Informal letters in the General Test

In the IELTS Writing paper Task 1 you may have to write an informal letter, for example to a friend or someone you know well. This means that your language can be more casual (e.g. It was great!) and you should be quite personal.

Answering an Informal question 

Have a look at this task, then check out our advice on how to answer the question and finally our sample answer.

Task

You are planning a two-week trip to London and would like some information before you go.

Write the letter to your friend who lives in the UK.

In your letter:

• ask for advice on accommodation
• ask what special attractions you should visit
• enquire about the weather and what clothes to bring

Begin your letter with ‘Dear…’.

You should write at least 150 words.

Remember you must

• Answer the number of prompts, ideally in separate paragraphs
• Expand on each prompt to display a variety of grammar and vocabulary
• Use vocabulary and collocations associated with friends, family and close colleagues
• Open and close the letter with appropriate formality

You will probably also use informal punctuation i.e , contracted words

Remember you should not

• Use language that distances the reader and writer
• Use formal terms of address
• Use formal grammar structures
• Use long forms of contracted words
• Use formal vocabulary 

Advice on how to complete this task

Before you write

First, work out if the letter should be formal, neutral or informal. In this instance, it is your friend so we know it should be informal. You must mention all three bullet points so think of some ideas for each of the points or you will lose marks on task achievement.

Writing Plan

The first sentence should start with an appropriate  greeting and opening comment, perhaps on when you last met or asking if they are well.

The bullet points could be set out in three separate paragraphs following the greeting.

Remember to use everyday vocabulary and informal, friendly tone throughout the letter.

Close with a positive, friendly comment.

Sample answers 1

You are planning a two-week trip to London and would like some information before you go.

Write the letter to your friend who lives in the UK.

In your letter:

• ask for advice on accommodation
• ask what special attractions you should visit
• enquire about the weather and what clothes to bring.

Begin your letter with ‘Dear…’.

You should write at least 150 words.

Dear Jenny,

It’s been two years since I last saw you. How are you? I hope things are going well for you at university in Edinburgh.

I am really excited, as I have planned a holiday to the UK this summer and will be there from the 7th to the 21st of August, based in London.

I know you used to live there and hope you can advise me on any cheap accommodation in London, as it seems really expensive from my searches on the internet. I can only afford £30 a night.

What would you say were the main attractions I must visit? I intend to visit Buckingham Palace and the British Museum but what else is a definite must?

I heard the weather in August in London can be chilly with lots of rain. Is this true? Should I bring warm clothes and waterproofs?

Hope you can drop me some advice. I’ll try my best to pop up to Edinburgh over the two weeks if I can.

Lots of love,

Jill

Sample answers 2

One of your friends lives in another country. You want to spend some time working in that country and would like some advice from your friend about job possibilities.

Write a letter to this friend. In your letter

• say why you want to work in that country
• give some information about your skills and work experience
• ask some questions about employment in that country (e.g. hours, salary)

Write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear …………. ,

Dear Lada,

It’s been a few months now since you left for Australia. From what you have said, you seem to be settling in and enjoying the life but it must be a bit difficult adjusting to life in a small town. Have you made any friends yet, outside of work? 

The reason I’m writing to you is I need some advice and as you are in Australia, you’re probably the best person to ask.  I’ve been thinking of working abroad too, and Australia really appeals to me. It’s got the climate, you know I can’t deal with the cold, being very multi-cultural I don’t think I will experience any problems from the local people and being a big country I’m sure there’s many things to see and do. Besides, the beaches have got to be worth it!

So you know that I successfully left catering college and worked in a restaurant for two years before studying accountancy. I wondered if  that might be useful work experience to get a position in a city or town, you know, work in a restaurant while I look for something better. I don’t think I could use my accountancy degree, could I? Working as a book keeper, or something like that?

Anyway, I’d appreciate any advice you could give me, like, is there a useful website I could use, or can I find temporary work using a government website? If you could find out, can you let me know the salary and the hours I would expect if working in a restaurant. Oh’ and I’d probably need to find a house share. Are there any community websites that are good for this also.

So write soon,

Pedro 

Sample answers 3

You recently borrowed something from a friend and accidentally damaged it.

Write a letter to this friend. In your letter

• remind your friend what you borrowed
• explain how the damage happened
• say what you will do about it

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear …………… ,

Dear Theo

I’m really sorry to write this letter but I thought it better than to tell you in person so you don’t get too angry.

Do you remember last semester? I borrowed a couple of PS4 games at the end of term. While we were doing our final exams, you said you’d completed the games and I asked if I could borrow them over the summer. I though what a great flatmate you are!

You see, the problem is, I packed them in my cargo luggage and a few days after I got home when I went to unpack my suitcase I noticed that the packaging was damaged. Worse than that, two of the CDs in the box were cracked too. I was really shocked, and I think you are going to be really mad at me, but it really wasn’t my fault. I tried the CDs in the PS4 and they still work which is good news but then I thought you might want to trade them in at CashConvertors in the Autumn, as they’re probably worth 50 bucks!

I really don’t know what to do. The games work, but they’re probably worthless now. So look, you got this letter and we are sharing accommodation again so I will bring them back to campus in the new semester and give them back. If you want the cash value, then I will give that to you to. 

Sorry again for this Theo, let me know what you think, otherwise I’ll see see you in few weeks.

Take care,

Jim

Sample answers 4

You are planning a holiday in another country. You would like your friend to go with you.

