You have recently moved to a new city, or started a new job. Write a letter to a friend telling them about it.
This letter asks you to share genuinely personal news with a friend, so the challenge is making a move or a new job sound like real life rather than a report.
The question
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
You have recently moved to a new city, or started a new job. Write a letter to a friend telling them about it.
In your letter,
explain what has changed and why
describe how you are settling in
invite them to come and visit you
You do not need to write your own address. Begin your letter as follows:
Dear Farid,
Write at least 150 words.
What this letter needs
The main difficulty here is that 'explaining what has changed' can easily turn into a dry list of facts. A strong letter blends the news with real feeling — nerves, excitement, small struggles — while still moving clearly through what happened, how it's going, and a genuine invitation, so the letter reads like an update from a friend rather than a diary entry read aloud.
Structure
Salutation — Dear Farid, — a first-name greeting suits an update shared with a close friend.
Opening — Open with the headline news itself — the move or the new job — stated with real enthusiasm rather than buried in detail.
Body 1 — Briefly explain why the change happened, giving just enough reason to feel genuine without over-explaining.
Body 2 — Describe settling in with a mix of positives and small honest struggles, since a letter that's all good news can feel flat.
Body 3 — Turn the update into an invitation by offering somewhere to stay and something specific to do together.
Closing — Close by asking when they might be free and expressing that you miss them, then sign off warmly.
Model answers
Band 6.0 model answer
163 words
Dear Farid,
I hope you are well. I am writing to tell you some big news — I moved to Baku last month because I got a new job at a marketing company. It was a difficult decision, but I am happy that I took it.
So far, I am settling in quite well. My new flat is small but comfortable, and my colleagues are very friendly. However, I still do not know the city very well, so sometimes I get lost when I go out. The public transport here is also very good, which makes travelling around much easier.
I would really love it if you could come and visit me soon. You could stay at my place for a few days, and I could show you around the city. There are many nice cafes and parks near my flat.
Please let me know if you can come. I really miss you and I cannot wait to see you again.
Love, Orkhan
Why this is Band 6.0
Addresses all three bullets directly: the move, settling in, and the invitation to visit.
Uses plain, correct sentences like 'My new flat is small but comfortable, and my colleagues are very friendly.'
Vocabulary is functional but simple, e.g. 'I am happy that I took it,' with little idiomatic range.
Band 7.0 model answer
185 words
Dear Farid,
I hope you're doing brilliantly! I've got some big news to share — I moved to Baku three weeks ago after accepting a new job as a marketing coordinator, and even though it was a tough decision to leave home, I haven't looked back since.
Settling in has honestly gone better than I expected. My flat is small but cosy, my colleagues have been really welcoming, and I've slowly started figuring out my way around the neighbourhood, even if I still occasionally end up lost on the metro! The pace of life here is a bit faster than back home, but I'm getting used to it.
It would mean a lot if you could come and visit sometime soon. There's a spare room at my place, so you wouldn't need to book anywhere, and I'd love to show you some of the cafes and parks I've discovered nearby — I think you'd really like it here.
Let me know when you might be free, and we can start planning. I miss our old routine and can't wait to catch up properly.
Love, Orkhan
Why this is Band 7.0
Links cause and effect naturally: 'even though it was a tough decision to leave home, I haven't looked back since.'
Balances positive and honest detail, such as 'even if I still occasionally end up lost on the metro!'
Uses a wider range of natural phrasing, like 'There's a spare room at my place, so you wouldn't need to book anywhere.'
Sentence variety moves smoothly between short and longer sentences without losing clarity.
Band 8.5 model answer
218 words
Dear Farid,
I hope this finds you well! I've got some proper news for you — three weeks ago I packed up my life and moved to Baku after landing a job as a marketing coordinator at a company I'd been eyeing for ages. Leaving home wasn't easy, but honestly, I haven't had a single moment of regret.
Settling in has been smoother than I ever expected. My flat's tiny but genuinely cosy, my colleagues have gone out of their way to make me feel welcome, and I've slowly started to find my bearings around the neighbourhood — though I'll admit the metro still gets the better of me every now and then! The pace here is noticeably quicker than back home, but I've grown to love the buzz of it.
It would mean the world if you could come and stay for a few days once things calm down for you. I've got a spare room ready and waiting, so there's absolutely no need to book anywhere, and there's a cafe just around the corner that I already know you'd fall in love with.
Let me know when you might be free — I'd love to start planning something. I miss you more than you'd think, and I really can't wait to catch up properly.
Love, Orkhan
Why this is Band 8.5
Opens with genuine voice: 'three weeks ago I packed up my life and moved to Baku.'
Shows real personality and honesty together in 'though I'll admit the metro still gets the better of me every now and then!'
Uses idiomatic, native-sounding phrasing such as 'I've grown to love the buzz of it.'
Complex grammar handled fluently, as in 'a company I'd been eyeing for ages.'
The invitation feels specific and warm: 'there's a cafe just around the corner that I already know you'd fall in love with.'
Model answers written and reviewed by The English All-in-One IELTS team. They are teaching models showing what each band looks like, not real candidate scripts.
This is a informal letter question. The answers above show you what each band looks like when it is finished. What they cannot show you is how to get there from a blank page in twenty minutes.
That is what our Writing Study Library is for: the structure we teach for this exact question type, the paragraph pattern that goes with it, and the sentence openers for each stage — so the letter is planned before you start writing rather than assembled as you go.
Answers checked here may be published on this page, without your name, to help other learners. Nothing else about you is stored.
Common questions
Should I explain in detail why I changed jobs or moved?
One or two honest reasons are enough — the examiner cares more about how naturally you cover it than about a full explanation.
Is it okay to mention things that haven't gone perfectly?
Yes — a small honest detail, like still getting lost, makes the letter feel more real and shows a wider range of natural language than only positive statements.
How do I make the invitation sound genuine rather than just polite?
Offer something specific, such as a place to stay or a place you want to show them, rather than a vague 'you should visit sometime.'
Can I use exclamation marks and dashes in this letter?
Yes, in moderation — they're a natural part of informal written English and help convey genuine excitement, as long as the letter still stays organised.
