Letter to a friend about a birthday gift

The task

You have recently purchased a gift item for one of your friends.

Write a letter to this friend. In your letter:

→tell him/her about the gift
→tell how you want to send the gift to this friend
→explain why you chose this gift for your friend

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

Model answer

Band 8 sample letter

Band 8194 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Dear Sarah,

I hope you have been doing well since we last caught up. I am reaching out because your birthday is just around the corner, and I finally managed to track down the perfect present for you.

I have bought you a vintage, hand-bound leather journal from that boutique stationery shop we visited in Edinburgh last year. It features thick, cream-coloured paper and a brass clasp, which I know you will appreciate for your daily sketching and poetry writing.

Since I will be travelling to your city for a conference next weekend, I would love to drop it off in person. If you are free on Saturday afternoon, perhaps we could grab a coffee and catch up properly? If not, I am more than happy to pop it in the post so it arrives before your actual birthday.

I chose this specifically because you mentioned struggling to find a durable notebook that handles ink well. Given your recent focus on calligraphy, I thought this would be a much more thoughtful companion than a standard store-bought diary.

I am really looking forward to seeing you soon and celebrating another year older.

Best wishes,

Jamie

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.

Write a letter, get a band free →

Examiner's view

Why this scores well

This response achieves Band 8 by addressing all three bullet points with specific, natural details and maintaining a consistently warm, informal tone throughout. A common Band 6 error is failing to explain the reasoning behind the gift choice, often providing a generic statement instead of a personalized justification.

→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.

6 phrases

Useful phrases from the letter

track down
To find someone or something after searching carefully.
vintage
Representing a high quality from a past time.
boutique
A small shop selling fashionable or unique items.
durable
Able to withstand wear, pressure, or damage over time.
calligraphy
The art of producing decorative handwriting with pens.
companion
A person or thing associated with something else.

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 many words 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.

What does the examiner look for?+

Keep practising

More other letters

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