Letter to a friend requesting party assistance

The task

You are organizing a surprise anniversary party for your parents.

Write a letter to a friend asking for their assistance. In your letter:

→explain the occasion and your plans
→detail specific tasks you need help with
→offer to return the favor in the future

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 8196 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Dear Sarah,

I hope you are doing well. I am currently busy organising a surprise 30th wedding anniversary party for my parents next month, and I was wondering if you might be able to help me pull it all together.

My parents have no idea, so I have booked a small function room at the local community centre for the evening of the 15th. I have already sent out invitations to close family, but I am struggling to manage the logistics alone. The plan is to have a low-key dinner followed by a slideshow of their photos from the last three decades.

Would you mind helping me with a couple of things? Specifically, I need someone to help decorate the venue with balloons and banners on the afternoon of the party. Additionally, since you are so good with technology, could you assist me in setting up the projector and audio equipment for the photo presentation?

I would be incredibly grateful for your support. Please let me know if you are free, and I would be more than happy to return the favour whenever you need a hand with a project of your own.

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 covers all bullet points with a natural, consistent informal tone and clear, cohesive structure. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to provide specific details, such as the date or the exact tasks, resulting in a vague response that does not fully satisfy the prompt requirements.

→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

pull it all together
To manage or organise a complex task successfully.
logistics
The detailed coordination of a complex operation.
low-key
Not elaborate, showy, or intense; relatively quiet.
slideshow
A presentation of images shown on a screen.
incredibly grateful
Feeling a very strong sense of appreciation.
return the favour
To do something helpful for someone who helped 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?+

Keep practising

More request letters

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