Hi, I'm Jan. I'm a former IELTS examiner for IDP in Toronto and I help students crack the code on Band 7+ writing.
This IELTS Writing Task 1 General guide was developed by myself and other former IELTS examiners to eliminate the confusion that students face. It will teach you the SIMPLEST possible way to write a formal, semi-formal, and informal letter for the IELTS general exam. We'll go over the marking criteria, best structure, powerful writing tips, and several model answers.
What are the requirements for IELTS Writing Task 1 General?
Your IELTS letter will be marked according to four marking criteria:
You can access this official rubric here: https://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/ielts_task_1_writing_band_descriptors.pdf
Task Achievement criteria tell us what CONTENT we must include and which level of FORMALITY we must write at:
These are the main criteria that tell us what we MUST include:
1. “Presents a clear purpose, with the tone consistent and appropriate”:
2. “Presents, highlights and illustrates bullet points clearly and appropriately”:
Coherence and Cohesion criteria tell us that our content must be clearly organized and use abundant cohesive devices (transitions) to clearly show the reader how ideas are related to each other.
1. “Skilfully manages paragraphing”:
2. “Sequences information and ideas logically”:
3. “Uses a range of cohesive devices appropriately”:
Lexical Resource criteria tell us that we need to use a wide range of vocabulary, including low-frequency words and expressions.
1. “Uses a wide range of vocabulary fluently and flexibly to convey precise meanings”:
2. “Skillfully uses uncommon lexical items”:
The examiner does not have a list of vocabulary that they are looking for. They are looking for vocabulary that is appropriate and precise. It is a TERRIBLE STRATEGY to use big words where small words can be used. Your main goal as a writer is to clearly convey your ideas to the reader. IT SHOULD NOT BE YOUR GOAL to impress the reader/examiner with your vocabulary.
Your goal is to avoid any chance of misunderstanding, and complex language guarantees misunderstanding. You should pretend you are writing for an intelligent 12-year-old, which will prevent you from using long, wordy explanations. If you wouldn't use that kind of language with a 12-year-old, don't use it with an adult either - it will confuse them too.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy criteria tell us that we need to use a wide variety of grammatical structures and that a high percentage of our sentences need to be completely error-free if we want Band 7 or above.
1. “Produces frequent error-free sentences”:
2. “Uses a wide range of structures”:
These are described in more detail below.
Most people don't know this but IELTS calculates your overall score and your writing score differently.
Your overall IELTS score is rounded the same way that we are taught to round in math class. If you get Band 7 on reading, Band 7 on listening, Band 7 on speaking, and Band 6 on writing, you will end up with Band 7 overall.
Overall Band Score: (7+7+7+6)/4 = 6.75 > Rounded UP to 7
However, your writing and speaking score are calculated differently. For writing and speaking, IELTS ROUNDS DOWN! On writing, if you get Band 7 on Task Achievement, Band 7 on Coherence and Cohesion, Band 7 on Lexical Resource, and Band 6 on Grammatical Range and Accuracy, you will end up with Band 6.5 overall.
Writing/Speaking Band Score: (7+7+7+6)/4 = 6.75 > Rounded DOWN to 6.5
Based on the type of letter that you are writing, which is determined by the context, the register* will need to be formal, semi-formal, or informal.
*Register refers to the level of formality.
FORMAL register is required when writing to someone you haven’t spoken with before:
In formal letters
SEMI-FORMAL register is required when writing to someone you know, but who is not a friend:
INFORMAL register is required when writing to a friend. You only write this way to people with whom you share your personal life.
Use the ABCDE writing process for all writing tasks:
You will need to invent the details in your IELTS letter. The letter samples below were 100% invented, although they were inspired by real life events.
Use the W5H questions to help you add details:
More on this below...
1. GREETING: Address the recipient
You will be instructed how to begin your letter.
A friend has agreed to look after your house and pet while you are on holiday. Write a letter to your friend.
In your letter
Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write any addresses.
