General Training Writing Task 1 · informal · request

Letter to a friend asking for computer help

You recently bought a new computer but are having some trouble setting it up.

Write a letter to a friend who is good with computers. In your letter:

describe the new computer you bought
explain the specific problem you are having
ask if they can come over and help you

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

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Sam,

I hope you have been doing well lately. I am reaching out because I finally bit the bullet and upgraded my old laptop, but I have hit a bit of a wall getting everything running.

I treated myself to the latest 15-inch MacBook Air with the M3 chip. It is an incredibly sleek machine, and the display quality is lightyears ahead of my previous clunky PC. I was really looking forward to using it for my video editing projects, but things have not gone quite as smoothly as I had hoped.

The main issue is that I cannot seem to migrate my data or configure the external monitor correctly. Every time I plug it in, the screen just flickers black, and I am worried I might mess up the settings by trying to force a fix. I have spent hours scouring online forums, but I am still completely stuck.

Since you are the biggest tech whiz I know, would you be free to pop over this weekend? I would be happy to order some pizza or grab some beers while we sort it out. Let me know if that works for you.

Best wishes,

Alex

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

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response addresses all three bullet points with a natural, consistent informal tone and clear purpose throughout. The most common Band 6 mistake is writing in a rigid, formulaic style that fails to sound like a genuine letter between friends.

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

bit the bullet: decided to do something difficult that was avoided
hit a wall: reached a point where no progress is possible
sleek: having an elegant, streamlined, and attractive appearance
lightyears ahead: far more advanced than something else
scouring: searching through something thoroughly to find information
tech whiz: someone who is extremely skilled with technology

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.