General writing task 1 (letter) as seen in the UK

The following question was asked in an IELTS test held in the UK in November.

General writing task 1 (a letter)

Your friend has offered to sell you something.  Write a letter to this friend.  In your letter you have to include:

• what the item is
• questions requesting details of the item being sold
• what price you think is fair

Sample letter

Hi Amar,

I hope this letter finds you in good spirits. I am writing regarding the Samsung Galaxy Tab you have offered to sell to me. I am keen on buying this machine, because I have always wanted to own a tablet computer. However, I would really appreciate it, if you can clarify a few details regarding this transaction.

The last time that we spoke you had said that the tablet is in good shape and works well. I just want to know if it is capable of handling some games. As you might know, I am not an avid gamer, however, I would like to play a game or two from time to time. I would also like to know whether this model is WiFi-only. I am not very keen on buying a 3G-enabled model because I don’t need always-on connectivity. Would you mind writing back to me with these details?

As for the price, well, I am willing to offer you $500 if the tablet is still covered by a warranty. If you accept this price, I would be happy to finalize our exchange as soon as possible.

Waiting to hear from you.

Sahil

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