Rohit from Hyderabad, preparing for Canada PR, wrote his first practice letter like an office email full of “Kindly do the needful”. The task was asking for something different.

General Training Writing Task 1 gives you a situation and asks for a letter of at least 150 words in about 20 minutes. It is marked on whether your purpose is clear, your tone fits the reader and all three bullet points are covered, plus organisation, vocabulary and grammar.

What Does the Task Require?

The task describes a situation, such as asking for information or explaining a problem. It then lists three bullet points that say what to include.

IELTS says the letter may be personal, semi-formal or formal in style, depending on who you are asked to write to and how well you are supposed to know them. A friend gets a personal letter, and a manager may get a semi-formal or a formal one.

In the IELTS sample tasks, the instructions say you do not need to write any addresses and tell you how to begin the letter. IELTS does not penalise a letter for being longer than 150 words, but a longer letter may leave you less time for Task 2, which contributes twice as much to the Writing band.

If you are unsure whether you need this version of the test, see how Academic and General Training differ.

How Is Your Letter Marked?

Certificated IELTS examiners score four criteria, weighted equally: Task Achievement, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy.

In the public IELTS Writing band descriptors, Task Achievement for a letter covers your purpose, the three bullet points, the tone and the format. This table paraphrases Bands 5 to 7.

Band Purpose Tone Bullet points
7 Clear Consistent and appropriate; lapses minimal All covered, clearly highlighted; could be extended further
6 Generally clear Minor inconsistencies possible All covered, adequately highlighted
5 May be unclear at times Variable; sometimes inappropriate All presented; one or more may be inadequately covered

Deconstructing a Practice Task

Here is an original task, written in the format of the IELTS sample tasks.

Practice task (written for this post)

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

You booked a community hall in a fictional town called Oakridge for your parents’ anniversary dinner. Your plans have now changed, and you need a different date and some extra facilities.

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

  • explain why you need to change the booking
  • ask whether the hall is free on another date
  • say what extra facilities you need

Write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Read each part of the task before you plan anything.

Part of the task What it tells you
The situation A hall booking has changed, which is why you are writing.
Who you are writing to A hall manager you do not know, so a formal letter.
The bullet points Three things to cover, one paragraph each.
The minimum words At least 150; a shorter letter may not show enough language.
How to begin Use the greeting the task gives you.

Recommended Letter Structure

This five-part structure is advice from Enable Academy, not an IELTS rule. Start with the greeting the task gives you, then write an opening sentence that says why you are writing. Give each bullet point its own paragraph, close with one polite sentence, then add a sign-off and your name.

As advice, aim for about 160–190 words. For the closing lines, see greetings and sign-offs, and for your paragraphs, covering each bullet point.

Avoiding Common Indian Office Phrasing

Office phrases such as “Kindly do the needful at the earliest” belong to Indian office English. In a letter to a stranger they do not say what you want or by when.

Incorrect: “Kindly do the needful at the earliest.”

Correct: I would be grateful if you could reply by Friday.

It names a date and makes a polite request.

For tone in general, see choosing the right tone.

Tip

Before you plan, underline who the letter is to and circle each bullet point.

Key Takeaways

  • Task 1 is a letter of at least 150 words in about 20 minutes.
  • The style is personal, semi-formal or formal, depending on the reader.
  • Give each of the three bullet points its own developed paragraph.
  • The task tells you how to begin, and you do not need to write addresses.

The bottom line: Open with one sentence that says why you are writing, and let the bullet points shape the rest.