Welcome to your IELTS Writing Task – 1
ELTS General Writing Task 1 – Free Guide
Overview
In IELTS General Writing Task 1, you are required to write a letter based on a given situation.
Time : 20 minutes
Word Count : At least 150 words
Letter Types
•Formal Letters
•Informal Letters
Tone
•Formal Tone
•Friendly Tone
Structure
Write your letter in 4 paragraphs.
Paragraph 1 – Purpose
State the reason for writing the letter.
Paragraph 2 – First Main Point
Develop the first bullet point from the question.
Paragraph 3 – Second Main Point
Develop the second bullet point with relevant details.
Paragraph 4 – Third Main Point & Closing
Address the final bullet point, end the letter politely, and use an appropriate closing.
Assessment Criteria
Task Achievement
•Address all bullet points.
•Explain your ideas clearly.
•Maintain the correct purpose throughout the letter.
Coherence & Cohesion
•Organise your ideas into clear paragraphs.
•Present information in a logical order.
•Use linking words appropriately.
Lexical Resource
•Use a range of suitable vocabulary.
•Avoid repeating the same words.
•Choose words that match the tone of the letter.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
•Use a variety of sentence structures.
•Minimise grammar and punctuation errors.
•Demonstrate accurate use of tenses and sentence patterns.
Before submitting your letter, make sure you have checked the following:
✓ Correct use of articles (a, an, the)
✓ Correct subject-verb agreement
✓ Appropriate verb tenses
✓ Correct prepositions
✓ Accurate punctuation (capital letters, commas, full stops, apostrophes)
✓ Correct spelling
✓ A variety of sentence structures (simple, compound, and complex)
✓ Appropriate use of linking words
✓ Correct use of pronouns
✓ Proper word order
✓ Correct use of modals (can, could, should, would, may, might)
✓ Accurate plural and singular nouns
✓ No sentence fragments or run-on sentences
✓ Consistent tone throughout the letter (formal or friendly)
✓ Clear and grammatically correct opening and closing statements
