The IELTS writing task 1 for the General Training exam requires candidates to write a letter of approximately 150 words within 20 minutes. It accounts for one-third of your writing score. Since letter writing is a task that most of us are not really acquainted with in these modern times, most of my students in Singapore are initially quite confused about what exactly is required to score well in this task. In this article, I will give you valuable information about how to write a high scoring invitation letter for the IELTS general training writing task.
The Invitation Letter.
There are different types of invitation letters that can be asked for in the IELTS General Training Writing test. You could be asked to write a letter inviting someone to an event or you could have to write a letter to accept or decline an invitation given to you by someone else. Both of these cases could also require a formal or informal response depending on the intended recipient.
Here is an example of an invitation letter:
You are organizing a family party.
Write a letter to your friend inviting him/her to attend the party. In your letter:
- Explain why you are organizing the party.
- Say why you want your friend to come to the party.
- Describe what you are planning to do.
Useful Invitation Letter Vocabulary
Here are some useful phrases that you can use in an invitation letter:
- Make an invitation:
- I’m having a party and would love you to come.
- Do you fancy going to….?
- Would you like to ….?
- Accept or decline an invitation:
- I’d love to come….
- Count me in….
- I’m sorry but I can’t make it….
A Note About General Writing Task 1- Formal Vs Informal Letters
A formal letter is usually written to people that you do not know at all. These are usually people who have a high rank in society such as newspaper editors, prospective employers or members of the local council. In these kinds of letters, the language you use should convey a sense of respect, politeness and formality. You should not use any sort of colloquialisms or contractions.
You should begin a formal letter with ‘Dear Sir’ or Dear Madam’ and sign off with ‘Yours faithfully or ‘Yours truthfully’.
An informal letter is a letter that you would write to someone you know quite well, like a friend or family member. The tone of this type of letter is more casual and there is greater room for informal language in the form of colloquialisms, abbreviated and contracted words.
How To Write A High Scoring Writing Task 1 Letter
A high scoring letter has to meet the following criteria:
- Lexical Resource (vocabulary) – flexible use of a wide range of vocabulary
- Grammatical range and accuracy – the ability to use a wide range of grammatical structures comfortably and with good accuracy
- Coherence and cohesion – the ability to produce a well-laid out and easily understood piece of writing
- Task Achievement – answers all parts of the question
In order to score well, a student must produce a letter that addresses all parts of the question and does not veer off topic unnecessarily. The letter must be laid out properly in a logical manner with adequate cohesion between paragraphs as well between sentences. Each paragraph should address a different subtopic (or bullet point).
The examiner will also be looking out for the use of uncommon vocabulary, so try not to repeat words or phrases. Use synonyms or paraphrases instead. In terms of grammar, you need to use complex sentence structures and a variety of tenses in a natural way. You cannot score beyond a band 5 if you only use basic sentence structures, without clauses. Grammatical accuracy is also crucial to scoring well. If you use overly complicated grammatical structures, there is a greater room for error, which can also reduce your score.
To aid in your preparation it would be useful to take a look at authentic IELTS writing task 1 band 9 model answers in order to get a better idea of the type of language required by examiners. You could also consider enrolling in an IELTS preparation course to overcome any weaknesses you may have regarding your writing skills.
Invitation IELTS Letter Sample Answer
Here is an example of a band 9 IELTS invitation letter.
Writing Task 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
You are organizing a family party.
Write a letter to your friend inviting him/her to attend the party. In your letter:
- Explain why you are organizing the party.
- Say why you would like your friend to come to the party.
- Describe what you are planning to do.
You do not need to write any addresses.
Begin your letter as follows:
Dear………….,
Model Answer:
Dear Julie,
Some exciting news. Helen is getting engaged. We’re having a big party and I am writing to invite you along. It’s on Saturday 25 July at our place starting at 2 p.m.
Can you believe it our little girl all grown up and getting married? Josh her fiancé is a lovely man and will make a wonderful husband. Helen will be so thrilled to introduce you to him. She often says how much she misses you since you moved away. You were like an aunt to her when she was young and gave her so much good advice that she would never listen to coming from her parents.
Anyway., we’ve decided on a hog roast for the party and have booked a jazz band to play during the afternoon and again in the evening. Hopefully, the weather will be fine, and we can be outdoors for most of the time, but we will have a marquee in case of rain and for when it gets cooler later in the day.
We hope to see you in July.
All the best,
Melissa
