General Training Writing Task 1 · informal · other

Letter to a friend offering a concert ticket

You bought a music concert ticket. However, you are unable to go. So you want to offer the ticket to your friend.

Write a letter to your friend. In your letter:

say about the concert
say why you are unable to go
inform how your friend can receive the ticket

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’ve been doing well lately. I’m getting in touch because I have some news regarding the upcoming Arctic Monkeys concert at the O2 Arena next Saturday, and I wanted to see if you would like to take my place.

As you know, they are one of my favourite bands, and I was really looking forward to hearing them play tracks from their latest album live. The atmosphere at the O2 is always electric, and I’m sure it’s going to be an unforgettable night for any fan.

Unfortunately, something unexpected has come up. My sister has just announced her engagement party for that same evening, and as I’m helping organise the celebration, I simply cannot get away. I’m gutted to miss the performance, but I’d much rather the ticket goes to someone who will truly enjoy it.

Since it is an e-ticket, I can simply transfer it to your account via the venue’s app. If you’re interested, just let me know your registered email address, and I’ll send it over immediately. It’s all paid for, so please don't worry about the cost.

Let me know if you can make it!

Best wishes,

Alex

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

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response fully addresses all bullet points with natural, cohesive language and an appropriately relaxed tone. The most common mistake for Band 6 candidates is failing to explain the transfer process clearly or using overly formal, repetitive phrases like 'I am writing to inform you'.

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

electric: having a very exciting and energetic atmosphere
gutted: extremely disappointed or upset about a situation
take my place: to attend an event in someone's stead
unexpected: something that happens without prior warning
registered: officially recorded in a database or system
get away: to leave a place or escape obligations

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.