IELTS General Training Writing Task 1: Formal Letter (to a Hotel)

​In the IELTS General Training Writing Task 1, you may be asked to write a formal letter—often to someone you do not know personally, such as a hotel manager, a company representative, or an official. You can usually tell the task is formal if the prompt involves a service or business-related situation and provides a neutral greeting like “Dear Sir or Madam”.

The tone of a formal letter should be polite, respectful, and objective, avoiding slang or overly casual expressions. Your language should be precise and professional, and your ideas should be clearly organized into paragraphs that follow a logical order, usually reflecting the bullet points given in the prompt.

In terms of format, no addresses are required in the IELTS exam. Start with the greeting given in the task, write in clearly separated paragraphs, and end with a formal sign-off such as “Yours faithfully” (when writing to someone whose name you do not know) or “Yours sincerely” (when the name is provided). Maintaining the correct format, tone, and level of formality is an important part of achieving a high band score.

Letters in IELTS General Training Task 1 have the same basic structure whether you are writing a formal, semi-formal, or personal/informal letter:

1. Greeting/Salutation – Start with the greeting given in the task (Dear Sir or Madam, / Dear Mr. Smith,).
2. Opening Statement – State the reason for writing, linking directly to the task prompt.
3. Body Paragraphs – Organize your ideas into 2–3 short paragraphs, usually following the bullet points in the question.
4. Closing Statement – End politely, often with a brief closing remark or request.
5. Sign-off – Use an appropriate closing phrase (Yours faithfully, Yours sincerely, or for informal letters, Best wishes, Take care, etc.).

Here's a sample writing prompt for ​IELTS General Training Task 1:

You recently organize an all-day meeting for your company, which took place in a local hotel. In their feedback, participants at the meeting said that they like the hotel, but they were unhappy about the food that was served for lunch.

Write a letter to the manager of the hotel. In your letter
• say what the participants liked about the hotel
• explain why they were unhappy about the food
• suggest what the manager should do to improve the food in the future

Write at least 150 words.
You do NOT need to write any addresses.
Begin your email as follows:
Dear Sir or Madam,

Below is a sample formal letter, followed by a breakdown of the features that make it a good response.

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to provide feedback on the all-day company meeting we recently organized at your hotel. The participants were particularly impressed with the rooftop venue, noting its cleanliness, tasteful décor, and suitability for a professional event. The panoramic view of both the city and the nearby hills also contributed to a pleasant and inspiring atmosphere throughout the day.

However, several participants expressed disappointment with the lunch that was served. They commented that the rice was overly hard, some of the vegetables were undercooked, and the beef in the stew was rather tough. These issues detracted from what was otherwise an enjoyable experience.

To ensure higher-quality meals in the future, I recommend providing additional training for kitchen staff on correct cooking times and implementing regular quality checks before food is served. This would help guarantee that all dishes are prepared to a high standard and meet guests’ expectations.

I hope our feedback will help you improve your services in the future.

Yours faithfully,
[Full Name]

​How This Response Meets the IELTS Band Descriptors

Task Achievement

• The letter fully addresses all three bullet points from the prompt.
• Positive feedback or [what the participants liked] is clearly explained in Paragraph 1 with specific details (“cleanliness, tasteful décor, panoramic view…”).
• The complaint  is developed with three clear examples of problems with the food in Paragraph 2.
• The recommendation in Paragraph 3 is practical, clearly linked to the complaint, and expressed in a polite, formal manner.
• The tone is consistently respectful and appropriate for a formal letter to a hotel manager.

Coherence and Cohesion

• The letter has a ogical progression: praise → issue → solution.
• Effective use of cohesive devices: “However”, “These issues”, “To ensure…”, “This would help…”.
• Paragraphing is clear and each paragraph has a single main idea.

Lexical Resource

• Vocabulary is precise and varied using topic-specific words and phrases; "rooftop venue", “tasteful décor”, “panoramic view”, "inspiring atmosphere"
• Some sophisticated vocabulary, uncommon in daily conversation, is used appropriately for the topic. These more advanced words still sound natural in this context: “expressed disappointment”, "detracted", “implementing regular quality checks”, "meet guests' expectations". 
• Word choice is appropriate for a formal context; there were no slang or overly casual expressions.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

• Complex sentence structures are used accurately (e.g., “The participants were particularly impressed…, noting its cleanliness…”  "To ensure higher-quality meals in the future, I recommend providing...").
• Sentences are grammatically correct throughout.
• Variety in sentence length and structure keeps the letter engaging without becoming wordy or repetitive, demonstrating  strong control of language.

Overall 
This letter meets all the task requirements, is well-organized, uses precise vocabulary, and maintains a consistently formal and polite tone. The recommendations are constructive and relevant, and the writing style demonstrates full command of English suitable in a professional context.