FAQ
The Letter Writing FAQ section answers common questions that a GT IELTS candidate might have. Read the FAQ and find what the IELTS GT Writing Task 1 (also known as letter writing) is all about.
1. How much time should I spend to finish my letter?
A. Ideally, you should spend 20 minutes to finish your letter answer. You will have 60 minutes to complete your writing section which consists of two tasks - letter writing and essay writing. It is advisable that you finish your letter in 20 minutes and then spend 40 minutes to complete your essay.
2. What if I take more than 20 minutes to finish my letter answer?
A. You will have less than 40 minutes to complete your essay if you take more than 20 minutes to write your letter.
3. Is Writing Task 1 in GT IELTS different than that of Academic IELTS?
A. Yes, the Writing Task 1 of the GT IELTS requires a candidate to write a letter while this task for an Academic test-taker involves summarising a graph or a chart.
4. How much the letter writing task worths compared to the essay writing?
A. Letter writing tasks worth one-third of the whole writing task. That means your essay writing worths twice as much as your letter writing.
5. What is the minimum word requirement for my GT Writing Task 1/letter writing?
A. You are advised to write at least 150 words.
6. Will I be penalised if I write less than 150 words?
A. Yes, if you write less than 150 words in your GT Writing Task 1 (letter writing), you will be penalised.
7. What if I write more than 150 words?
A. You can write more than 150 words if you like. You would not be negatively scored for writing more than 150 words. However, do not write as many as 250 words as it would require more time to finish your answer.
8. What should be the ideal length of a letter answer?
A. Your letter should be between 150 to 190 words. Your salutation and name are counted as worlds.
9. Does my spelling matters?
A. Yes, absolutely. If you make spelling mistakes, it will negatively affect your score. Always pay attention to your spelling.
10. Should I write my full name and address in my letter?
A. Your question instructions will often forbid you to write your own address. You can use your full name but do not write your full address.
11. Can I write fictitious names in my letter?
A. Yes, you can. You can write an imaginary name to address someone or even you can change your name.
12. Can I write XYZ instead of a person or an organisation's name?
A. Yes, you can.
13. Should I always follow the question instructions or maintain the standard letter writing rules? For instance, if the question instruction asks me to write "Dear Sir," but I find writing "Dear Sir/Madam" more appropriate, which one should I follow?
A. Always stick to the question instructions. If your instruction asks you to write "Dear Sir," you should always do so.
14. Can I use informal words while writing a personal letter?
A. While writing a personal letter you can use some informal words but do not use slang or words that are offensive.
15. Should I avoid using informal words in a formal letter?
A. Yes, by all means. A formal letter should never include an informal word.
16. Some questions instruct me to begin the letter as "Dear .....". What should I write instead of .....?
A. When you see the instruction to begin the letter as "Dear .....", you should include an imaginary name instead of the .....
17. What are the letter types that I may encounter in my IELTS GT Exam?
A. You will get one of the following IELTS Letter types in your exam:
a) Informal Letter (Personal Letter)
b) Semi-formal Letter
c) Formal Letter.
18. I heard that I should never write my own name. Is it correct?
A. No, it is not correct. There is no harm using your real name in IELTS GT Writing Task 1.
19. Do I have to follow the British spelling?
A. No, you do not have to follow the British spelling. American spelling is equally accepted. Stick to the one you feel comfortable in.
20. Can I copy a part of the question?
A. You should not copy sentences from the letter question. It will show that your vocabulary is weak. Instead, use a different sentence structure and use synonyms of words that are present in the questions.
21. Should my answer cover the bullet points mentioned in the question?
A. Yes, your letter should always cover the bullet points mentioned in the letter question. If you fail to do that, you will be negatively scored.
22. Can I use contractions like I'll, he's etc in my letter?
A. You should never use such contractions in a formal letter. However, using a few in a personal letter does not harm. But many teachers suggest students not to use such contractions.
23. Should I count the number of words I have written?
A. No, in an ideal situation you should never count your words. While practising you should have a pretty good idea how much you have already written.
24. Should I use a pen or a pencil to complete my writing task?
A. We would suggest you use a pencil. You can use a pen if you like but a pencil is more convenient and you can use an eraser to correct a mistake. Practice writing with a pencil before you do so in your original test.
25. Can I use upper case (CAPITAL LETTERS) to write my letter?
A. If you are not an expert, writing all CAPITAL LETTERS would take you more time. We would like to advise you to use the sentence case. DO NOT Write in all lower case either.
