IELTS Informal Letter: Letter to a friend apologizing for missing birthday

The task

An English-speaking friend invited you to their birthday party, but unfortunately, you were unable to attend due to a sudden illness.

Write a letter to the relevant person. In your letter:

→apologize for missing the party
→explain why you couldn't make it
→suggest meeting up soon to celebrate

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

Model answer

Band 8 sample letter

Band 8176 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Dear Sarah,

I was so incredibly sorry to miss your birthday bash last Saturday. I had been looking forward to celebrating with you for weeks, and I feel terrible about being a no-show.

Unfortunately, I came down with a sudden and quite severe bout of food poisoning on Friday night. I spent the entire weekend confined to my bed, feeling absolutely wretched and unable to even stand up, let alone travel across town to the restaurant. It was honestly one of the worst experiences I have had in a long time, and I am only just starting to feel like a human being again today.

Please accept my sincerest apologies for letting you down at the last minute. I know how much effort you put into organising the evening, and I truly regret not being there to share in the fun.

I would love to make it up to you as soon as I am back on my feet. Are you free next weekend for a belated birthday lunch? My treat, of course!

Best wishes,

Mark

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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Examiner's view

Why this scores well

This response achieves Band 8 by addressing all bullet points with a natural, consistent informal tone and specific, relevant details. A common mistake for Band 6 candidates is using formal, rigid phrases like 'I am writing to inform you' or failing to provide a logical, personal reason for the absence.

→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

bash
a large and lively party or celebration
no-show
a person who fails to attend a planned event
wretched
feeling in a very unhappy or sick state
letting you down
failing to support or help someone as expected
belated
happening or arriving later than originally expected
on my feet
having recovered from an illness or injury

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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