IELTS General Writing Task 1 Lesson 1 How to write an informal letter

In this lesson, we will explore tips and tricks for writing an informal letter for IELTS General Training Writing Task 1.

As we learned in the previous lesson, the outline for all types of letters is as follows:

I. Greeting
II. Reason for writing
III. Paragraph 1 – First point with detail
IV. Paragraph 2 – Second point with detail
V. Paragraph 3 – Third point with detail
VI. Closing sentence
VII. Farewell + Name

Now let’s look at an example question and model essay using this outline.

Band 9 Model Essay

Topic vocabulary is in blue.

Advanced grammar structures are in green.

Transition words are in red.

Greeting

Dear Marnie,

Reason for writing

Happy belated birthday! I hope you’re doing well and that you had a great 50th birthday party.

Paragraph 1
I’m so sorry that I wasn’t at your party to celebrate with you. It’s been such a long time since we’ve been able to catch up and see each other.

Paragraph 2
To be completely honest, I’ve been swamped with work lately, and I was asked to go on a last-minute business trip a few days before your birthday. I was so busy that I had completely forgotten about your party, and it didn’t occur to me to call you and cancel.

Paragraph 3
My busy schedule is absolutely not an excuse for missing your 50th birthday, though, and I would love to make it up to you. I’ve reserved a table for two next Friday night at the new sushi restaurant in town. Can I please treat you to a luxurious birthday dinner?

Closing sentence

I hope we can celebrate together next Friday!

Farewell + Name
Speak to you soon,
Jessica

Total word count: 162 words

Scoring
In short, this is a Band 9 essay. Let’s look at how it would rate in the scoring areas:

Task Achievement/Response – The letter covers the three main points in the task: it includes an apology for missing the birthday celebration, an explanation for why she was not able to attend, and a description of how the writer will make it up to her cousin. These points are provided with an informal tone, as required by the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion – The letter is clearly organised, uses distinct paragraphs as per the outline, and includes spacing after each paragraph. Each idea flows naturally into the next.

Lexical Resource: A table below showcases the lexical resource. In general, the letter contains useful vocabulary as well as phrasal verbs, such as “make it up to you” and “catch up”. This wide range of authentic vocabulary shows that the writer has a broad range. Transition words are used appropriately. Further, many words emphasise the apology in the letter, such as “such a long time” and “absolutely not an excuse”, which make the writer sound like an authentic native English speaker.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: A table below showcases the grammatical structures. In general, the letter contains advanced forms, ranging from the past perfect to the present perfect. Additionally, these forms do not seem forced, but flow well with the tone and style of the letter. Note that it may be more difficult to add advanced grammatical structures to informal letters, but the writer does so naturally.

Potential Areas for Improvement: The candidate could use shorter sentences. In some cases, such as the sentence that starts with “To be completely honest…”, breaking it into shorter sentences may improve the overall flow.

Using the same question prompt, let’s look at a low-scoring essay. This will give you a good idea of what not to do during the exam:

Dear Marnie,

Hi there, how are things going these days? I’m so sorry to have missed your birthday party. I forgot to attend because it was a busy day for me. What can I do to make it up to you? Let me know. Anyway, I’m really sorry for not coming to your birthday party. I know it was a special day for you, and I can’t believe I didn’t go!

How was it? I don’t really have a reason for missing the party; I just forgot about it. I hope you’re not angry with me about it. You’ll have to let me know what you want to do, but I was thinking we could go to a baseball game to celebrate, even though it’s long overdue.

Did a lot of people go to your party? I hope so. Let me know how you’d like to celebrate, and I’ll be waiting for your call.

Yours faithfully,

Jessica

Word Count: 159

Scoring
In short, this is a Band 3 essay. Let’s look at how it would rate in the scoring areas:

Task Achievement/Response: The essay barely covers the three main points in the task and does not do so effectively. The second point, “explain why you missed it and hadn’t let her know,” is underdeveloped. The writer gives a bland reason—“I don’t really have a reason for missing the party; I just forgot about it”—and could have developed this idea further. This is why the planning stage is crucial in the writing task. A better-developed response could have improved the score significantly.

