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IELTS Letter Writing Essential Tips and Mistakes to Avoid

IELTS Letter Writing Essential Tips will help you structure your letter effectively and avoid common mistakes, boosting your overall band score in IELTS Writing Task 1. Read in detail
authorImageNigam Sharma25 Feb, 2025
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IELTS Letter Writing Essential Tips

IELTS Letter Writing Essential tips: The IELTS Letter writing tests your ability to write letters for several purposes, including filing a complaint, requesting information, or providing clarification. Consider these IELTS Letter Writing Essential tips to improve your General Writing Task 1 score. 

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IELTS Letter Writing Essential tips

The basic requirement for achieving a high IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 score is using the appropriate strategy and technique. You will be able to perform at your highest level after you are aware of all the appropriate strategies.

You can master the art of writing letters to achieve the ideal score you desire for your qualifying requirements by using the IELTS Letter Writing Tips that follow. 

1. Find the Type of letter 

Understand the situation and the person you must write the letter to after reading the directions and the question. This will help you understand the letter types. You will be required to write a letter using any one of the three-letter formats. They are as follows:

2. Identify the purpose of the letter 

You have to understand the reason behind writing the letter after determining its type. You have to change the tone and word form according to the goal. See the following examples for a better understanding.

Purpose of Letter

Letter Type

Purpose

Formal

  • Making a job application

  • Making an insurance application

  • Making a complaint to a bank, school, government, etc.

  • Suggestion or recommendation 

Semi-formal

  • Requesting approval from the manager

  • Making a complaint to the renter

  • A recommendation for a neighbour

  • Letter from a parent to the teacher 

Informal

  • Writing a letter to a friend about your experience on the office trip

  • Asking a friend who lives far away to attend your birthday celebration

  • Telling your aunt about your college new students' experience

  • Apologizing for your mistake.  

3. Letter Writing Format 

You will receive the desired band score on your IELTS general writing exam if your letter has the ideal format. It is important to divide your letter into different paragraphs to make an impression on your examiner. Three standard paragraphs make up the basic format of a letter. They are as follows:

Introduction

Greetings, Sir or Madam Dear Andy, Mr. Krishna

Main body paragraphs

These include the objective, details, recommendation, action, etc.

Conclusion

Sincerely, Yours faithfully, Yours truly, Best wishes, See you, lots of love.

4. Opening of the formal, semi-formal, and informal letter 

If the letter is professional or semi-formal, start with a greeting or appropriate salutation and the purpose for writing. If the letter is informal, start with a salutation and question about the recipient's health. Keep in mind that if you don't know someone, you shouldn't use nice language. Let's study a few examples of each of the three categories.

Openings of formal, Semi-Formal, and Informal Letter

Types of Letter

Opening 

Formal letter

Dear Sir/Madam,

  • I'm writing regarding...

  • I'm writing to express my gratitude. 

Semi-formal letter

Dear Mr. Nirmal,

  • I'm writing to inform you of...

  • I'm writing to let you know that...

Informal letter: 

Dear Sir/Madam,

  • I'm writing to let you know that I hope you're doing well.

  • I'm writing to share some personal issues with you. 

5. Mention the details of the letter 

Writing a letter can be used to express a request, an apology, a recommendation, a job application, etc. 

6. Closing of the formal, semi-formal & informal letter 

The most important parts of every letter, either professional, semi-formal, or informal, are its introduction and conclusion. Remembering the Letter writing format can help you make the ideal closing sentence.

7. Vocabulary or lexical resource 

The IELTS general writing task 1 includes vocabulary proficiency or vocabulary resources as one of its marking factors. The number of words the student used will influence their IELTS band score. Students need to use more complex and unique language in their letters, whether they are professional, semi-formal, or informal if they want to receive a band score of 8 or higher. Regular practice will help you easily increase your vocabulary for the IELTS general writing task 1. 

8. Grammar accuracy & spelling 

Grammar and spelling are two eyes of the IELTS General Writing task 1. A minor spelling or grammar mistake might have an important effect on your score. It is also important that you pay closer attention when writing your letter, proofread it twice, and fix any errors. Increase your score by using a broad range of word types and language formats. 

9. Practice sample letters but do not memorise 

There are numerous examples of IELTS general writing task 1 online. All of those are provided to help you understand the structure, format, and flow of writing. Practice the examples to get a feel for the work, but do not commit the samples to memory. Memorizing will not help you in any situation. Regular practice will help you finish the task efficiently. 

10. Readability 

Writing is important for improving the letter's appearance and readability. Stay clear of scribbling, hitting, and overwriting. Plan your letter before you write it to avoid these errors.

Also Check:- 

Common Mistakes to Avoid while Writing IELTS Letter

Here, we'll look at common IELTS writing mistakes and offer helpful advice on how to avoid them.

Lake of Task Response

IELTS writing mistakes can occur when the work requirements are not properly addressed. Some students might not follow the prompt exactly or might not answer every part of the question. Avoid this by carefully studying the task, highlighting important words, and making sure your answer relates directly to each question part.

Neglecting Consistency and Continuity

Writing for the IELTS requires effective communication. Some students have trouble putting their thoughts in a logical order, which makes their letters unclear. Logically connect sentences and paragraphs by using consistent methods like linking words and transitional phrases. This improves your letter's overall coherence.

Ignoring Word Count

Every writing task on IELTS has a word count requirement. A lower band score can be the consequence of exceeding or falling short of the allotted word count. Always keep an eye on the word count, and write within the allotted limit to get a feel for how much information you can include in the answer.

Overlooking Grammar and Vocabulary

Your writing score can be affected by grammatical mistakes and a small vocabulary. Develop your vocabulary and practice grammar regularly to improve the precision of your ideas. Use complex structures carefully, it's better to show accuracy with simple words rather than run the danger of making mistakes in grammar with ones that are too complicated.

Insufficient Proofreading

A lot of students overlook how important it is to rewrite their letters before turning them in. Grammar, spelling, and typos issues are readily overlooked if you don't take the time to proofread your work. Give yourself a few minutes at the end of the exam to carefully read and rewrite your letter.

Also Check:

PW Guidance for IELTS Examination

Remember that a high IELTS band score might boost your chances of admission to the world's top universities. This is your chance to demonstrate your proficiency in English and make a crucial move toward your goal of studying abroad. To cover every topic and get the required band score, students must follow a structured preparation plan. PhysicsWallah provides online IELTS courses along with a structured approach to preparation.

 

IELTS Letter Writing Essential Tips FAQs

Q1- How to write cohesive letters in IELTS General Writing Task 1?

Ans- Using reference words, linkers, and paragraphs correctly will help you write more cohesive letters on the IELTS exam.

Q2- How to get 8.0 in IELTS Writing?

Ans- Students can improve their overall IELTS writing scores by using several linkers, adverbial phrases, references, and punctuation.

Q3- What is the duration of the IELTS Letter Writing Task?

Ans- The deadline for completing IELTS General Writing Task 1 (Letter Writing) is 20 minutes.

Q4- How long should my IELTS letter be?

Ans- A minimum of 150 words should be included in your letter. Staying inside the word limit is important, but to keep your concentration, don't write much more than is necessary.

Q5- What are some key tips for improving my IELTS letter writing?

Ans- Avoid using informal vocabulary in official and semi-formal letters, address all of the bullet points, use a suitable tone, and arrange your writing logically.
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