1. Balance welcome with useful information
An invitation needs both a reason to attend and enough practical information to act on it. A warm letter can still leave the guest unsure about the time, location or expected preparations. A list of logistics can be clear but feel impersonal. This lesson helps you combine a genuine invitation with a coherent event plan, rather than memorising a greeting-and-closing formula.
General Training Writing Task 1 requires at least 150 words, with about 20 minutes suggested for writing the response. The relationship determines the tone, and you do not need postal addresses. These points follow official IELTS format guidance. The invitation below is fictional, so no event is actually being booked and no message will be sent.
Original practice task
A pottery afternoon with a friend
You have joined a community pottery studio and are organising a small afternoon session for friends, followed by supper at your home. Write to your friend Mei, who has not visited the studio before. In your letter:
- invite Mei and explain why you think she would enjoy the session;
- describe the arrangements for the afternoon and evening;
- explain what she should bring and ask her to confirm whether she can come.
Begin “Dear Mei,”. Write at least 150 words. Invent reasonable details and keep the sequence of activities consistent.
Allow about 20 minutes including planning and checking. This timer counts up and does not submit your writing.
2. Plan the invitation as a guest's journey
Imagine Mei reading the letter with a calendar beside her. First she needs the occasion and date. Then she needs a reason the invitation is relevant to her. Finally, she needs to know how to arrive, what to bring and when to reply. This order can guide your paragraphs, although it is not a mandatory structure for every invitation.
- Make the invitation explicit. “Would you like to join us?” or “I'd love you to come” clearly communicates the purpose. Merely describing an event does not necessarily invite the reader.
- Add a personal reason. Mei enjoys making things and previously mentioned trying pottery. That detail explains why this activity suits her rather than offering generic praise of friendship.
- Keep the schedule usable. Give the studio start and finish times, then explain the move to supper. Leave enough time to travel between the locations.
- Request a relevant reply. Ask for confirmation by a stated day so you can reserve a place. Include a practical question, such as food preferences, only if it helps the plan.
Because Mei is a friend, contractions and an enthusiastic tone suit the task. Natural warmth is more useful than repeated exclamation marks or exaggerated claims that the afternoon will be unforgettable. The invitation should also leave Mei room to decline. You can explain why a timely reply matters without implying that friendship depends on attendance.
Distinguish “no experience is needed” from “you do not need to bring anything”. They answer different questions. In this invented event, a tutor supplies clay and tools, but guests should bring an apron. Mentioning both prevents a possible misunderstanding. Review the informal-letter guide if you need more practice with a consistent friendly register.
Write your own response
Your draft is not submitted or saved by this site. Copy it somewhere safe before leaving or reloading. The approximate word counter checks length, not quality.
3. Compare the original model letter
This original model develops the invitation through a personal connection and a practical sequence. It is not an official test response, and it has not been assigned an IELTS band score.
Read the model letter and explanation
Dear Mei,
Would you like to join me for a pottery afternoon on Saturday 14 November? I’ve joined Willow Studio, and I’m organising a small session there with a few friends. You mentioned wanting to try pottery when we visited the craft market, so I thought you might enjoy it.
We’ll meet outside the studio at quarter to two, ready for a two o’clock start. It’s the building beside the public library, about ten minutes’ walk from the station. A tutor will show us how to make a simple bowl, so you won’t need any previous experience. The session finishes at four, and afterwards we can walk to my flat for supper at five.
The studio will provide clay and tools, but please bring an apron or an old shirt to protect your clothes. I’ll make a vegetable curry for supper, and you don’t need to bring food. Let me know if there’s anything you don’t eat so I can adjust the menu.
Could you tell me by next Tuesday whether you can come? I need to confirm the number of places with the tutor. It would be lovely to spend the afternoon together, but I understand if you already have plans.
Best wishes,
Jordan
See how the invitation answers likely questions
- The opening directly invites Mei, names the activity and connects it to a shared memory. The personal reason supports the invitation without becoming a long anecdote.
- The second paragraph gives arrival, start and finish times in a logical order. Supper comes after the session, with time to walk to the flat.
- The third separates supplied materials from the clothing Mei should bring. It also clarifies that the host is providing the food.
- The closing gives a response deadline and its purpose. The final sentence keeps the invitation friendly rather than pressuring Mei to accept.
The date in this model belongs to the invented scenario. In your own practice, use a clear, consistent date rather than copying a date you have not checked against the rest of your plan.
4. Solve three invitation-letter problems
Exercise A: repair the schedule
A draft says: “The pottery session runs from two until four. We'll have supper at my flat at half past three, after the class.” Identify the conflict and revise the second sentence.
Check the timeline correction
Supper at half past three would begin before the four o'clock finish. A coherent revision is: “After the class finishes at four, we can walk to my flat for supper at five.” This preserves the intended order and leaves time to move between locations.
Exercise B: make the invitation explicit
Rewrite “There is a pottery session at my studio next month” so the reader understands that you are inviting them, not simply sharing news.
Compare a direct invitation
“I'd love you to join me for a pottery session at my studio next month.” Add the exact date elsewhere in the letter. The invitation is now explicit, but it still needs arrangements and a reason suited to the friend to become a complete answer.
Exercise C: clarify what to bring
What is confusing about “Everything is supplied, so please bring all your equipment”? Replace it using the facts in the model.
Check a consistent preparation note
“The studio supplies clay and tools, so you only need to bring an apron or an old shirt.” The original sentence contradicts itself and leaves the guest guessing what equipment means. The revision distinguishes materials from protective clothing.
5. Read your letter as a first-time visitor
Check whether Mei can answer six questions: What am I invited to? Why did my friend think of me? When and where should I arrive? What happens afterwards? What should I bring? When should I reply? These questions reflect this particular task, not a universal requirement to add every possible event detail to every invitation.
Review the purpose of each sentence. Directions should help Mei reach the venue; the personal comment should explain the choice of activity; the reply deadline should support the booking. Remove background that does none of these jobs. A letter can be warm and complete without describing every person attending or every dish being served.
For another attempt, invite a former tutor to give a short talk at a community exhibition. The purpose remains an invitation, but the relationship, role and register change. Explain the requested contribution rather than assuming the guest will provide it. Compare the request-letter lesson to practise that polite approach, and use the formal-letter guide for a more professional greeting and closing.
Format checked on 15 October 2026 against official IELTS General Training Writing guidance. The practice task, model and explanations are original. This independent lesson is not an official IELTS test and does not provide a band score.