All English 4U

IELTS Vocabulary · Unit 5 · General Training Task 1

Writing a Letter

100% Original Practice Test

Choose language that fits your reader, make your purpose clear, and turn practical details into a well-organised letter.

Before you write

IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 asks you to write a letter in response to a situation. Spend about 20 minutes planning and writing, produce at least 150 words, and make the purpose and all three task points clear. You do not need to add postal addresses. Use paragraphs to connect your ideas, then check that the tone suits the reader.

Plan the letter

  • Identify the purpose: are you asking, explaining, thanking, inviting, complaining, or responding?
  • Note the three task points and choose one or two useful details for each. Specific dates, actions, and examples make a letter easier to answer.
  • Arrange ideas in a reader-friendly order: purpose first, supporting details next, and a clear request or next step near the end.
  • Give each paragraph a job. Use a short opening, focused body paragraphs and a courteous ending. Write a connected letter rather than notes, bullet-point answers or a series of headings.

Choose the register

  • Use the relationship and situation to guide your wording. A service complaint may need formal language; a message to a familiar tutor may be semi-formal; a letter to a close friend can be informal.
  • Select a greeting and closing that fit each other and the recipient. “Dear Ms Patel” commonly goes with “Yours sincerely”; an unnamed formal recipient may be addressed “Dear Sir or Madam” and signed “Yours faithfully”. First-name greetings and warm closings often suit people you know.
  • Polite requests can be direct and clear: “Could you confirm…?”, “Would it be possible…?” or “I would be grateful if you could…”. Choose a form that sounds natural for the context.
  • Contractions are a choice shaped by audience and tone. They are common in friendly letters and may be less frequent in formal writing, but no single rule fits every situation.

Develop and check

  • Support a complaint or explanation with a concrete example. State what happened, when it happened, and how it affected you where those details help.
  • Make your requested action easy to understand. If useful, suggest a reasonable timeframe, an alternative, or the person who could help.
  • Connect related ideas with clear links such as “because”, “as a result”, “also”, and “if”. Vary sentence length so the letter flows naturally.
  • Check that all three task points are covered, the recipient can identify your purpose quickly, and the ending gives a suitable next step. Correct names, dates, verb forms, punctuation, and spelling, and confirm that the letter is at least 150 words.

Task format checked against the official IELTS General Training Writing format. The situations, practice questions and model letters below were created for All English 4U.

0 / 18 answered

A. Choose the best response

Choose one answer for each situation. Read the relationship and purpose carefully.

1. You booked a room at a small hotel for a work course. The confirmation says breakfast is included, but the hotel has now charged you for it. Which opening best establishes the purpose of a polite formal letter?
2. Your former neighbour, Priya, has asked you to recommend a local plumber. You know her well but have not spoken for several months. Which greeting and closing best suit your friendly relationship?
3. A community art centre has asked you to write about a confusing online booking page. Which detail is the strongest evidence for your complaint?
4. You are writing to a college to ask whether a weekend photography course is suitable for beginners. Which request is clearest and most courteous?
5. A travel company has not replied to your earlier message about a missed airport transfer. You are writing again and want a practical resolution. Which sentence best combines a reasonable request with a next step?
6. You are writing to a friend about a neighbourhood clean-up. Which plan makes the information easiest to follow?
7. You are writing to a bookshop manager you have not met. You know the manager’s name is Daniel Green. Which greeting and closing are a suitable formal pair?
8. Your cousin Leo has lent you a bicycle for a month. You are writing to thank him and explain that you will return it next weekend. Which sentence best fits the relationship and purpose?
9. A local library invited you to speak at an event, but you are unavailable. You would like to keep the relationship positive. Which reply best handles the situation?
10. You are writing to a sports club to explain why you missed a class and ask to join another session. Which sentence gives the most useful explanation and request?
11. A guesthouse has offered either a room change or a partial refund after a noisy night. You prefer a room change because you will stay three more nights. Which response best explains your choice?

B. Check your letter-writing decisions

Choose True or False for each statement.

12. A letter for IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 should respond to the situation and cover all three points in the task instructions.
13. Every letter written in a formal register must avoid contractions, whatever the recipient or purpose.
14. In a complaint, a specific example is generally more useful to the recipient than a broad statement that the service was terrible.
15. When you know the recipient’s name, “Dear Ms Patel” is commonly paired with “Yours sincerely” in a formal British letter.
16. A letter is well organised only if it uses a heading for every paragraph.
17. An unnamed recipient can be addressed with “Dear Sir or Madam” and commonly signed off with “Yours faithfully”.
18. For IELTS General Training Writing Task 1, the letter should be at least 150 words, and planning and writing are generally expected to take about 20 minutes.

Check your practice

Submit to grade your 18 practice questions, or use Show Answer to study individual items.

C. Write a letter

Choose any task below. Allow about 20 minutes per letter and write at least 150 words. Cover all three points in connected paragraphs. These tasks are reviewed with checklists; they are not automatically band-scored.

formal letter

A delayed repair at the Riverside Library

You are a member of Riverside Library. The accessible lift has been out of order for two weeks, and you need to use the upper floor for a weekly research group. Write to the library manager.

In your letter:

  • Explain when and how you learned that the lift was unavailable.
  • Describe how this has affected you and other library users.
  • Ask what temporary arrangement can be provided and when the lift is expected to work again.

