Use the greeting, sign-off and paragraph plan below for this informal letter, write it on a 20-minute timer, then compare it with a band-8 model letter.
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
You had a disagreement with a friend at a party and said some unkind things.
Write a letter to your friend. In your letter
Write at least 150 words.
You do NOT need to write any addresses.
Begin your letter as follows:
Dear Zara,
GoPrep wrote this practice question in the style of the exam. It is not an official IELTS question.
A letter to a friend ends warmly, for example Best wishes or Love, followed by your first name.
Spend the first few minutes planning, then write.
0 words of 150 minimum
Your answer stays on this page only. Copy it before you leave.
Write your own answer first, then compare: how it answers the exact question, what each paragraph does, and which phrases you could borrow.
Dear Zara,
I've been thinking about what happened at the party on Saturday, and I really want to say sorry. I'm so embarrassed by the things I said, and I hated seeing how upset you looked as you left.
I'm not going to make excuses, because what I said about your job and your boyfriend was unfair and unkind. You didn't deserve it. I'd like to explain why I reacted like that, though. I've been under a lot of stress at work lately, and when you joked about me always being late, it hit a nerve. I'd also had a couple of drinks, which made me say things I didn't really mean.
I value our friendship far too much to let this spoil it. You've been there for me whenever I needed someone, and I'd hate to lose that over one silly argument.
Would you be willing to meet up so we can talk properly? We could go for a walk in the park or have coffee at our usual place whenever suits you this week. I'd really appreciate the chance to put things right.
Love,
Leila
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| I'm so sorry about | simple, warm apology |
| I feel awful about | say you feel very guilty |
| It was all my fault. | take the blame |
| I didn't mean to | say it was not intentional |
| Can I make it up to you? | offer to fix things |
Answer random Part 1, 2 and 3 questions on an exam timer.
Average your four skill bands, rounded the way IELTS rounds them.
Compare an IELTS band with TOEFL, Duolingo and PTE scores and CEFR levels.
Look up the IELTS score a university asks for, with the source.