Joseph from Thrissur began his formal letter “Respected Sir” and ended it “Thanking you, Yours truly”. Both habits come from Indian office letters.

British convention pairs “Dear Sir or Madam” with “Yours faithfully”, “Dear Mr Rao” with “Yours sincerely”, and a first name with “Best wishes”. Whatever the style, open with one sentence that says why you are writing.

How Do the Task Instructions Say to Begin?

In the IELTS sample tasks, the instructions tell you that you do not need to write any addresses. They also say “Begin your letter as follows:” and give you the greeting, such as “Dear Sir or Madam,”.

Copy that greeting onto the first line, then go straight to your first paragraph.

Matching Greetings and Sign-Offs

The table shows how the greeting, opening line and sign-off can fit each style.

Style Greeting Opening line Sign-off
Formal Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing to ask about your evening accounting course. Yours faithfully,
Semi-formal Dear Mr Rao, I am writing to ask if I may pay my rent late. Yours sincerely,
Personal Dear Ankit, I’m writing to ask if you can help me move. Best wishes,

Stating Your Purpose Immediately

Task Achievement looks at whether you explain the purpose of the letter clearly. In a formal or semi-formal letter, say why you are writing in your first sentence, and choose the verb to fit the purpose: ask about, complain about, apologise for or thank you for.

Incorrect: “Hope you are fine.” as the first line of a formal letter

Correct: I am writing to ask about the fees and timetable for your evening accounting course.

It gives the reason for writing straight away, with the specific details you want.

In a personal letter, a short warm line can come first, such as “I hope you’re well.” Then give your reason in the next sentence.

Closing Sentences Before Your Sign-Off

Before the sign-off, add one short closing sentence that points to what happens next. In IELTS’s published sample scripts, examiners say a missing closing, such as “Best wishes” or “Yours faithfully”, affected Task Achievement.

  • Formal: “I look forward to hearing from you.”
  • Semi-formal: “Thank you for your help with this.”
  • Personal: “I look forward to seeing you soon.”

After the sign-off, write your full name in a formal or semi-formal letter. In a personal letter, “Best wishes”, “All the best” or “Take care” fits, followed by your first name.

British Conventions vs Indian Habits

“Respected Sir” is polite in an Indian office, but it is not part of British letter conventions.

Incorrect: “Respected Sir,”

Correct: Dear Sir or Madam,

It works when you do not know the reader’s name or gender.

Incorrect: “Thanking you, Yours truly”

Correct: I look forward to your reply. Yours faithfully,

It provides a complete closing sentence alongside a standard British sign-off.

“Please revert back at the earliest” is another office habit; “I look forward to hearing from you” asks for the same reply in plain English.

“Yours faithfully” goes with “Dear Sir or Madam”, and “Yours sincerely” goes with a name such as “Dear Mr Rao”. These pairings are British conventions, not IELTS rules, but a mismatch looks careless.

For more on matching your tone to the reader, see choosing the right tone. For what the whole task asks, see what the letter task asks for.

Writing formal emails at work? See formal emails for work. For friends, see informal emails and letters.

Tip

Take one practice task and write only the opening sentence three times, once for each style.

Key Takeaways

  • Use the greeting the task tells you to begin with.
  • You do not need to write addresses at the top of your letter.
  • British convention pairs “Dear Sir or Madam” with “Yours faithfully”.
  • Put your reason for writing in the first sentence.

The bottom line: A finished letter has three things after its last paragraph: a closing sentence, a matching sign-off and your name.