Begin your letter as follows:
Dear .....................,
Source: https://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/take-ielts/prepare/free-ielts-practice-tests/writing/general-training/task-1
The instructions tell you to begin with "Dear...":
Dear Fred,
FORMAL
SEMI-FORMAL
Dear Mr. Johnson,
Dear John,
INFORMAL
Hey John,
Hi John,
2. PURPOSE: State the purpose of the letter
The purpose of the letter is based on the context, which is stated at the beginning of the prompt. In many cases, the purpose can be written in one sentence, followed by the 1st bullet. In other cases, especially when writing to a friend, it's more natural to ease into the letter by writing a short introductory paragraph.
A friend has agreed to look after your house and pet while you are on holiday. Write a letter to your friend.
In your letter
Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write any addresses.
Begin your letter as follows:
Dear .....................,
Source: https://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/take-ielts/prepare/free-ielts-practice-tests/writing/general-training/task-1
Use your imagination:
You can write:
Thank you so much for agreeing to watch our house and Bailey while we're in Miami! You're a real lifesaver. We thought we'd have to put off our vacation plans when Mike cancelled at the last minute.
FORMAL
SEMI-FORMAL
INFORMAL
3. POINTS: Cover all required points in the body of the letter
A friend has agreed to look after your house and pet while you are on holiday. Write a letter to your friend.
In your letter
Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write any addresses.
Begin your letter as follows:
Dear .....................,
Source: https://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/take-ielts/prepare/free-ielts-practice-tests/writing/general-training/task-1
Use your imagination:
You can write:
In case you need to reach us, we'll be staying at the Miami Hilton. You can reach the hotel's main desk at 786-834-6573, but I will have my cellphone, which should work fine.
You'll have a lot of fun with Bailey. She's really grown and just loves to run, so she'll be great company on your jogs. Everything she needs (leash, poop and scoop, dog food and treats, schedule for food and walks) is right by the side door. If you don't feel like running, the park behind our house now has a fenced-in off-leash area, so you can let her loose there.
In terms of looking after the house, there really isn't much to do. I've prepared the guestroom for you, the same one you stayed in last time. The fridge is pretty full and I've left a case of your favourite beer for you for Saturday's game. The keys are under the flowerpot by the side door.
Providing advice
FORMAL
SEMI-FORMAL
INFORMAL
Inviting
FORMAL
SEMI-FORMAL
INFORMAL
Requesting
FORMAL
SEMI-FORMAL
INFORMAL
4. INSTRUCTIONS: Call to action
State what you would like the person to do. Do they need to follow up with you? Do they need to send you something?
In some cases, there is no call to action needed:
A friend has agreed to look after your house and pet while you are on holiday. Write a letter to your friend.
In your letter
Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write any addresses.
Begin your letter as follows:
Dear .....................,
Source: https://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/take-ielts/prepare/free-ielts-practice-tests/writing/general-training/task-1
Since this is an informal letter and there is no specific follow-up needed, you can write:
Again, thank you so much Fred. Please don't hesitate to call if you need anything.
FORMAL
SEMI-FORMAL
INFORMAL
5. END: Close the letter
A friend has agreed to look after your house and pet while you are on holiday. Write a letter to your friend.
In your letter
Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write any addresses.
Begin your letter as follows:
Dear .....................,
Source: https://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/take-ielts/prepare/free-ielts-practice-tests/writing/general-training/task-1
This is an informal letter. Since your friend is watching your house and pet and you're coming home from vacation, write something appropriate. A standard ending like "sincerely" or "love" would be less appropriate in this context:
See you Wednesday morning - we'll bring you back something fun!
Jan
FORMAL
SEMI-FORMAL
INFORMAL
This is the full letter. At 222 words, this is a typical length for a high-scoring letter.
Dear Fred,
Thank you so much for agreeing to watch our house and Bailey while we're in Miami! You're a real lifesaver. We thought we'd have to put off our vacation plans when Mike cancelled at the last minute.
