Letter to a friend about an item mistakenly taken

The task

You stayed with your friend and by mistake carried home one of his objects.

Write a letter to your friend. In your letter:

→how do you enjoy staying with your friend
→explain the object that you brought with you by mistake and explain how the mistake happened
→mention how you plan to return the object

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

Model answer

Band 8 sample letter

Band 8189 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Dear Mark,

I hope you have had a relaxing week since I headed home. I just wanted to say a massive thank you for hosting me last weekend; it was honestly the highlight of my month to catch up and explore the city together again.

However, I am writing to you with a sheepish confession. When I was packing my suitcase in such a rush on Sunday morning, I accidentally slipped your vintage leather fountain pen into my bag. I am not entirely sure how it happened, but I suspect it was lying on the bedside table next to my own notebook, and I must have swept them both up without checking.

I feel terrible about taking something so personal of yours. I have already wrapped it securely in bubble wrap and a padded envelope. I am planning to drop it off at the post office tomorrow morning via tracked delivery, so it should be back with you by Wednesday at the latest. Please let me know if it arrives safely.

Let’s make sure we plan our next get-together soon, hopefully with fewer complications next time!

Best wishes,

Sarah

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 earns Band 8 by maintaining a consistently warm, informal tone while addressing all three bullet points with natural, cohesive language. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to explain the specific circumstances of the mistake clearly, or using overly formal language like 'I am writing to inform you' which disrupts the informal register required for a friend.

→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

sheepish
Feeling embarrassed because you have done something silly.
vintage
Something high quality from the past, not modern.
swept them up
Gathered several things together quickly and carelessly.
padded envelope
A mailing bag lined with protective soft material.
tracked delivery
A postal service where you monitor the package location.
complications
Difficulties or confusing situations that make things harder.

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

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