General Training Writing Task 1 · informal · request

Letter to a friend regarding a lost watch

You stayed at a friend's house last weekend and lost your watch.

Write a letter to your friend. In your letter:

thank him/her for the good time you had
describing your watch
tell your friend what you would like him/her to do with it if he/she finds it

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

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Sarah,

I wanted to send a quick note to say thank you again for having me over last weekend. I had such a fantastic time catching up, and your hospitality, especially that incredible Sunday brunch, made the trip truly memorable.

However, I am writing because I have a sinking suspicion that I left my watch at your place. It is a vintage silver Casio with a slightly scratched leather strap and a distinct navy blue dial. I have checked my luggage thoroughly, but it is nowhere to be found, so I suspect it might have slipped off my wrist while I was lounging on your sofa.

If you happen to come across it, could you please tuck it away somewhere safe? I would be happy to swing by and pick it up next time I am in the area, or if that is too much trouble, I could arrange for a courier to collect it from your doorstep. Please do not feel pressured to search the entire house, but I would be incredibly grateful if you could keep an eye out.

Let’s catch up properly again soon!

Best wishes,

James

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

Why this scores well

This letter achieves a Band 8 by maintaining a consistent, warm, and natural informal tone while addressing all three bullet points with specific, helpful details. A common mistake for Band 6 candidates is using overly formal, stiff language like 'I am writing to inform you' or 'I would appreciate it if you could,' which feels unnatural when addressing a close friend.

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

sinking suspicion: a growing feeling that something bad is true
hospitality: the friendly reception and treatment of guests
memorable: worth remembering or easily remembered
lounging: sitting or lying in a relaxed way
tuck it away: to store something in a safe place
courier: a person or company that delivers packages

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.