General Training Writing Task 1 · informal · request

Letter to a friend visiting my foreign city

You are living in a city in a foreign country, and a friend from your home country is coming to the same city soon for several days.

Write a letter to your friend. In your letter:

ask him/her to bring some things from home which you need
say why you need them
make an arrangement to meet this friend

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

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Sarah,

I was absolutely thrilled to hear that you are finally heading over here for a holiday next month! It feels like ages since we last caught up, and I cannot wait to show you around this vibrant city.

Since you have plenty of room in your suitcase, would you mind bringing a couple of things from home for me? Specifically, could you pack those spicy dry curry masalas from our favourite shop on High Street and perhaps a few packets of my preferred herbal tea?

I have been struggling to find authentic ingredients here, and my cooking has really suffered as a result. The local supermarkets stock various spices, but they simply lack the depth of flavour I crave when making a proper home-cooked meal. Having these would make such a difference to my kitchen.

Regarding your arrival, why don't I meet you at the central station when your train gets in? I have cleared my schedule for the entire day, so we can head straight to my place, drop off your bags, and grab some lunch. Let me know your exact arrival time so I can be there waiting for you.

See you very soon,

Best wishes,

Jamie

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

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response fully addresses all three bullet points with natural, cohesive language that maintains a consistent, friendly tone throughout. A common mistake for Band 6 candidates is failing to provide specific reasons for the requested items or using overly formal, rigid phrasing that does not suit the informal nature of the task.

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

thrilled: extremely pleased and excited about something
vibrant: full of energy, life, and excitement
crave: to have a very strong desire for something
cleared my schedule: made myself free by removing other plans
authentic: done or made in a traditional or original way
depth of flavour: a complex and rich quality in food

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.