IELTS General Training Writing Task 1

IELTS letter writing samples: 450+ General Training letters with Band 8 answers

IELTS letter writing samples for every prompt in the BandLadder General Training bank, sorted by tone and purpose: formal, semi-formal and informal letters, from complaints to invitations. Each page has the prompt, a Band 8 letter of about 180 words, the phrases that set its tone and what an examiner rewards. Getting the tone right is the first thing to decide: it follows from who you are writing to.
  • 450+ letters
  • 250+ formal
  • 80+ semi-formal
  • 100+ informal
  • Band 8
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266 letters

Formal letters

  • →Write to an organisation or someone you do not know: open with Dear Sir or Madam, close with Yours faithfully.
  • →If you know the person's surname, use Dear Mr or Ms and close with Yours sincerely.
  • →No contractions, no slang; polite indirect requests such as I would be grateful if you could.

Complaint

Request

Giving information

Application

Apology

Advice

Making arrangements

Invitation

Thanks

Other

88 letters

Semi-formal letters

  • →Write to someone you know but not closely, such as a manager, landlord or neighbour, using their title and surname.
  • →Polite and friendly at once: a few contractions are fine, slang is not. Close with Yours sincerely or Kind regards.
  • →State the purpose in the first two sentences; small talk costs words you need for the bullets.

Complaint

Request

Giving information

Application

Apology

Advice

Making arrangements

Invitation

Thanks

Other

129 letters

Informal letters

  • →Write to a friend or relative by first name and close with Best wishes, Love or See you soon.
  • →Contractions, phrasal verbs and a warm opening line are expected; a stiff formal tone loses marks here.
  • →Still cover every bullet in its own paragraph; friendly does not mean unstructured.

Request

Giving information

Apology

Advice

Making arrangements

Invitation

Thanks

Other

Frequently asked questions

What types of letter come up in IELTS General Training?+

Formal letters to a company or official, semi-formal letters to someone you know but not well, such as a landlord or manager, and informal letters to a friend. The purpose varies: complaint, request, apology, invitation, advice or giving information.

How many words and how long for the letter?+

At least 150 words in about 20 minutes; 160 to 200 is the comfortable range. Leave 40 minutes for Task 2, which carries twice the marks.

How do I choose formal or informal?+

From who you are writing to. A stranger or organisation gets a formal letter (Dear Sir or Madam, Yours faithfully); a friend gets an informal one (Dear Sam, Best wishes). Keep the tone the same from start to finish.

How is the letter scored?+

On four criteria: task achievement (every bullet point covered, tone right for the reader), coherence and cohesion, vocabulary, and grammatical range and accuracy.

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