Letter Types
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Different Types of IELTS Letters:
In IELTS General Training Writing Test 1, you are asked to write a letter (or email) of 150 words. The letter/email question could be one of the various topics that we usually see on different IELTS tests. The letter/email topic would be a formal, informal or semi-formal situation, and you need to write your response based on the type of letter. For example, you should use formal expressions while writing a formal letter and an informal tone while writing a letter to a friend, which is informal in nature. The letters have different purposes as well. For instance, to invite a friend to a birthday party or to apply for a job. Thus, the purpose of the letter makes them different as well.
In this section, we will learn about different types of letters and go through some examples of each type of letter.
The primary three types of letters are:
» 1) Formal letters,
» 2) Semi-formal letters, and
» 3) Informal letters (also known as personal letters).
The main purposes of these letters are to:
Apply for a job, request for information, make a complaint, provide information, respond to a complaint, thank someone, apologise to someone, request for a leave and so on.
You may also be interested in the "Band 8/9 IELTS Letters" article which outlines how to achieve an 8+ band score in IELTS GT Writing Task 1 and also gives a few 8/9 band level sample answers.
IELTS Letter Types based on Formality:
When writing a letter, using the appropriate style and expressions is essential, as different situations require different levels of formality. The key to determining the right tone is considering who you are writing to and why you are writing. In the IELTS General Training Writing Task 1, there are three types of letters based on formality: Formal, Semi-formal, and Informal. Each type follows distinct language rules, structure, and sign-off conventions.
» Formal letters:
You write a formal letter when you write to a person or someone in an organization you do not personally know and the situation is business, professional, or official. You need to begin the letter by addressing ' Dear Sir or Madam' (since you don't even know if the person is a male or a female) and write the letter in formal expressions. You sign off the letter by saying "Yours faithfully", and then write your full name.
Things to know about Formal Letters:
A formal letter is written when addressing someone you do not know personally, such as an official, a business representative, or an authority figure. These letters are used in professional, official, or business-related situations.
Rules:
Begin the letter with "Dear Sir or Madam" if you do not know the recipient’s name.
Maintain a polite and respectful tone throughout.
Use formal language, avoiding contractions like I'm or can't.
End the letter with "Yours faithfully," followed by your full name.
Read Sample Answers of Formal Letters:
» Semi-formal letters:
Semi-formal letters are meant to address your acquaintances, whom you personally know but who are not your friends or close relatives, for instance, your landlord, boss, neighbours and family members. The tone of the letter should be friendlier than a formal letter but not too casual like when you write to a friend. Start your letter as "Dear (Surname/second name of the person), and sign off writing your full name.
Things to know about Semi-formal Letters:
A semi-formal letter is written to someone you personally know but with whom you have a professional or respectful relationship. This includes your landlord, employer, teacher, distant relative, or a neighbour.
Please note that some people treat a letter to your employer or manager as a formal letter due to its nature. However, they are semi-formal letters written in more like a formal style.
Rules:
Start the letter with "Dear [Last Name]" (e.g., Dear Mr. Johnson).
The tone should be polite and friendly, but not too casual.
Use clear and professional language while allowing for some warmth.
Sign off with "Yours sincerely," followed by your full name.
Read Sample Answers of Semi-formal Letters:
» Informal letters:
Informal letters are also known as personal letters as you write such a letter to a friend or a very close relative like your cousin. The tone of the letter should be less formal and more casual. However, do not use curse words, slang, or abbreviations that you use on an online chat room like wanna, gonna, LOL. You begin your letter using Dear (your friend's first name) and then sign off by writing your last name only.
Informal letters, also known as personal letters, are written to friends, (and sometimes to close relatives like your cousin) in a relaxed and conversational tone.
Rules:
Begin the letter with "Dear [First Name]" (e.g., Dear Alex).
The language can be casual and friendly, but avoid slang, abbreviations, or overly informal expressions (e.g., wanna, gonna, LOL).
The tone should reflect warmth and familiarity.
Sign off with a friendly phrase (e.g., Best wishes, Take care) and write only your first name.
Read Sample Answers of Informal or Personal Letters:
IELTS Letter Types based on Purpose:
A letter can have different objectives or purposes. While sometimes we write a formal letter to apply for a job, other times we write a formal letter to complain about a service or to request some information. Thus identifying the purpose of a letter is important (just after noticing the formality of a letter). Similarly, when you write to your landlord to invite him/her to a party will have quite a different style or tone than writing a letter to the same landlord who denies returning your advance when you vacate the apartment. This is why we have classified the letters based on their purposes so that you can read sample answers based on the purpose of the letter and get to know how to answer them.
It is quite important that when you read your task, you work out the purpose of the letter you need to write. You need to focus on this purpose throughout the letter to score well for task achievement.
For the IELTS exam, you need to be able to write one of the following types of letters:
» Requesting information:
This type of IELTS letter requires you to write a letter primarily to ask for some information from someone or from a company or business. They are known as 'Request Information Letters'.
Read requesting information type IELTS letters:
» Giving information:
This type of IELTS letter requires you to write a letter to respond to a request made by someone to you for some information. They are known as 'Give Information Letters'.
Read giving information type IELTS letters:
» Making a complaint:
This type of letter (a complaint letter) requires you to write a letter to complain about a product, service or situation. They are known as 'Complain Letters'.
Read IELTS letters for making a complaint:
» Making an apology:
This type of letter (an apology letter) requires you to write a letter to apologise for making a mistake, causing inconvenience to someone, or causing damage to something. They are known as 'Apology Letters'.
Read IELTS letters for making an apology:
» Thanking someone:
This type of letter (a thank you letter) requires you to write a letter to thank someone for his/her help, thoughtfulness or kindness. They are known as 'Thank you Letters'.
Read IELTS letters for thanking someone:
» Congratulating someone:
This type of letter (a congratulation letter) requires you to congratulate someone (a friend, colleague or a family member) for some achievements of this person. They are known as 'Congratulation Letters'.
Read IELTS letters to congratulate someone:
» Applying for a job:
This type of letter (a job application) requires you to apply for a full-time or part-time job that has been advertised recently. A job application is always formal. They are known as 'Job Applications'.
Read IELTS letters for a job application:
» Inviting someone:
This type of letter (an invitation letter) requires you to invite someone to a party or event. It could be either a semi-formal or informal letter as you write it to someone you know. They are known as 'Invitation Letters'.
Read IELTS letters for inviting someone:
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