Letter to a holiday friend inviting them to stay

The task

Last year you met someone on holiday and became friends. He/she has informed you that he/she will be travelling near your hometown on business in a few months' time.

Write a letter to your friend inviting him/her to stay with you. In your letter:

→express how pleased you are to hear from him/her
→invite him/her to stay with you
→tell him/her about your ideas of how you could spend some time together

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

Model answer

Band 8 sample letter

Band 8189 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Dear Marcus,

It was such a wonderful surprise to receive your email earlier today! I have thought about our time in Greece quite often over the past year, so hearing from you really made my day.

Since you will be in the region for business in a few months, I insist that you stay at my place instead of a hotel. My spare room is comfortable and quiet, and it would be fantastic to catch up properly without the pressure of a vacation schedule. You are more than welcome to make yourself at home for as long as your trip lasts.

Regarding our time together, I have plenty of ideas. If you have a free evening, I would love to take you to that new riverside bistro downtown, which serves incredible local cuisine. If you manage to get a weekend off, we could also drive out to the coast for a hike; the views this time of year are absolutely breathtaking.

Do let me know your exact dates as soon as you have them confirmed. I am really looking forward to showing you around my hometown.

Best wishes,

Julian

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 reaches Band 8 by maintaining a warm, consistent informal tone while covering all three bullet points with specific, natural suggestions. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to provide concrete details for the proposed activities, instead offering only vague statements like 'we can do things together'.

→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

insist
To demand something forcefully or express a strong preference.
catch up
To talk to someone you have not seen recently.
make yourself at home
To feel relaxed and comfortable in someone else's house.
bistro
A small, informal restaurant serving moderately priced meals.
breathtaking
Something so spectacular that it takes your breath away.
confirmed
To verify or settle the details of an arrangement.

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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