Letter to a friend regarding severe weather damage

The task

You have recently heard that a friend of yours has had some problems as a result of some unusual weather.

Write a letter to your friend. In your letter:

→express concern (i.e. say you are sorry to hear what has happened)
→tell them about a similar experience that you once had giving some advice or offering help

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

Model answer

Band 8 sample letter

Band 8205 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Dear Sarah,

I was truly shocked to hear about the devastation caused by the recent flash floods in your area. I am so incredibly sorry to learn that your garden and the ground floor of your house were so badly affected; it must be completely overwhelming to deal with such a sudden disaster.

I actually went through something very similar a few years ago when a freak storm caused a nearby river to burst its banks. My entire kitchen was ruined, and the clean-up process felt never-ending. I remember how exhausting it was to document everything for the insurance company while trying to salvage personal belongings, so I really empathise with your current situation.

If you need an extra pair of hands to help clear out the debris, please let me know. I am more than happy to drive up this weekend to assist with the heavy lifting or even help you sort through damaged items. Also, make sure you take photographs of absolutely everything before you start cleaning, as that was the one thing that saved me when dealing with my claims adjuster.

Take care of yourself, and please do not hesitate to reach out if you need anything at all.

Best wishes,

Mark

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 demonstrates a highly natural, consistent informal tone while addressing all bullet points with specific, relevant personal details. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to provide a personal, meaningful anecdote or advice, instead offering generic platitudes that do not show a real connection to the friend.

→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

devastation
great destruction or damage caused by an event
flash floods
a sudden local flood, typically due to rain
freak storm
a very unusual and unexpected weather event
salvage
to rescue property from damage or destruction
empathise
to understand and share the feelings of another
claims adjuster
a person who investigates insurance claims for losses

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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