26. How to begin my letter? Should I write Dear Sir/ Madam, or Dear (...someone's name…) or simply name?
A. When you see the instruction to begin your letter as ‘Dear ….’, this means you should write an imaginary name instead of .... (for example, Dear Alfred). But when the question asks you to begin your letter as 'Dear Sir or Madam' follow the instruction and begin your letter as 'Dear Sir or Madam'. You should never write someone's name only (for example, John,) even if you are writing to a friend.
27. When should I write a semi-formal or a formal letter? Will that be mentioned in the question?
A. You should write a semi-formal type letter to someone you know about a formal or serious situation such as work. For example, you write a semi-formal letter to your manager whom you personally know in office and writing to ask for a leave of absence.
On the other hand, you need to write a formal letter to someone you DO NOT know about a serious or formal situation. For instance, you write a formal letter to the HR manager of the company you are applying for a job.
No, the letter question would not directly tell you what type of letter you need to write. You need to interpret it from the scenario and the person you are writing to.
28. What are the common circumstances when I write a formal, semi-formal or informal letter?
A. Following is a general guideline to interpret when to write what type of letter:
A. That depends on whether you are writing a personal/informal, semi-formal or a formal letter.
Pattern 1: (formal letter)
Salutation: Dear Sir, (or Dear Sir/ Madam,)
Signing off:
Yours faithfully/ Sincerely yours,
Linda Turner (Write your full name, this could be real or fictitious. The title is optional)
Pattern 2: (semi-formal)
Salutation: Dear Mr Alex,
Signing off:
Yours sincerely,
Rosa Luxemburg (Write your full name, this could be real or fictitious. The title is optional)
Pattern 3: (personal/ informal)
Salutation: Dear John or Hi John,
Signing off:
With love, See you soon, Take care, George, Yours loving,
(Do not write the title and last name)
30. What criteria does the examiner use while scoring my letter answer?
A. For that please refer to the writing band descriptor of British Council. This link is:
https://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/IELTS_task_1_Writing_band_descriptors.pdf
The Letter Writing FAQ section answers common questions that a GT IELTS candidate might have. Read the FAQ and find what the IELTS GT Writing Task 1 (also known as letter writing) is all about.
1. How much time should I spend to finish my letter?
A. Ideally, you should spend 20 minutes to finish your letter answer. You will have 60 minutes to complete your writing section which consists of two tasks - letter writing and essay writing. It is advisable that you finish your letter in 20 minutes and then spend 40 minutes to complete your essay.
2. What if I take more than 20 minutes to finish my letter answer?
A. You will have less than 40 minutes to complete your essay if you take more than 20 minutes to write your letter.
3. Is Writing Task 1 in GT IELTS different than that of Academic IELTS?
A. Yes, the Writing Task 1 of the GT IELTS requires a candidate to write a letter while this task for an Academic test-taker involves summarising a graph or a chart.
4. How much the letter writing task worths compared to the essay writing?
A. Letter writing tasks worth one-third of the whole writing task. That means your essay writing worths twice as much as your letter writing.
5. What is the minimum word requirement for my GT Writing Task 1/letter writing?
A. You are advised to write at least 150 words.
6. Will I be penalised if I write less than 150 words?
A. Yes, if you write less than 150 words in your GT Writing Task 1 (letter writing), you will be penalised.
7. What if I write more than 150 words?
A. You can write more than 150 words if you like. You would not be negatively scored for writing more than 150 words. However, do not write as many as 250 words as it would require more time to finish your answer.
8. What should be the ideal length of a letter answer?
A. Your letter should be between 150 to 190 words. Your salutation and name are counted as worlds.
9. Does my spelling matters?
A. Yes, absolutely. If you make spelling mistakes, it will negatively affect your score. Always pay attention to your spelling.
10. Should I write my full name and address in my letter?
A. Your question instructions will often forbid you to write your own address. You can use your full name but do not write your full address.
11. Can I write fictitious names in my letter?
A. Yes, you can. You can write an imaginary name to address someone or even you can change your name.
12. Can I write XYZ instead of a person or an organisation's name?
A. Yes, you can.
13. Should I always follow the question instructions or maintain the standard letter writing rules? For instance, if the question instruction asks me to write "Dear Sir," but I find writing "Dear Sir/Madam" more appropriate, which one should I follow?
