General Training Writing Task 1 · informal · invitation

Letter to a friend inviting them to housewarming

You have recently moved into a new house and would like to invite an English-speaking friend to your housewarming party.

Write a letter to the relevant person. In your letter:

describe your new house and where it is located
invite your friend to the party and give details (date, time)
tell them what they should bring or what to expect

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

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Sarah,

I hope you are settling into your new job well! I am finally unpacked after the move and would love for you to come and see my new place.

It is a charming Victorian terrace located in the heart of Richmond, just a short walk from the river. The house is quite spacious with high ceilings and a lovely garden at the back where I have already started planting some herbs. It feels incredibly peaceful compared to my old flat.

I am hosting a housewarming party on Saturday, 15th July, starting from 4:00 pm. It would be brilliant if you could make it, as it has been ages since we properly caught up.

Regarding the details, please do not feel obliged to bring anything other than yourself, as I will be firing up the barbecue and have plenty of refreshments sorted. Just wear comfortable shoes if you fancy a stroll by the Thames later in the evening. I really hope you can join the celebrations!

Can’t wait to show you around.

Best wishes,

Jamie

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

Why this scores well

This letter achieves Band 8 by addressing all bullet points with natural, descriptive language and maintaining a consistent, warm tone suitable for a friend. The most common mistake in Band 6 answers is using overly formal or repetitive phrasing that fails to sound like a genuine personal invitation.

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

Victorian terrace: A house built in the nineteenth-century architectural style
spacious: Having an ample amount of space or room
firing up: Lighting or starting a barbecue or grill
refreshments: Food and drink served as a snack
stroll: A slow, relaxed walk for pleasure
settling into: Becoming comfortable in a new home or job

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.