IELTS Letter Writing tips to hit 7+ bands
In IELTS general test letter writing is the task 1 which has to be written in at least 150 words. Many students find difficulty to complete the task so here is IELTS Letter Writing tips to hit 7+ bands. There are 5 different types of letters which you can face in exam.
Complete the task in given 20 minutes:
60 minutes are given to complete the IELTS writing tasks i.e. task 1 and 2. Writing task 2 is an essay in which you have to pen down more than 250 words and carries more marks than your letter answer. So it is recommended to devote at least 40 minutes for your essay writing which means you get 20 minutes to complete your letter answer. But it does not means that letter answer don’t have any value, it have its own value but less than task 2.
Answer to all the bullet points:
In letter there are three bullet points each of these points direct you about what to write in your letter. To hit your desired band score, you cannot take a chance to miss any of these bulleted points. If you did not answer even one of the points given you will lose your marks.
The bullet points tell you what should be included in your while the main letter topic only indicates the scenario. Therefore, it is compulsory to follow the instruction and answer all the three bulleted points to get a higher band score.
Here is an example of an IELTS Letter that comes with three bullet points:
Your internet connection has been slow and intermittent. Write a letter to your internet service provider to complain.
In the letter:
– Describe the problem and why you are unhappy
– Arrange for an engineer to visit your home
– Request a reduction in your bill
Fulfill the word limit requirement.
The word limit to write the IELTS Letter writing (Task 1) general is 150 words and make sure that you write at least this much. The word count must be according to the counting strategy of the examiner. Writing more too much or too less can be penalized.
Never write a full address:
According to the guidelines you should not write an identifiable address in your letter. However, according to the situation to justify the topic you may have to write an address in such a situation give a hypothetical and partial address. For example, if the letter is about renting out a room in your apartment or inviting someone to your house, you can use an address like 25/A Reader Street, Section – B.
Correct spelling of commonly used words:
Spelling mistakes and inaccurate grammar are the things that can deduct your scores. It is surprising that many IELTS candidates misspell commonly used words like “generally”, “sincerely”, “faithfully”, “environment”, “in connection with” etc. To prevent yourself from making such silly mistakes and losing marks try to learn the spellings of these commonly used words.
Following are some words and expression you should learn by heart:
Till or until (not ‘untill’).
High but Height (not ‘hight’)
Great but grateful (not ‘greatful’)
Some expressions that you should never(!) use incorrectly:
I am writing to inquire about…
I am writing in connection with…
I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with…
Please accept my sincere apologies for…
I am writing to inform you that/about…
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
I look forward to your reply.
Once again, I apologise for any inconvenience.
I would highly appreciate it if you could…
Thank you in advance!
No more today.
Well, let me finish here. I am eagerly waiting for your reply.
Use correct paragraphing:
Some students don’t understand how to write letter so they make a mess while answering the bullet points as they answer all of them in one paragraph. According to rules you should make different paragraph for every point. This makes your letter presentable and well structured. Moreover, examiner feel convenient while reading your answer and your message is properly conveyed to him. Consequently, your score improves.
