A semi-formal letter goes to someone you know, but not as a friend: your landlord, a neighbour, your manager or a teacher. In General Training Writing Task 1 you write at least 150 words in about 20 minutes, and the prompt doesn't name the style. In IELTS's words, it "depends on who you are asked to write to and how well you are supposed to know them."
Below: what IELTS itself says about semi-formal language, one request written for three readers near the borderline, and an editing exercise where you fix a paragraph before you see our version.
What IELTS says about semi-formal letters
IELTS has published a short guide to semi-formal letters. It describes the style as "more neutral in style (neither formal nor informal)" and sets the bar: "To get a band score 7 or above for the content of a semi-formal letter, you need to write in a consistent style and not include language that's too formal or informal."
The features it lists:
- openings and closings "neither too formal nor too informal", such as Dear… and Regards…
- contractions, such as I'm instead of I am
- some more formal words: receive rather than get
- personal language: the complaints we've received, not the complaints that have been received
- suggest and recommend for suggestions, rather than May I suggest… or How about…
What it tells you to avoid: very polite requests like It would be greatly appreciated if..., informal words like moan instead of complaint, and text-message forms like convo.
Treat these as features of the style, not a checklist: a letter doesn't need a contraction in every line to be semi-formal. The General Training band descriptors describe band 7 the same way: "The tone is consistent and appropriate to the task."
Semi-formal, formal or informal: read the prompt
Ask two questions about the person you're writing to:
- Do you know them? A company, an official or a stranger means formal.
- Is this a friend or a relative? Yes means informal. No, but you know them through work, study or where you live? Semi-formal is often a good starting point, whether you call them Mr Harris or Anna. A more formal style may also suit a professional relationship, depending on the purpose.
| Who you write to | Style | Typical readers |
|---|---|---|
| A friend or relative | Informal | A friend, a cousin, a close old classmate |
| Someone you know, but not as a friend | Semi-formal | Your landlord, a neighbour, your manager, a teacher, a colleague |
| Someone you don't know, or an organisation | Formal | A company, a hotel manager, the council, a newspaper |
IELTS gives two typical semi-formal cases: writing "to someone you know about something negative (for example - an apology to a neighbour)" and "to someone you have a professional relationship with (for example - a manager at work)".
The lines blur, and IELTS says so: its format page lists "writing to a manager (semi-formal or formal)". Wording like your landlord or your manager often suggests you already know the person, but choose the tone from the whole situation: the relationship, who makes the decision, and what you're asking for.
One request, three readers: where semi-formal ends
One schedule clash, solved three ways, near both edges of semi-formal. Your IELTS test has been moved to Friday morning, and something else is already booked for that time.
A close colleague: informal, or relaxed semi-formal
Hi Sam, Could I ask you a favour? My IELTS test has been moved to Friday morning, so would you mind swapping your Thursday shift for my Friday one?
You're friends as well as colleagues, and it's a favour between equals. If you know Sam less well, Dear Sam and Kind regards would also fit: the request itself is already polite and neutral. Either works if the tone doesn't change halfway.
Your manager: semi-formal, and formal also works
Dear Ms Lee, I'm writing to ask whether I could change my shift this week. My IELTS test has been moved to Friday morning, and Sam has kindly offered to swap his Thursday shift with me, if you're happy with that.
You know her, so I'm writing and if you're happy with that sound natural. But she decides, so the letter asks rather than tells, with a reason and a solution. On first-name terms, Dear Helen works too.
The head of an organisation you've never dealt with: formal
Dear Mr Omarov, I am writing to request a transfer from Friday morning's first-aid session to the following week. My IELTS test has been rescheduled for the same morning, so I am unable to attend the original session.
There is no relationship, and he represents an organisation. Full forms (I am writing, I am unable), a request rather than a favour, and Yours sincerely at the end, because you know his name.
The tone moved with three things: how well you know the reader, whether they decide, and how serious the matter is. Where two styles are both reasonable, either can work. Mixing them is the mistake.
