General Training Writing Task 1 · semi-formal · other

Letter to Luis offering a dish for food event

You are a member of an International Students' club. The club is organising an event to celebrate popular food from around the world.

Write a letter to the event organiser, Luis. In your letter:

offer to make a popular dish from your country
describe what this dish is
explain why it should be included in the even

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

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Luis,

I hope you are well. I was delighted to hear that our International Students’ club is organising a global food festival next month, and I would love to contribute by preparing a signature dish from my home country, Malaysia.

I have decided to make Nasi Lemak, which is widely considered our national dish. It consists of fragrant rice cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaves, served with spicy sambal, crispy anchovies, roasted peanuts, and a hard-boiled egg. It is a vibrant, flavourful meal that perfectly captures the diverse culinary heritage of my country.

I believe this dish should definitely be included in the event because it offers a fantastic sensory experience for those unfamiliar with Southeast Asian flavours. Its unique combination of textures—the crunch of the peanuts and anchovies contrasted with the creamy rice—would be a major highlight. Additionally, it is a communal dish that encourages conversation, which fits the social spirit of our club perfectly.

Please let me know if there are any specific health and safety requirements I should follow when preparing the ingredients. I look forward to contributing to what promises to be a memorable evening.

Best wishes,

Wei Chen

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

Why this scores well

This response achieves Band 8 by fully developing each bullet point with specific, vivid details while maintaining a natural, semi-formal tone throughout. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to provide a clear description of the dish, instead offering only a vague name or a list of ingredients without explaining why it is a suitable addition to the event.

Write to someone you know but not closely, such as a manager, landlord or neighbour, using their title and surname.
Polite and friendly at once: a few contractions are fine, slang is not. Close with Yours sincerely or Kind regards.
State the purpose in the first two sentences; small talk costs words you need for the bullets.

Useful phrases from the letter

signature dish: a recipe that is particularly associated with someone
fragrant: having a pleasant and sweet-smelling aroma
culinary heritage: the traditional cooking practices of a specific culture
sensory experience: something that involves taste, smell, and texture
contrasted: differing significantly when placed side by side
communal: shared by all members of a group

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.

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Frequently asked questions

Is this letter formal or informal?

Semi-formal. Write to someone you know but not closely, such as a manager, landlord or neighbour, using their title and surname.

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.