General Training Writing Task 1 · informal · request

Letter to friends asking for housing assistance

You will move to a new city for work. You know some people who live there.

Write a letter to the people you know. In your letter:

ask them for help finding accommodation
tell them where you would like to live
tell them the type of place you are looking for

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

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Sarah and Mark,

I hope you are both doing well! I am thrilled to share that I have just accepted a new job in Manchester, and I will be moving there at the beginning of next month.

Since you have lived in the area for so long, I was wondering if you might be able to help me find a place to stay. If you happen to hear of any landlords looking for tenants or see any 'to let' signs while you are out and about, I would be incredibly grateful if you could let me know.

Ideally, I would love to live somewhere in the Didsbury or Chorlton areas. I am quite keen on being within walking distance of some nice cafes and parks, and having a reliable connection to the city centre via the tram would be a huge bonus for my commute.

As for the type of accommodation, a one-bedroom flat would be perfect for me. I am hoping to find something with plenty of natural light and perhaps a small balcony or a bit of outdoor space if possible. My budget is fairly flexible, provided the place is in good condition.

Let’s catch up properly once I settle in. Thanks so much for your help!

Best wishes,

Alex

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

Why this scores well

This letter achieves Band 8 by addressing all bullet points with specific, natural details while maintaining a warm, consistent informal tone throughout. A common Band 6 mistake is including irrelevant information or failing to provide enough detail about the type of accommodation, which leaves the task partially unfulfilled.

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 a situation
out and about: travelling or active outside of your home
keen on: very interested or enthusiastic about something
bonus: an extra benefit or positive feature
commute: the regular journey between home and work
settle in: to become comfortable in a new home

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.