General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · invitation

Letter to an MP secretary inviting them to meeting

You are organizing a local committee meeting. You would like a local MP to attend the meeting to contribute to a discussion about green areas in the community.

Write a letter of invitation to the MP's secretary, Mrs Shelton. In your letter:

introduce your committee
say why you are having the meeting
invite the MP to attend

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

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Mrs Shelton,

I am writing on behalf of the Oakwood Community Action Group, a local committee dedicated to enhancing our neighbourhood's infrastructure and public amenities. We are currently preparing for our quarterly assembly and would be honoured if Mr Henderson could join us.

Our committee is arranging this meeting to address the urgent need for revitalising our local green spaces. Residents have expressed growing concerns regarding the upkeep of the central park and the dwindling number of playgrounds available for our youth. We believe a collaborative discussion is essential to formulate a sustainable plan for these areas.

We would like to invite Mr Henderson to attend as a guest speaker to share his insights on current government initiatives concerning urban environmental preservation. His expertise would provide invaluable guidance to our members as we seek to improve our community’s outdoor environment. The meeting is scheduled for 15th October at 7:00 pm in the Community Centre.

We hope he can find the time in his busy schedule to support this important local initiative. I look forward to hearing from you regarding his availability.

Yours sincerely,

Arthur Pendelton

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

Why this scores well

This response achieves Band 8 by addressing all bullet points with a professional, consistent tone and sophisticated vocabulary. A common mistake for Band 6 candidates is failing to explain the committee's purpose clearly or using an overly casual tone inappropriate for an MP's office.

Write to an organisation or someone you do not know: open with Dear Sir or Madam, close with Yours faithfully.
If you know the person's surname, use Dear Mr or Ms and close with Yours sincerely.
No contractions, no slang; polite indirect requests such as I would be grateful if you could.

Useful phrases from the letter

revitalising: improving the condition or success of something
dwindling: gradually diminishing in size, amount, or strength
collaborative: produced or conducted by two or more parties
invaluable: extremely useful or possessing great worth
initiative: a new plan or process to achieve something
infrastructure: the basic physical systems of a community

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

On your phone? Get the BandLadder app.

Frequently asked questions

Is this letter formal or informal?

Formal. Write to an organisation or someone you do not know: open with Dear Sir or Madam, close with Yours faithfully.

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.