IELTS informal letter: Inviting a friend to visit your new city
Informal letterInvitation · General Training
The task
You have recently moved to a new city. Write a letter to a friend inviting them to come and visit. In your letter • tell your friend about your new city • suggest when they could visit • describe what you could do together Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write any addresses at the top of your letter. Begin your letter as follows: Dear Amara,
Write your letter
Then get an estimated band, with checks on every bullet point, your tone and the letter format.
0 words · 150 more to reach 150
Write your own letter first, then compare. Reading a model before you write tends to make you copy it.
The plan
- Opening: a friendly line and the news of the move.
- Bullet 1: two or three things you like about the city.
- Bullet 2: a time, with a reason.
- Bullet 3: plans you would enjoy together.
- Close: a warm line and an informal sign-off.
Model letter
189 wordsDear Amara,
How are you? I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to write, but things have been really busy since I moved to Toronto in August. I’ve finally settled in, so I’d love you to come and visit me!
You’d really like it here. My flat is near the lake, and there’s a lovely path where I go running every morning. The city is huge, but it feels friendly, and you can find food from almost every country in the world. Last week I even found a restaurant that serves proper jollof rice, so you won’t get homesick!
The best time to come would probably be in late September, before it gets too cold. The trees turn bright red and orange, and the weather is still warm enough to walk around all day.
We could take a boat trip to the islands, go up the CN Tower for the views and, of course, eat far too much. If you’re feeling brave, we could also take a day trip to Niagara Falls.
Let me know what you think. I really hope you can make it!
Lots of love,
Funmi
The highlighted paragraph states the purpose; each paragraph after it covers one bullet point. Scored by the MyBandPrep checker on 7 October 2026. An estimate, not an examiner’s mark. How scoring works
Why it works
- Task Achievement
- The invitation is clear from the opening, and every bullet is developed with lively, specific details. The tone is relaxed and consistent, as a letter to a friend should be.
- Coherence and Cohesion
- Each paragraph has a clear job, and the letter moves naturally from news to invitation to plans.
- Lexical Resource
- Natural informal language and contractions: settled in, homesick, eat far too much, If you’re feeling brave, make it.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy
- A good mix of tenses and conditionals (You’d really like it, If you’re feeling brave, we could…), with accurate complex sentences.
Phrases worth reusing
- I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to write
- I’d love you to come and visit me
- The best time to come would probably be
- Let me know what you think.