20 Recent IELTS General Training Task 1 Questions
20 Recent IELTS General Training Task 1 Questions
Hey! On this page you will find the 20 most recent IELTS General Training Task 1 questions. I updated the page every month, so the questions here will change frequently, but you will be able to find older questions in our IELTS 2021 Letters Archive.
These questions were reported by students of My IELTS Classroom and I have edited them to be as close as possible to the original questions.
However, I want to make it very clear that these are only reproductions of the questions that appeared in the exam.
Therefore, if you have one of these questions in your exams CHECK THE BULLETS VERY CAREFULLY. I only have the memory of my students to help me write these questions and in the real exam the wording may be slightly (or very different. Therefore, as a disclaimer, I want to clearly state that:
- I am not associated with the British Council, IDP or Cambridge English and I did not receive these questions from them
- It is highly unlikely that you will get one of these questions in your exam – I have reproduced these as practice material not “cheat sheets”. You should make sure that you have language to cover all of the common letter functions (i.e. apologising, suggesting, offering, complaining, etc) and write the three styles of letter (informal, semi-formal, formal).
- I cannot guarantee that these questions are 100% the same as the real exam questions. Always read the task carefully in your test (even if you recognise the question from this post). Check the bullets twice to make sure that you cover every single point. Remember, if you do not address all parts of the bullets, you will receive a 4.0 for Task Achievement.
If you want to know why addressing the bullets is so important, watch my FREE Introduction to GT Task 1 video
OK, now that I have fulfilled my moral duty to protect you in the exam, here are the questions. I have divided them into informal, semi-formal, and formal for you, and made some useful comments where I could. Have fun!
Recent IELTS General Training Task 1 Questions: Informal Letters
There have still been relatively few informal questions in 2021 compared to last year. However, I would say that this is a good thing for 99% of test-takers as these are the questions that they struggle with the most. After all, after spending hours practicing writing essays it can be difficult to get the “tone” of an informal letter right.
If you don’t know what the difference is between a “formal” and “semi-formal” letter, then I strongly recommend that you watch my free video lesson, which clearly explains how the formality of your letter will affect the tone (and your score!).
You recently went on holiday and your friend lent you a travel guidebook. Write a letter to friend. In your letter
- tell your friend about the holiday
- explain how the guidebook was helpful
- say when and how you will return the guidebook
You are going to have a party. You would like to invite a friend who lives in a city that is a long way from your home. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter
- explain why you are having the party
- describe your plans for the party
- suggest how your friend can travel to the party and where he / she can stay
Your photograph recently won a photography competition and will be shown in an exhibition. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter
- describe the photograph you sent to the competition
- tell him/her about the exhibition where your photo will be shown
- invite him/her to the exhibition
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Recent IELTS General Training Task 1 Questions: Semi-formal Letters
I have to say that the most common trend in IELTS General Training Task 1 Questions this year is the increase in the number of semi-formal letters candidates are being asked to write. Sure, we are still bing asked to write to our colleagues, bosses, teachers and neighbours, but the range of topics has definitely broadened and it seems like more than 50% of recent questions have fallen into the semi-formal category. What does this mean? You have to practice them!
Your company has recently introduced a new work uniform. You are mostly happy with the uniform, but there is one thing that you do not like. Write a letter to your manager. In the letter
- say what you like about the uniform
- explain what you don’t you like about the uniform
- suggest how the uniform can be improved
You have recently missed a project deadline which resulted in your company losing an important client. Write a letter to your manager. In your letter
- apologise for what happened
- explain why you missed the deadline
- tell him/her how you will avoid this situation in future.
Your colleague is traveling from another country for a meeting in your office. You have arranged the airport pickup, hotel accommodation and planned his/her meeting. Write a letter to your colleague. In the letter
- say when and where you will meet him/her
- explain where he/she will stay
- tell him/her about the arrangements you have made for the meeting
You were doing a short course at another country. However, you had to leave the course unexpectedly to fly back home. Write a letter to your teacher. In your letter
- explain why you had to leave
- describe which part of the course you enjoyed most
- thank your teacher for the course
Your company sent you to complete a course in another country. You have lost the certificate received at the end of the course. Write a letter to the college where you took the course. In your letter
- describe how you lost the certificate
- explain why you need the certificate now
- tell the principal of the course what you would like them to do
You have recently finished a course and would like to give some feedback to the course organiser. Write a letter to he college where you took the course. In your letter
- explain what the course was
- say what you enjoyed about the course
- suggest how the course could be improved
Your friend has asked you to teach English to their child. However, you do not have any English books so would like to borrow some from your teacher. Write a letter to your teacher. In your letter
- say which course you are taking
- describe the type of books you need to borrow
- ask to borrow the books
Your neighbour keeps an animal in his / her garden and that is causing problem for you. Write a letter to your neighbour. In your letter:
- say what the problem is and how it is affecting you
- suggest how the problem could be solved
- tell your neighbour what action you might take if the problem is not solved
You are going on holiday for one week and your neighbour has agreed to take care of your house while you are away. Write a letter to your neighbour. In your letter
- explain what you would like your neighbour to do while you are away
- tell him / her how to contact you if there is an emergency
- offer to buy your neighbour a gift to say thank you
You are about to move out of your apartment in an English-speaking country. Your landlord helped you a lot during your stay and you have a friend who would like to rent the flat after you. Write a letter to your landlord. In your letter
- let your landlord know that you will be leaving
- thank your landlord for his / her help
- tell him/her about your friend
Want to listen to two IELTS experts explain how you can make sure you fully address prompts that ask you to write a Formal and Semi-formal letter? You can! Just click on the player below:
Recent IELTS General Training Task 1 Questions: Formal Letters
At the start of 2021, IELTS introduced a range of new topics for formal letters, but in recent months, they have returned to the classics of “complaints” and “lost property”. That said, there are a couple of new topics here – and a couple that will really require you to use your imagination! The question about the TV company is particularly challenging!
You recently bought a children’s toy online but when it arrived it was damaged. Write a letter to the manager of the toy shop. In your letter:
- describe what the problem with the toy is
- suggest how the damage may have happened
- say what you would like the manager to do
You recently flew with an airline and had a problem with the food on the plane. Write a letter to the air company. In your letter
- give the details of the flight
- explain what the problem with the food was
- say what you would like the air company to do
You recently sent your computer to be repaired at a shop. However, you are not satisfied with the repair. Write a letter to the manager of the shop. In your letter
- describe why your computer needed to be repaired
- explain why you are not happy with the service
- say what you would like the shop manager to do
You recently went on a sightseeing tour which you did not enjoy. Write a letter to the manager of the tour company. In your letter:
- explain why you chose that particular tour
- explain what you did not like about the tour
- suggest two ways in which the tour could be improved
You have found out that a building company is planning to build new houses close to your home. Write a letter to the manager of the construction company. In your letter
- say how you found out about their plan
- describe how you feel about the proposed development
- explain what you hope the building company will do
A TV company is going to make a new program about a place near your home. Write a letter to the head of the production company. In your letter
- explain how you found out about the TV program
- say how you know the place where they plan to film
- suggest some information about the place that could be included in the TV program
I hope that you find this guide to recent IELTS General Training Task 1 Questions useful. Remember that we teach how to answer every type of letter in our General Training Task One course, which not only includes lessons on organisation, but also useful language structures that will make your letters sound 100% natural (which really is the key to a high score).
