IELTS Letter Types

IELTS Letter Types

IELTS GT Writing Task 1 requires you to write a letter. The letter can be one of the following types:

Formal

Semi-formal

Informal

You need to identify the purpose of the letter. The question would give you enough hints to let you recognize what type of letter you need to write. For instance, when you write to the HR manager of a company to apply for a job, you should write a formal letter. When you need to ask your teacher to extend the deadline for submitting an assignment, your letter would be a semi-formal one. Finally, when you write to a friend to congratulate, you write an informal letter.

Following are some general guidelines to identify a letter type:

Formal letter:

Applying for a job.
Resigning from a job.
Requesting information from a company.
Complaining to a bank, store, company, airline.
Making a recommendation/suggestion (not to a friend).
Making reservation/ arrangement with a company.

Semi-formal letter:

Complaining to a landlord.
Explaining to a neighbour.
Asking a professor for permission.
Inviting a neighbour.

Informal letter:

Congratulating/inviting/advising/thanking a friend
Inviting someone you know well
Apologizing to someone you know well
Asking for advice from someone you know well

Once you identify what type of letter you are going to write, you need to start (salutation) and end (signing off) your letter accordingly. Moreover, you need to use formal expressions while writing a formal letter.

Following is a general guideline how to address and sign off your letter.

Formal:
To someone unknown - to someone you have not met, whose name you don’t know.

Salutation: Dear Sir/Madam,
Singing off: Yours faithfully,

Semi-formal:
To someone not known socially - to someone you may or may not have met, whose last name you might know.

Salutation: Dear Mr Alex, Dear Ms Sara,
Singing off: Yours sincerely,

Informal:
To someone, you know well - to someone you know well, whose name you know and use and often meet.

Salutation:
Dear Patrick, Dear Anna,
Singing off: Best regards, Warm wishes, Yours, With Love.

Letter Types with topics and answers:

Formal Letters | Semi-formal Letter | Informal Letters

Further classification of IELTS Letters:

Apology | Congratulation | Explanation | Suggestion | Personal letter

Invitation | Letter-to-newspaper | Letter-of-appreciation

Application | Complaints | Inquiry | job-application | Resignation | Requesting-information

Comments

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IELTS Letter Writing

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