Coherence and Cohesion: The essay lacks a clear structure and is confusing for the reader. Several questions are scattered throughout the letter (“How was it?” in paragraph 2, and “Did a lot of people go to your party?” in paragraph 3). It’s unclear where the introduction ends, and the three points are not clearly presented. This lack of organization severely affects readability.

Lexical Resource: The vocabulary is weak and contains errors such as “alot” and “ur.” Even in informal writing, abbreviations like “ur” should never be used. However, the writer uses some appropriate expressions like “make it up to you” and “long overdue.” Note that “Yours faithfully” is too formal for this type of informal letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: The essay shows limited grammatical range but some accuracy. The past simple is used correctly, and future forms like “You’ll have to let me know” are appropriate. This may be one of the stronger aspects of the essay.

Potential Areas for Improvement: The writer should review outlining techniques to improve coherence and cohesion. With proper planning, ideas can be expressed more logically and developed more fully. Also, abbreviations like “ur” should be avoided in formal assessments.

Now, it’s your turn to try out this outline and paragraph planning model for yourself. Take a look at the question below:

Follow our guide, and then read the example essay with notes. Good luck!

Model Essay

Dear Jessica,

I hope all is well! I want to thank you again for agreeing to look after my dog, Husky, and housesit for me next week during my holiday in Florida. I really appreciate your kindness and availability during this time.

In case of an emergency while I’m away, you can reach me at The Royal Mayview Hotel, or call my cell phone if necessary. I’ll also have access to email and texting services.

I know you’re an animal lover, so please use your own judgement when it comes to taking care of Husky. However, I’d appreciate it if you could take him on at least two walks per day. I’ve checked the weather forecast and noticed that it will be boiling hot while I’m away, so please limit Husky’s time in the garden.

Lastly, please take out the trash and lock the doors before settling in for the night. Please feel free to make use of the food and refreshments in the refrigerator!

Thanks again! I really appreciate your help.

Your friend,
Tina

Word Count: 178 words

Scoring
In short, this is a Band 9 essay. Let’s look at how it would rate in the scoring areas:

Task Achievement/Response – The essay covers all three main points clearly: contact details, pet care, and household duties. The writer didn’t include specific phone numbers or addresses but still provided sufficient details.

Coherence and Cohesion – The structure is clear and well-organized with distinct paragraphs. Each idea flows naturally, and the tone remains appropriately informal yet polite. The paragraph spacing and logical order contribute to a smooth read.

Lexical Resource – The essay includes advanced vocabulary and natural expressions. Phrases such as “animal lover,” “look after,” and “feel free” demonstrate idiomatic range and authenticity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy – The essay demonstrates accurate grammar with only moderate complexity, which fits the informal style. The writer skillfully adds a present perfect phrase (“I’ve checked the weather forecast”) to vary the structure and improve range.

Potential Areas for Improvement – The candidate could expand grammatical variety further, but overall lexical and organizational control fully justify a Band 9 score.

Now that we’ve gone over the structure of this type of writing task, let’s recap the Do’s and Don’ts of the Informal Letter in the IELTS General Writing Task:

What To Do:

DO read the question carefully and identify how it should be answered. Separate the task into three main parts: background information, instruction words, and specific details.

DO take time to plan your outline and notes. A few extra minutes of preparation make a big difference in clarity and structure.

DO use colloquial and informal expressions naturally. Since it’s harder to showcase complex grammar in these letters, include a few well-used phrasal verbs and natural expressions.

DO use any remaining time to check your grammar and spelling carefully.

DO make a single line through any mistakes and write the correction beside it. For example: bacround → background.

What Not To Do:

DON’T start writing immediately without planning or outlining your response.

DON’T write too much or too little. Structure your letter into clear paragraphs and skip a line between them. You should write at least 150 words.

DON’T use overly formal expressions, excessive passive voice, or careless abbreviations. Contractions (like “I’m” or “don’t”) are fine, but texting shortcuts such as “ur” or “gr8” are not acceptable.