A. Always stick to the question instructions. If your instruction asks you to write "Dear Sir," you should always do so.
14. Can I use informal words while writing a personal letter?
A. While writing a personal letter you can use some informal words but do not use slang or words that are offensive.
15. Should I avoid using informal words in a formal letter?
A. Yes, by all means. A formal letter should never include an informal word.
16. Some questions instruct me to begin the letter as "Dear .....". What should I write instead of .....?
A. When you see the instruction to begin the letter as "Dear .....", you should include an imaginary name instead of the .....
17. What are the letter types that I may encounter in my IELTS GT Exam?
A. You will get one of the following IELTS Letter types in your exam:
a) Informal Letter (Personal Letter)
b) Semi-formal Letter
c) Formal Letter.
18. I heard that I should never write my own name. Is it correct?
A. No, it is not correct. There is no harm using your real name in IELTS GT Writing Task 1.
19. Do I have to follow the British spelling?
A. No, you do not have to follow the British spelling. American spelling is equally accepted. Stick to the one you feel comfortable in.
20. Can I copy a part of the question?
A. You should not copy sentences from the letter question. It will show that your vocabulary is weak. Instead, use a different sentence structure and use synonyms of words that are present in the questions.
21. Should my answer cover the bullet points mentioned in the question?
A. Yes, your letter should always cover the bullet points mentioned in the letter question. If you fail to do that, you will be negatively scored.
22. Can I use contractions like I'll, he's etc in my letter?
A. You should never use such contractions in a formal letter. However, using a few in a personal letter does not harm. But many teachers suggest students not to use such contractions.
23. Should I count the number of words I have written?
A. No, in an ideal situation you should never count your words. While practising you should have a pretty good idea how much you have already written.
24. Should I use a pen or a pencil to complete my writing task?
A. We would suggest you use a pencil. You can use a pen if you like but a pencil is more convenient and you can use an eraser to correct a mistake. Practice writing with a pencil before you do so in your original test.
25. Can I use upper case (CAPITAL LETTERS) to write my letter?
A. If you are not an expert, writing all CAPITAL LETTERS would take you more time. We would like to advise you to use the sentence case. DO NOT Write in all lower case either.
26. How to begin my letter? Should I write Dear Sir/ Madam, or Dear (...someone's name…) or simply name?
A. When you see the instruction to begin your letter as ‘Dear ….’, this means you should write an imaginary name instead of .... (for example, Dear Alfred). But when the question asks you to begin your letter as 'Dear Sir or Madam' follow the instruction and begin your letter as 'Dear Sir or Madam'. You should never write someone's name only (for example, John,) even if you are writing to a friend.
27. When should I write a semi-formal or a formal letter? Will that be mentioned in the question?
A. You should write a semi-formal type letter to someone you know about a formal or serious situation such as work. For example, you write a semi-formal letter to your manager whom you personally know in office and writing to ask for a leave of absence.
On the other hand, you need to write a formal letter to someone you DO NOT know about a serious or formal situation. For instance, you write a formal letter to the HR manager of the company you are applying for a job.
No, the letter question would not directly tell you what type of letter you need to write. You need to interpret it from the scenario and the person you are writing to.
28. What are the common circumstances when I write a formal, semi-formal or informal letter?
A. Following is a general guideline to interpret when to write what type of letter:
- Invitation (usually personal or semi-formal)
- Explanation (usually personal or semi-formal)
- Congratulation/ Thank you (usually personal or semi-formal)
- Complaint (usually formal)
- Application (formal)
- Resignation (formal)
- Making arrangements (usually formal)
- Request/ Suggestion (depends on who you are writing to)
- Informative/newsletter (often personal/ semi-formal but formal can also appear)
- Apology (could be any style, depends on who you are writing to)
- Inquiry (usually formal, could be any style depending on who you are writing to)
A. That depends on whether you are writing a personal/informal, semi-formal or a formal letter.
Pattern 1: (formal letter)
Salutation: Dear Sir, (or Dear Sir/ Madam,)
Signing off:
Yours faithfully/ Sincerely yours,
Linda Turner (Write your full name, this could be real or fictitious. The title is optional)
Pattern 2: (semi-formal)
Salutation: Dear Mr Alex,
Signing off:
Yours sincerely,
Rosa Luxemburg (Write your full name, this could be real or fictitious. The title is optional)
Pattern 3: (personal/ informal)
Salutation: Dear John or Hi John,
Signing off:
With love, See you soon, Take care, George, Yours loving,
(Do not write the title and last name)
30. What criteria does the examiner use while scoring my letter answer?
A. For that please refer to the writing band descriptor of British Council. This link is:
https://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/IELTS_task_1_Writing_band_descriptors.pdf
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