Step-by-step guide to answering this type of IELTS Writing Task 1 question. Covers structure, key language, and band-scoring criteria.
Originally published February 2018. Last reviewed 3 July 2026.
In this post, we will look at a formal letter example Credit card.
A formal letter is written when you need to write to a company or organisation where you do not know the person to whom you are addressing. Sometimes these letters are addressed to a person of importance, who you do not know, in which case the person’s name and the title are used – ‘Dear Prime Minister May….’
A formal greeting: Dear Sir or Madam, Dear Sirs, Dear HR Manager. When signing off the letter, ‘Yours truly’, ‘Sincerely yours’ and ‘Yours faithfully’ would be used for semi-formal or formal letters.
If you would like more information on how to write a formal letter please click this button below:
You ordered a new credit card from the bank about 14 days ago and still have not received it. You are not happy about this. Write a letter to the bank. In your letter say:
Why you are writing to them.
Ask why you have waited so long for the new card
Ask the bank manager what he will do about this matter.
Take a look at the model answer: Formal Letter- Credit Card
Dear Sir,
I am writing to complain about the service that I have received from your bank. About 14 days ago I ordered a new credit card online and it has still not arrived. I have called the helpline and have not received any answer to where the credit card is at present. Please email or phone to inform me of when I can be expecting this new card and to explain why I have waited so long. The card would have been sent via recorded mail, therefore as a priority, it should have arrived within 2 days of your bank sending it. I would also like to know what actions you will be taking to ensure that this situation is rectified, counting on the fact that my new credit card may have been stolen for fraudulent purposes or lost in the mail system. I also want to know that you intend to have this card cancelled and a new one sent out to me as soon as possible. I have been a user of this bank since 1995 and this is the first time I have complained about any services. I await your response.
Yours sincerely, Ben Jones
This letter covers the three main points in the task. It has been clearly organised with each key point being written about in a separate paragraph.
Paragraph 1 – Explains why he is writing to the bank
Paragraph 2 – Details of why he has waited so long for the credit card
Paragraph 3 – States what he wants them to do
The tone of the letter is formal and therefore appropriate as it is being sent to a person you do not know from a business. The language used makes sure the letter is polite (Dear Sir or Madam……I am aware that……I await your response……Yours faithfully).
There is also evidence of a range of sentence structures, no grammatical or spelling errors.
Step-by-step guide to answering this type of IELTS Writing Task 1 question. Covers structure, key language, and band-scoring criteria.
Originally published June 2017. Last reviewed 3 July 2026.
The General Training Writing test has two separate writing tasks in 60 minutes. For each part, you will receive a question paper and an answer sheet. You can make notes on the question paper, only the text on the answer sheet will be marked by the examiner. You can write your answers in pen or pencil and correct when necessary. You cannot use a dictionary or any electronic devices.
IELTS Academic and General Training students do different tests for part 1, but complete the same test for part 2. There are many resources to help you prepare for part 2 here.
You must answer both tasks and it is recommended that you spend 20 minutes on task 1 and 40 minutes on task 2. Part 2 is twice as important as your score for part 1. Writing task 1 has a minimum word count of 150 words and you must write a letter. Writing task 2 has a minimum word count of 250, you must write a discursive essay, you will be given an opinion, problem or issue that you need to discuss.
Requirements from universities and immigration agencies vary. Most students will need at least a band score 6 for undergraduate study. For postgraduate study or immigration, a band score 7 is generally required.
Marking Criteria
One of the first things you should do is read the marking criteria to see what the examiners expect. This is really important, as you need to know what they are looking for in the band 7+ boxes.
The information in the test question will tell you what to write about. To achieve a high Task Achievement score, you must write about all of the points in the letter and make sure everything is relevant. To improve your score for Coherence and Cohesion, use the information in the question to plan and organise your ideas clearly. To achieve a high score in the Lexical Resource, you should use synonyms and avoid copying words from the question. In Grammatical Range and Accuracy, make sure you check through your work for any grammatical and spelling errors.
Task Achievement
Does your letter answer all parts of the question?
Are your ideas relevant?
Coherence and Cohesion
Are your ideas well organised, clear and well connected?
Lexical Resource
Have you repeated any words?
Have you copied any words from the question?
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Have you made any grammatical/spelling/punctuation errors?
Have you used a variety of sentence structures?
Have you used the right tenses?
TIP >> Leave at least 2/3 minutes to check your work before you finish this task.
TIP >> In IELTS writing task 1 for the General Training, students only need to write the greeting ‘Dear…’, the body text, the complimentary close (for example – yours sincerely) and their name. Addresses should NOT be included.
TIP >> You do not get more points for writing more than 150 words. You should only spend 20 minutes on this task as writing task 2 is harder and worth twice as much in terms of the score.
Letter Writing
In the General Training Task 1, you will be asked to write a letter. The letter must be written in the correct style, for example;
Informal – writing to a friend or family member (someone you know well)
Semi Formal – if you were writing for a work colleague (someone you know)
Formal – if you are writing to a business or local newspaper (a person you do not know)
Each type of letter will use different language, meaning it will both begin and end in a different way. When given a question, you will identify which type of letter you need to write by identifying the language in the question.
The letter questions will feature different content, which tells you if the letter is going to be informal, semi-formal or formal. Here is a list >>
Information request – any style
Making arrangements – formal
Applications – formal
Invitations – personal/semi-formal
Complaints – formal
Personal – informal
The following are examples of three different types of letters >>
Informal Letter Question >>
Write at least 150 words
You do not need to write any addresses
Begin your letter with ‘Dear…..”
TIP >> The informal letter question will normally have the word ‘friend’ in it. Asking you to write a letter to a friend is a key piece of information, telling you that the letter should be written in an informal style.
Semi Formal Letter Question >>
Write at least 150 words
You do not need to write any addresses
Begin your letter with ‘Dear…..”
TIP >> A semi-formal letter is often to someone that you know like a work colleague.
Formal Letter Question >>
Write at least 150 words
You do not need to write any addresses
Begin your letter with ‘Dear…..”
TIP >> A formal letter would be written to someone that you don’t know. That is why when you start writing when you don’t know their name, you would write ‘Dear Sir/Madam….’
There are practice tests you can download from the British Council.
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