1. Identify the type of
letter you are being asked to write.
Formal
Semi-formal
Informal
2. Identify the purpose of
the letter.
Read lots of sample
questions. Decide whether the question requires a formal, semi-formal, or
informal response.
3. Open and close the letter correctly. Do this based on the type and purpose of the letter.
4. Start the letter
appropriately.
a. Open a formal and semi-formal letter with a formal sentence and
paragraph. Get down to business and say why you are writing. Don’t try to
be friendly, as you do not know the person you are writing to.
Formal:
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to inquire about…
I am writing in connection with…
Semi-formal
Dear Mr Johnson,
I am writing to inform you that…
I am writing to…
b. Open an informal letter with a general, friendly paragraph. Acknowledge
your friendship first, before explaining the reason for your letter. In fact,
the first paragraph could include just friendly small talk, unrelated to the
reason for your writing.
5. Learn and use standard
written phrases.
In English letter
writing, we use a number of standard expressions and phrases. These not only
save time and effort, but also make it easier for the reader to understand our
meaning. You can add on the specific information you wish to communicate to
these standard phrases. See the list of Useful Expressions below.
6. Spell commonly used words correctly. Learn and
practice the correct spelling of words you are likely to use on the exam.
Examples are: “sincerely”, “faithfully”, “in connection with”, “apologize”, and
so on. This is an easy way to boost your score.
7. Divide your letter into paragraphs.
Usually you need four
paragraphs:
Introduction
Problem / Situation
Solution / Action
Conclusion
Make sure to signal the start of
a new paragraph in one of two ways:
Indenting: Do NOT leave a line space between paragraphs.
Start writing a little to the right of the left margin.
Skipping a line: Leave a line space between paragraphs. Start writing
directly from the left margin.
8. Use clear handwriting. Make sure your writing is
neat and legible, so your words can be read easily and do not appear to have
spelling mistakes. Get feedback from a teacher on your handwriting. Pay special
attention to how you form and connect letters such as a, e, i, u, n, r, and w.
9. Write at least 150 words. Practice writing letters
till you know what 150 words feels like and looks like. You will lose marks if
you write less. You will not lose marks if you write more.
10.
Include all three bulleted points. If you exclude even one of
the points given to you in the question prompt, you will get a lower grade.
Answer all the points.
In your letter:
explain the problem
describe why it disturbs you
suggest a solution
11.
Finish in time.
The IELTS General Task I letter is worth about 30% of your
writing score, so make sure you
complete the whole letter. Though you have to make up a story to explain the
situation, keep it simple so you don’t run out of time. Make sure to keep 40
minutes to complete the essay in Task 2, which is worth much more in terms of
points.
12.
Read model letters but don’t memorize them.
Instead, read the letters to get an idea of the overall flow and
to pick up new vocabulary and expressions. Make sure to consult only reliable
sources, such as Good Luck IELTS,
for model answers.
13.
Understand the scoring criteria. Learn how to get a high score
by knowing what examiners look for and how they award or deduct points.
IELTS General Task 1 Grading Criteria
14.
Practice writing letters regularly and get them checked by an IELTS
trainer.
Not every English teacher understands the demands of this
particular exam, so find someone who has IELTS teaching experience, if
possible. Practice writing answers to sample questions every day in order to
improve your skills, your speed, your confidence, and your score!
No comments:
Post a Comment