General Training Writing Task 1 · informal · advice

Letter to a friend offering camping holiday advice

A friend of yours is thinking of going on a camping holiday for the first time this summer. He/She has asked for your advice.

Write a letter to your friend. In your letter:

explain why you think your friend would enjoy a camping holiday
describe some possible disadvantages
say whether you would like to go camping with your friend this summer

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

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Sam,

I was thrilled to hear you are considering a camping trip this summer! It is a brilliant idea, and I think you would absolutely love the experience. There is something incredibly refreshing about waking up surrounded by nature, far away from the relentless pace of city life. You have always appreciated the outdoors, so the chance to disconnect and enjoy some simple stargazing will be right up your street.

However, it is worth keeping a few drawbacks in mind. Camping is definitely not as comfortable as a hotel; you will likely struggle with the lack of proper amenities, like hot showers or a real bed. Also, if the weather turns, things can get pretty damp and miserable quite quickly, so you need to be prepared for some discomfort.

That said, I would love to join you! It has been ages since we caught up properly, and I think we would have a fantastic time navigating the challenges together. Let me know which dates you are looking at and I will clear my calendar.

I really hope you decide to go through with it!

Best wishes,

Alex

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

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response fully addresses all three bullet points with a natural, consistent tone and cohesive paragraph structure. The most common mistake for Band 6 is failing to provide specific personal advice or including irrelevant information that makes the letter feel disjointed.

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

relentless: constant and intense without any sign of stopping
disconnect: to stop using technology and focus on relaxing
right up your street: something that perfectly suits your personal interests
amenities: useful features or services of a place
damp: slightly wet, often in an unpleasant way
navigating: finding a way through difficult or complex situations

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.