General Training Writing Task 1 · informal · other

Letter to a friend offering furniture for sale: 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.
  • 187 words
  • Informal letters
  • Other
  • 20 minutes
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The task

You want to sell some of your furniture. You think a friend of yours might like to buy it from you.

Write a letter to your friend. In your letter:

  • →explain why you are selling
  • →describe the furniture
  • →suggest a date when your friend can come and see the furniture

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

Model answer

Band 8 sample letter

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

Dear Sam,

I hope you are doing well. I am getting in touch because I am currently planning a move to a smaller apartment in the city centre, so I have decided to downsize my belongings and sell some of my furniture.

Specifically, I am looking to part with my solid oak dining table and four matching chairs. It is in excellent condition, with only a few minor scratches on the surface that could easily be polished out. It has been a centrepiece of my kitchen for years, but unfortunately, it is simply too large for my new floor plan.

Since I know you mentioned recently that you were looking to upgrade your own dining setup, I thought you might be interested. I would love for the set to go to someone I know rather than selling it to a stranger online.

Would you be free to drop by next Saturday afternoon to take a look at it? I will be home all day, so just let me know what time suits you best. I look forward to catching up properly over a coffee.

Best wishes,

Alex

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 maintaining a consistently warm, informal tone while addressing all three bullet points with specific, natural details. A common mistake for Band 6 candidates is using overly formal language like 'I am writing to inform you' which creates an unnatural clash with the personal nature of the prompt.

  • →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

  • downsize

    reduce the amount of items one owns

  • part with

    give away or sell something you own

  • matching

    items that belong together as a set

  • centrepiece

    the most important or main item present

  • upgrade

    improve the quality of something you have

  • suits you best

    is the most convenient time for you

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?+

This response achieves Band 8 by maintaining a consistently warm, informal tone while addressing all three bullet points with specific, natural details. A common mistake for Band 6 candidates is using overly formal language like 'I am writing to inform you' which creates an unnatural clash with the personal nature of the prompt.

Keep practising

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