Use the greeting, sign-off and paragraph plan below for this semi-formal 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.
A friend of your parents sent you a generous gift for your birthday.
Write a letter to Mr Nasser, a friend of your family. In your letter
Write at least 150 words.
You do NOT need to write any addresses.
Begin your letter as follows:
Dear Mr Nasser,
GoPrep wrote this practice question in the style of the exam. It is not an official IELTS question.
A letter to someone you know but not closely can end Kind regards or Best wishes as well as Yours sincerely, followed by your 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 Mr Nasser,
Thank you so much for the generous gift that you sent me for my birthday. It was a wonderful surprise, and I was very touched that you remembered me.
I have been thinking carefully about how to use it. As you may know, I have wanted to learn the piano for a long time, but I could not afford a good instrument. With your gift and some of my own savings, I will now be able to buy a second-hand piano, and I have already found one in a shop near my house. I will start lessons next month.
My birthday was a lovely day. My family took me out for dinner at my favourite restaurant, and several friends joined us afterwards, so we stayed out until late. My mother baked an enormous chocolate cake, and we ate it for the rest of the week.
I would be delighted to play something for you when you next visit us, although I promise to practise first!
Thank you again for your kindness.
Kind regards,
Amir Khalil
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| I just wanted to say thank you for | warm, polite opening |
| It was extremely kind of you to | praise someone's generosity |
| I really appreciated | say you valued something |
| It meant a great deal to me. | say something was very important |
| I'd love to return the favour some time. | offer to help in future |
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