General Training Writing Task 1 · informal · thanks

Congratulating a close friend on their book publication

Your friend has had his/her first book published a few days ago. He/she has recently sent you a copy of that book.

Write a letter to this friend. In your letter:

congratulate him/her for having his/her first book published
thank your friend for sending you a copy of the book
say what do you think about the book

Write at least 150 words. You do not need to write any addresses. Begin your letter: Dear ...,

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Sarah,

I was absolutely thrilled to hear the news about your first novel, 'The Whispering Pines,' hitting the shelves! Please accept my heartiest congratulations on this incredible milestone; I know how hard you have worked to bring this story to life.

Thank you so much for sending me a signed copy. It was such a lovely surprise to find it waiting on my doorstep yesterday. I felt honoured to be one of the first people on your list to receive a hardback edition.

I managed to dive into the first few chapters last night, and I am already hooked. Your descriptive language is truly evocative, and the way you built the tension in the opening scene is masterful. I particularly loved the protagonist’s dry wit; it makes her feel so authentic. I am genuinely looking forward to finishing it over the weekend and cannot wait to hear about your plans for the next one.

Let’s catch up soon so I can grill you on all the plot twists.

Best wishes,

Jamie

172 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Why this scores well

This letter achieves Band 8 by fully addressing all prompts with an enthusiastic, authentic tone and well-developed, natural vocabulary. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to provide specific feedback on the book, instead using vague, generic praise that could apply to any creative work.

Write to a friend or relative by first name and close with Best wishes, Love or See you soon.
Contractions, phrasal verbs and a warm opening line are expected; a stiff formal tone loses marks here.
Still cover every bullet in its own paragraph; friendly does not mean unstructured.

Useful phrases from the letter

milestone: a significant stage or event in someone's life
hooked: captivated or very interested in something
evocative: bringing strong images or memories to mind
masterful: performed or produced with great skill
authentic: genuine and true to real life
grill: to question someone intensely about something

Write your own and get a band

Answer this prompt in a timed General Training writing test and get a band for task achievement, coherence, vocabulary and grammar, with the sentences to fix.

Practise IELTS General writing

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Frequently asked questions

Is this letter formal or informal?

Informal. Write to a friend or relative by first name and close with Best wishes, Love or See you soon.

How long should an IELTS General Training letter be?

At least 150 words, and 160 to 200 is the comfortable range. Spend about 20 minutes on it and leave 40 for Task 2, which carries twice the marks.