IELTS Informal Letter: Letter to a friend declining an anniversary invitation

The task

Your friend recently invited you to a marriage anniversary party that they are holding next Saturday. However, you can not attend this party.

Write a letter to your friend. In your letter:

→mention you cannot attend the party
→explain the reason why you can not attend the party
→suggest when you can meet them

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

Model answer

Band 8 sample letter

Band 8187 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Dear Sarah,

Thank you so much for the invitation to your wedding anniversary party next Saturday. It was such a lovely surprise to receive your card, and I was really looking forward to celebrating this special milestone with you and Mark.

However, I am terribly sorry to say that I will not be able to make it. I have checked my calendar, and it turns out that I have a long-standing commitment that weekend. My company is hosting an intensive training workshop that I am required to facilitate, and unfortunately, it is impossible for me to reschedule or find a replacement at such short notice.

I am genuinely gutted to miss out on the festivities, especially since I was eager to catch up with everyone. Could we perhaps arrange a time to meet up the following weekend instead? I would love to take you both out for a celebratory dinner to make up for my absence. Please let me know if you are free on the Saturday after next, perhaps around 7 pm?

Have a fantastic time celebrating, and give my best to Mark.

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.

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Examiner's view

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response clearly addresses all bullet points with a natural, consistent tone and appropriate cohesive devices. The most common mistake for Band 6 candidates is using overly formal language like 'I am writing to inform you' or 'I regret to state', which feels unnatural when writing to a close 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

milestone
a significant event or stage in life
long-standing commitment
an obligation arranged a long time ago
facilitate
to lead or help a process run smoothly
gutted
extremely disappointed or upset by something
festivities
the activities and events of a celebration
make up for
to compensate for a missed opportunity

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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