General Training Writing Task 1 · informal · apology

Letter to a friend apologising for accidental damage

You recently stayed with your friend to look after the house while he/she is away. You accidentally damaged something in his/her house.

Write a letter to your friend. In your letter:

describe what happened
explain when it happened
suggest how the damage can be repaired

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

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Sarah,

I am writing to you with my tail between my legs because I have some rather unfortunate news regarding my stay at your place while you were in Italy.

Yesterday evening, while I was cleaning the living room, I accidentally knocked over your antique ceramic vase that sits on the side table. I was trying to dust the shelf, but my sleeve caught the edge, and it tumbled onto the hardwood floor, shattering into several pieces.

I feel absolutely terrible about it, especially since I know how much that piece meant to you. I have already gathered the shards and placed them in a box, though I fear it is beyond a simple glue repair given the extent of the breakage.

To make amends, I have looked up a local restoration specialist who comes highly recommended. If the piece is beyond professional repair, I would like to cover the full cost of a replacement or provide you with the funds to purchase something you love just as much. Please let me know how you would like me to proceed.

I am so sorry for being so clumsy.

Best wishes,

James

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

Why this scores well

This response achieves Band 8 by addressing all bullet points with a natural, consistent tone and clear, cohesive explanation of the incident. A common Band 6 error is failing to offer a concrete, actionable solution for the damage, instead providing only a vague apology.

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

tail between my legs: feeling ashamed or embarrassed about a mistake
shattering: breaking suddenly and violently into many pieces
beyond a simple glue repair: too badly damaged to be easily fixed
make amends: to do something to correct a mistake
restoration specialist: an expert who repairs damaged valuable items
clumsy: awkward in movement or lacking physical coordination

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.