3/1/23, 10:46 AM IELTS Simon: IELTS General Writing

IELTS Simon
Lessons with Simon, ex-IELTS examiner

June 19, 2016

IELTS General Writing: full answer
Here's my band 9 answer for the task in yesterday's lesson:

Screen Shot 2016-06-18 at 18.05.48

Comments (18)

June 18, 2016

IELTS General Writing: task 1 letter
We haven't looked at a General Writing task 1 for a while, so here's one from Cambridge IELTS book 11:

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This is a formal letter task, and you would begin with "Dear Sir or Madam". I would probably start with a sentence that
explains why I'm writing the letter (e.g. I'm writing with regard to...), and then I would write a short paragraph about each of
the bullet points.

I'll show you my full answer tomorrow.

Comments (23)

January 31, 2016

IELTS General Writing: semi-formal letter?
Someone asked me a useful question about 'semi-formal' letters. I've summarised the student's question here:
The task in my test was to write to a colleague. In my letter, I used some informal language e.g. I greeted the colleague in a
friendly way and I used contractions (I'm, don't, isn't). However, I also included some formal language when asking the
colleague to speak at a conference. Is this mix of informal and formal ok?

In this lesson I wrote that we can forget about "semi-formal" letters. However, in the situation described above, I think it's
fine to include both formal and informal language. You can write to a colleague in an informal style, but you may use some
formal language when discussing work-related issues. This is what we do in 'real life', so I think it's perfectly acceptable in an
IELTS task.

Comments (13)

January 09, 2016

IELTS General Writing: some questions
Here are some questions that a student asked me about General Writing task 1:

1. Should I write the date at the top of a formal letter?

No, in the IELTS test you should not write the date or your address.
2. Should I use indentation at the start of a new paragraph?

You can either indent or miss a line. Just make sure it's clear that you have begun a new paragraph. Personally, I think
missing a line is clearer.

3. Should I end the letter with "Yours..." on the left or on the right?

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3/1/23, 10:46 AM IELTS Simon: IELTS General Writing

Always end the letter on the left. Have a look at my letters on this page.

4. Should I sign the letter before writing my name?

No, don't sign your name. You don't even need to put your real name. Personally, I use a first name (e.g. John) for informal
letters, and a full name (e.g. John Smith) for formal letters.
Comments (4)

December 12, 2015

IELTS General Writing: 'thank you' answer
Here's my band 9 answer for the letter writing task in this lesson:

Screen Shot 2015-12-11 at 12.02.45

Comments (17)

December 06, 2015

IELTS General Writing: correct the mistakes
Can you correct and improve the following sentences, which were written by students below last week's General Writing
lesson?

1. We were looking for a place to gathering and we found it through an adds published on a newspaper.
2. Because it has good rating in the app, my friends and I went to your restaurant.
3. My husband and me visited there to celebrate it. All people around us are looking happy and cheerful.
4. We love to gather, grab a beer and watch some sport every Friday.
5. Keep up with your good work.
6. I couldn't thank enough to make this even more better.

Comments (29)

November 29, 2015

IELTS General Writing: 'thank you' letter
Several people have asked for another lesson about letter writing for the General Training test. Let's look at one of the
questions from Cambridge IELTS book 10:
Screen Shot 2015-11-29 at 11.54.18

I would call this a "thank you" letter task. Before writing your letter, have a look at some "thank you" letters by searching
online. There's a good example here.
Comments (23)

August 08, 2015

IELTS General Writing: 'accommodation' answer
Here's my sample letter for the question in this lesson. Even if you're not doing the General IELTS test, you should find some
useful language in my answer.

Letter

(158 words, band 9)

Comments (24)

July 26, 2015

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3/1/23, 10:46 AM IELTS Simon: IELTS General Writing

IELTS General Writing: 'accommodation' letter

I haven't done a lesson about the General Writing test for a while, so here's a recent exam question that a student sent me. I'll
share my answer next week.

Remember that the examiner is looking for the following things:

The tone must be appropriate (formal or informal)

The purpose of the letter must be clear
You must cover all of the points
The letter must be well-organised
You need to use some good (and relevant) vocabulary

Comments (21)

April 26, 2015

IELTS General Writing: formal phrases
Here are some formal phrases that I've used in previous lessons. See if you can use them in your own letters:

Beginning the letter by explaining why you are writing:

I am writing with regard to...

I am writing to inform you that...
I am writing to bring to your attention some issues with...
Requesting or suggesting something:

I have decided that I would like you to...

I am entitled to ask for...
I was wondering if it would be possible (for me) to...
I hope that you will...
I would like to suggest that...

Ending the letter with a request for action:

I look forward to receiving your response.
I await your prompt response.

Comments (9)

February 15, 2015

IELTS General Writing: apology answer
Here's my full answer to last week's General Writing task:

Comments (14)

February 08, 2015

IELTS General Writing: apology letter
If you are taking the General IELTS test, try this letter writing task:

Comments (27)

November 23, 2014

IELTS General Writing: 'time off work' letter
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3/1/23, 10:46 AM IELTS Simon: IELTS General Writing

Here's my full answer for last week's general writing question:

.....
Dear Mr. Smith,

I am writing to ask for some time off work next month.

The reason for this ______ is that my brother is getting married. His future wife is Australian, and the wedding will take
______ in her home city, Melbourne. As the brother of the groom, I cannot miss such a special occasion.
To attend the ceremony and make the ______ trip from the UK, I would need at least five days off work. However, I would
like to take the opportunity to do some sightseeing in Australia, and so I am hoping that you will allow me to take a full two
weeks’ ______, from the 1st to the 15th of May.

