Let us look at each of the features stated above one after the other:

1.  State the purpose

Start your letter by clearly stating why you are writing, and the purpose. The reason for writing your letter needs to be presented in the opening paragraph. Make sure the purpose of the letter is in direct response to the situation outlined in the question.

Example opening paragraphs with a clear purpose presented:

Formal letter

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with a product I purchased recently and to request a full refund.

Informal letter

Dear John,

I was so pleased to hear that you are planning on visiting my country, so I’m writing to give you some travel tips and advice before you book your trip.

2.  Use the right tone

Let us move on to the next feature in your letter that the examiner is looking for, the tone of your letter. The tone refers to how you write the letter, formal or informal style. The instructions in the question will give you a clue.

Begin your letter as follows:
Informal or semi-formal: written to a friend, colleague, or someone you know.

Dear John, Dear Mabel, (Your friend’s first name)

Can include contractions (e.g. can’t) and more direct speech (e.g. Can you fix the light in the kitchen, so I don’t have an accident?)

Formal: written to someone you do not know.

Dear Sir/Madam, (if you don’t know the name or gender of the person to which the
letter is addressed).

3.  Address the bullet points in the question

IELTS will normally provide you with bullet points in the question. To achieve the task, you will need to address the bullet points in the question. Please note that some bullet points contain more than one element. So, make sure to watch for ‘and’ and plurals.

Example:

An overseas friend wants to visit your country on holiday. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter

• Recommend the best time of year to visit and why
• Describe the types of accommodation your friend could choose
• Say what you would like to show your friend in your country 

Write at least 150 words.
You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Let us analyse the bullet points contained in the example above

Look at the first bullet point and you will see it contains two elements. So, make sure you present both:

• The best time of the year to visit and why it is the best time to visit

Look at the second bullet point and you will see that you have to describe the ‘types’ of accommodation. So, remember to watch for plurals.

4.  Appropriate Structure

A letter needs to be written using a proper format, including the following:

• A greeting (Dear Sir/Madam, Dear John, Dear Mr. Smith)
• The main body (consisting of paragraphs for each bullet point)
• A closing (Yours sincerely (if you know the name of the person you are writing to), Yours faithfully (if you don’t know the name of the person you are writing to), Best wishes, Kind regards, Love)

Analysing the Question

The question in IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 will present you with:

• A situation

Example:

An overseas friend wants to visit your country on holiday

• Who to write the letter to (The RECIPIENT)

Example:

Write a letter to your friend.

• What you must include in the letter (the bullet points).

Example:

In your letter

• Recommend the best time of year to visit and why
• Describe the types of accommodation your friend could choose
• Say what you would like to show your friend in your country