Informal doesn't mean careless: contractions, phrasal verbs, and exclamation restraint. One "!" maximum.
20 min·≥ 150 words·Classic GT scenario
You moved to a new city a few months ago and would like an old friend to come and stay with you. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter: • describe your life in the new city • explain why you think your friend would enjoy visiting • suggest when they should come and what you could do together You do NOT need to write any addresses. Begin your letter as follows: Dear Sam,
How to crack it
A 4-step plan for the letter
Fix the register first.
Who is the reader — stranger, acquaintance, or friend? That decides every word from "Dear…" to the sign-off. Register is half of Task Achievement here.
One bullet = one paragraph.
Three bullets, three body paragraphs, in the same order. The examiner literally ticks them off — a missed or thin bullet caps the band.
Open with the purpose.
"I am writing to…" (formal) or "Just wanted to tell you…" (informal). The reader should know why you're writing by the end of line one.
Close in the same voice.
"Yours faithfully" after Dear Sir or Madam; "Yours sincerely" after a name; "Best wishes" to a friend. A mismatched sign-off is a register error in the last line they read.
What loses you the band
The four traps this question sets
Mixed register
"I am writing to inform you" next to "gonna" — pick one voice and hold it.
A skipped bullet
All three bullet points must be covered AND developed. Two done well is still a penalty.
Copying the prompt
Paraphrase the situation in your own words — lifted lines don't count toward 150.
“Many historic cities are damaged by overtourism. What are the causes, and what can be done…”
40 min · ≥250 words
“A letter recommending a holiday destination to a friend”
20 min · ≥150 words
“A letter to an airline about luggage lost on a recent flight”
20 min · ≥150 words
No invented detail
Letters need specifics: names, dates, model numbers. "The product" all the way through reads as memorised.