How to start and end: Dear + name
You don't write addresses or a date: "You do not need to write any addresses at the top of your letter." Many prompts end with Begin your letter as follows: Dear ..., and you complete the name. IDP's advice is that the greeting and the closing "needs to match the style".
| Greeting | Closing | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Dear Mr Harris, / Dear Mrs Kowalski, | Kind regards, / Best regards, | Title and surname: a landlord, an older neighbour, a teacher |
| Dear Anna, | Kind regards, / Best regards, | First-name terms: a neighbour you chat with, some managers |
| Dear Sir or Madam, | Yours faithfully, | Not semi-formal: formal, for someone whose name you don't know |
| Hi Anna, / Dear Anna, to a friend | Best wishes, / Love, | Not semi-formal: informal, for friends and family |
Yours sincerely is the formal pair for a name you know: if you decide a letter to your manager should be formal, use it and keep the whole letter formal. Sign with the name the reader knows you by: your first name for a neighbour, your full name for a landlord you rarely see.
Tone: polite but personal
Semi-formal sounds like a polite conversation with someone you see every week. What to avoid is specific wording, not a missing feature.
| Feature | Semi-formal | Too formal / too casual |
|---|---|---|
| Opening line | I'm writing to let you know that... | I am writing to formally notify you... / Guess what! |
| Contractions | Typical but optional: I'm, I've, it's | gonna, wanna |
| Word choice | receive, arrange, complaint | It would be greatly appreciated if... / moan, convo |
| Requests | Could you...? Would you be able to...? | I hereby request... / Fix it asap. |
| Suggestions | I suggest... I'd recommend... | May I suggest... / How about...? |
| Personal touch | Optional: one friendly line, or start straight with your purpose | A paragraph of personal news |
Semi-formal phrases by purpose
Pick one phrase for each job and make the rest of the sentence specific to the prompt.
| Purpose | Phrases | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Say why you're writing | I'm writing about... / I'm writing to let you know... | I'm writing about the parking space behind our building. |
| Ask a favour | Would you be able to...? / I'd be grateful if you could... / Would you mind...? | Would you mind keeping an eye on my flat while I'm away? |
| Explain a problem | I'm afraid... / Unfortunately,... / The problem is that... | Unfortunately, the heating has stopped working again. |
| Apologise | I'm sorry about... / Apologies for... | I'm sorry about the noise on Saturday night. |
| Suggest | I suggest... / I'd recommend... / Perhaps we could... | Perhaps we could share the cost of a new fence. |
Sample semi-formal letter to a neighbour
A practice prompt written by the GoPrep team, in the usual IELTS layout:
You are going to have building work done in your flat next month.
Write a letter to your neighbour. In your letter:
- explain what work you are having done and when
- describe how it may affect your neighbour
- say what you will do to reduce the disruption
Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write any addresses. Begin your letter as follows: Dear ...,
Why semi-formal: a neighbour is usually someone you know but not as a friend, and the news is a little negative, like the apology example in IELTS's guide.
Your turn: edit one paragraph
Here is a first draft of the paragraph for bullet 2, how the work may affect the neighbour:
I would like to inform you that there will be a lot of noise, especially in the first week. Sorry about that! Also, there will be dust on the stairs and the lift will be busy sometimes.
Before you read on, rewrite it in 3 minutes. First make the tone consistent, then give each effect a reason or a consequence for the reader.
Our edit 1: consistent tone
I'm afraid there will be quite a lot of noise, especially in the first week. There may also be some dust on the stairs, and the lift will be busier than usual.
I would like to inform you (too formal here) and Sorry about that! (too casual) became I'm afraid, which is polite and personal. The effects are the same, and still unexplained.
Our edit 2: consistent tone with supporting detail
I'm afraid the first week will be the noisiest, because they'll be taking out the old tiles. There may also be some dust on the shared staircase as they carry out the rubbish, and the lift will sometimes be used for materials, so you might have to wait longer for it.
Each effect now has a reason (taking out the old tiles, carry out the rubbish), and the last one is linked to the reader (you might have to wait longer).
How this relates to the descriptors. Under Task Achievement for General Training, band 6 allows "minor inconsistencies in tone", band 7 asks for a tone that is "consistent and appropriate to the task", and band 8 for bullet points "appropriately illustrated or extended" (May 2023). One paragraph can't set a band: the examiner rates the whole letter on four criteria, and "A script must fully fit the positive features of the descriptor at a particular level."
The full letter (190 words)
Written by the GoPrep team as a practice example. It is not an officially marked script, so we don't give it a band.
Dear Mrs Kowalski,
I'm writing to let you know that we're having our kitchen and bathroom renovated next month, and I wanted to tell you before the work starts. I tried to catch you on the stairs, but we keep missing each other.
