IELTS General Writing Task 1 Sample Formal Letters

Between the two types of IELTS tests, the General Training test is for candidates who wish to migrate to an English speaking country for the purpose of working or studying at a pre-degree level.

The IELTS General Writing Test takes 60 minutes to complete 2 tasks. In task 1, you’ll have to write a letter, while in task 2, you’ll have to write an essay of at least 250 words. For the Writing test, it is recommended to not spend more than 20 minutes for task 1.

The questions for the Writing test are different in Academic and General Training, so in this post, we will look at the sample formal letters for General Writing Test, task 1.

General Writing Task 1

For IELTS General Writing Task 1, you’ll have to write a letter of correspondence in not less than 150 words, requesting information, explaining a situation, or so on. The questions will be related to an everyday scenario like expressing your interest in a job, complaining about bad service, or so on.

And along with the question, 2 bullet points will be given to outline specific pointers or information that you have to include in your letter. The pointers may have suggestions to help you while drafting the letter.

After reading the question and the pointers, you have to identify the type of letter you are being asked to write. There are 3 types of letters, namely

• Formal
• Semi-Formal
• Informal

By identifying the type of letter, it will give you an understanding as to what kind of tone and level of respect should be written in the letter.

Since we’re discussing formal letters in this article, the formal letters will mostly be a question that’ll ask you to write a letter to someone who you may or may not have personally met but is higher than you in position or authority like applying to a company for a new job, resigning from an existing job, making a formal recommendation or suggestion, or complaining to a brand company for their product or service.

Formal Letter Structure

This is the basic structure you should try to follow while writing a formal letter:

Dear [First name only]

Paragraph 1 – Mention the reason why you’re writing to them. (I am writing regarding…)

Paragraph 2 – Talk about 1st bullet point with supporting details

Paragraph 3 – Talk about 2nd bullet point with supporting details

Paragraph 4 – Talk about 3rd bullet point with supporting details

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully/ Yours sincerely

(Your Full Name)

Writing Task 1 Sample Formal Letters

Here are a few samples of formal letters for IELTS Writing Task 1 for the General Training Paper. All of them should be written in not less than 150 words.

Question 1

You and your family are moving to another country for work, and you are looking to buy a house there.

Write a letter to a property agent. In your letter:

• Introduce yourself and your family
• Describe the type of accommodation that you hope to find
• Give your preference for the location of the accommodation

Question 2

On a recent holiday, you lost a valuable item. Fortunately, you have travel insurance to cover the cost of anything lost.

Write a letter to the manager of your insurance company. In your letter

• Describe the item you lost.
• Explain how you lost it.
• Tell the insurance company what you would like them to do.

Question 3

You missed an international flight due to a problem at the airport.

Write a letter to the airline. In your letter:

• Describe what happened that caused you to miss your flight.
• Explain how missing your flight impacted you.
• Clearly state what you would like the airline to do.

Question 4

Your car insurance company has told you that they are going to increase the amount you have to pay in insurance for your car each month. You are not happy about this.

Write a letter to your insurance company. In your letter explain

• Why you are writing to them
• Why you think insurance should not be increased
• What you want them to do

Question 5

You and your friends ate a meal at a restaurant to celebrate a special occasion, and you were extremely dissatisfied with the experience.

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

• Explain the reason for the celebration.
• Give details of your visit to the restaurant.
• Say what you would like the restaurant to do.

Question 6

You are enrolled in a study abroad course in another country. Your accommodation was arranged by the course provider, and there is a major problem with the accommodation.

Write a letter to the course provider. In your letter:

• Introduce yourself and describe the problem.
• Describe the accommodation you thought you were getting.
• Ask the provider to solve the problem.

Question 7

You and your friends ate a meal at a restaurant to celebrate a special occasion, and you were very pleased with the food and service.

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

• Give details of your visit to the restaurant.
• Explain the reason for the celebration.
• Say what you liked about the food or service.

Question 8

You have been invited to attend an admissions interview for a prestigious college. Unfortunately, you cannot come at the proposed time due to a previous appointment.

Write a letter to the admissions tutor and explain your position. In your letter:

• Introduce yourself and state your interest in the program.
• Apologize and offer to come at a different time.
• Ask how long the interview will be and if you will have to take an exam.

Question 9

An old car was left on the street near your street several weeks ago. The car is now causing a problem for residents.

Write a letter to the Council. In your letter:

• Describe the car.
• Outline the problems it is causing.
• Tell the Council what you want them to do about it.

Question 10

Your local newspaper published an advertisement asking people to offer time for local environmental initiatives in your area.

Write a letter to the project manager to offer your help. In your letter:

• Describe a local volunteer project that you are passionate about.
• Explain what you would like to do to help.
• Suggest how to gather more support for the cause.

Here are the 10 examples for the IELTS General Writing Task 1 Sample Formal Letters:

example 1

example 2

example 3

example 4

example 5

example 6

example 7

example 8

example 9

example 10