If you are taking IELTS General Training for work or immigration, the first writing task is a letter. It is worth fewer marks than Task 2, but a weak letter can still pull your writing score down. The good news: letters follow a simple pattern you can learn in an afternoon.

1. Read the situation and spot the tone

Ask yourself one question: who am I writing to?

• Formal: someone you don’t know, like a manager or a company. Start with “Dear Sir or Madam”.
• Semi-formal: someone you know, but not closely, like a landlord or colleague. Use their surname: “Dear Mr. Patel”.
• Informal: a friend or relative. “Dear Sam” is perfect.

2. Use one paragraph per bullet point

Every Task 1 question gives you three bullet points. Examiners check that you cover all three. The easiest structure is:

• A short opening line saying why you are writing
• One paragraph for each bullet point
• A short closing line, then your sign-off

3. Sign off correctly

Use “Yours faithfully” if you started with “Dear Sir or Madam”, “Yours sincerely” if you used a name in a formal or semi-formal letter, and “Best wishes” or “Take care” for friends.

4. Watch the clock and the word count

Write at least 150 words, but don’t aim for 300. Around 170 to 190 words gives you room to answer fully and still leaves time to check spelling and grammar before moving on to Task 2.

Practise with real examples

The fastest way to improve is to write a letter, then compare it with a Band 9 model answer and see what the stronger version does differently.