General Training Writing Task 1 · informal · giving information

Letter to a friend reminiscing about our trip

Recently you visited a foreign country with a friend.

Write a letter to someone. In your letter:

why did you enjoy the trip
what you are doing now
invite her to visit you

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

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Sarah,

I hope you have settled back into your routine after our incredible adventure in Japan. I have been thinking about our time there constantly and wanted to share how much I miss our daily explorations.

I truly enjoyed the trip because of the perfect blend of experiences we shared. Navigating the neon-lit streets of Tokyo and finding those hidden ramen shops was a highlight, but I think the quiet moments in Kyoto, especially cycling through the bamboo groves, were the most memorable. Your company made every train ride and museum visit feel like a special occasion.

Currently, I am back at work, buried under a mountain of emails, but I am trying to keep the post-travel blues at bay by taking Japanese cooking classes on weekends. It is keeping my brain sharp, although my attempts at sushi are nowhere near as good as what we ate in Osaka!

Since you have a break coming up next month, why don’t you come visit me here? My guest room is ready, and it would be wonderful to show you around my local area. Let me know if you can make it.

Best wishes,

Jamie

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

Why this scores well

This letter achieves Band 8 by addressing all three bullet points with natural, cohesive language and a consistent, warm informal tone. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to elaborate on the bullet points, resulting in a short, robotic response that lacks personal detail.

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

reminiscing: thinking back fondly about past happy experiences
post-travel blues: feeling sad after returning from a holiday
neon-lit: brightly illuminated by colourful electric light signs
hidden: difficult to find or not widely known
settled back into: returned to a normal daily life pattern
buried: overwhelmed with a large amount of work

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.