How Lumini helps with IELTS General Writing
You're looking at an IELTS General Writing Task 1 prompt on your Mac. The task says: "You recently stayed at a hotel and were dissatisfied with the service. Write a letter to the manager." You've drafted a letter but you're not sure if the tone is right — should it be formal because it's a complaint, or is it OK to be more direct?
Lumini sees your draft letter on screen. Hold Ctrl+Option and ask "Is the tone right for this letter?" Lumini reads your letter: "You started with 'Dear Sir or Madam' which is correct for a formal letter to someone whose name you don't know. But your body says 'I was really annoyed that the room wasn't clean.' That's too informal and emotional for this context. Band 7+ requires controlled, polite language even when complaining. Try: 'I wish to express my disappointment regarding the cleanliness of the room upon arrival.' This maintains a formal tone while still clearly stating the complaint. I'm pointing at the sentence that needs changing."
The three letter types
IELTS General Task 1 tests three letter types — and students lose marks by using the wrong style. Lumini helps you identify which one: "The prompt says 'write a letter to a friend.' That's an informal letter. You can use contractions, casual language, and a friendly tone. But your letter uses 'I am writing to inform you' — that's formal. For an informal letter to a friend, start with 'Dear [Name],' and use 'I just wanted to let you know' or 'I thought I'd drop you a line.' The examiner will check whether your register matches the recipient."
For semi-formal letters — the trickiest one: "The recipient is your neighbour — someone you know but aren't close to. Use a polite but not overly formal tone. 'Dear Mr Smith,' is appropriate. Avoid contractions in the opening paragraph, but occasional contractions later are OK. The key IELTS distinction is: formal = no contractions, no phrasal verbs, passive voice. Informal = contractions, phrasal verbs, active voice. Semi-formal = polite opening, slightly more relaxed body."
Task Achievement: covering all bullet points
Every IELTS Task 1 prompt has three bullet points you MUST address. Lumini verifies: "Your letter covers bullet 1 (explain what was wrong) and bullet 3 (say what you want them to do), but bullet 2 asked you to 'describe how this affected your stay.' You haven't mentioned that. Even if your letter is grammatically perfect, missing a bullet point limits you to Band 5 for Task Achievement. Add a sentence like: 'As a result, I was unable to rest before my important meeting the following morning, which affected my performance.'"
Example questions to ask Lumini
- "Is this formal, semi-formal, or informal — and is my tone right?"
- "Have I covered all three bullet points?"
- "Is my vocabulary varied enough for Band 7?"
- "Should I use contractions in this letter?"
- "How do I make my complaint sound polite but firm?"
How Lumini automates your IELTS prep
Say "Create a note with opening and closing phrases for each letter type." Say "Remind me to practise a Task 1 letter at 7pm." Say "Search the web for IELTS General Task 1 sample letters Band 9." All on your screen.