General Training Writing Task 1 · informal · giving information

Letter to a friend recommending a job vacancy

You Are Leaving Your Job and Would Like to Invite Your Friend to Replace You.

Write a Letter to Your Friend. In your letter:

describe the Job
explain the Reason You Are Leaving
tell Him/her Why You Would Recommend the Job to Them

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 since we last caught up. I’m getting in touch because I’m moving on to a new chapter soon, and I immediately thought of you for my current role.

I work as a digital content strategist for a boutique marketing agency downtown. It involves managing social media campaigns, drafting copy for various clients, and collaborating with a small, creative design team. It is a fast-paced environment, but the workload is manageable.

I’ve decided to move on because I’ve been offered an exciting opportunity to work abroad in Berlin. While I’ve genuinely enjoyed my time here, this new role aligns perfectly with my long-term career goals and desire to experience life in a different country.

I’m recommending this position to you because I know how much you value creative freedom and flexible working hours. The company culture is incredibly relaxed, and the team is supportive, which I know is a top priority for you. I honestly think your skills would be a brilliant fit for the projects they have coming up next quarter.

Let me know if you’re interested, and I can pass your details to my manager.

Best wishes,

Alex

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

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response covers all bullet points with natural, cohesive language and maintains a consistent informal tone throughout. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to provide specific reasons for the recommendation, instead providing only vague praise, or adopting an overly formal tone that contradicts the relationship.

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

boutique: a small, specialized, and stylish business or agency
fast-paced: characterized by rapid change and high activity levels
aligns: to be in agreement or match with something
creative freedom: the ability to work without strict artistic constraints
brilliant fit: an excellent match for a specific role or task
coming up: something that is planned or approaching in time

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.