Writing tool

IELTS General Task 1 — letter templates

Match the register to the recipient. The opening and closing lines tell the examiner you understand tone — that alone protects your Task Achievement score.

IELTS

Interactive practice lab

Turn IELTS General Task 1 — letter templates into active practice.

Short activities built directly from this writing tool. Drag, decide, match, and recall until the language becomes usable.

0/3

modes done

XP per mode

Complete a mode to earn XP and lock in the skill.

Quick decision

Match the pairs

Connect each register with the correct opening.

Round 1/3

Formal (manager / unknown) — choose the matching opening.

Mode ticks stay on this device; earned XP syncs when you are signed in.

Reference library

Study the examples, then replay the activity.

Use the full reference below when an answer in the practice lab feels uncertain.

Register at a glance

Register	Opening	Closing
Formal (manager / unknown)	Dear Sir or Madam,	Yours faithfully, Full name
Semi-formal (known by name)	Dear Mr / Ms Smith,	Yours sincerely, Full name
Informal (friend / family)	Dear Maria,	Best wishes, First name

Formal — opening phrases

Reason for writing

• I am writing to complain about …
• I am writing to enquire about …
• I am writing in connection with …

Polite requests

• I would be grateful if you could …
• I would appreciate it if you would …
• Could you please advise me on …

Informal — opening phrases

Friendly openers

• I hope you are doing well!
• It has been ages since we last caught up.
• How is everything on your side?

Reason

• I'm writing because I have some exciting news!
• Just a quick note to say …
• I wanted to ask you something …

Bullet checklist for any Task 1 letter

Address all three bullet points in the prompt — equal time on each.
Use one paragraph per bullet — not one long block.
Keep tone consistent from opening to closing.
Word count is 150 minimum — aim 170–190.
Sign off with the matching register.

Editorial details and primary sources

By FluentMock Editorial Team · Published 2026-06-13 · Updated 2026-06-28 · Official sources checked

IELTS test format — IELTS
IELTS scoring in detail — IELTS

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