4.1. Understanding General Task 1
What is General Task 1?
In General Training Task 1, you write a letter of at least 150 words in about 20 minutes. You are given an everyday situation and asked to write a letter responding to it.
Unlike Academic Task 1 (which tests your ability to describe data), General Task 1 tests your ability to communicate in writing in common real-life situations — the kind of letters you might actually need to write when living in an English-speaking country.
What You'll See on Test Day
Every General Task 1 question has the same format:
- A situation — background context (1-2 sentences)
- A recipient — who you're writing to (a friend, a manager, a company, etc.)
- Three bullet points — specific things you must address in your letter
- Standard instructions — "Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write any addresses."
Example:
You are moving to a new country to go to university, and you are also looking for a part-time job. You have a friend who lives in that country.
Write a letter to your friend. In your letter:
- greet them and apologise for not staying in touch more
- tell them why you're moving to this country
- ask them if they can help you find a job
Write at least 150 words.
Types of Situations
The situations are always common, everyday scenarios. You don't need specialist knowledge. Common situations include:
| Category | Example situations |
|---|---|
| Accommodation | Writing to a landlord about problems with your flat; writing to a university about student housing |
| Work | Writing to your boss about time management issues; requesting time off; reporting a problem |
| Services | Writing to a company about a faulty product; complaining to a utility provider |
| Local community | Writing to a newspaper about a local issue; writing to the council about a new development |
| Social | Writing to a friend about visiting; inviting someone to an event; recommending something |
| Travel | Writing to a hotel to make a booking; writing about lost luggage |
The Three Bullet Points
The bullet points are critical. Each one asks you to do something specific, and you must address all three in your letter. Missing a bullet point will lower your Task Achievement score.
Common bullet point actions:
| Action | What you need to do |
|---|---|
| Greet / Apologise | Open warmly, acknowledge something (e.g., not being in touch) |
| Explain / Tell | Give information or reasons clearly |
| Request / Ask | Politely ask for something specific |
| Complain / Express dissatisfaction | State a problem and its impact on you |
| Suggest / Recommend | Offer advice or propose a solution |
| Invite | Ask someone to attend/participate in something |
| Provide details / Information | Share specific facts (dates, times, requirements) |
| Express wants and needs | Say what you need and why |
| Give your opinion | State what you think about something |
Each bullet point should get roughly equal treatment. Don't write a whole page on bullet point 1 and then rush through 2 and 3 in one sentence each. Aim for a paragraph per bullet point.
The Three Tones
The most important decision you'll make is: what tone should this letter be? The tone determines your language choices throughout.
How to Identify the Tone
| Clue in the question | Tone | Who you're writing to |
|---|---|---|
| "Write a letter to your friend" / "Dear Jack" | Informal | A friend or close family member |
| "Write a letter to your manager" / "the person in charge" | Semi-formal | Someone you know but not well (boss, teacher, landlord) |
| "Write a letter to the company" / "Dear Sir or Madam" | Formal | Someone you don't know, an organisation, official complaint |
What Changes Between Tones
| Feature | Formal | Semi-formal | Informal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contractions | Never (do not, cannot, I would) | Occasionally acceptable | Yes (don't, can't, I'd) |
| Opening | Dear Sir/Madam, | Dear Mr/Mrs/Dr Smith, | Hi Jack, / Hey Sarah, / Dear Tom, |
| Closing | Yours faithfully, | Yours sincerely, | Best wishes, / Take care, / Cheers, |
| Language | "I am writing to express my concern regarding..." | "I am writing to let you know about..." | "Just dropping you a line to tell you about..." |
| Requests | "I would be grateful if you could..." | "Could you please..." | "Could you help me with..." / "Any chance you could..." |
| Vocabulary | investigate, accommodate, rectify | look into, help with, fix | check out, sort out, give me a hand |
| Sentence structure | Complex, passive voice acceptable | Mix of simple and complex | Shorter sentences, conversational |
Matching the tone IS the test. Using formal language in a letter to your best friend is just as wrong as using slang in a complaint letter. The examiner is assessing whether you can adjust your writing style to the situation.
Letter Structure
All letters, regardless of tone, follow the same basic structure:
Opening (salutation)
Paragraph 1: Address bullet point 1
→ Set the context, greet, explain why you're writing
Paragraph 2: Address bullet point 2
→ Provide information, explain, describe
Paragraph 3: Address bullet point 3
→ Request, suggest, invite, etc.
