Ananya from Pune had practised ten complaint letters. Her practice task asked her to apologise to a friend for missing a wedding, and she froze.

Apology, thank-you and invitation letters follow the same structure as any IELTS letter, but each has its own key moves. An apology takes responsibility and makes amends, a thank-you letter is specific, and an invitation gives clear details.

What Are the Key Moves for Each Letter Type?

IDP IELTS gives apologising for missing a friend’s party as an example of a General Training situation. In the public band descriptors, Band 7 asks for a clear purpose and bullet points that are all covered and clearly highlighted.

The table summarises the key moves and gives natural phrases for a letter to a friend.

Letter type Key moves Useful phrases
Apology Responsibility, reason, amends I’m so sorry I missed your party.
Thank-you The specific help, what it meant Thanks so much for having me; it meant a lot.
Invitation The occasion, the details, a reply I’d love you to join us. Could you let me know?

How to Structure Each Situation

In an apology, say sorry in your first sentence. Give one clear reason rather than a long excuse, then suggest a specific way to make up for it.

In a thank-you letter, say exactly what you are thanking the reader for, such as a week’s stay. Then say what difference it made.

In an invitation, say what the occasion is, then give the date, time and place. Add one practical detail, such as what to bring, and ask for a reply.

Choosing the Right Tone

IELTS names three styles: personal, semi-formal and formal. A friend or relative gets a personal letter, where contractions and everyday phrasal verbs fit and stiff office phrases do not.

For the choice between styles, see choosing the right tone. For friendly writing without slang, see writing a personal letter, and for everyday examples, see informal emails and letters.

Practice Task and Model Answer

Here is an original task in the format of the IELTS sample tasks. To develop each point, see covering each bullet point.

Practice task (written for this post)

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

You missed a close friend’s housewarming party because of an unexpected problem.

Write a letter to your friend, Sameer. In your letter:

  • apologise for missing the party
  • explain why you could not come
  • suggest a time when you can visit him

Write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sameer,

Model letter (illustrative Band 7)

Dear Sameer,

I’m so sorry I missed your housewarming on Saturday. I was really looking forward to seeing your new flat, and I feel awful that I let you down.

On Friday afternoon, the server at my office crashed just before a big product launch. My manager asked the whole team to come in early on Saturday, and I was stuck at my desk until late in the evening. By the time I got home, it was far too late to turn up. I should have phoned you that morning, and I’m sorry I didn’t.

To make up for it, I’d love to take you out for dinner next Sunday if you’re free. I could come over around two o’clock, bring a small housewarming gift and see the flat properly before we go to the new Italian place near the station. We could walk around your neighbourhood too, since I haven’t seen it yet.

Let me know if Sunday suits you, and say hello to your parents from me.

Best wishes, Ananya

Why It Works

  • Task Achievement: the apology comes in the first sentence, and each bullet point has its own paragraph with a specific detail, such as the crashed server and the Sunday dinner.
  • Task Achievement (tone): it is warm and natural, with contractions such as “I’m” and “I’d” and no slang.
  • Coherence and Cohesion: “To make up for it” links the explanation to the offer.
  • Lexical Resource: the phrasal verbs “let you down”, “make up for” and “come over” suit a personal letter.

Avoiding Tone Mismatches

A phrase from a workplace complaint sounds cold in a letter to a close friend.

Incorrect: “Sorry for the inconvenience caused.”

Correct: I’m so sorry I missed your housewarming, and I can’t wait to see the flat.

It names the event and sounds like you.

Tip

In an apology, offer a specific day and activity to make amends instead of a vague promise to meet.

Key Takeaways

  • An apology takes responsibility and makes amends.
  • A thank-you letter names the specific help and what it meant.
  • An invitation gives the occasion, the details and a way to reply.
  • Match your tone to the reader, and give each bullet point its own paragraph.

The bottom line: Open with what your reader needs from the letter: regret, thanks or the date.