Hello! Welcome to the next lesson in your personalized IELTS preparation course.
Introduction
In our last lesson, we established the essential 5-paragraph structure for IELTS General Training letters: a purpose statement, three body paragraphs for the bullet points, and a conclusion. You practiced creating a high-level plan for a letter based on this structure.
Today, we will zoom in on that critical first paragraph. The learning outcome for this lesson is to rephrase the given situation to clearly state the purpose of a letter in your own words. Mastering this skill is vital for two reasons: it immediately shows the examiner that you understand the task, and it demonstrates your vocabulary range, which is a key part of the "Lexical Resource" marking criterion.
1. The Goal: Paraphrasing, Not Copying
The IELTS prompt gives you a situation. Your first task is to explain this situation back to the reader as the reason for your letter. A common mistake is to copy the words directly from the prompt. To score well, you must paraphrase—that is, express the same meaning using different words and sentence structures.
Let's break this down into a clear, repeatable process:
- Identify the Core Situation: Read the scenario in the prompt and pinpoint the main reason you need to write.
- Isolate Keywords: Find the key nouns, verbs, and adjectives in the prompt's description.
- Brainstorm Synonyms: Think of alternative words or phrases for these keywords.
- Restructure the Sentence: Rewrite the sentence using your new vocabulary and a different structure.
This systematic approach ensures you create an original and effective purpose statement every time.
2. How to Paraphrase the Purpose: A Demonstration
Watching an expert break down a prompt is one of the best ways to learn this skill. The following video does an excellent job of demonstrating how to analyze a prompt and rephrase the situation into a purpose statement.
IELTS Task 1 Formal Letters - Ultimate Guide
This video from IELTS Advantage walks through the process of understanding a prompt and then turning the given situation into a clear purpose statement for a formal letter.
Please watch from 01:00 to 03:27 and then from 05:02 to 06:21. In the first segment, notice how the instructor first makes sure he understands the situation fully. In the second segment, pay close attention to how he takes the prompt's wording ('you now need to cancel your booking') and rephrases it into his own sentence ('I am writing to cancel my recently booked part-time course...').
As the video shows, even if you can't find a synonym for every single word (like "cancel"), changing the sentence structure and some of the other words is enough to show your skill.
3. Building Your Purpose Statement: Opening Phrases
Your purpose statement should begin with a standard opening phrase that signals your intent. The phrase you choose depends on the letter's purpose (e.g., requesting, complaining, inviting) and its level of formality.
The article below provides an excellent list of "go-to" phrases you can use.
Guide to Writing an Introduction for IELTS General Task 1 Letter
This guide from Edubenchmark offers a valuable list of opening statements for formal, semi-formal, and informal letters.
First, read the section 'Possible Opening Statements for Formal, Semi Formal and Informal Letters'. This gives you a toolkit of phrases. Then, read the 'FAQs' section, specifically the questions 'Should I paraphrase the question prompt in my Introduction?' and 'How does the Introduction differ for a formal and informal letter?'. This will reinforce why we are focusing on this skill.
Once you have chosen an opening phrase, you simply add your paraphrased situation to complete the sentence.
Example:
- Prompt: You recently saw an advertisement...seeking volunteers...You are interested in this work.
- Opening Phrase: "I am writing to express my interest in..."
- Paraphrased Situation: "...the volunteer position you advertised..."
- Full Statement: "I am writing to express my interest in the volunteer position you advertised..."
4. Examples in Action
Let's look at a few more examples to see how the purpose statement works for different types of letters. The key is to be direct and clear.
IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 How to write a letter
This resource from IDP, an official IELTS partner, provides clear, side-by-side examples of purpose statements for formal and informal letters.
Read the section 'State the purpose'. Pay attention to the table comparing a formal letter (expressing dissatisfaction) with an informal one (giving advice). Notice how both get straight to the point.
Now, let's review some more complete examples for different scenarios.
Guide to Writing an Introduction for IELTS General Task 1 Letter
Let's return to the Edubenchmark guide to see how these purpose statements look within a full introduction.
Read the 'Sample Introduction of an Informal Letter' and the two 'Sample Introduction of a Formal Letter' examples. For each one, compare the introduction to the prompt above it. Identify how the writer has rephrased the situation.
5. Practice Exercise
It's your turn to practice. For each of the prompts below, please write only the opening paragraph (the purpose statement). Remember to use your own words as much as possible.
Prompt 1 (Formal):
You have recently moved to a new apartment. You have noticed a problem with the heating system which does not work properly.
Write a letter to the building manager.
Your Purpose Statement:
(Write your sentence here)
Prompt 2 (Informal):
Your friend from another country is coming to visit your city for a week, and has asked for your advice on what to do.
Write a letter to your friend.
Your Purpose Statement:
(Write your sentence here)
Prompt 3 (Formal - Complaint):
You bought a new mobile phone from an online store, but it stopped working after only two days.
Write a letter to the customer service department.
Your Purpose Statement:
(Write your sentence here)
Take about 15 minutes to complete this. I will provide you with feedback on your paraphrasing and choice of opening phrases.
Conclusion
Excellent work today. You have focused on one of the most important sentences in your entire IELTS letter—the purpose statement.
Key Takeaways:
- The first paragraph of your letter must clearly and concisely state your reason for writing.
- Always paraphrase the situation from the prompt; never copy it directly. This demonstrates your vocabulary and understanding.
- A good method is to identify keywords, find synonyms, and restructure the original sentence.
- Begin your statement with a standard opening phrase (e.g., "I am writing to request...", "I was so happy to hear that...") that matches the letter's tone.
Next Lesson Preview:
In our next lesson, we will begin writing full letters. We will focus on how to write a formal letter of request or application, combining the structure we've learned with today's skill of crafting a perfect purpose statement.