General Training Writing Task 1 · informal · apology

Letter to a friend cancelling our dinner plans: IELTS informal letter sample

An IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 informal letter with a Band 8 sample answer, why it scores well and the phrases worth borrowing for your own letter writing.
  • 182 words
  • Informal letters
  • Apology
  • 20 minutes
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The task

You had planned to meet a friend for dinner, but now you cannot go.

Write a letter to your friend. In your letter:

  • →cancel the meeting and apologize
  • →explain why you cannot make it
  • →suggest an alternative day or time to meet

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

Model answer

Band 8 sample letter

Band 8182 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Dear Sarah,

I am so incredibly sorry, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to make it to dinner this Friday night. I was really looking forward to catching up, so I feel terrible about having to cancel on such short notice.

Unfortunately, my manager just informed me that I need to fly to our Manchester branch tomorrow for an urgent project audit. It’s completely unexpected, and I will be tied up in meetings from early morning until late evening for the next few days. I tried to see if I could postpone the trip, but given the deadlines involved, it is simply not possible for me to stay in town.

I feel awful about letting you down, but could we reschedule for sometime next week instead? I should be back by Wednesday evening, so perhaps we could grab a bite on Thursday or Friday night? Please let me know if either of those evenings works for you, and I promise to pick a restaurant that we have both been meaning to try.

So sorry again for the inconvenience.

Best wishes,

James

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

A Band 8 response addresses all three bullet points with natural, cohesive language and a consistently friendly, informal tone. A common Band 6 error is failing to provide a specific, plausible excuse or simply stating the cancellation without suggesting a concrete alternative, which leaves the task partially unfulfilled.

  • →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

  • tied up

    busy with something and unable to leave

  • on such short notice

    with very little time before the event

  • catch up

    talk to someone you have not seen lately

  • letting you down

    failing to do something you promised someone

  • inconvenience

    trouble or difficulty caused to someone else

  • postpone

    arrange for an event to happen later

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?+

A Band 8 response addresses all three bullet points with natural, cohesive language and a consistently friendly, informal tone. A common Band 6 error is failing to provide a specific, plausible excuse or simply stating the cancellation without suggesting a concrete alternative, which leaves the task partially unfulfilled.

Keep practising

More apology letters

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