Formal Letter Structure

This is the basic structure you should try to follow while writing a formal letter:
Dear [First name only]
Paragraph 1 – Mention the reason why you’re writing to them. (I am writing
regarding…)
Paragraph 2 – Talk about 1st bullet point with supporting details
Paragraph 3 – Talk about 2nd bullet point with supporting details
Paragraph 4 – Talk about 3rd bullet point with supporting details
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours faithfully/ Yours sincerely
(Your Full Name)

Writing Task 1 Sample Formal Letters

Here are a few samples of formal letters for IELTS Writing Task 1 for the
General Training Paper. All of them should be written in not less than 150
words.
Question 1
You and your family are moving to another country for work, and you are
looking to buy a house there.
Write a letter to a property agent. In your letter:

 Introduce yourself and your family

 Describe the type of accommodation that you hope to find
 Give your preference for the location of the accommodation

Question 2
On a recent holiday, you lost a valuable item. Fortunately, you have travel
insurance to cover the cost of anything lost.
Write a letter to the manager of your insurance company. In your letter

 Describe the item you lost.

 Explain how you lost it.
 Tell the insurance company what you would like them to do.
 Question 3
You missed an international flight due to a problem at the airport.
Write a letter to the airline. In your letter:

 Describe what happened that caused you to miss your flight.

 Explain how missing your flight impacted you.
 Clearly state what you would like the airline to do.

Question 4
Your car insurance company has told you that they are going to increase the
amount you have to pay in insurance for your car each month. You are not
happy about this.
Write a letter to your insurance company. In your letter explain

 Why you are writing to them

 Why you think insurance should not be increased
 What you want them to do

Question 5
You and your friends ate a meal at a restaurant to celebrate a special
occasion, and you were extremely dissatisfied with the experience.
Write a letter to the restaurant manager. In your letter:

 Explain the reason for the celebration.

 Give details of your visit to the restaurant.
 Say what you would like the restaurant to do.

Question 6
You are enrolled in a study abroad course in another country. Your
accommodation was arranged by the course provider, and there is a major
problem with the accommodation.
Write a letter to the course provider. In your letter:

 Introduce yourself and describe the problem.

 Describe the accommodation you thought you were getting.
 Ask the provider to solve the problem.

Question 7
You and your friends ate a meal at a restaurant to celebrate a special
occasion, and you were very pleased with the food and service.
Write a letter to the restaurant manager. In your letter:

 Give details of your visit to the restaurant.

 Explain the reason for the celebration.
 Say what you liked about the food or service.

Question 8
You have been invited to attend an admissions interview for a prestigious
college. Unfortunately, you cannot come at the proposed time due to a
previous appointment.
Write a letter to the admissions tutor and explain your position. In your letter:

 Introduce yourself and state your interest in the program.

 Apologize and offer to come at a different time.
 Ask how long the interview will be and if you will have to take an exam.

Question 9
An old car was left on the street near your street several weeks ago. The car
is now causing a problem for residents.
Write a letter to the Council. In your letter:

 Describe the car.

 Outline the problems it is causing.
 Tell the Council what you want them to do about it.

Question 10
Your local newspaper published an advertisement asking people to offer time
for local environmental initiatives in your area.
Write a letter to the project manager to offer your help. In your letter:
 Describe a local volunteer project that you are passionate about.
 Explain what you would like to do to help.
 Suggest how to gather more support for the cause.

Write a letter to your local council that the road in front of your house is
damaged.
In your letter, you should:

 tell him your name and where you are living

 describe the problem
 suggest what you want him to do for it.

Sample Answer
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am Alexander Steve residing in the apartment Unitech Blossoms, Flat no 8,
Bellandur Bangalore. I would like to draw your attention to the pothole in our
area which was due to the laying cable for telecom services. Our residents
have informed the telecom authorities many times but they are reluctant to
repair the road.
The telecom authorities dug deep holes to enhance their services but did not
repair the road after completion of their work. Only half of the road is available
for use which results in traffic during peak office hours. The rainy season has
started, and water clogs in the pothole and the transformer beside it has wires
which extend till the pothole and into the water creating unsafe conditions.
Many people find it difficult to use the road at night.
I would suggest you take immediate action to repair the damaged road. I
would really appreciate your help in this regard.
Yours Sincerely,
Alexander Steve

You have a spare room in your apartment that you would like to rent out
to a student. Write a letter to the Student Accommodation Officer of
local college.
In your letter, you should tell:
 where your apartment is located
 when the room will be available
 what your requirements for a student to stay there are

Sample Letter
Dear Sir/Madam,
I would like to let you know that I reside in Bal Vihar Complex, located in
Model Town. My apartment is 2 BHK and is situated in one of the safest
colonies in the city. Currently, I am sharing the extra room with a friend.
However, he is about to leave this city and move to his hometown by the end
of February.
So I am looking for another roommate. If you can refer anybody, it would be of
great help. I don’t expect anything much from the other person but a few
things. Considering that I come from a vegetarian background, I would not be
comfortable living with anybody who consumes non-vegetarian food items.
Also, it would be great if the person is a non-smoker and a non-alcoholic. The
rent for my apartment is Rs. 20,000 per month. We will be sharing the rent,
groceries and electricity bill.
In case you know anybody, kindly refer as soon as possible.
Your sincerely,
Dhawan

You are planning a 2-day work training outside your city next month. Write a
letter to the manager of the hotel regarding accommodation arrangement for
your visit.
In your letter, you should:

 introduce yourself and your company

 ask availability of their rooms
 tell him/her about arrangement and needs.

Sample Answer
Dear Sir/Madam,
 I am David Peterson, Marketing Manager in ADC Company. We have
arranged for a 2-day work training at an auditorium near your Hotel, next
month. I am writing this letter to enquire about the accommodation
arrangements.
We are a group of 30 people.We have planned 1 room for 2 people. We have
women on the crew too. Since it is the holiday season in Newzealand, I know
that arranging 15 rooms could be difficult. So we can compromise upto 3 in
one room. The company has allocated a budget of 2500 dollars inclusive of all
expenses.
Our expectations are to have comfortable beds, laptop tables, television,
bathroom with bath towels, face towels and parking space for our employees.
Also, I would like to arrange a buffet for our staff. Do let me know if breakfast
is complimentary.Also, I would like to know the total cost for a person and if
there are discounts.
Yours sincerely
David

Recently you saw an article in a newspaper/journal about a city/town

you know and some of the information in the article was incorrect. Write
a letter to the editor regarding this. In your letter, you should tell:

 how you know about this city/town

 what information was incorrect
 what the editor should do about this.

Sample Letter
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing this letter to you regarding an article named Bangalorites,
published in your newspaper on February 2nd, 2021. I’m a resident of
Bangalore and have been residing in Jayanagar for the past twenty years.
After finishing my studies at Jain College, I grabbed a job in one of the local
companies. Thus, I can say that I know Bangalore pretty well, especially the
Jayanagar area.
In the article that was published last week, you mentioned that there is an
array of attractions and facilities in the area. While most of the details were
accurate and efficient for newcomers and old residents, you mentioned that
the rooftop cafe is located in the 9th block. In reality, it is in the 4th block.
Since your newspaper is quite followed and people read it daily, providing
inaccurate information may mislead people. It may also impact your
reputation. To correct this goof-up, you may write a separate article on the
rooftop cafe and talk about its correct address.
Thanks for your time.
Yours faithfully,
Shraddha