IELTS General Writing Task 1: Thank-You Letter (Band 9 Sample)
This General Training Task 1 asks for an informal thank-you letter to the homestay family you lived with while studying abroad, now that you are back in your home country. A band-9 answer expresses warm, sincere thanks and describes in concrete detail what you particularly enjoyed about your stay. Because you lived with this family and know them well, the register should be affectionate and first-name throughout, not formal. The model below is about 190 words.
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1The task
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. You are a student who has returned to your home country. Write a thank-you letter to your homestay family stating what you particularly enjoyed about your stay. Write at least 150 words.
2Band 9 sample answer
190 words · Band 9Dear Linda and Peter,
I arrived home in Hanoi safely last Tuesday, and now that things have settled down, I simply had to write and thank you both for the wonderful three months I spent with you in Melbourne. I already miss your house and your company more than I can say.
What I enjoyed most was how quickly you made me feel like part of the family rather than a paying guest. I will never forget our Sunday barbecues in the garden, and the evening Linda taught me how to make her famous lemon cheesecake — I have already tried it twice at home, though it never turns out quite as well as hers!
I am also hugely grateful for the patience you showed with my English. Chatting with you over dinner every night did more for my confidence than any classroom ever could, and my speaking has improved enormously as a result.
Please give my love to Jack and the dog, and do let me know if you ever visit Vietnam — I would be thrilled to show you around and finally return your hospitality.
With love and thanks, Lan
3Why this scores Band 9
1Task Achievement
The task is fully achieved: the letter thanks the family sincerely and describes several concrete things the writer enjoyed — being treated like family, the Sunday barbecues, learning to bake a lemon cheesecake, and the nightly dinner conversations that improved her English. The detail is specific rather than generic, which is what band 9 requires.
2Coherence & Cohesion
The letter flows naturally from a warm opening to specific highlights to a friendly close, with one theme per paragraph. Cohesion is smooth and informal ("What I enjoyed most was", "I am also hugely grateful"), reading like a genuine personal letter rather than a list of connectors.
3Lexical Resource
Vocabulary suits a warm, personal register precisely: "made me feel like part of the family", "I will never forget", "did more for my confidence than any classroom ever could", "return your hospitality". The phrasing is idiomatic and heartfelt, never memorised or over-formal.
4Grammatical Range & Accuracy
A range of accurate structures appears: a cleft sentence for emphasis ("What I enjoyed most was how quickly..."), present perfect for recent experience ("I have already tried it twice"), and a conditional invitation ("if you ever visit Vietnam"). The letter is error-free.
4Useful 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.
5Frequently asked questions
How should I open and close an informal IELTS thank-you letter?
Because you know the family well, use their first names — "Dear Linda and Peter," — and close warmly with "With love and thanks," or "Lots of love," followed by your first name. A formal opening like "Dear Sir or Madam," would break register and lose marks.
How long should General Training Task 1 be?
At least 150 words. A band-9 letter usually runs 170–200 words, enough to describe your highlights fully without padding. This model is 190 words, and both the greeting and sign-off count toward the total.
The prompt only gives one instruction — how do I fill 150 words?
When a prompt names just one task ("state what you enjoyed"), you develop it with several specific examples. Here the writer gives four — the family welcome, the barbecues, the baking, and the dinner conversations — each with concrete detail, which fully satisfies Task Achievement.
Can I invent details like names, dishes and places?
Absolutely — you are expected to. Inventing a city (Melbourne), a named dish (lemon cheesecake) and family members (Jack and the dog) makes the letter warm and believable, which strengthens Task Achievement.
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