Write a letter to this friend. In your letter

• explain why you need a holiday
• tell him/her about your holiday plans
• say why you would like him/her to go with you

Write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,

Dear Jan

Hope life’s good in the UK and your first year of working abroad’s been good.

I am enjoying living and working in Germany too but I’m working too hard I think, to impress the boss. He’s really kind to be honest and he mentioned that I am due some time off soon, it’s the law!  To be honest, I need to take a break soon, but I can’t imagine spending my free time hanging around the flat so I thought about visiting you. But rather than spending time hanging around your flat, I though we could plan a trip together, if you can take some time off too.

So I’ve already worked out there is a coach that runs direct to London from Dresden.  It takes about 20 hours but is much cheaper than the plane. That gives me 7 days in the UK. My ideas were to spend 2 or 3 days in the capital, and then get a coach either north to Manchester or Liverpool, they’re big student towns or spend some time on the south coast. You can get a train to Dover, Brighton or Bournemouth really easily. I suppose it depends on the weather.

You know we really got on when we went to France, apart from a few arguments, and it’s never as good to travel alone, so obviously I thought of my good friend Jan. I really hope you will give it some thought and if you have an ideas about what to do, just drop me a line, I’d be really interested in your ideas.

Bye for now and speak soon,

Klaus

I’m Jonathan

I’ve taught IELTS and University English in more than a dozen universities and schools around the world.

I’m a parent, traveller and passionate about language teaching and helping students achieve their dreams.

Whilst living in Austria or working in Asia, I run IELTS courses to help students get to where they want to be.

If you are serious about IELTS, connect with me to see how I can help you.

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One reason some candidates cannot achieve a band 6.5 or 7 in IELTS writing is because of faulty punctuation

When writing in English, it is common for students (and native speakers) to focus on using correct grammar and vocabulary.

Often, little attention is given to other features of writing such as punctuation. 

Using punctuation correctly helps the Examiner follow and understand your message, in the same way that using pauses and intonation help when you’re speaking.

To show how important punctuation is, read the following sample Writing Task 2

Decide if the paragraph is easy or difficult to understand:

even though some people think that it is a family’s responsibility to pay for care for their aging family members i believe that the government should help to pay for this care this is because the elderly population has played a very important role in our society and they are the reason for our existence elderly people teach us values traditions and how to deal with life experiences therefore it is essential that all aging adults receive proper care even if their families don’t have the means to afford it

I imagine you had to re-read parts of the paragraph to understand the text.

There was no punctuation in the answer, resulting in a paragraph that is confusing and difficult to follow.

Add any punctuation to the paragraph that you think could help other readers to better understand the message.

Once you’ve finished, check your ideas with the original paragraph below.

Check

Some of the most basic aspects of punctuation, such as starting a sentence with a capital letter and finishing it with a full stop, are pretty straightforward and easy to remember.

However, other punctuation uses are less obvious and require practice.

So I’ve created a guide to help you better understand when and how to use punctuation marks on your IELTS Writing test to improve your score:

Capital letters

Use capital letters:

1. when starting a new sentence.

“This is because the elderly population has played a very important role in our society and they are the reason for our existence.” 

1. when using proper nouns and acronyms.

“Developed countries such as the UK and the US play a key role in the direction the world’s economy takes.”

Comma (,)

Use a comma:

1. when separating items on a list.

“Elderly people teach us values, traditions and how to deal with life experiences.” 

1. before a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, so, for, yet) that links two independent clauses.

“Scientists have been warning us about the effects of climate change for years, yet many people have chosen not to listen.” 

1. after an introductory phrase (including linking words, discourse markers and dependent clauses)

“In my opinion, parents are responsible for teaching their children values like kindness and compassion.” 

1. in conditional clauses when the if clause comes first.

“If all supermarkets charged a fee for the use of plastic bags, more people would be encouraged to bring their own reusable bags when shopping.”  

1. when providing additional information about a concept, to separate essential and non-essential information.

“The graph shows the amount of time that schoolchildren, who are between the ages of 6 and 12, spend on different home activities.”

Semi-colon (;)

Use a semi-colon:

1. to join two independent clauses that share the same main idea. 

“Immigration isn’t a black and white issue; it’s actually much more complicated than most people think.” 

1. in a list to separate objects that also have commas.

“The cities mentioned in the study include Paris, France; Athens, Greece; and Berlin, Germany.”

Colon (:)

Use a colon:

1. to introduce a list of items.

“The process of making plastic products can be divided into three main stages: the production of long molecules from raw materials, the transformation from molecules to mould and the handling of the finished product.” 

1. to separate two independent clauses when the second clause explains or illustrates the first one.

“When faced with difficult situations, people always have two choices: run away or fight.”

Brackets ()

Use brackets:

1. when including information that is not essential.

“The graphs below compare the average monthly earnings of male and female graduates in three different countries (Egypt, Brazil and New Zealand).”

There are other punctuation marks that you’re less likely to use on your IELTS, but that are also very important for your everyday writing:

• Interrogation mark (?): used when asking a direct question
• Exclamation mark (!): used when including someone else’s words in your writing
• Quotation marks (“): used when expressing strong emotions such as surprise or excitement

Keep in mind that one of the most effective ways to improve your use of punctuation is through reading.

Every time you read, pay attention to how punctuation is being used, especially when the writer is using punctuation you’re less familiar with.

The more you do this, the better able you will be to recognize and adopt appropriate uses of punctuation for your IELTS.

Please share to someone you know and in the meantime take a look at my Facebook Page and Website for IELTS answers and you can also join my Facebook Group here too.

Good Luck

All the Best,

Jonathan