IELTS General Training Letter: Recommending a Course to a Friend
Write an informal letter recommending a course you took to a friend, with reasons and practical advice.
- Time
- 20 min
- Length
- 150-190 words
Writadia · B1 · IELTS GT letters
NameClassDate
Your task
A friend has written to you asking for advice about learning a new skill. You recently completed a course that you enjoyed.
Write a letter to your friend. In your letter:
- describe the course you took
- explain why you would recommend it
- give your friend some practical advice about joining
Write at least 150 words. You do not need to write any addresses. Begin your letter as follows: Dear ...,
Writing toolkit
Open these only when you need them. Try the first draft on your own.
Plan it in steps
- Informal register: contractions, friendly questions, a warm ending.
- Open by reacting to your friend's letter.
- Make the course specific: what, where, how long, how much.
- Give two reasons and one practical tip.
Useful phrases
Opening
Describing
Recommending
Advice
Ending
Tap a phrase to add it to your text. Gaps (…) are selected so you can type over them.
Vocabulary
- book
- reserve a placeBook early, it fills up fast.
- hands-on
- practical, learning by doingIt's very hands-on.
- beginner-friendly
- suitable for people with no experienceThe course is beginner-friendly.
- fill up
- become fullPlaces fill up quickly.
Model answer (163 words)
Read it after you’ve written your own version. Notice the highlighted parts. The numbers explain why they work.
Dear Maya,
It was lovely to hear from you, and I'm so glad you're thinking about learning something new!1
Last spring I did a ten-week photography course at the Arts Centre on Bridge Road.2 We met every Tuesday evening for two hours, and there were only about ten of us, so the teacher had time to help everyone. We learned how to use light, how to compose a picture and how to edit photos on a phone as well as a camera.
I'd definitely recommend it, for two reasons.3 First, it's really hands-on: we went out and took photos every single week. Second, the people were great fun, and I've stayed in touch with a few of them.
If I were you, I'd book as soon as possible, because places fill up quickly.4 You don't need an expensive camera at the start, either. Most people used their phones for the first few weeks.
Let me know what you decide!
All the best, Leila
- Informal opening that reacts to the letter.
- Bullet 1: specific details.
- Bullet 2: signposts two reasons.
- Bullet 3: practical advice.
Teacher notes
Register contrast: pair this with the road works complaint and ask students to list five differences in language.
Extra challenge
Write Maya's short reply: she has decided to take a cooking course instead. Explain why in 60 words.
Lesson plan
- 5 minWarm-up
Show the situation on the classroom screen and ask: “What would you write in this situation?” Take two or three quick answers.
- 6 minWord pool
Open “Word pool” on the classroom screen. Students make one sentence each with: book, hands-on, beginner-friendly, fill up.
- 7 minModel text
Reveal the model sentence by sentence in “Model text” mode. At each sentence ask: “What job does this sentence do?” Write these phrases on the board: “It was lovely to hear from you!”, “Great to hear you're thinking about ...”, “It's a ten-week course that runs on ... evenings.”.
- 15 minWriting
Start the timer. Students write their own text; anyone stuck can use the plan in the toolkit. (150-190 words)
- 5 minPeer review
Students swap texts and fill in the peer-review sheet.
- 2 minWrap-up
Set the extra challenge as homework.
The task’s own teacher notes give extra ideas for the warm-up and focus.
Assessment rubric
| Criterion | Band 7+ | Band 6 | Band 5 | Band 4 or below | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Task Achievement | Clear overview; key features selected and compared. | Overview present; some details irrelevant or missing. | No clear overview; details listed mechanically. | Task largely not addressed. | |
| Coherence and Cohesion | Logical flow; varied, natural linking; clear paragraphs. | Generally organised; linking sometimes mechanical. | Weak organisation; few or faulty linkers. | Ideas not linked. | |
| Lexical Resource | Wide, precise vocabulary; few slips. | Adequate range; some errors that do not block meaning. | Limited range; noticeable repetition and spelling errors. | Very limited; meaning often lost. | |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | Variety of complex structures; most sentences error-free. | Mix of simple and complex forms; errors rarely reduce clarity. | Mostly simple forms; frequent errors. | Errors seriously affect understanding. | |
| Total | |||||
Criterion names are the official IELTS criteria; descriptors are short classroom summaries. Each criterion carries equal weight.
Task checklist
- My letter sounds friendly (contractions, exclamation, questions).
- I gave at least two reasons.
- I gave at least one practical tip.
Teacher comment
Peer-review sheet
Students swap texts and give each other feedback with this sheet.
Before you finish
Before you finish
- My letter sounds friendly (contractions, exclamation, questions).
- I gave at least two reasons.
- I gave at least one practical tip.
Writadia · B1 · IELTS GT letters
Assessment rubric: IELTS General Training Letter: Recommending a Course to a Friend
| Criterion | Band 7+ | Band 6 | Band 5 | Band 4 or below | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Task Achievement | Clear overview; key features selected and compared. | Overview present; some details irrelevant or missing. | No clear overview; details listed mechanically. | Task largely not addressed. | |
| Coherence and Cohesion | Logical flow; varied, natural linking; clear paragraphs. | Generally organised; linking sometimes mechanical. | Weak organisation; few or faulty linkers. | Ideas not linked. | |
| Lexical Resource | Wide, precise vocabulary; few slips. | Adequate range; some errors that do not block meaning. | Limited range; noticeable repetition and spelling errors. | Very limited; meaning often lost. | |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | Variety of complex structures; most sentences error-free. | Mix of simple and complex forms; errors rarely reduce clarity. | Mostly simple forms; frequent errors. | Errors seriously affect understanding. | |
| Total | |||||
Criterion names are the official IELTS criteria; descriptors are short classroom summaries. Each criterion carries equal weight.
Task checklist
- My letter sounds friendly (contractions, exclamation, questions).
- I gave at least two reasons.
- I gave at least one practical tip.
Teacher comment
Writadia · B1 · IELTS GT letters
Peer-review sheet: IELTS General Training Letter: Recommending a Course to a Friend
WriterReviewer
Read your partner’s text carefully. Be kind and specific: say why, not just “good”.
Task checklist
| Yes | Partly | No | |
|---|---|---|---|
| My letter sounds friendly (contractions, exclamation, questions). | |||
| I gave at least two reasons. | |||
| I gave at least one practical tip. |
Questions
- Does the text cover every point in the task?
- Are there paragraphs? What is each one about?
- Write two linking words the writer used.
- Is there a sentence you had to read twice?
Two stars and a wish
★ Something I liked
★ Another thing I liked
→ One suggestion
Writadia · B1 · IELTS GT letters
Lesson plan: IELTS General Training Letter: Recommending a Course to a Friend
- 5 minWarm-up
Show the situation on the classroom screen and ask: “What would you write in this situation?” Take two or three quick answers.
- 6 minWord pool
Open “Word pool” on the classroom screen. Students make one sentence each with: book, hands-on, beginner-friendly, fill up.
- 7 minModel text
Reveal the model sentence by sentence in “Model text” mode. At each sentence ask: “What job does this sentence do?” Write these phrases on the board: “It was lovely to hear from you!”, “Great to hear you're thinking about ...”, “It's a ten-week course that runs on ... evenings.”.
- 15 minWriting
Start the timer. Students write their own text; anyone stuck can use the plan in the toolkit. (150-190 words)
- 5 minPeer review
Students swap texts and fill in the peer-review sheet.
- 2 minWrap-up
Set the extra challenge as homework.
The task’s own teacher notes give extra ideas for the warm-up and focus.
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