In case you need to reach us, we'll be staying at the Miami Hilton. You can contact reception at 786-834-6573, but I will have my cellphone, which should work fine.
You'll have a lot of fun with Bailey. She's really grown and just loves to run, so she'll be great company on your jogs. Everything she needs (leash, poop and scoop, dog food and treats, schedule for food and walks) is right by the side door. If you don't feel like running, the park behind our house now has a fenced-in off-leash area, so you can let her loose there.
In terms of looking after the house, there really isn't much to do. I've prepared the guestroom for you, the same one you stayed in last time. The fridge is pretty full and I've left a case of your favourite beer for you for Saturday's game. The keys are under the flowerpot by the side door.
Again, thank you so much Fred. Please don't hesitate to call if you need anything.
See you Wednesday morning - we'll bring you back something fun!
Jan
NOTE: A full collection of functional language is available with full course access. Functional language is organized by purpose and register (level of formality):
Example prompt: A friend recently sent you a letter asking for advice about whether to try to find work or go to college. In your opinion, he/she should find work. Write a letter to this friend. In your letter
Write at least 150 words.
You do NOT need to write any addresses.
Begin your letter as follows:
Dear…,
Dear Rosanne,
Great to hear from you and I am happy to help with your dilemma! To be honest, I think finding a job would be best for you at the moment. I know what you went through at the end of school last year and how much you disliked doing coursework and going to class. If you start college now, there will be more of the same and you will just get demotivated.
Getting a job would benefit you so much more because, as you said, you’re not sure what you want to do. You could take some time to get some work experience and try out a few different jobs, then you could always go to college when you are surer about what you want to study. What do you think?
My uncle has just opened a clothes shop in the high street and he is looking for sales reps at the moment. You would be great as you’re a people person and I know you love fashion. It would also be a chance to work in the fashion industry to see if you like it.
If you’re interested, then let me know and we can arrange something.
Love,
Simon
Example prompt: Your neighbours have recently written to you to complain about the noise from your house/flat. Write a letter to your neighbours. In your letter
Write at least 150 words.
You do NOT need to write any addresses.
Hello Peter and Barbara,
I received your letter yesterday about the noise coming from our house and I thought I had better reply and explain. The builders start work at 7 in the morning and I know that this has caused you a lot of discomfort so please accept my apologies for this. I know you both have jobs to go to so this must have been very annoying for you.
As you know, we are having the kitchen refurbished and it is taking longer than we thought it would take. When the builders started, it looked like a simple job but they have found problems with the pipes and have had to remove them. They have been using a large drill and this has created a lot of noise.
I have spoken to the builder in charge and have asked him and his team to start work a little later from 9 in the morning. He has also informed me that the drilling will only continue for another two days.
Again, I am sorry for the disturbance but it is nearly finished.
Please drop by to talk if this isn’t a sufficient solution for you.
Best wishes,
Neil and Nicola
You don't have to cover the bullets in the same order as in the question. Usually, the bullets are in an order that makes sense for that situation. Sometimes, however, you will find that covering the bullets in a different order flows more smoothly. This is fine.
Example prompt: You've seen an ad from a couple in Poland for someone to teach their two children your language for one year. Write a letter to the couple and in your letter,
Write at least 150 words.
You do NOT need to write any addresses.
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Nowak,
I am writing to apply for the position of English teacher for your two children, which I saw advertised in The Guardian newspaper. I am a primary teacher in the UK and will be moving to Warsaw next month due to my husband’s job. As your children are both primary age, I would be very happy to teach both your children English. In my current class at school, there are children from many different countries and so I am used to working with children whose mother tongue is not English.
As I will not be working and will have a lot of time when I arrive in Poland, I can also help out with household chores or do the school run if you require. It would be a wonderful opportunity to work for a Polish family and learn about your culture while also teaching your children about mine. I have always enjoyed spending time with children and it would be a great experience for me to teach yours English and be a part of their lives.
Please do not hesitate to contact me for further details or references.
