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General Training Task 1 · formal, semi-formal and informal letters

IELTS General Training Letter Checker

Paste your General Training letter and the task with its three bullet points. The checker marks it on the four criteria as they apply to a letter: whether the purpose is clear, every bullet is covered and the tone suits the reader. Your first report is free.

Checking a different task? Task 2 essay checker · Task 1 Academic report checker

Task type: Task 1 — General Training

0 / 150 words

Aim for at least 150 words — the IELTS minimum for Task 1. Shorter answers are penalised.

What the checker evaluates in General Training letters

General Training Task 1 also uses Task Achievement, but for a letter it means something different from a data report: the purpose, the three bullet points and the tone.

  • Task Achievement

    Is the purpose of the letter clear from the first lines? Is each of the three bullet points covered and extended with a detail, and is the tone consistent and right for the reader: formal for a manager, semi-formal for a landlord or neighbour, informal for a friend?

  • Coherence and Cohesion

    Does the letter move logically, usually one paragraph per bullet point, with a suitable opening and closing? The checker looks at how requests, explanations and apologies are linked.

  • Lexical Resource

    Is the vocabulary right for the register: “I would be grateful if…” to a company, “Could you…?” to a neighbour, “I’m so sorry I missed…” to a friend? It flags slang in formal letters and stiff phrasing in informal ones.

  • Grammatical Range and Accuracy

    Are polite modals, conditionals and indirect questions used accurately, and how many sentences are error-free? The same standard applies as in Task 2.

Common mistakes the checker flags

  • Skipping or barely touching a bullet point

    All three bullets must be covered. One line on a bullet is “mentioned”, not “developed”, and Task Achievement drops.

  • Hiding the purpose

    State why you are writing in the first paragraph (“I am writing to complain about…”) instead of after several lines of greetings.

  • Mixing registers

    A formal complaint that ends “Cheers” or an informal letter full of “I am writing to inform you” reads as inconsistent tone.

  • The wrong opening and closing pair

    Use “Dear Sir or Madam… Yours faithfully” when you do not know the name, “Dear Mr Patel… Yours sincerely” when you do, and a first name with “Best wishes” for a friend.

  • Writing addresses

    The task says you do not need to write any addresses. They add nothing to your score and use up time.

  • Inventing a long backstory

    Details should serve the bullet points. A long story before the request makes the letter harder to follow.

Word count and timing: 150 words in 20 minutes

  • The minimum is 150 words. Letters under 150 words are penalised, so the checker asks for at least 150 before it scores.
  • Aim for 160–200 words: roughly one short paragraph per bullet point plus an opening and closing line.
  • Spend about 20 minutes, and keep the remaining 40 for Task 2, which carries twice the weight.
  • Do not write addresses or a date; the opening line and sign-off are enough.

Sample answers to compare with

Original General Training letters from the IELTS-Bank essay bank: a formal complaint, an informal apology and a semi-formal request, each with examiner-style comments.

More in the IELTS essay bank and the Writing practice prompts. For how the bands are defined, see the band descriptors and how accurate the AI score is.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know whether a letter should be formal or informal?

Look at who you are writing to. A company, manager or official needs a formal letter; someone you know but not closely, such as a landlord or neighbour, needs a semi-formal one; a friend or relative gets an informal letter. The checker comments on whether your tone matches the reader.

Do I have to answer all three bullet points?

Yes. Each bullet point should be covered and extended with a relevant detail. A letter that ignores one is marked down under Task Achievement.

Is the letter marked on the same criteria as Task 2?

It is marked on four criteria as well, but the first is Task Achievement (purpose, bullet points and tone) instead of Task Response. The other three, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy, work the same way.

Is the band score official?

No. It is an AI estimate made against the public IELTS Writing band descriptors, meant as a study aid. Only a certified examiner in a real IELTS test can award an official band score.

Is the letter checker free?

One free AI Writing report per account. Create an account (no card) and the checker shows your estimated overall band, a band for each of the four criteria, feedback and a corrected example from your own writing. Continued scoring with full reports is part of Pro.

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