General Training Writing Task 1 · informal · invitation

Letter to parents inviting them to graduation

You will be graduating from university and would like to invite your family to the ceremony.

Write a letter of invitation to your parents. In your letter:

explain that you have completed your studies
give details of the event, including time, date and dress code
let them know how many tickets they have and who they are for

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

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Mum and Dad,

I am absolutely thrilled to share some wonderful news with you both. I have finally submitted my final dissertation and passed my last set of exams, which means I have officially completed my degree in International Relations.

The graduation ceremony is scheduled to take place on Saturday, 15th July, at the University Grand Hall. The proceedings will commence promptly at 10:00 am, so I suggest we meet at the campus entrance by 9:15 am to find our seats. Regarding the dress code, the university requires formal attire, which means a suit for Dad and a smart dress or tailored outfit for Mum. It will be a very special day, and I cannot wait to celebrate this milestone with you.

I have been allocated three guest tickets for the ceremony. I have already set these aside for you and my sister, Sarah. Please let me know as soon as possible if you are able to make it so I can confirm the final arrangements for the post-ceremony lunch I am planning.

I am so looking forward to seeing you both and sharing this proud moment together.

Lots of love,

Jamie

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

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response achieves full coverage of all bullet points with a natural, consistent tone and cohesive structure. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to mention all three specific details—time, date, and dress code—or using an overly formal tone that feels unnatural for a letter to parents.

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: Feeling very pleased and excited about something.
dissertation: A long essay on a particular university subject.
commence: To begin or start an event or process.
attire: Clothes of a specified type, usually formal.
allocated: Distributed or assigned for a specific purpose.
milestone: An important stage or event in development.

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.