In this tutorial you will learn:

·       How to build the structure of your IELTS General Writing Task 1 answer.

This will help you in your IELTS General Writing exam because:

·       You will learn the main elements that you should build into your GT Writing Task 1 answer.

·       You will learn invaluable tips that work with all the types of IELTS General Writing Task 1 questions.

General Training Writing Task 1, which is always a letter writing task, is often perceived easier than its Academic counterpart. Yet, GT Task 1has its own intricacies requiring preparation. 

In this tutorial you will learn to structure and elaborate all the types of letters in a fast and efficient manner.

First, here are the features of General Training Writing Task 1.

You should spend no longer than 20 minutes and it accounts for about 30% of your entire Writing score.

In GT Writing Task 1 you will always be asked to write one type of letter. It may be one of the following types: informal, neutral/formal or formal.

Here are examples of each letter type question.

Letter type Who are you writing to?Sample purpose typesInformal letterA person that you know very well.You can and will call them by their first name.Thanking a friend or a colleagueProviding information to a friend/family member/colleagueInviting a friend for a summer holidayAsking for advice from a family member/friendNeutral/formal letterA person that you may or may not know so well. You might have met them once.You will use their last name to address them politely.Making a request to return an item to a neighbourComplaining to the landlord about mouse infestationMaking a suggestion to a superior manager regarding work Formal letterA person that you have never met, and you do not know their name.Complaining about poor quality of service/product to a store/airline/bank/restaurantProviding apology and explanation for absence from collegeApplying for a job

Whether you write a formal, neutral/formal or informal letter, you should structure it clearly and efficiently, so the purpose (advising, apologizing, complaining, requesting, etc.) is easily perceivable.

The universal letter structure consists of these compulsory parts.

·       Opening with a salutation (saying hello) part.

·       Introduction: purpose of writing

·       1 body paragraphs that will explain the situation or outline the problem

·       1 body paragraph that will offer the solution, or suggest desirable action.

·       Concluding sentence

·       Closing with a farewell (saying goodbye) part.

·       Signature (is OPTIONAL!)

 Important: clearly signal the beginning of a new paragraph in one of the following ways:

–  Leaving an indent: this means writing at about 3-4 centimetres to the right of the left margin.

–  Skipping a line: this is leaving an entire line space between 2 paragraphs, and start the new paragraph with a small indent. 

Let’s outline the GT Task 1 letter in more detail.

SALUTATION

The salutation is ALWAYS placed on the first line,