Reference · GT Writing
The Letter Bank
Everything you need for General Training Task 1 in one place. Keep this open while you draft. It is not a page to memorise — it is a page to reach for when you are stuck on an opening line at minute four.
Dear Sir or Madam → Yours faithfully. Dear + a name → Yours sincerely.
These pairs cannot be swapped, and mixing them is one of the very few things in IELTS Writing that is simply wrong rather than merely weak.
01 The three registers
| Formal | Semi-formal | Informal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recipient | Someone you don't know, or an institution — a company, a council, an unnamed manager. | Someone you know by name in a practical or professional relationship — manager, landlord, neighbour, tutor, colleague. | A friend or family member. |
| Opening | Dear Sir or Madam, | Dear Mr Sharma, / Dear Ms Karki, | Dear Anita, / Hi Anita, |
| Closing | Yours faithfully, | Yours sincerely, (or Best regards,) | Best wishes, / Take care, / See you soon, / All the best, |
| Contractions | Never. I am, not I'm. | Sparingly, or not at all. | Yes — their absence sounds cold and costs you marks. |
| Phrasal verbs | Avoid. Tolerate, not put up with. Resolve, not sort out. | Some are fine. | Natural and expected. |
| Requests | I would be grateful if you could… / I should be obliged if you would… | I would be grateful if you could… / I wondered whether it might be possible to… | Could you do me a favour? / Any chance you could…? |
Writing to a company too casually loses marks. So does writing to a friend too formally. If the prompt says "write to your friend" and you produce "I am writing to inform you that I have recently returned from a period of travel", that is a register mismatch and Task Achievement is capped — exactly as it would be the other way round.
02 The shape of every letter
- Salutation. Dear ___,
- Purpose. One or two sentences. The reader should know what this letter wants by the end of the first line.
- Bullet 1 — its own paragraph.
- Bullet 2 — its own paragraph.
- Bullet 3 — its own paragraph.
- Closing line, then the matching sign-off and your name.
They are not suggestions or prompts for inspiration — they are the checklist an examiner uses for Task Achievement. Cover all three and develop each one. A bullet answered in a single clause is a bullet mentioned, not covered, and it costs you the same as leaving it out.
Addresses are not required. Do not write them. They earn nothing and eat your twenty minutes.
03 Opening and closing lines
Openings by purpose
| Purpose | Formal / semi-formal | Informal |
|---|---|---|
| Complaining | I am writing to complain about… I was extremely disappointed to find that… | I have to tell you, I wasn't happy about… |
| Requesting | I am writing to request… I would be grateful if you could… | I was wondering if you could… Could you do me a favour? |
| Applying | I am writing to apply for the position of… I should like to be considered for… | — |
| Enquiring | I am writing to enquire about… I would be interested to know whether… | I wanted to ask you about… |
| Apologising | I am writing to apologise for… Please accept my apologies for… | I'm so sorry about… I feel terrible about… |
| Thanking | I am writing to thank you for… I am most grateful for… | I just wanted to say thank you for… I can't thank you enough for… |
| Inviting | I would like to invite you to… We should be delighted if you could join us. | Do you fancy…? You should come — it'd be great to see you. |
| Giving news | I am writing to let you know that… | I've got some news… Guess what? |
Closing lines
Formal / semi-formal
- I look forward to hearing from you.
- I look forward to receiving your reply.
- Thank you for your time and assistance.
- Should you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
- I would appreciate a reply within fourteen days.
- Thank you for considering this request.
Informal
- Let me know what you think.
- Hope to hear from you soon.
- Anyway, I'd better go — write soon!
- Give my love to everyone.
- Can't wait to see you.
- Thanks again for everything.
04 Functional language — the six jobs
Almost every Task 1 prompt asks a letter to do one or two of these six jobs. Learn one reliable phrase per job per register and you will never lose a minute hunting for a sentence.
| Job | Formal / semi-formal | Informal |
|---|---|---|
| Requesting | I would be grateful if you could… Would it be possible for me to…? I wondered whether it might be possible to… I should be obliged if you would… |
Could you do me a favour? Any chance you could…? Would you mind…? I don't suppose you could…? |
| Complaining | I am writing to complain about… I was disappointed to find that… The service fell well short of what was advertised. I trust you will understand my frustration. |
I wasn't at all happy with… It was a bit of a disaster, honestly. I have to say I expected better. |
| Apologising | Please accept my apologies for… I would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused. I do regret that… |
I'm so sorry about… I feel terrible about… I hope you can forgive me. |
| Thanking | I am most grateful for… I greatly appreciate the trouble you took to… Thank you for your help with this. |
Thank you so much for… I can't thank you enough for… You've been a lifesaver. |
| Inviting | I would like to invite you to… We should be delighted if you could join us. I do hope you will be able to attend. |
Do you fancy coming…? Would you be up for…? It wouldn't be the same without you. |
| Explaining | The reason for this is that… This is due to the fact that… Unfortunately, circumstances have changed since… |
The thing is… What happened was… It's a long story, but basically… |
Lexical Resource rewards range. Apologising three times with "I am sorry" three times is one phrase used three times. "Please accept my apologies for…", "I do regret…", and "I hope you can forgive the inconvenience" is three. Same letter, better band, no extra words.
