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Escritura estilo IELTS: carta de la tarea 1 de General Training

Nombre:Fecha:

Práctica independiente al estilo de la tarea 1 de Writing de IELTS General Training, no es un examen oficial: aprende a organizar una carta, a elegir el tono adecuado y a escribir una carta de al menos 150 palabras.

¿Formal o informal?

Elige la mejor opción para cada situación.

You are writing to a company and you do not know the reader's name. Which greeting is correct?
- a) Hi there,
- b) Dear friend,
- c) Dear Sir or Madam,
Which sentence is the best way to begin a formal letter to a community centre?
- a) Hi! Just a quick note about my course.
- b) I am writing about the cooking course that I attended last month.
- c) I'm writing coz I want to tell you some stuff.
Which sentence describes a problem politely in a formal letter?
- a) The room was freezing and it was a total disaster!
- b) The room was really, really cold, you know.
- c) Unfortunately, the room was often too cold to work in comfortably.
Your letter begins with Dear Sir or Madam. How should it end?
- a) Yours sincerely,
- b) Yours faithfully,
- c) Lots of love,
Your letter begins with Dear Ms Novak. How should it end?
- a) Yours sincerely,
- b) Cheers,
- c) Yours faithfully,
Which is the most suitable way to make a suggestion in a formal letter?
- a) Start the classes later, OK?
- b) Would it be possible to start the classes half an hour later?
- c) You should totally start the classes later.
Which sentence is suitable for an informal letter to a friend?
- a) Thanks so much for having me last weekend!
- b) I am writing to express my gratitude for your hospitality.
- c) I wish to inform you that I enjoyed my stay.
Which closing sentence is best for a formal letter?
- a) Write back soon, OK?
- b) Bye for now!
- c) I look forward to your reply.

Frases hechas para cartas

Escribe la palabra o palabras que faltan. Usa la pista entre paréntesis cuando haya una.

I look forward to ___ from you.
I would be ___ if you could send me more information about the course.
I am writing ___ your advertisement for part-time staff.
Thank you for ___ (consider) my suggestion.
The teacher was excellent. ___, there was one problem with the room. (contrast)
I am sorry ___ the delay in replying to your letter.
Please ___ me know which dates suit you.
I would like to ___ that the centre should also offer a weekend course. (make a suggestion)

Cómo organizar tu carta

Elige la mejor respuesta sobre cómo planificar y organizar una carta de la tarea 1.

What is the minimum length for a General Training Task 1 letter?
- a) 100 words
- b) 250 words
- c) 150 words
- d) there is no minimum
Where should you say why you are writing?
- a) in the first paragraph
- b) in the last paragraph
- c) after your name
- d) you do not need to say it
The task has three bullet points. What is the best plan for the main part of the letter?
- a) one long paragraph for all three points
- b) one paragraph for each bullet point
- c) write only about the easiest point
- d) a numbered list of the three points
You are writing to a community centre manager about a course. Which sentence best starts the paragraph about a problem?
- a) I look forward to hearing from you.
- b) I am writing about the course I attended.
- c) Yours faithfully, Lina Haddad
- d) However, there was one problem that affected the whole group.
What should you do about addresses in a Task 1 letter?
- a) Do not write any addresses.
- b) Write your address at the top.
- c) Write both addresses at the top.
- d) Write the reader's address at the end.
Which sentence belongs in the final paragraph of a formal letter?
- a) The heating in Room 4 was often broken.
- b) Thank you for taking the time to read my letter.
- c) I am writing to tell you about my course.
- d) Dear Sir or Madam,

Tarea de escritura

Hace poco asististe a un curso nocturno en tu centro cívico local. Escribe una carta al director del centro. En tu carta: di a qué curso asististe y qué te gustó de él; describe un problema que tuviste durante el curso; sugiere cómo podría el centro resolver ese problema. Escribe al menos 150 palabras. No es necesario que escribas direcciones. Empieza tu carta con: Dear Sir or Madam,

150–200 palabras

Revisa tu texto

Cubrí los tres puntos, con un párrafo para cada uno.
Mi primera frase deja claro el motivo de la carta.
Usé un tono formal, sin contracciones ni jerga.
Empecé con Dear Sir or Madam y terminé con Yours faithfully y mi nombre completo.
Enlacé mis ideas con palabras como However, Overall y therefore.
Usé un vocabulario variado y revisé mi gramática y mi ortografía.
Escribí al menos 150 palabras.

