and why you need the folder soon.

Model paragraph (illustrative Band 7)

I would be grateful if you could ask your cleaning staff to check the main auditorium, where I sat during the closing session. If the folder is found, please telephone me and I will arrange for a courier to collect it. I need the documents for an interview next week, so I would appreciate a prompt reply.

Why It Works

  • Task Achievement: it names a place to search, a way to contact you and a reason for the request.
  • Task Achievement (tone): it stays polite and formal, from “I would be grateful” to “I would appreciate”.
  • Coherence and Cohesion: “If the folder is found” and “so” link the search, the collection and the deadline.

Structuring for Balance and Clarity

Paragraphing is part of the Coherence and Cohesion criterion, and one paragraph per bullet point is our advice rather than an IELTS rule.

Incorrect: Answering all three bullet points together in one dense paragraph.

Correct: Give each bullet point its own paragraph of two or three sentences, with a detail and a reason.

To see the whole task, read what the letter task asks for. For a letter where the third bullet point asks for action, try writing a firm, polite complaint letter.

To build each paragraph, see paragraph structure with the PEEL method. To practise asking for things, see polite request and enquiry letters.

Tip

After your first draft, underline the detail, reason or example in each bullet paragraph, and add one wherever it is missing.

Key Takeaways

  • Covering the bullet points is part of Task Achievement.
  • Give each bullet point its own paragraph.
  • Extend a point with a detail, a reason, an example or a consequence.
  • Bands 5 to 7 differ in how fully the points are covered.

The bottom line: Give your last bullet point as much room as your first.