Begin your letter: Dear Ms Ward,

0 words · minimum 150

Review your draft
Show model letter and task coverage

One possible response. Your ideas and wording can be different. This model has no assigned IELTS band.

Dear Ms Ward,

I am writing about the accessible lift at Riverside Library, which has been out of service since 3 September. I read the notice beside the entrance when I arrived for my weekly research group. A member of staff told me that the lift was waiting for a replacement part, but could not say when it would arrive.

Because I cannot manage stairs, I use the upper-floor study room every Thursday because our group works with printed archive material. Since the lift stopped, I have had to miss two meetings. I have also seen an older visitor turn back at the stairs, while a parent carrying a pushchair struggled to reach the children’s area. The ground-floor desks are useful, but they do not have the reference books our group needs.

Could you let me know whether the group could use a ground-floor room with the relevant books brought down temporarily? It would also help if you could share the repair estimate or provide an update when it changes. If staff need a few days to arrange the books, we could meet on another evening this week.

Thank you for considering these suggestions. I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Morgan Lee

How this letter covers the task

  • Bullet 1 is covered by the opening paragraph: the writer gives a date, place, and how staff explained the delay.
  • Bullet 2 is covered by the second paragraph through the missed group meetings and two concrete examples of other users’ access difficulties.
  • Bullet 3 is covered by the third paragraph with a temporary room and book arrangement, plus a request for an estimated repair update.

semi-formal letter

A weekend workshop with unclear joining details

You have enrolled in a weekend ceramics workshop run by a tutor you have met once. The confirmation email gives the start time but no information about materials or the building entrance. Write to the tutor.

In your letter:

  • Say why you are writing and identify the workshop.
  • Ask what materials or clothing you should bring.
  • Ask where to enter and whether you can arrive a little early.

Begin your letter: Dear Alex,

0 words · minimum 150

Review your draft
Show model letter and task coverage

One possible response. Your ideas and wording can be different. This model has no assigned IELTS band.

Dear Alex,

I’m looking forward to the Saturday ceramics workshop at the North Street studio on 22 June. I received the confirmation email yesterday, but it only mentioned the 10 a.m. start time, so I wanted to check a few practical details before the weekend.

Could you tell me whether clay and basic tools are provided, or whether participants should bring anything themselves? I have an apron and a small set of wooden modelling tools, but I can leave them at home if the studio already has what we need. Would you also recommend wearing old clothes or bringing a towel?

The email says to use the North Street address, though I noticed there is a shop entrance and a side door on the map. Which entrance should I use? I rely on the bus, which sometimes arrives early, so would it be all right if I came about fifteen minutes before the session? I can wait outside if the room is still being prepared.

Thanks for your help. I’m excited to get started and meet the rest of the group.

Best wishes,

Nadia

How this letter covers the task

  • Bullet 1 is covered in the first paragraph, which names the workshop, date, and reason for writing.
  • Bullet 2 is covered in the second paragraph through questions about supplied clay and tools, suitable clothing, and a towel.
  • Bullet 3 is covered in the third paragraph with a clear entrance question and a polite request to arrive early.

informal letter

A friend’s spare room and a change of plans

Your friend Sam has offered you a spare room during a visit to Bristol. Your train now arrives later than planned, and you would like to bring a small gift and spend one afternoon exploring together. Write to Sam.

In your letter:

  • Thank Sam for offering the room.
  • Explain how your arrival time has changed.
  • Suggest what you could do together and ask what small item would be useful to bring.

Begin your letter: Hi Sam,

0 words · minimum 150

Review your draft
Show model letter and task coverage

One possible response. Your ideas and wording can be different. This model has no assigned IELTS band.

Hi Sam,

Thanks again for offering me your spare room while I’m in Bristol. It’s really kind of you, and it means I can spend a proper weekend in the city instead of rushing back after the concert. I’m looking forward to catching up over breakfast and hearing how your new job is going.

My train plans have changed slightly because the earlier service was cancelled. I’ll now arrive at Temple Meads at about 8.40 on Friday evening rather than 6.15. I’ll message you when I get on the train, and I can take a taxi if that time is awkward for you. Please don’t stay up if you have an early start on Saturday.

If you’re free on Saturday afternoon, would you like to walk around the harbourside and find somewhere for a late lunch? I’d love to see the old boats you mentioned. Also, is there anything useful I could bring for the house? I was thinking of tea or some fruit, but tell me if you’d prefer something else.

Thanks, Sam. See you soon!

Love,

Maya

How this letter covers the task

  • Bullet 1 is covered in the opening paragraph with a direct thank-you and a personal reason the offer is appreciated.
  • Bullet 2 is covered in the second paragraph with the old and new arrival times and a considerate message about the late arrival.
  • Bullet 3 is covered in the final body paragraph with a specific afternoon plan and a question about what to bring.
Learning review and next steps

A strong letter makes its purpose clear, develops every required point and keeps its language appropriate for the recipient. After checking the practice answers, revise one paragraph of your own letter.

Read for four things: task achievement, coherence and cohesion, lexical resource, and grammatical range and accuracy. Word count and the practice score do not measure all four criteria.

Suggested timing: plan for 3 minutes, write for 14 minutes, then check for 3 minutes. Adapt this practice routine to your needs.

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