Letter to a friend regarding a job offer

The task

Your friend has a travel company and would like you to come and work with him.

Write a letter replying to your friend's offer. In your letter:

→explain what you know about your friend's company
→choose whether you accept or decline the offer
→give reasons for your choice

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

Model answer

Band 8 sample letter

Band 8190 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Dear Marcus,

It was fantastic to hear from you last week. Thanks so much for reaching out and offering me a position at your travel agency; I was truly touched that you thought of me for the role.

I have followed your company’s growth over the past few years, and it is clear you have built something special. Your focus on bespoke, eco-friendly trekking holidays in the Andes has clearly resonated with your clients, and the positive reviews about your sustainable practices are well-deserved. You have successfully carved out a unique niche in what is usually a very crowded market.

After giving it some serious thought, I have decided to decline your offer. While the prospect of working together sounds incredibly fun, I am currently deeply committed to my project management role here in London. We are entering a critical phase of a new development, and I feel I have a professional obligation to see it through to completion.

I wish you the very best with the new season and hope we can catch up properly soon. Let me know if you are ever in the city!

Best wishes,

Sam

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 addresses all three bullet points with a clear, consistent tone that maintains the relationship between friends. The most common Band 6 mistake is failing to explain what the writer knows about the company, instead providing a generic refusal without context.

→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

bespoke
made or designed for a particular individual
resonated
evoked images, memories, or emotions for someone
carved out
established a position through hard work
niche
a specialized segment of the market
committed to
dedicated to a particular task or activity
see it through
continue a task until it is finished

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 other letters

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