What the exam asks
You have about 20 minutes and must write at least 150 words. Task 1 is one third of your Writing band. The prompt describes a situation, names the reader, lists three bullet points and tells you how to begin. Here is an original example:
You were charged for services you did not use during a hotel stay. Write a letter to the hotel’s accounts department. In your letter
- give details of your stay
- explain the problem with the bill
- say what you want the hotel to do
Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write any addresses at the top of your letter. Begin your letter as follows: Dear Sir or Madam,
Signs that the letter should be formal: the reader is “a company”, “the manager of…”, “the local council”, “the editor of a newspaper”, “an airline” or “a college admissions office”, or is a named person you have never met (“Begin your letter as follows: Dear Mr Adeyemi,”).
For a letter, Task Achievement comes down to three checks:
- Is the purpose clear from the start?
- Is every bullet covered and extended?
- Does the tone suit the reader throughout?
A missing bullet point caps Task Achievement at about Band 5, however good the English is.
Core ideas
Greeting and sign-off pairs
| The prompt says begin | Close with | Sign as |
|---|---|---|
| Dear Sir or Madam, | Yours faithfully, | Full name (e.g. Lena Hoffmann) |
| Dear Mr / Ms / Dr + surname, | Yours sincerely, | Full name |
These are the British conventions. American “Sincerely,” after either greeting is also accepted if you use it consistently. Never close a formal letter with Best wishes, Cheers or Love.
A four-paragraph blueprint
- Purpose (1–2 sentences): “I am writing to complain about an incorrect charge on my bill following my stay at your hotel from 12 to 15 May.”
- Bullet 1, developed with two or three precise details.
- , developed with an explanation or a consequence.