I have spoken to my co-workers, and it seems that Peter Jones would be best ______ to cover my project commitments while
I am away. I will ______ detailed instructions for him on my desk.
I hope that my request does not cause you any inconvenience.

Yours sincerely,

Michael Hall
.....

Fill the gaps with the words below:

- round
- leave (verb)
- leave (noun)
- placed
- place
- request
Comments (26)

November 16, 2014

IELTS General Writing: 'time off work' topic
If you're doing the general IELTS test, try this writing task 1 question from Cambridge book 9, page 117:

This should be a formal letter, so start with "Dear Mr. Smith" (Mr. or Mrs. and any surname). Then write a short paragraph
for each of the three bullet points in the task box above. End the letter with "Yours sincerely" and a full name (you don't need
to use your own name).

It might help if you do a quick plan before you start writing. Just spend a couple of minutes thinking of ideas for each bullet
point.

Comments (43)

November 02, 2014

IELTS General Writing: things to avoid
Here are some mistakes that you should avoid in writing task 1 of the GT test:
1. The main purpose of the letter isn't clear.
2. You didn't cover all of the points.
3. You wrote too much about one point, and neglected the others.
4. You didn't separate your paragraphs clearly.

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5. You didn't get the 'tone' right (formal or informal).

6. The letter doesn't 'flow' well because ideas are badly organised.

Avoid these mistakes, and you are on the way to writing a good letter!
Comments (9)

August 31, 2014

IELTS General Writing: 'local problem' letter
Here's my full answer for last week's question:

Comments (16)

August 24, 2014

IELTS General Writing: local problem
Here's a recent GT question that students told me about. Feel free to share your ideas, and I'll show you my full answer next
week.

Comments (57)

June 22, 2014

IELTS General Writing: 'insurance' letter
Here's my full answer to last week's question:

(Click on the letter to enlarge it)

Comments (14)

June 14, 2014

IELTS General Writing: 'insurance' letter
Here's a general writing task 1 question from Cambridge IELTS book 9:

The question tells you to begin with "Dear Sir or Madam", so we know that it needs to be a formal letter. After that, you just
need 3 short paragraphs to cover the bullet points in the question, followed by a formal letter ending.

I'll write my sample answer for next week.

Comments (35)

April 12, 2014

IELTS General Writing: formal and informal
Let's compare some of the formal and informal features in the two letters that you can see if you click here.

Formal letter

Beginning: Dear Sir or Madam

Stating the purpose: I am writing with regard to
Formal choice of language: due to, I intended, as a result of, caused me great inconvenience, compensate me, the
additional flight
No contractions: I am (not "I'm")
Ending: I look forward to receiving your response. Yours faithfully,
Informal letter
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Beginning: Dear John

Stating the purpose: I'm just writing to let you know that
Informal choice of language: As you know, Well, prices are crazy, on the bright side, it's got nice big windows, a lovely
view, if you ever fancy, great to see you
Use of contractions: I'm, we've, isn't, it's
Ending: Keep in touch! All the best
Comments (17)

April 06, 2014

IELTS General Writing: tone
One of the first things that the examiner will notice in your letter is its 'tone'. In other words, is your letter written in an
appropriately formal or informal way, depending on the person you are addressing?
Task:
Compare the tone of the two letters in the document linked below. Make a list of the formal and informal features that you
find. Click here to see the document.

Comments (6)

February 09, 2014

IELTS General Writing: 'lost photo' letter
Here's my full answer to the question in this lesson:

Comments (22)

January 26, 2014

IELTS General Writing: another informal letter
Here's a recent question from task 1 of the general writing test:

Note: Read this lesson and this similar example before you write anything.
Comments (51)

November 30, 2013

IELTS General Writing: informal letter
I wrote the following letter with some of my students here in Manchester. It contains some great examples of informal
phrases. Can you guess what the full question was?

Comments (19)

October 27, 2013

IELTS General Writing: resignation letter
Here's my full answer for last week's question:

Screen Shot 2013-10-27 at 09.32.14

Comments (19)

October 20, 2013

IELTS General Writing: resignation question
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I haven't done a lesson about the general writing test for a while, so here's a question that you could try. I'll post my full
answer next week.

Screen Shot 2013-10-19 at 17.12.24

Comments (20)

July 07, 2013

IELTS General Writing: 'new business' letter
Here's my full letter for last week's question:

Screen Shot 2013-07-06 at 18.04.04

Comments (14)

June 30, 2013

IELTS General Writing: 'new business' letter
I haven't done a lesson about the General Writing test for a while, so here's an interesting question that a student sent me. I'll
share my answer next week.

Screen Shot 2013-06-29 at 12.16.32

Remember that the examiner is looking for the following things:

The tone must be appropriate (formal or informal)
The purpose of the letter must be clear
You must cover all of the points
The letter must be well-organised
You need to use some good (and relevant) vocabulary

Comments (26)

February 10, 2013

IELTS General Writing: environment letter
Here's my full letter for last week's question:

Screen Shot 2013-02-09 at 17.07.03

Comments (18)

February 03, 2013

IELTS General Writing: environment problem
Here's a recent question from General IELTS writing task 1:

Screen Shot 2013-02-03 at 11.46.44

My advice is to choose an easy topic like "litter". Write a quick plan with ideas for each bullet point. If you need some help,
have a look at this website.

Comments (19)

December 02, 2012

IELTS General Writing: one tip

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Yesterday I forgot to mention my key piece of advice for writing task 1 in the General Training test. If I had to choose one key
piece of advice for GT task 1, I'd say that you need to get the 'tone' right.

The tone of your letter is its character or attitude, either formal or informal. For a summary of the differences between formal
and informal letters, read this lesson.
Comments (4)

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