General Training Writing Task 1 · informal · advice

Letter to a friend regarding their upcoming holiday

An English-speaking friend wants to spend a two-week holiday in your region and has written asking for information and advice.

Write a letter to your friend. In your letter:

offer to find somewhere to stay
give advice about what to do
give information about what clothes to bring

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

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Sarah,

It is absolutely fantastic to hear that you are planning a two-week trip to the Lake District this summer! I am thrilled you decided to visit, and I would love to help you make this holiday truly memorable.

Regarding your accommodation, please do not worry about booking anything yet. I have a spacious spare room, and you are more than welcome to stay with me for the duration of your trip. It will be much more comfortable than a hotel, and we can catch up properly over breakfast every morning.

As for activities, you must hike up Helvellyn if the weather is clear, as the panoramic views are breathtaking. Also, renting a rowing boat on Windermere is a quintessential local experience you should not miss. I have a list of hidden walking trails that I would love to show you personally.

Since our weather can be notoriously unpredictable, pack a mix of lightweight layers and a high-quality waterproof jacket. Even in July, it can get quite chilly in the evenings, so definitely bring a warm fleece or a thick jumper for our sunset walks.

Let me know your travel dates soon. I cannot wait to see you!

Best wishes,

James

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

Why this scores well

The response achieves Band 8 by addressing all bullet points with natural, cohesive language and maintaining a consistent, warm, informal tone throughout. A common Band 6 error is failing to provide specific advice, instead offering vague generalities that do not help the reader plan their trip.

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

quintessential: representing the most perfect or typical example of something
notoriously: well known for a bad or negative quality
panoramic: a view with a wide angle of surrounding area
breathtaking: so spectacular that it takes one's breath away
unpredictable: not able to be foreseen or known beforehand
catch up: to talk to someone you have not seen recently

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.