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 and some friends want to go away together for a weekend.
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 Nick,
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 Nick,
I hope you're well! A few of us were talking the other day about going away together for a weekend, and I immediately thought of you. Would you like to come?
We were thinking of the old town of Ohrid, which is by a beautiful lake, has great food and is quite cheap. The weekend of 20 to 22 June would be perfect, as the weather should be warm enough for swimming. We'd leave on Friday evening and come back late on Sunday.
Getting there is easy. There's a direct bus from the main station at 6 pm, which takes about four hours, or we could hire a car and share the cost of petrol. We've already found a guesthouse near the water for around 30 euros a night each.
Anyway, that's just a first idea. What do you think? If you have a better suggestion for a place or different dates, I'd love to hear it.
Please let me know by Friday, so I can book the rooms.
Best wishes,
Sam
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| How about meeting up on | suggest a plan |
| Are you free on | ask about availability |
| Let's meet outside the | suggest a place |
| That works for me. | agree to a plan |
| See you then! | friendly closing |
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