IELTS General Writing Task 1: Letter Apologising to a Friend (Band 9 Sample)
This General Training Task 1 asks you to write an informal letter apologising to a friend for missing an important event. A band-9 letter covers all three bullet points, keeps a warm, sincere tone, and reads like a genuine message. Below is a model letter of roughly 190 words, followed by why it scores 9 on all four criteria.
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01 · The task
You were unable to attend an important event that a friend had organised. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter: apologise for missing the event, explain why you could not come, and suggest how you might make it up to them.
02 · Band 9 sample answer
190 words · Band 9Dear Mai,
I am so sorry I couldn't make it to your birthday dinner on Saturday. I've been feeling terrible about it all week, because I know how much effort you put into organising the evening, and I really hate that I let you down.
The truth is, I had absolutely no choice. On the Friday night my little boy came down with a high fever, and by Saturday morning we'd ended up in A&E. Thankfully he's completely fine now — it turned out to be nothing serious — but there was simply no way I could leave him. I did try to call you, but in all the panic I couldn't get through.
To make it up to you, I'd love to take you out for a proper celebration, just the two of us — dinner at that new Italian place you've been wanting to try, my treat. How about next Friday? I promise I'll be there this time, come what may.
Once again, I'm really sorry, and I can't wait to celebrate with you properly.
Lots of love, Hana
03 · Why this scores Band 9
All three bullet points are fully covered — a sincere apology for missing the birthday dinner, a clear and believable reason (a child rushed to hospital), and a specific way to make it up (a dinner treat next Friday). The letter comfortably exceeds 150 words and develops each point warmly.
The letter flows logically — apology, explanation, the offer to make amends, and a warm close — one idea per paragraph. Cohesion is natural and conversational — "The truth is...", "Thankfully...", "To make it up to you..." — reading like a genuine message rather than a checklist.
The vocabulary is warm and idiomatic — "make it to", "let you down", "came down with a fever", "make it up to you", "come what may" — exactly the sincere, informal language expected when apologising to a close friend.
A range of structures is used accurately: a past continuous/past perfect mix for the story ("we'd ended up in A&E"), a relative clause ("that new Italian place you've been wanting to try"), and contractions used correctly to match the informal register. The letter is error-free.
04 · Useful collocations for this task
Tap a phrase to see what it means and how to use it. Natural collocations like these lift your Lexical Resource score.
05 · Frequently asked questions
What register should this letter use?
Informal and warm, because it is to a close friend. Use contractions ("I couldn't", "I'll"), a first-name greeting ("Dear Mai") and an affectionate sign-off ("Lots of love"). Formal phrasing would feel cold and lower the score.
How sincere should the apology be?
Genuinely sincere — this is the heart of the task. Show real feeling ("I've been feeling terrible about it all week") rather than a flat "sorry", and take responsibility. Warmth and honesty are exactly what an apology letter needs.
How believable does my excuse need to be?
It should be specific and convincing. A concrete reason (a child rushed to hospital) covers the bullet point far better than a vague "I was busy". Invent a plausible situation you can describe naturally.
How long should the letter be?
At least 150 words; a band-9 letter is usually 170–200. This model is 190 words, enough to apologise, explain and offer to make amends without padding.
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