IELTS informal letter: how friendly to sound, with a model letter

An IELTS informal letter is the General Training Writing Task 1 letter you write to a friend or a relative. You get a situation and three bullet points, and you write at least 150 words in about 20 minutes. IELTS itself calls this style personal: "The style of writing that you use depends on who you are asked to write to and how well you are supposed to know them", for example "writing to a friend (personal)". Most guides call it informal.

The hard part is the tone. Here is one sentence three ways:

• Too stiff: I am writing to inform you that I will be unable to attend your party.
• Too casual: sry cant come 2 ur party :(
• Right for a friend: I'm so sorry, but I can't make it to your party on Saturday.

Not sure your task needs this style at all? Start with how to choose the style of a General Training letter.

Same message, three styles

Here is one message, I couldn't come on Saturday, written for three readers. The relationship changes the style, not the topic.

The other two styles have their own guides: the semi-formal letter and the formal letter.

Bullet points with two jobs inside

IDP's letter guide warns that "some bullet points contain more than one element": watch for and, where and when, and plurals such as types. Try this one before reading on. The bullet point is suggest where and when you could meet. Which answer covers it?

A: It would be so great to see you again! How about that lovely café by the park? It's quiet, so we can have a proper catch-up.

B: How about the café by the park on Saturday afternoon, say at three? It's quiet, so we can have a proper catch-up.

A is warmer, but answers half the bullet, and a friendly tone can't make up for missing content: at band 5, one or more bullet points "may not be adequately covered". Plurals work the same way: describe the kinds of food you'll cook needs at least two. To count every requirement in any letter prompt, use the method in the General Training letter guide.

Many prompts end with Begin your letter as follows: Dear ..., like the example in IDP's guide. If yours does, start with Dear and your friend's first name. Hi is fine in a letter to a friend when the prompt leaves the greeting to you.

Our letter (172 words)

A GoPrep practice example, not an officially marked script, so we don't give it a band.

Dear Maya,

I'm so sorry I missed your birthday party on Saturday. I'd been looking forward to it all week, and I feel terrible that I wasn't there on your big day. Everyone says it was a brilliant night, which makes it even worse!

The thing is, my manager rang me late on Friday: our biggest client had found a mistake in an order, and someone had to fix it before Monday. I spent Saturday at the office and didn't finish until almost ten. My phone died halfway through the afternoon, which is why you didn't even get a message from me. I felt awful when I finally saw everyone's photos.

I'd love to make it up to you. How about dinner at that little Italian place by the river next Friday? It'll be my treat, and I promise to keep my phone charged this time. If Friday doesn't work, just pick another evening and I'll book a table.

Happy belated birthday, and say hi to your sister for me.

Love,
Dana

The last row matters most for tone. A friendly letter sounds personal because it refers to things you and this friend share, not because it uses slang.

Try it: make a neutral line personal

Your friend Aida started a new job last month. Rewrite I hope you are well so that it could only be written to her. Try it before reading ours.

A possible answer: How's the new job going? I hope your boss is as nice as she seemed at the interview! It still asks how she is, but it shows you remember her news. Any line that does the same is fine.

Only C does both jobs. B is complete, but together I regret to inform you, obliged to remain and unable to notify you make it sound distant, as if a company were writing; my manager called me and I couldn't let you know fit this letter more naturally. A is warm but empty, and a friendly tone can't replace the missing reason. The General Training wording of the Task 1 band descriptors needs both at band 7: "All bullet points are covered and clearly highlighted", and "The tone is consistent and appropriate to the task."

Our answer (176 words)

Another practice example by the GoPrep team, not a marked script.

Dear Tom,

It was great to hear from you, and even better to hear that you're taking up running. You won't regret it.

Honestly, it's changed my life more than I expected. A year ago I couldn't run for five minutes without stopping. Now I go out three times a week, I sleep much better and I've got far more energy at work. I've even made a few friends in a local running group.

My main advice is to start slowly. For the first few weeks, mix running with walking, say one minute of each, and build up bit by bit. Don't run every day at first, either: your body needs rest days to get stronger. It's also worth buying proper running shoes, because the wrong ones can really hurt your knees.

Why don't we go for a run together? There's a flat path around the lake near my flat that's perfect for beginners. How about next Sunday morning? We could have breakfast at the café afterwards.

Let me know what you think.

Best wishes,
Sam

Compare: one paragraph and one concrete detail per bullet point, and no sentence in formal English.

P.S. GoPrep's General Training Writing mocks include letters to friends, and the AI examiner scores each one on the four official criteria.