Model: “Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with the delivery I received on 5 March, which arrived damaged and incomplete.” A strong opening states the purpose immediately.
IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 — Letter
You write a letter of at least 150 words responding to a situation, in about 20 minutes. The prompt gives three bullet points — you must cover all three. The key skill is matching the tone to the reader.
Tone & greeting
| Type | Reader | Opening | Closing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formal | Someone you don’t know (manager, company) | Dear Sir or Madam | Yours faithfully |
| Semi-formal | Someone you know a little (landlord, neighbour) | Dear Mr Rahman | Yours sincerely |
| Informal | A friend | Dear Karim / Hi Karim | Best wishes |
Structure the body as one short paragraph per bullet point, and keep the purpose clear from the first line.
Master GT letters
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