In this tutorial, ex-examiner Robert answers an IELTS General Task 1 formal letter writing topic.

Listen and you will learn:

One thing IELTS examiners look out for in Task 1 Letters

How to start your letter in a strong way

Sample answer to a recent IELTS task 1 Letter writing topic

How to end your General Task 1 Letter correctly

One thing IELTS examiners look out for in your task 1 answer

Now, one thing the examiners are looking out for is what they call the correct “tone”. 

This means whether we can use the right kind of language, the right expressions, when we are writing to strangers, to friends or to something in-between, what we could call “acquaintances”, people or institutions that are familiar to us but not really friends.

Today’s question is a formal letter chosen from recent IELTS Task 1 letter writing topics from October 2022.

This letter should be formal and distant. Your tone has to respect that. 

Read the question below:

You recently discovered that there are plans to build a new airport in your area and you are not happy with it. Write a letter to the local authority. In your letter,

Say how you found out about the plans

Explain what problems your neighbourhood will face

Suggest some possible solutions to those problems.

How to start your letter in a strong way

A good strong start to any letter is vital. Most recommend that we state in the first sentence information as who we are and why we are writing. 

Now, in “real life” in this particular case, we would undoubtedly name the area where we live right at the beginning and its proximity to the new airport plan as well as our general opinion with regard to this plan, all in the first sentence. 

It’s not necessary to state our name because that would be at the end of the letter where we sign. 

Here, we are “not happy” but that doesn’t mean we can be aggressive or impolite in our letter. 

We need to be polite, formal and direct. When we think of politeness and formality in English or any language, the first thing that comes to my mind is a modality, all those verbs such as would, should, could, and might, among others. 

Today’s tutorial will focus on how to start and finish a letter like this. 

Sample Answer-Introduction

I am writing to you to …..(verb)

To what? Well, to say that I am not happy with something. How can I say that in more formal terms? Let’s try:-

I am writing to you to express my …..(my what? I need a noun)

At this point, I am entering the world of synonyms. I am not happy. Am I just going to use “unhappiness”? I’m not sure I like that because it sounds too subjective and emotional. How about:

dissatisfaction, disappointment, disquiet…

You know all I did was google synonyms for “unhappiness” and when I got lots of “sadness”, “sorrow”, and “despondency” that made me feel I needed to contact a psychologist as soon as possible, so I thought maybe the idea of being unhappy or dissatisfied with a decision made by others was where I should be looking. Result? Dissatisfaction and some other synonyms. 

So, let’s continue:

I am writing to you to express my dissatisfaction with the ……

With what? It’s getting easier. All I need now is to mention the airport building plans. Here goes:

I am writing to you to express my dissatisfaction with the plans to construct an airport ….(where?)

Right, I have mentioned that I live in the area where they plan to build this airport. Should I give it a name to make it sound more authentic? 

Yes, it’s a good idea. Choose something simple, in English.