Informal Letter · Inviting a Friend to a Wedding Abroad
A complete IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 question with a model answer of 244 words, plus a breakdown of the sentence structures, cohesive devices and vocabulary that answer uses. Write your own version first, then compare.
Written by Manish Sharma · CELTA and DELTA qualified · 8 years teaching IELTS
Score my answer to this questionThe question
You have 20 minutes. Write at least 150 words.
You are getting married soon, and the wedding will take place in another country. You would like a close friend to attend. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter: - Tell your friend about the wedding plans - Explain why you chose to hold the wedding abroad - Give details that will help them plan the trip Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write any addresses. Begin your letter as follows: Dear ...,
How to approach it
- 01Use an informal opening ('Dear Priya') and casual closing ('Lots of love', 'Take care')
- 02Use contractions ('I'm', 'we'd', 'can't') and friendly phrases to set the right tone
- 03Cover ALL three bullet points but blend them naturally rather than listing
- 04Add personal details — names, dates, places — to feel authentic
- 05Use exclamation marks sparingly to convey excitement
- 06Include phrasal verbs and informal vocabulary: 'tying the knot', 'tying everything together'
Model answer
244 words in 7 paragraphs. Read it after you have written your own, not before: the point of a model answer is to show you what you missed, and you cannot miss anything you have not attempted.
Dear Priya,
I hope you are doing brilliantly and that the new job is going well. I have some really exciting news to share — Marco and I are finally getting married, and there is absolutely no way I'm tying the knot without you there!
The wedding will be on Saturday 18 October in a small coastal village called Polignano a Mare in southern Italy. We are planning a relaxed three-day celebration, starting with a welcome dinner on the Friday evening, the main ceremony and reception on the Saturday, and a lazy beach brunch on the Sunday. The whole thing will be small — only around forty people — which is exactly the kind of intimate wedding we always dreamed of.
You're probably wondering why we picked Italy. Honestly, it's where Marco proposed last summer, and we just couldn't think of anywhere more meaningful. Plus, both our families have always wanted an excuse to travel together, so we figured we'd combine the wedding with a proper holiday.
The nearest airport is Bari, which has direct flights from Heathrow for about £120 if you book by July. I've blocked a few rooms at a boutique hotel ten minutes from the venue, and I'd love to put you in one of them — let me know if that works and I'll forward the details. Do try to come a few days early so we can actually spend some time together!
Can't wait to hear from you.
Lots of love, Hannah
What this answer actually does
Measured from the text above, and compared against the other 31 answers of the same type in this library. These are counts, not band scores: they describe what the writing does, which is the part you can copy.
20 more than the median answer for this task type
4 words at the shortest, 35 at the longest
1 fewer than the median answer for this task type
carry a subordinate or relative clause
Sentence rhythm
Sentences average 18.8 words and vary by 9.2 words either side of that, running from 4 words to 35. Variation is the point. Grammatical Range and Accuracy rewards a mix of simple and complex sentences, and an answer where every sentence is the same length reads as flat no matter how correct it is. 4 of the 13 sentences here carry a subordinate or relative clause.
The cohesive devices it uses
1 in total, spread across 1 different functions. Range matters more than count: an answer that opens every paragraph with a sequencer signals its structure but never signals a relationship between ideas, and Coherence and Cohesion is marked on both.
finally
Vocabulary and repetition
Ignoring grammar words, 86 per cent of the content words in this answer are distinct, and 78 per cent appear exactly once. Lexical Resource is where repetition costs the most marks, and the usual cause is not a small vocabulary but reaching for the same noun every time the topic is named.
The longest run of words copied straight from the question is 3 words. Examiners discount wording lifted from the question, so a short run here is the right outcome: the answer restates the topic in its own words rather than borrowing the question's.
What you are marked on
All four criteria carry equal weight, and your Writing band is their average rounded to the nearest half band.
Task Achievement
Address all three bullet points with relevant details and a warm, personal tone.
Coherence & Cohesion
Organise the letter logically with smooth transitions between topics.
Lexical Resource
Use informal vocabulary, phrasal verbs, and idiomatic expressions appropriately.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
Combine simple and complex sentences with accuracy in an informal register.
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