05 Vague versus specific
The commonest reason a technically correct letter scores a 6 rather than a 7 is not grammar. It is that everything in it is general. Compare:
| Vague — band 6 territory | Specific — band 7+ |
|---|---|
| I bought something from your shop recently and it is not working well. | I purchased an electric heater from your Durbar Marg branch on 14 November; my order reference is 4471-B. |
| The course was not very good. | Of the eight advertised sessions, two were cancelled at short notice and a third was taught by a substitute who had not seen the materials. |
| Please do something about this. | I would be grateful if you could replace the unit with the same model, and confirm a delivery date within fourteen days. |
| I will make sure my work is covered. | Bikash has agreed to handle the supplier reports, and I would prepare a full handover note before I leave. |
The details do not have to be true. Nobody is checking whether the branch exists or whether Bikash is real. What the examiner is checking is whether your letter reads like a letter a real person would send about a real situation — and real letters contain dates, names, references and numbers.
06 The five-point check
Two minutes at the end of every letter. It is worth more than two extra minutes of writing, every single time.
- Are all three bullets covered, with a paragraph each — and is the third one developed, not just mentioned?
- Is my purpose in the first sentence?
- Does my sign-off match my salutation?
- Have I used contractions in a formal letter — or failed to use any in an informal one?
- Am I over 150 words?
07 40 practice situations
Every one of these is a plausible Task 1 prompt. Use them two ways. Full practice: pick one, invent three bullet points for it, and write it in twenty minutes. Three-minute drill — better value if you are short of time: pick one and, without writing the letter, decide only the register, the salutation, the sign-off, and three or four words of content for each bullet. Doing ten of those in half an hour trains the decision that actually costs candidates marks.
| # | Register | Type | Situation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Formal | Complaint | You bought a household appliance that stopped working within a month. Write to the shop's customer services manager. |
| 2 | Formal | Complaint | You stayed at a hotel and the room was not as advertised. Write to the hotel manager. |
| 3 | Formal | Complaint | A delivery arrived damaged and the company has not replied to your emails. Write to the company. |
| 4 | Formal | Complaint | Building work near your home is starting very early in the morning. Write to the local council. |
| 5 | Formal | Application | You have seen an advertisement for a part-time job at a local business. Write to apply. |
| 6 | Formal | Application | You want to apply for a place on a short course that is already full. Write to the college. |
| 7 | Formal | Application | A local organisation is looking for volunteers. Write offering your help. |
| 8 | Formal | Request | You need a document from an office that has not responded to your phone calls. Write requesting it. |
| 9 | Formal | Request | You want a company to send you information about a product before you buy it. Write and ask. |
| 10 | Formal | Request | You would like a refund for a course you were unable to attend. Write to the institute. |
| 11 | Formal | Explanation | You missed an appointment and were charged a fee. Write explaining why and asking for the fee to be waived. |
| 12 | Formal | Suggestion | A bus route near your home has been cancelled. Write to the transport company suggesting an alternative. |
| 13 | Formal | Suggestion | Your local library is closing early. Write to the council explaining why this is a problem and what could be done. |
| 14 | Formal | Thanks | A member of staff at a shop went to unusual lengths to help you. Write to their manager praising them. |
| 15 | Semi-formal | Request | You need three weeks off work for a family occasion. Write to your manager. |
| 16 | Semi-formal | Request | You would like to change your working hours. Write to your manager explaining why. |
| 17 | Semi-formal | Request | You want to transfer from one course group to another. Write to your course tutor. |
| 18 | Semi-formal | Request | Your landlord has not repaired a leak you reported. Write asking for it to be fixed. |
| 19 | Semi-formal | Complaint | A neighbour's building work is causing dust and noise. Write to the neighbour. |
| 20 | Semi-formal | Complaint | Your internet connection has been unreliable for weeks despite two visits. Write to the provider's local manager. |
| 21 | Semi-formal | Explanation | You will miss an important meeting. Write to the colleague running it. |
| 22 | Semi-formal | Explanation | You damaged something belonging to your landlord. Write explaining and offering to pay. |
| 23 | Semi-formal | Apology | You had to cancel an arrangement with a colleague at short notice. Write apologising and rearranging. |
| 24 | Semi-formal | Application | Your employer offers funding for qualifications. Write to your manager applying for it. |
| 25 | Semi-formal | Suggestion | Your workplace has no space to eat lunch. Write to your manager suggesting a change. |
| 26 | Semi-formal | Thanks | A tutor gave you extra help outside class hours. Write thanking them. |
| 27 | Semi-formal | Invitation | Your team is holding a farewell for a colleague. Write inviting your manager. |
| 28 | Informal | Thanks | A friend looked after your home while you were away. Write thanking them and telling them about your trip. |
| 29 | Informal | Thanks | A friend helped you move house. Write thanking them and inviting them to dinner. |
| 30 | Informal | Invitation | You are having a party for a family occasion. Write inviting a friend who lives abroad. |
| 31 | Informal | Invitation | You have started a new activity and think a friend would enjoy it. Write suggesting they join you. |
| 32 | Informal | News | You have changed jobs. Write telling a friend what happened and what the new job is like. |
| 33 | Informal | News | You have moved to a new city. Write telling a friend about it and inviting them to visit. |
| 34 | Informal | Apology | You forgot a friend's birthday. Write apologising and suggesting a way to make up for it. |
| 35 | Informal | Apology | You borrowed something from a friend and damaged it. Write explaining and offering to replace it. |
| 36 | Informal | Advice | A friend is thinking of taking the course you have just finished. Write telling them what it was like. |
| 37 | Informal | Advice | A friend is visiting your country for the first time. Write telling them what to bring and where to go. |
| 38 | Informal | Request | You need to borrow something from a friend for a week. Write and ask. |
| 39 | Informal | Request | You would like a friend to look after your pet while you travel. Write and ask. |
| 40 | Informal | Explanation | You have to cancel a visit to a friend. Write explaining and rearranging. |
Use the writing boxes on any of the five day pages — they save your draft and give you AI feedback — or the AI Evaluate tool if you would rather paste a letter you wrote on paper. It also accepts a photo of handwriting.