Multilevel Writing Task 1: one situation, two letters
In Multilevel Writing Task 1 you write about one situation twice: to a friend, then to someone in charge. How to change register, with phrases and two model letters.
Multilevel Writing Task 1 is the part of Uzbekistan's Multilevel exam that IELTS books do not prepare you for. It gives you one situation, such as a change at a sports club, a problem with a course or a decision by a manager, and asks you to write about it twice: first a short message to a friend, then a formal letter to the person in charge. The facts hardly change. What is being tested is whether you can change your language for a different reader.
Multilevel Writing Task 1 at a glance
- Task 1.1: an informal message to a friend, about 50 words, at B1.
- Task 1.2: a formal letter or email to a manager or an organisation, 120 to 150 words, at B2.
Both tasks usually ask for the same two things: how you feel about the situation, and what you think should be done. Answer both in each letter. A letter that only complains, or only suggests, has done half the task.
What changes between the two letters
- Greeting
- Hi Aziz! / Dear Sir or Madam,
- Opening
- Guess what happened at the club? / I am writing to express my concern about the recent changes.
- Feelings
- I was really annoyed. / I was disappointed to learn of the decision.
- Suggestion
- Why don't we ask for a discount? / I would suggest that members be offered a reduced fee.
- Closing
- See you soon! / I look forward to hearing from you.
- Sign-off
- Bye for now, Sardor / Yours faithfully, Sardor Aliyev
Three habits make a letter formal, and dropping them makes it informal:
- No contractions. Write I am, do not and it is in the formal letter, and I'm, don't and it's to a friend.
- Formal verbs instead of phrasal verbs. Find out becomes discover, put off becomes postpone, and get becomes receive.
- Measured feelings. To a friend you are really annoyed; to a manager you are disappointed or concerned.
A model Task 1.1 message
The situation: your sports club has closed its swimming pool for three months for repairs, but members still pay the full monthly fee.
- Message
- Hi Aziz! Have you heard that the club is closing the pool for three months? I'm really annoyed, because we still have to pay the full fee. I think we should ask the manager for a discount, or free gym classes until it opens again. Let's talk tomorrow! Sardor
It is short, friendly and direct, and it still does both jobs: it says how the writer feels, and it says what should happen.
A model Task 1.2 letter
- Letter
- Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing to express my concern about the decision to close the swimming pool for three months while members continue to pay the full monthly fee. I understand that the repairs are necessary. However, many members, including myself, joined the club mainly to use the pool, and we now receive only part of the service we pay for. I was also disappointed that members were not consulted before the decision was made. I would therefore suggest that the club should either reduce the monthly fee during the repairs or offer additional gym classes at no extra cost. Either measure would show members that their loyalty is valued. I look forward to hearing from you. Yours faithfully, Sardor Aliyev
The facts are the same, but the reader is different. Notice what the formal letter adds: some understanding of the club's position, a clear statement of the problem, and a concrete suggestion with a reason behind it. That extra detail and control is what lifts a B1 message to a B2 letter.
Common mistakes in Multilevel Writing Task 1
- Writing the same letter twice, with a new greeting on top.
- Mixing registers: a formal letter that starts Dear Sir or Madam and ends See you!
- Missing one of the two points: feelings without a suggestion, or a suggestion without feelings.
- Ignoring the word counts: a 120-word message to a friend, or a formal letter of 80 words.
- Answering a different situation from the one in the task, with details invented to fit a prepared answer.
Practise with a level, not a guess
EngProgress's free writing checker has a CEFR Writing tab: choose Task 1.1, 1.2 or 2, paste the task and your answer, and get an indicative CEFR level with scores for task achievement, coherence, vocabulary, grammar and register. To practise the whole paper, sit the free daily CEFR practice, and for the rest of the exam read The Multilevel exam explained.
Questions readers ask
How many words is Multilevel Writing Task 1.1?
About 50 words. Task 1.1 is a short informal message to a friend at B1, so every sentence needs to do a job.
How many words is Multilevel Writing Task 1.2?
Between 120 and 150 words. Task 1.2 is a formal letter or email about the same situation as Task 1.1, written at B2.
Can I use contractions in the Multilevel formal letter?
Avoid them. Write I am, do not and it is in Task 1.2; contractions such as I'm and don't belong in the informal message to a friend.
How should I end a formal letter in the Multilevel exam?
If you began with Dear Sir or Madam, end with Yours faithfully. If you began with a name, such as Dear Mr Karimov, end with Yours sincerely, followed by your full name.
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