Best wishes,
Pamela Anderson
Included with full course access.
Included with full course access.
Included with full course access.
Included with full course access.
Included with full course access.
Where to get access to our full collection of 40 Task #1 and 60 Task #2 model responses written by ex-IELTS examiners:
Models like these are one of the best ways to prepare for IELTS. 40 Writing Task #1 General and over 60 Writing Task #2 models, all written by native speaker ex-examiners, are now included in the IELTS course. For most letter types*, three versions are included: formal, semi-formal, and informal.
*All application letters are formal.
Research shows that grammar is largely auditory. Your ears play a very important role! It’s just like listening to an instrument that you don’t know how to play: if the musician hits the wrong note, it just SOUNDS awkward even though you may not know why. In the same way, when you read your work out loud, if ANYTHING sounds awkward, change it to a simpler construction that SOUNDS good. Trust your ears!
If any grammatical construction sounds awkward, use a simpler verb tense.
If any vocabulary sounds awkward, describe your idea using simple words.
The brain is not good at finding problems unless you give it specific instructions. This is why doctors, even though they are super smart, have checklists to make sure they didn't forget any tools inside the patient after surgery. There are just too many things to think about so sometimes we need a small checklist to remind us what to look for.
For that reason, for example, if you often have punctuation issues, you need to go through your writing specifically looking for punctuation problems. As mentioned previously, read your work out loud and where you find yourself pausing (to take a breath between ideas), you need punctuation.
Once you’ve gone through your writing looking for that first problem, go through your writing again looking for the next problem. Then read it out loud for a third time looking for a 3rd issue your writing typically has.
This process is slow initially, but once you start looking for these specific problems on a regular basis, you’re training your brain to automatically look for those problems. Your brain will get faster and more accurate at identifying those problems, and pretty soon you're not going to have them. Then you can move on to the next problem.
Take it step-by-step and look for a couple things at a time rather than looking for 10 different problems at once, which is overwhelming and doesn’t work.
A Band 7 on Grammatical Range and Accuracy requires "a variety of complex sentences." A Band 8 on Grammatical Range and Accuracy requires "a wide range of structures."
There are 10 grammar structures you MUST know to get a Band 7+ on IELTS Writing Task 1 General. Examiners are on the lookout for these. These structures are COMMONLY used in English and are often appropriate for all written and oral parts of the IELTS exam. Band 7 means your English is at an advanced level. At this level, these structures are necessary to express yourself precisely and fluently:
Many students write very long sentences because they believe this will impress the examiner. This certainly will impress the examiner, but ONLY if your long sentences are grammatically flawless. However, the Band 7 criteria very clearly state “produces frequent error-free sentences.” Even a SINGLE MISTAKE in a long sentence means that the entire sentence is no longer error-free.
For example, one student recently wrote Task #1 Academic in four sentences (his sentences had 45 words on average)! He was very lucky as 2 sentences were flawless; therefore, half his sentences were error-free so he received a Band 7 rating on grammar.
However, even among professional writers, this is not a normal way to write. While two of these monster sentences were technically flawless, they had so many clauses in them that I had to reread his work several times to make sure I understood it correctly. In other words, these long sentences were not at all reader friendly. Don’t take chances like this! I strongly recommend limiting sentences to three clauses. You don’t need anything longer for Band 7 performance.
In short, your #1 goal as a writer is to be clear, and long sentences do not help with clarity. In general, you can limit sentence length to 3 clauses.
As another example, Dr. Bruno had taken IELTS repeatedly and failed to get at least Band 7 on writing, which he needed to work as a doctor in Canada. After training with Toronto IELTS Prep, Dr. Bruno simplified his approach to writing and finally got the Band 7 he needed:
I appreciate all your corrections and tips. It made a huge difference to notice that [not enough] “error-free” sentences were pushing my score down. I tried to control those errors during my last test, and it seems everything went well!”