Closing line + sign-off
Opening and Closing Conventions
These are fixed conventions — learn them:
| Situation | Opening | Closing |
|---|---|---|
| You don't know the person's name (formal) | Dear Sir or Madam, | Yours faithfully, |
| You know the person's name (formal/semi-formal) | Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms/Dr Smith, | Yours sincerely, |
| You know the person well (informal) | Dear Jack, / Hi Sarah, / Hello Tom, | Best wishes, / Kind regards, / Take care, / Cheers, |
Memory trick: Faithfully goes with Formal (when you don't know them). Sincerely goes with Surname (when you use their name).
Using Your Imagination
While the bullet points give you the content framework, you'll need to invent realistic details to flesh out your letter. This is expected and encouraged.
For the question about moving abroad for university:
- Which country? (You choose — pick one you know something about)
- Which university? (Invent one or use a real one)
- What course? (Pick something you can talk about easily)
- What kind of job? (Something realistic for a student)
You don't need to be creative or original. You need to be clear and natural. Write as if this situation were real.
Example — informal letter to a friend:
Hi Will,
Hope you're doing well! I'm sorry I haven't been in touch much lately — things have been pretty hectic on my end with all the planning and applications.
I'm writing to let you know some exciting news: I've been accepted at the University of Bristol to study Computer Science! I've always wanted to experience life in the UK, and Bristol seems like an amazing city. The course starts in September, so I'll be moving over in August.
I was wondering if you could help me out with something. I'm going to need a part-time job to help cover living costs. Do you know of any cafes or shops that might be hiring? Even if you could just point me in the right direction, that would be brilliant.
Give me a call when you get a chance — would love to catch up properly!
Best wishes, Adi
What makes this effective:
| Feature | How it's done |
|---|---|
| Tone | Informal — contractions (I'm, I've, you're), casual phrases (pretty hectic, brilliant, give me a call) |
| Bullet point 1 | Greeting + apology for not being in touch (paragraph 1) |
| Bullet point 2 | Explains why moving — accepted at university (paragraph 2) |
| Bullet point 3 | Asks for help finding a job (paragraph 3) |
| Imagination | Invented specific details: Bristol, Computer Science, September, cafes and shops |
| Length | ~160 words — ideal range |
Scoring
General Task 1 is scored on the same four criteria as all IELTS writing:
| Criterion | What it means for letters |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement | Did you cover all 3 bullet points? Is the tone appropriate? Is the purpose clear? |
| Coherence & Cohesion | Is the letter logically organised? Does it flow naturally? |
| Lexical Resource | Is your vocabulary appropriate for the tone? Range and accuracy? |
| Grammatical Range & Accuracy | Variety of structures? Errors? Punctuation? |
The unique element for letters is tone appropriateness — this falls under Task Achievement. Using the wrong register (too formal, too informal) will cost you marks even if your grammar and vocabulary are perfect.
Common Mistakes
| Mistake | Example | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Wrong tone | Using "Dear Sir" when writing to a friend | Check: who are you writing to? |
| Missing a bullet point | Only addressing 2 out of 3 | Check each bullet point is covered with roughly equal depth |
| No closing | Just stopping without a sign-off | Always include an appropriate closing line + sign-off |
| Too short | Writing only 100 words | Develop each bullet point more — add realistic details |
| Copying the bullet points | "I am writing to greet you and apologise for not staying in touch" | Use the bullet points as a guide, not as sentences to copy |
Practice
Write a complete letter for this question (20 minutes):
You recently bought a piece of equipment for your kitchen but it did not work. You phoned the shop but no action was taken.
Write a letter to the shop manager. In your letter:
- describe the problem
- explain what happened when you phoned the shop
- say what you would like the manager to do
Before writing, decide:
- What tone? (Formal — writing to a shop manager you don't know)
- What equipment? (Invent something — a blender, a toaster, a coffee machine)
- What was wrong with it? (Invent a specific problem)
- What happened when you phoned? (Invent a realistic scenario)
- What do you want? (Refund, replacement, repair)
After writing, check:
- Did you use formal tone throughout? (Dear Sir/Madam, no contractions, polite requests)
- Did you cover all 3 bullet points with roughly equal detail?
- Did you include realistic specific details?
- Is it at least 150 words?
- Did you close appropriately? (Yours faithfully)
Key Takeaways
- General Task 1 is a letter based on an everyday situation — 150+ words in ~20 minutes
- You must address ALL 3 bullet points with roughly equal depth
- Identify the tone from the question: formal (don't know them), semi-formal (know by name), informal (friend/family)
- Matching the tone is critical for Task Achievement — wrong register = lower score
- Use your imagination to invent realistic details that flesh out the letter
- Follow letter conventions: correct opening (Dear Sir/Madam vs Dear Mr Smith vs Hi Jack) and closing (Yours faithfully vs Yours sincerely vs Best wishes)
- Structure: opening → paragraph per bullet point → closing line → sign-off