The builders will start on 5 October and should finish in about three weeks. They'll arrive at 8.30 am and leave by 5 pm, with no work at weekends.
I'm afraid the first week will be the noisiest, because they'll be taking out the old tiles. There may also be some dust on the shared staircase as they carry out the rubbish, and the lift will sometimes be used for materials, so you might have to wait longer for it.
To keep the disruption to a minimum, I've asked the builders to do the loudest work between 10 am and 3 pm and to clean the staircase every evening. If anything causes you a problem, please knock on my door or give me a call, and I'll sort it out straight away.
Apologies in advance for the noise, and thank you for your patience.
Kind regards,
Daniel
| Bullet | Where | What makes it complete |
|---|---|---|
| What work and when | Paragraphs 1 and 2 | Both halves: the kitchen and bathroom, plus the start date, length and daily hours |
| How it may affect the neighbour | Paragraph 3 | Three effects, each with a reason: noise, dust, a busy lift |
| What you will do | Paragraph 4 | Two actions and a way to contact you |
The letter is one third of your Writing score, and it shares 60 minutes with Task 2, which "contributes twice as much". The first thing to protect is length: both tasks above the word minimum.
Common traps in semi-formal letters
- An over-formal opening for someone you know. I am writing to inform you that I shall be undertaking renovations sounds cold to a neighbour you greet in the lift.
- A missing bullet, or half of one. IDP warns that "some bullet points contain more than one element", so watch for and and plurals. What work and when needs both. Under Task Achievement, band 5 describes bullets that "may not be adequately covered"; band 4, "Not all bullet points are presented."
- A greeting and closing that don't match. Dear Anna with Yours faithfully, or Dear Sir or Madam for your own landlord, tells the examiner you haven't thought about the reader.
- Stopping short of 150 words. "You must write at least 150 words." Around 160 to 190 gives each bullet room and leaves time for Task 2 (see how to split your 60 minutes).
Practice: a letter to your landlord
A new prompt, written for this guide:
The washing machine in the flat you rent has stopped working.
Write a letter to your landlord. In your letter:
- describe the problem
- explain why you need it fixed quickly
- suggest how the problem could be solved
Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write any addresses. Begin your letter as follows: Dear ...,
Our answer (169 words)
A practice example by the GoPrep team, not a marked script.
Dear Mr Harris,
I'm writing about the washing machine in the flat. It stopped working last Saturday: it fills with water but doesn't spin, so the clothes come out soaking wet. I've checked the filter and tried restarting it, but nothing has helped. It is an old machine, so it may just need a new part.
This is quite urgent for me, as I'm starting a new job on Monday and I'll need clean work clothes every day. The nearest launderette is a twenty-minute walk away, and it closes at 6 pm, before I get home.
Would you be able to arrange for a repair person to come this week? I'm at home on Thursday and Friday mornings, so either would suit me. Alternatively, if it's easier for you, I'd be happy to book a local repair company myself and send you the invoice, as long as you agree to the cost first.
Thank you for your help. I look forward to hearing from you.
Kind regards,
Amira Hassan
Compare with yours: does the landlord get details to act on, a clear reason for the urgency, and a concrete suggestion with a time or an alternative?
FAQ
What is a semi-formal letter in IELTS?
It is a General Training Task 1 letter to someone you know but not as a friend, such as a landlord, neighbour, manager or teacher. IELTS describes it as more neutral in style, neither formal nor informal.
How do I start and end a semi-formal letter?
Start with Dear and the name you would use in person, for example Dear Mr Harris or Dear Anna, and end with a closing such as Kind regards. These are common conventions rather than an IELTS rule; what matters is that the greeting and closing match the style of the letter.
Can I use contractions in a semi-formal letter?
Yes. IELTS's own guide lists contractions such as I'm as a feature of semi-formal letters. Avoid text-message forms like gonna or convo, and keep the style consistent throughout.
Is a letter to a landlord formal or semi-formal?
It depends on the relationship in the prompt. A landlord you already deal with usually gets a semi-formal letter; a letting agency or a landlord you have never dealt with is closer to formal.
Where to go next
- The whole letter task, with timing and structure: IELTS General Training letter
- Writing to someone you don't know: formal letter
- Writing to a friend: informal letter
- How the four criteria work at each band: Writing band descriptors
To plan your General Training practice, tell the quiz your target score, exam date and hardest part of IELTS, and GoPrep will build a personal study plan around your answers.
GoPrep Team
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