“I just wrote the texts in a simple way instead of using complex structures to give a good impression. I also paid more attention to subject/verb and tenses, avoiding those basic single/plural errors. I didn’t have time to read and correct my texts at the end (like always), but I believe that I controlled my errors during the writing process.
Dr. Bruno E.
Passive voice is useful when the subject is too obvious:
Baby English: The bakers bake the bread at 5 AM daily.
Better: The bread is baked at 5 AM daily.
Unreal conditional is commonly used to give advice:
Using a subordinate clause is the most common way to make a complex sentence.
If the subordinate clause comes BEFORE the independent clause, ALWAYS place a comma AFTER the subordinate clause.
If the subordinate clause comes AFTER a short independent clause, do not use a comma. If the subordinate clause comes after a long independent clause, it’s your choice whether or not to use a comma between them. Use your ears to make this decision: read the sentence out loud and if you find that you need to pause between the two clauses, then you should probably use a comma.
Subordinate clause 1st: Because it’s nice outside, we went to the park.
Subordinate clause 2nd: We went to the park because it’s nice outside.
It's easy to add a subordinate clause at the beginning or end of a sentence:
It's less common to use a subordinate clause in the middle of a sentence. This is considered ADVANCED usage:
The second most common way to make a complex sentence is to use a relative clause.
Relative clauses are also called adjective clauses because they describe a noun/noun phrase (person, place, thing, or idea). They provide details just like adjectives do, but they come after the noun instead of before it. Relative clauses generally begin with who, that, or which.
Relative clauses also provide important information about the entire preceding clause:
1. Use commas around the relative clause if it’s an extra detail:
These are called "non-defining relative clauses" because the audience knows who you’re talking about ("Jim") or what you're talking about ("the X501") without the relative clause, so the information about where Jim lives or when the part was ordered is an extra detail. If we remove the relative clause from the sentence, we still know who/what you’re talking about:
You can hear these commas! When you read your work out loud, you will find yourself pausing naturally on both sides of these kinds of relative clauses. Use your ears to help with grammar!
2. Don’t use commas if we need the relative clause to understand what the noun refers to:
These are called "defining relative clauses" because you need the information in the relative clause to understand which noun the speaker is referring to. The audience doesn’t know who you're talking about ("my friend") or what you're talking about ("the part") without this information in the relative clause. It’s NOT just an extra detail like in the previous example about Jim.
In these examples, when you read your work out loud, you will NOT pause on both sides of the relative clause. Use your ears to help with grammar!
In a defining relative clause, you can use either “which” or “that”:
In a non-defining relative clause, DO NOT use "that":
Another way to join simple sentences is to use a semi-colon + conjunctive adverb combination. Just remember that both sides of the semi-colon MUST be independent clauses (i.e., stand-alone sentences).
Participial phrases are a common construction that you can think of as a compressed version of a subordinate or relative clause.
Subordinate clause > participial phrase:
Relative clause > participial phrase:
Typical uses:
Participial phrases also come in passive voice:
Use a colon for lists or instructions:
In many cases, it's not necessary to use a relative clause for important details, in particular when the detail is another name for that noun. Instead, use an appositive:
In these cases, the appositive is another name for the noun:
For orders and suggestions, English grammar gets a bit weird. You have to use noun clauses in subjunctive mood in these cases:
NOTE: In noun clauses in subjunctive mood, DO NOT add "S" to 3rd person singular verbs as you normally do. In fact, DO NOT conjugate the verb in the noun clause at all. ONLY the verb following the main subject is conjugated.
Normal situation:
Subjunctive mood for suggestions:
Even though "exercise" follows a 3rd person singular pronoun ("she"), we DO NOT change the ending. Note also that the verb in the noun clause remains unchanged regardless of the verb tense in the main verb (the first example is in past tense, the second example is in present tense, the third example is in the future).
Subjunctive mood in passive voice:
Yes. Average scores for the General exam are higher than for the Academic exam. It is Writing Task #1 Academic that brings down people's scores. Writing Task #1 General is much easier.
