IELTS Writing Task 1 General Training Letter Samples 2026

IELTS Writing Task 1 in the General Training module is letter writing, not data description. The skill being tested is whether you can produce communication appropriate to a real-world social or professional scenario. The tone of the letter is graded as heavily as the grammar, and tone is the single thing most candidates get wrong — formal openings followed by informal closings, slang in business letters, or formal vocabulary used to write to a friend.

This guide gives you the structural template plus three complete Band 9 sample letters covering all three tones. Each sample is annotated to show exactly which lexical and grammatical choices earned the band. Use these as scaffolding for your own practice — but never as content to memorise. Cambridge's April 2026 anti-memorisation detection now flags letters where the body sentences read significantly more polished than the candidate's Speaking transcripts, which caps Task Response at band 5 if memorisation is confirmed.

✉️What General Training Task 1 Actually Is

GT Writing has the same structure as Academic Writing — Task 1 in 20 minutes, Task 2 in 40 — but Task 1 is completely different in format. Instead of describing a chart or process, you write a letter responding to a real-world scenario. Task 2 is essentially identical across both modules.

Every GT Task 1 prompt has the same shape: a scenario (1-2 sentences), the recipient identified, and three bullet points describing what your letter must cover. Address all three bullets or Task Achievement caps at band 5.

🎭The 3 Letter Types — Which Prompt Is Which

IELTS GT prompts split into three tone categories based on who you are writing to. The recipient is always identified in the first sentence of the prompt. Spotting the tone correctly is the first 30 seconds of the test.

One nuance: a letter to a colleague you know well sits between semi-formal and informal — the prompt wording ("a colleague you have been friends with for years" vs "a colleague") tells you which side to lean. When in doubt, pick semi-formal — examiners reward correctness over distinction.

🏗️The Standard Letter Structure

Every band-7+ GT letter follows the same five-section structure, with one body paragraph per bullet point in the prompt. The structure is identical across all three tones — only the language register changes.

🏢Sample Letter #1 — Formal (Complaint)

What this letter does right

• Tone is rigorously formal: "Dear Sir or Madam", "Yours faithfully", no contractions, no informal phrasing.
• All three bullets are explicitly covered, each in its own paragraph. Examiner checking against Task Achievement can tick all three.
• Specific details: order reference number, exact dates, percentage figures (every fifth keystroke), specification claims (eight hours). Band 9 letters reward specificity over abstraction.
• Sequencing connectors: Firstly, Secondly, Finally. The structure within the body paragraph is signposted for the reader.
• Direct ask in the third paragraph: "a full replacement at no additional cost or a complete refund within seven working days". Formal letters reward an explicit request over a vague hope.

👥Sample Letter #2 — Semi-Formal (Request to a Colleague)

What this letter does right

• Tone is consistently semi-formal: "Dear Priya" (first name), "Best regards" (warm but professional close). No "Hi", no slang. The opening "I hope this finds you well" is a standard semi-formal warm opener.
• Specific, warm detail: not just "you were helpful" but "the Q4 audit last year when you stepped in to help me untangle the supplier reporting issue". Concrete memory equals authenticity equals band 9.
• Polite question for the third bullet: "Could we set up a standing coffee catch-up, perhaps once every six weeks?" — a specific, actionable proposal rather than a vague "let's keep in touch".
• Mixed formality lexis: "genuinely", "well-deserved", "the org chart alone would suggest" — sophisticated phrasing without crossing into formal-business register.
• Forward-looking close: "Wishing you every success in the new chapter" — warm, professional, neither too formal nor too casual.

💌Sample Letter #3 — Informal (Invitation to a Friend)

What this letter does right

• Tone is genuinely informal: "How are you?", contractions throughout ("I've", "I'm", "won't"), warm dramatic closer ("Say you'll come"). Band 9 informal letters sound like a real letter to a real friend.
• Specific shared memory: "That walking trip to Bergamo" — the candidate did not invent a generic shared past, they pinned it to one specific event. Authenticity reads as band 9.
• Direct sentiment without becoming sentimental: "The wedding won't feel quite right without the person who basically caused it" — warm, specific, and avoids cliché.
• Practical detail in the third bullet: "a load of airline points", "pick you up from Milan" — concrete offers rather than a vague "let me know if I can help".
• Sentence-length variation: long descriptive sentences mixed with short emotional ones ("Say you'll come."). Band 9 grammar criterion rewards range, not just complexity.

🎚️Tone — the Band Killer

Tone is the single largest source of lost marks on GT Task 1. Examiners are trained to spot tone mismatches in the first 20 seconds of reading, and a mismatch caps Task Achievement at band 5 to 6 regardless of vocabulary or grammar quality. The three patterns below are by far the most common.

The fix is simple: decide the tone in the first 30 seconds of reading the prompt, write it on your scratch paper, and check every sentence against it before the next one. The three sample letters above demonstrate consistent tone throughout — practising against them with the prompt covered until your tone matches by reflex is the single highest-leverage drill for GT Task 1.

⚠️Common Mistakes Beyond Tone

1. Missing a bullet point. Each of the three bullets in the prompt must be addressed. Skipping any one caps Task Achievement at band 5. The fix: dedicate exactly one body paragraph to each bullet, in order.
2. Word count under 150. Same rule as Task 1 Academic — under 150 caps Task Achievement at band 5. Target 170 to 180 words across all five sections (salutation, opening, three body paragraphs, close, sign-off).
3. Generic detail. "The laptop has many problems" is band 5. "The keyboard fails to register approximately every fifth keystroke on the lower row" is band 9. Specificity is the easiest single lift available.
4. No clear request or close. The third paragraph in a formal letter should contain an explicit request (refund, action, response by date). In an informal letter, it should contain a specific proposal or offer. Vague endings ("I hope to hear from you") work but explicit ones score higher.
5. Sign-off mismatch. "Yours faithfully" only goes with "Dear Sir or Madam". "Yours sincerely" goes with "Dear Mr/Ms [name]". "Best regards" or "Kind regards" for semi-formal. "Take care" / "Best wishes" / "Speak soon" for informal. Mismatched sign-offs are the fastest band-marker examiners catch.

Conclusion