General Training Task 1 is often treated as the easier half of the Writing test. It is shorter, more familiar, and less academic than the essay. But the single biggest mark-losing mistake in Task 1 GT is tone. Candidates write to a manager as if they are texting a friend, or write to a friend as if they are drafting a business email. The examiner notices immediately, and Task Achievement suffers. Here is how to get the tone right and the structure clean.
The three letter types and their tones
Every Task 1 GT letter falls into one of three categories, and the prompt tells you which one by naming the recipient. Match the tone to the recipient and you have already done the hardest part.
- Formal: to a manager, company, council, institution, or someone you do not know. Use 'Dear Sir or Madam' and 'Yours faithfully'. Vocabulary is neutral and respectful. Contractions are out ('do not', not 'don't'). Sentence structures are complete. The tone is polite and direct.
- Semi-formal: to a landlord, neighbour, colleague, or someone you know by role but not personally. Use 'Dear Mr Smith' or 'Dear Ms Jones' and 'Yours sincerely' if you used their name, or 'Kind regards'. Vocabulary is polite but more natural. A few contractions are fine. The tone is respectful but approachable.
- Informal: to a friend or family member. Use their first name ('Dear Tom') and a casual sign-off ('Best wishes', 'Take care', 'Love'). Vocabulary is everyday and conversational. Contractions are natural and expected. The tone is warm and personal, but still organised.
The prompt always tells you the recipient. Read that one word carefully. If it says 'manager', your letter is formal. If it says 'friend', your letter is informal. The rest of the question builds from there.
The bullet-point structure
The prompt always gives you three bullet points. Your job is to cover each one in enough detail, in order. The simplest and most reliable structure mirrors the bullet points directly.
- Greeting: one line. Match the recipient type.
- Paragraph 1 (purpose): state why you are writing. 'I am writing to inquire about...' (formal), 'I wanted to ask about...' (semi-formal), 'Just a quick note to say...' (informal).
- Paragraph 2 (bullet 1): develop the first bullet point in 2 to 3 sentences. Give specific details, not vague statements.
- Paragraph 3 (bullet 2): develop the second bullet point.
- Paragraph 4 (bullet 3): develop the third bullet point. This is often an action request or a question, so be clear about what you want the recipient to do.
- Closing line and sign-off: one sentence to wrap up, then the appropriate sign-off.
Prompt bulletsYou recently attended a training course. Write a letter to your manager. Explain why you chose this course, describe what you learned, and say how you will apply it at work.
Band 7 response extractDear Mr Chen, I am writing to update you on the data analysis course I attended last week and to outline how the new skills will benefit our team. I chose this particular course because our department is increasingly handling large datasets, and I wanted to strengthen my ability to interpret them accurately. The course focused on practical techniques such as cleaning raw data and creating clear visual reports, which were areas I had previously found challenging. I plan to apply these techniques to our quarterly reporting, which should reduce the time we currently spend on manual data checks. I would be happy to share the course materials with the team if you think they would be useful. Yours sincerely, [Name]
The tone is respectful but efficient. Each bullet gets its own developed paragraph. The final paragraph makes a specific offer tied to the prompt, not a generic closing.
Common Task 1 GT mistakes
- Wrong tone. Writing 'Hey' to a manager or 'I am writing to express my sincere gratitude' to a friend is the fastest way to lose Task Achievement marks.
- Thin details. One sentence per bullet point is not enough. Each bullet needs 2 to 3 sentences with specific information.
- Missing a bullet point. Covering two bullets well and skipping the third means you have not fully addressed the task, and Task Achievement is capped.
- Wrong sign-off. 'Yours faithfully' is only for 'Dear Sir or Madam'. 'Yours sincerely' is for a named recipient. Using the wrong one in a formal letter signals weak control of register.
General Training candidates often concentrate on Task 2 because it is worth more, but a clean Task 1 letter takes under 20 minutes and protects your overall band. For the essay half, our Task 2 structure guide and common topics guide cover what you need. When you are ready, grade a letter to see how your tone and task coverage score.