Yes, but "high level vocabulary" doesn't mean what you think it means. "High level vocabulary" refers to less frequently used vocabulary - it is not related to how big a word is.
In general, trying to use big words is a terrible strategy on IELTS and in real life. Your #1 goal as a writer is clarity; your goal should NOT be to impress the reader with your vocabulary knowledge. Professional writers will always tell you to use the simplest, most direct words to communicate an idea.
IELTS assesses your vocabulary on whether it is accurate and precise. The examiner does not have a list of words they are looking for.
Err on the side of caution and go with the higher level. Occasionally in a workplace scenario, you might be instructed to write to a person in authority. If it's your direct manager, go with semi-formal; if it's the company president, go with formal.
In my humble opinion, the best IELTS writing program is the Toronto IELTS Prep online writing program. It starts with a diagnostic assessment and 1 hour consultation & training session to make sure you understand why you're not getting Band 7+, and EXACTLY what you need to do to get Band 7+ on writing.
For many people, this one-hour consultation is enough to help them get the Band score they need. This often happens because they simply misunderstand what IELTS wants to see. The consultation clarifies exactly what IELTS is looking for.
This is not a writing correction service! WRITING CORRECTION SERVICES DO NOT WORK for the same reason that a swimming coach simply showing you how she swims is not going to help you learn how to swim. If a swimming coach shows you how to improve your swimming technique, she is then supposed to check whether YOU know how to apply the new technique.
In the same way, when you practice writing with Toronto IELTS Prep, your work is checked twice:
The only program with 2-stage detailed feedback
1. Write: Complete your writing after reviewing lessons and Band 9 models.
2. Feedback #1: Receive a Band score, detailed feedback, and links to follow-up lessons.
3. Revise: Revise your writing based on feedback. Without this step, neither you nor the teacher knows whether you understand how to fix your problems.
4. Feedback #2 & Corrections: Receive a 2nd round of feedback and corrections.
TIP Online IELTS Writing Course
Dr. Ghazaleh P. from Iran now has the Band 7+ she needs to practice medicine in Canada. Congratulations, Dr. Ghazaleh!
“You’re really different from my previous IELTS teacher. He was ok, but the advice was too general – it didn’t help me improve. You give very specific advice on what I should do to fix my writing. It’s really helpful! As well, the way that you explain the scoring process for each writing task is very helpful. Nobody before explained it as clearly as you explain it. “
After ONE training session, Lev K. from Ukraine now has the Band 8.5 he needs for PR (permanent residency). Congratulations, Lev!
"Just got my results. They are what I was hoping for!"
Q. What helped you the most from our one session together?
A. "From our session, the most useful part was to hear you explain the format, and to compare it to all the different types of essays. It was also extremely useful to have you go over my essays scoring them according to the score guide. This gave some key points to focus on."
After ONE training session, Mohit G. from India raised his writing score from 6.5 to 7.5, which he needs for immigration to Canada. Congratulations, Mohit!
"I am writing to express my gratitude for your help in reaching my desired goal in writing.
I scored 7.5 in writing this time, which is quite amazing compared to my previous score of 6.5. I followed the TREES pattern you suggested and wrote in the simplest manner I could. Also, I believe the one on one feedback session was very helpful in clearing all my queries. I would suggest to never abandon this approach.
Thank you again for all your input."
After 5 weeks of training, Roman Z. from Ukraine now has the Band 7+ he needs for permanent residency (PR). Congratulations, Roman!
"I asked Jan for help with my IELTS exam preparation because high score was extremely important for my immigration process. Jan’s approach is very different from what I’ve seen before. Jan pays a lot of attention to details and accurately identifies the systematic mistakes. For each of them Jan has a respective course with both theoretical part and practical assignments. With Jan’s course I boosted my Writing from 6.0 to 7.0 in 5 weeks! I strongly recommend you take Jan’s course to prepare for IELTS exam properly and to get the highest score!"
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