IELTS General Training letter: formal, semi-formal and informal samples

The format

A five-part plan for every letter

1. Greeting that matches the tone.
2. Opening sentence stating why you are writing.
3. Three body paragraphs, one per bullet point, developed with details.
4. Closing sentence saying what you want to happen next.
5. Sign-off and name.

Choosing the tone

Yours faithfully goes with Dear Sir or Madam; Yours sincerely goes with a named person.

Model letter 1: formal (complaint)

Formal model answer

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to complain about a coffee machine that I bought from your store on 3 March and about the way my complaint has been handled since.

When I first used the machine at home, it heated the water but did not pump any through to the cup. Instead, the water leaked from the base onto the kitchen counter. I followed the instructions in the manual carefully and tried again the next day, but the same thing happened.

On 5 March, I telephoned your customer service department and explained the problem. The assistant took my details and promised that someone would call me back within 48 hours to arrange a collection. However, nobody contacted me, and when I called again a week later, there was no record of my first call.

I would therefore be grateful if you could arrange for the faulty machine to be collected from my home and provide a full refund of £129 within the next 14 days. I have kept the receipt and the original packaging.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Daniel Okafor

Word count: 187

Model letter 2: semi-formal (to a neighbour)

Semi-formal model answer

Dear Mrs Lindqvist,

I hope you are well. I am writing to let you know that I am holding a party at my flat next Saturday, 14 June, and I would like to apologise in advance for any noise.

The party is to celebrate my graduation. My parents are travelling from abroad for the occasion, and I have invited around twenty friends from university, so it is quite an important evening for me.

I will do my best to keep the disturbance to a minimum. The music will be kept at a reasonable volume, and we will move inside from the balcony by ten o'clock. The party will finish by midnight at the latest, and I will make sure that guests leave quietly and do not block the shared entrance.

I would also be delighted if you could join us. You would be very welcome to come for as long as you like, and my parents would love to meet you. If there is any problem on the night, please just knock on the door.

Kind regards,

Ji-woo Park

Word count: 179

Model letter 3: informal (to a friend)

Informal model answer

Dear Tom,

I'm so glad you've finally booked your trip! I can't wait to see you next month.

The easiest way to get here is by train. There's a direct service from the airport every hour, and it takes about forty minutes. Don't bother with a taxi, because it's twice the price and the traffic around the city centre can be awful at rush hour. Just text me when you're on the train and I'll meet you at the station.

There's plenty to see while you're here. You have to visit the old harbour, which is full of little cafés and fishing boats, and the castle on the hill has an amazing view over the whole bay. If the weather's good, the coastal path to the next village is a lovely walk too.

As for what we can do together, I'd love to take you to the Saturday food market and then cook dinner at my place with whatever we buy. On Sunday we could hire bikes and ride along the river, just like we used to at university.

See you soon!

Best wishes,

Maya

Word count: 185

Why these letters score highly

Task Achievement. Each bullet point has its own paragraph, and each is developed with specific details (dates, prices, times, places). The purpose is stated in the first line.

Coherence and Cohesion. Paragraphs follow the order of the bullet points. Linking suits the tone: therefore and however in the formal letter; as for… and too in the informal one.

Lexical Resource. Vocabulary fits the reader: I would be grateful if you could arrange… (formal), keep the disturbance to a minimum (semi-formal), Don't bother with a taxi (informal).

Grammatical Range and Accuracy. All three use a mix of tenses (past for the complaint, future for the party and visit), conditionals and relative clauses accurately.

Common mistakes

1. Mixed tone. "Dear Sir or Madam… Cheers, Dan" or contractions in a complaint letter.
2. Missing a bullet point. Tick each one off as you plan.
3. Undeveloped points. "I would like a refund" is one line; say how much, by when and why.
4. Wrong sign-off. Yours faithfully with Dear Sir or Madam; Yours sincerely with a name.

More letter questions to practise

1. Formal: You saw an advertisement for a part-time job at a local museum. Write to the manager: say which job you are interested in, describe your relevant experience, and explain when you are available.
2. Formal: The bus service in your area has recently been reduced. Write to the transport company: describe the changes, explain how they affect you, and suggest what they should do.
3. Semi-formal: You are a member of a sports club and want to suggest an improvement. Write to the club secretary: explain what you want to change, why, and how it could be done.
4. Semi-formal: You need to take a week off work for a family event. Write to your manager: explain why, say when, and suggest how your work will be covered.
5. Informal: You recently moved to a new city. Write to a friend: describe your new home, explain why you moved, and invite your friend to visit.
6. Informal: A friend has asked for your advice about learning to drive. Write to your friend: share your own experience, give some advice, and offer to help.

For the rest of the module, see how to prepare for IELTS General Training. Your Task 2 essay in General Training is marked the same way as in Academic. See the Task 2 guide and the opinion essay to prepare.

Do I need to write addresses in an IELTS letter?

No. Start with the greeting ('Dear…') and end with the closing and your name. Addresses and dates are not required and do not earn marks.

How do I know whether a letter should be formal or informal?

Look at who you are writing to. A company, manager or official you don't know needs a formal letter. Someone you know but not well, such as a neighbour or landlord, needs a semi-formal letter. A friend or relative needs an informal letter.

What happens if I miss one of the three bullet points?

Your Task Achievement score drops, usually to band 5 or below for that criterion. Plan one paragraph per bullet point so none is missed.

Should I write my real name?

You can use any name. Using a first name only for an informal letter and a full name for a formal letter is natural.