General Training Writing Task 1 · informal · giving information

Letter to a friend about starting a business

You Want to Start Your Own Business.

Write a Letter to A Friend. In your letter:

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

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Sam,

I hope you have been doing well since we last met for coffee. I am getting in touch because I have finally decided to take the plunge and start my own business.

I am planning to launch a boutique online store that specialises in bespoke, locally sourced organic skincare products. I have spent the last few months researching the market and developing a prototype range using natural ingredients from our local farms. It has been a passion project of mine for a long time, and I am incredibly excited to finally bring it to life.

I believe this is a fantastic venture because there is a growing demand for sustainable, plastic-free beauty products in our area. People are becoming increasingly conscious of their environmental footprint, and my business model addresses this need directly by using entirely compostable packaging and ethical supply chains.

Given your extensive experience in digital marketing, I was wondering if you might be willing to share some advice on how to build an initial social media presence. If you have any spare time next week, I would love to buy you lunch and pick your brain on a few strategies. Let me know what you think.

Best wishes,

Alex

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

Why this scores well

The response achieves Band 8 by fully addressing all three bullet points with natural, cohesive language and an appropriate informal tone. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to provide specific details about the business or asking for vague help, rather than requesting targeted advice as the prompt requires.

Useful phrases from the letter

take the plunge
to decide to do something new and difficult
bespoke
made or designed for a particular person
prototype
a first model of a product to test
environmental footprint
the effect that a person or company has
ethical supply chains
production methods that are fair and honest
pick your brain
to ask someone for advice or information

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.

What does the examiner look for?

The response achieves Band 8 by fully addressing all three bullet points with natural, cohesive language and an appropriate informal tone. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to provide specific details about the business or asking for vague help, rather than requesting targeted advice as the prompt requires.

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