General Training Writing Task 1 · informal · giving information

Letter to a Facebook friend about national news

You have a Facebook friend living in another country and she/he is curious to learn about a major news item in your country.

Write a letter to your Facebook friend. In your letter:

describe a news story in your country
explain why people are interested in it
say how the story personally relates to you

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

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Sarah,

It was lovely to see your comment on my post earlier! You asked about the recent headlines here, and honestly, the country is currently captivated by the ambitious plan to reintroduce wild beavers into our river systems. It is quite a massive environmental project aiming to restore wetlands and naturally manage flood risks in the countryside.

People are genuinely fascinated by this because it represents a significant shift in how we approach conservation. Many are excited about the prospect of seeing these animals back in the wild after centuries of absence, though farmers are naturally concerned about potential land damage. It has sparked intense debates on social media about balancing ecological restoration with the needs of local agriculture.

This story actually hits close to home for me. My family owns a small plot of land near one of the proposed release sites, and we have been attending town hall meetings to understand how this might affect our local ecosystem. I am quietly hoping it helps with the seasonal flooding we have been experiencing lately, as it would be a huge relief for our community.

Anyway, let me know what is happening in your corner of the world soon!

Best wishes,

Jamie

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

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response fully addresses all three bullet points with a natural, consistent informal tone and coherent structure. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to link the news story to personal experience or using overly formal, stiff language that does not fit a letter to a friend.

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

captivated: very interested or held by something fascinating
ambitious: having a strong desire to achieve something difficult
conservation: the protection of nature and the environment
hits close to home: affects you personally or relates to your life
town hall meetings: public gatherings where local issues are discussed
ecological restoration: the process of repairing damaged natural environments

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.