IELTS General Writing Task 1 Traps and Easy Fixes
For IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 you have approximately 20 minutes to write a letter which must be at least 150 words in length, and although the task accounts for one-third of your total Writing score a large number of candidates still obtain fewer marks due to basic errors.
It might seem straightforward to write a letter, particularly if the situation covers familiar matters such as asking for repairs, apologising to a manager, or inviting a friend. Yet if you want to achieve a Band 7 rating or higher you need more than just clear English—you have to maintain the right tone, address all parts of the question, and present your ideas in a clear manner.
Your letter is assessed in four areas:
Task Achievement: Making reference to the purpose and covering all three bullet points.
Organizing your ideas into clear and logical paragraphs is what coherence and cohesion are about.
Selecting vocabulary that is suitable for the reader.
Having a wide range of sentence structures and ensuring correct use of grammar and punctuation.
Here are six common mistakes to avoid.
1. Combining formal and informal language
Each IELTS letter shows a definite relationship between the writer and the reader, and your language should be appropriate to that relationship.
When addressing someone you are not acquainted with, for example a manager of a company or a representative of an airline.
Used in a semi-formal situation when addressing a landlord, a supervisor, or a colleague.
Used in a casual way when addressing a close friend or a member of one's family.
A formal complaint should not sound like a casual text message:
"I'm very annoyed that you've lost my bag so fix it quickly."
A better version would be:
"I am writing to make known my annoyance about the luggage I have lost and to ask for immediate help."
Just as you should not use stiff, business-like language when writing to a friend, instead use:
"I am writing to formally invite you to come and see my city."
Write:
"How about you coming and staying with me for a few days next month?"
The key point is to keep the same tone running through the whole letter.
2. Ignoring one of the three bullet points
In each Task 1 question there are three instructions and you have to answer all of them; if a point is only briefly referred to your Task Achievement mark could be affected.
To give each bullet point a proper amount of development, you usually need to write a separate body paragraph for it and include some realistic details—for example, when an event took place, what caused the problem, and the effect it had on you.
Weak example:
As the heater stopped functioning, the room became cold.
Stronger example:
Last evening when I turned on the heater in the living room it started making a loud rattling sound and then switched off altogether. Since the temperature fell during the night, my family had to spend the night without any heating.
It is the inclusion of specific details that makes your writing clearer and more convincing.
3. Using the Incorrect Greeting or Closing
You should match your opening with your closing.
If you don't know the person's name:
Opening: Dear Sir or Madam,
Closing: Yours faithfully,
If you know the person's surname:
Opening: Dear Mr Henderson / Dear Ms Patel,
Closing: Yours sincerely,
For a personal friend, you can use:
Opening: Dear Sarah,
Closing: Best regards / All the best / Warm regards
When you know the person's first name, do not use "Yours faithfully".
4. Hiding Your Purpose
When writing formal or semi-formal letters, give a reason for your letter in the opening sentence and do not spend time on casual topics such as:
Hi, how are you? I hope you are doing well.
Instead, get directly to the point:
I am writing in order that you may be made aware of an urgent maintenance problem in my apartment building.
Or:
I am applying for the project coordinator position which has been advertised on your website.
That's different when writing to a friend; it's perfectly natural to start with a brief personal greeting before going on to the main point.
5. The use of contractions in formal letters
Expressions like can't, won't, I'd, and they're are usual in ordinary conversation and may be used in informal letters but ought to be avoided in formal and semi-formal writing.
Use the full forms instead:
• cannot instead of can’t
• will not instead of won’t
• I would instead of I’d
• they are instead of they’re
It gives the text a more professional tone and shows that grammatical control is present.
6. How to add addresses or bullet points
IELTS won't ask for postal addresses, dates, or a formal letter header. Putting them there would waste a lot of time that could have been spent on planning and writing. Start off with your greeting.
You must also refrain from employing bullet points in your answer since IELTS requires a coherent letter written in paragraphs. Allocate one paragraph for the introduction, one or more paragraphs for the main points and include a suitable concluding paragraph.
Useful Vocabulary
Natural and accurate vocabulary can boost your Lexical Resource score. For example:
Rectify: Correct a problem.
• I am sure that your team will take the necessary steps right away to correct this billing error.
Inconvenience refers to the difficulty or disruption that is caused to a person.
• I would like to offer my apologies for any trouble that this change might cause.
Substandard: Not good enough.
• The accommodation was in entirely substandard condition.
Get caught up with someone after not seen them for a while.
• It would be nice to catch up with each other over a coffee this weekend.
Make sure the words you use are appropriate for the tone of your letter and don't employ more sophisticated vocabulary just to appear impressive.
Final Checklist
Before moving on to Writing Task 2, quickly check the following:
• What is my tone—formal, semi-formal, or informal?
• Has my purpose been made clear in the first sentence?
• Have I then dealt completely with all three bullet points?
• Does the logical order of my paragraphs appear to be sound?
• Are my greeting and closing consistent?
• Have I eliminated the use of contractions in formal writing?
• Is the length of my letter at least 150 words?
Try to write about 160 to 180 words so that you satisfy the minimum requirement without spending a lot of time on Task 1.