IELTS Informal Letter: Letter to a close friend apologizing for missing birthday

The task

One of your friends recently had a birthday celebration, but you missed it and you forgot to tell your friend that you couldn't attend.

Write a letter to your friend. In your letter:

→apologise for missing the birthday celebration
→explain why you missed it and why you didn't tell your friend
→and say what you would like to do to show that you are sorry

Write at least 150 words. You do not need to write any addresses. Begin your letter: Dear ...,

Model answer

Band 8 sample letter

Band 8189 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Dear Sarah,

I am so incredibly sorry that I missed your birthday party last Saturday. I feel terrible about not being there to celebrate such a special milestone with you, and I am even more embarrassed that I didn't reach out to let you know I wouldn't be attending.

To be honest, the entire weekend completely slipped my mind because I was caught up in a sudden emergency at work. My boss requested that I finish a major project report by Monday morning, and I ended up working through the entire weekend in a blur of stress and caffeine. In my panic to meet the deadline, I completely neglected my personal calendar and simply forgot to send you a quick text or call to explain my absence. It was incredibly thoughtless of me.

I would love to make it up to you properly. Are you free next Friday evening? I would like to take you out for a belated birthday dinner at that new Italian restaurant you mentioned wanting to try. Please let me know if that works for you, and I promise to be there.

Best wishes,

James

Write your own and get a band

Answer this prompt in a timed General Training writing test and get a band for task achievement, coherence, vocabulary and grammar, with the sentences to fix.

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Examiner's view

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response clearly addresses all three bullet points with a consistent, natural tone that reflects a genuine friendship. The most common mistake for Band 6 candidates is failing to explain why they didn't notify their friend, often ignoring that part of the prompt entirely or providing a vague, unrealistic excuse.

→Write to a friend or relative by first name and close with Best wishes, Love or See you soon.
→Contractions, phrasal verbs and a warm opening line are expected; a stiff formal tone loses marks here.
→Still cover every bullet in its own paragraph; friendly does not mean unstructured.

6 phrases

Useful phrases from the letter

milestone
an important event or stage in a person's life
slipped my mind
an expression meaning that I completely forgot something
caught up in
to be so busy that you ignore other things
neglected
failed to give proper attention to a task
belated
happening or arriving later than originally expected
thoughtless
not showing consideration for the needs of others

Frequently asked questions

Is this letter formal or informal?+

Informal. Write to a friend or relative by first name and close with Best wishes, Love or See you soon.

How many words should an IELTS General Training letter be?+

At least 150 words, and 160 to 200 is the comfortable range. Spend about 20 minutes on it and leave 40 for Task 2, which carries twice the marks.

What does the examiner look for?+

Keep practising

More apology letters

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