General Training Writing Task 1 · informal · making arrangements

Letter to friends confirming our upcoming holiday arrangements

You have arranged a plan for travel and accommodation for your friends.

Write a letter to them. In your letter:

remind them about the plans
give them the details of accommodation
suggest what things they should bring to the trip

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 am so excited that our trip to the Lake District is finally just around the corner. I have spent the last few days finalising everything, so I wanted to send over a quick summary of our plans to ensure we are all on the same page.

We are booked into a charming, converted farmhouse called Willow Cottage, located just outside Keswick. It has three bedrooms and a lovely open-plan kitchen where we can cook our dinners. I have already paid the deposit, and the owner will leave the key in a secure lockbox by the front door; I will text you the code once we arrive on Friday afternoon.

Regarding packing, please remember to bring sturdy hiking boots, as the trails can be quite muddy this time of year. Also, pack a decent waterproof jacket because the weather in the mountains is notoriously unpredictable. Finally, do not forget your swimming gear if you fancy a brave dip in the lake!

I really cannot wait to catch up and enjoy some fresh air with you both. See you on Friday at the cottage.

Best wishes,

Jamie

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

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response covers all three bullet points with specific, natural details while maintaining a consistent, friendly tone throughout. The most common Band 6 mistake is failing to provide specific accommodation details or offering generic packing advice that lacks a logical connection to the trip's location.

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

finalising: completing the last details of a plan
converted: changed in form to serve a different purpose
sturdy: strongly and solidly built or constructed
notoriously: well known for a particular bad quality
unpredictable: changing often and therefore difficult to foresee
brave dip: a courageous swim in cold water

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.