General Training Writing Task 1 · semi-formal · invitation

Letter to a colleague inviting them to lunch

You are leaving your current job and having a farewell lunch.

Write a letter to a colleague. In your letter:

invite them to your farewell lunch
give details of the date, time, and location
mention how much you have enjoyed working with them

Write at least 150 words. You do not need to write any addresses. Begin your letter: Dear Mr/Ms [Name],

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Mr. Thompson,

I am writing to share the news that I will be leaving my position here at the end of next week. As I have truly valued our professional relationship, I would be delighted if you could join me for a farewell lunch to mark the occasion.

We have booked a table at The Golden Bistro on Friday, 24th May, at 1:00 pm. It is just a short walk from the office, and I have heard their set menu is excellent. I hope the timing fits into your schedule, but please let me know if you have any conflicting meetings.

Reflecting on my time here, I have genuinely enjoyed our collaboration over the past three years. Your insight during our quarterly strategy sessions was always invaluable, and I have learned a great deal from your approach to problem-solving. It has been a genuine pleasure working alongside you.

I look forward to catching up properly before I head off to my new role. Please let me know by Wednesday if you can make it so I can confirm the final numbers with the restaurant.

Best wishes,

James Anderson

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

Why this scores well

This response achieves Band 8 by seamlessly integrating all required bullet points with a consistent, professional yet warm tone. A common mistake for Band 6 candidates is failing to provide specific, logical details for the event, such as a concrete time or location, or using overly casual language that misses the semi-formal register.

Write to someone you know but not closely, such as a manager, landlord or neighbour, using their title and surname.
Polite and friendly at once: a few contractions are fine, slang is not. Close with Yours sincerely or Kind regards.
State the purpose in the first two sentences; small talk costs words you need for the bullets.

Useful phrases from the letter

valued our professional relationship: appreciated the connection we had while working together
mark the occasion: observe or celebrate an important event or milestone
invaluable: extremely useful or helpful in a practical way
collaboration: the action of working with others to create something
conflicting meetings: appointments that happen at the same time
head off: to leave or depart for a different place

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?

Semi-formal. Write to someone you know but not closely, such as a manager, landlord or neighbour, using their title and surname.

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.