Respuestas

¿Formal o informal?

c) Dear Sir or Madam,Dear Sir or Madam es el saludo formal estándar cuando no conoces el nombre de la persona.
b) I am writing about the cooking course that I attended last month.Es educada y formal, y expresa claramente el motivo de la carta.
c) Unfortunately, the room was often too cold to work in comfortably.Unfortunately presenta el problema con cortesía, y la frase evita un lenguaje emotivo o demasiado coloquial.
b) Yours faithfully,En inglés británico, Dear Sir or Madam va con Yours faithfully.
a) Yours sincerely,Cuando usas el nombre de la persona en el saludo, termina con Yours sincerely.
b) Would it be possible to start the classes half an hour later?Would it be possible to ...? es una forma educada e indirecta de hacer una sugerencia en una carta formal.
a) Thanks so much for having me last weekend!Es amistosa y natural. Las otras dos frases son demasiado formales para un amigo.
c) I look forward to your reply.I look forward to your reply es una frase de cierre educada y formal. Las otras dos son informales.

Frases hechas para cartas

hearingLa frase hecha es look forward to + -ing: I look forward to hearing from you.
grateful / very grateful / most grateful / extremely gratefulI would be grateful if you could ... es una forma formal y educada de pedir algo.
regarding / about / concerning / in response to / with regard to / in reply to / with reference to / in connection with / in relation toRegarding, about y concerning introducen el tema de tu carta. In response to y with reference to también son habituales en las cartas formales.
consideringDespués de la preposición for, se usa la forma en -ing: Thank you for considering ...
However / Unfortunately / Nevertheless / Nonetheless / Even so / StillHowever introduce un contraste con el punto positivo anterior. Nevertheless, Even so y Unfortunately también sirven aquí.
for / aboutDecimos sorry for o sorry about algo: I am sorry for the delay.
letLet me know es una forma habitual y amistosa de pedirle a alguien que te diga algo.
suggest / propose / recommendI would like to suggest that ... es una forma educada de hacer una sugerencia en una carta formal.

Cómo organizar tu carta

c) 150 wordsDebes escribir al menos 150 palabras. Las cartas más cortas no pueden obtener una buena nota.
a) in the first paragraphEl lector debe entender el propósito de la carta desde el primer párrafo.
b) one paragraph for each bullet pointUn párrafo por cada punto facilita al lector ver que has cubierto todo.
d) However, there was one problem that affected the whole group.However señala un cambio de los puntos positivos a un problema, y la frase presenta el tema del párrafo.
a) Do not write any addresses.La tarea no exige direcciones, así que no pierdas tiempo escribiéndolas.
b) Thank you for taking the time to read my letter.Dar las gracias al lector es una buena manera de cerrar una carta formal antes de la despedida.

Respuesta modelo

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing about the ten-week photography course that I attended at the community centre this spring, which finished last Tuesday.

Overall, I found the course extremely useful. The teacher, Mr Adebayo, explained everything clearly and was always patient with beginners like me. I particularly enjoyed the practical sessions in the park, where we were able to try out new techniques and receive advice on our own photographs.

However, there was one problem that affected the whole group. Room 4, where the course took place, was very cold in the evenings because the heating was often not working. On several occasions we had to keep our coats on, and two students left early because they felt uncomfortable.

I would therefore like to suggest that the heating in Room 4 is checked before the autumn courses begin. Alternatively, evening classes could be moved to one of the larger rooms on the ground floor, which are usually warmer.

Thank you for considering my suggestion. I look forward to joining another course in the future.

Yours faithfully,

Lina Haddad