Use the greeting, sign-off and paragraph plan below for this semi-formal letter, write it on a 20-minute timer, then compare it with a band-8 model letter.
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
You forgot to send your part of a shared report and your colleague had to finish it alone.
Write a letter to your colleague, Ms Costa. In your letter
Write at least 150 words.
You do NOT need to write any addresses.
Begin your letter as follows:
Dear Ms Costa,
GoPrep wrote this practice question in the style of the exam. It is not an official IELTS question.
A letter to someone you know but not closely can end Kind regards or Best wishes as well as Yours sincerely, followed by your name.
Spend the first few minutes planning, then write.
0 words of 150 minimum
Your answer stays on this page only. Copy it before you leave.
Write your own answer first, then compare: how it answers the exact question, what each paragraph does, and which phrases you could borrow.
Dear Ms Costa,
I am writing to apologise for not sending you my section of the quarterly report on time. I know that you had to complete it on your own over the weekend, and I feel terrible about it.
The truth is that I simply forgot. I thought the deadline was the following Monday, and I did not check the calendar properly. I should have confirmed the date with you, and I take full responsibility for the mistake.
I am very aware that you were put under pressure because of me, particularly as you also had your own client presentation to prepare. It was unfair of me to leave you in that position.
I would like to make it up to you. I will take over the final proofreading of the report this week, and I will cover your part of the next monthly meeting. I would also like to take you to lunch as a small thank-you.
Kind regards,
Marta Costello
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| I'm writing to say how sorry I am about | open an apology politely |
| I feel terrible about | express guilt |
| I should have let you know earlier. | admit a mistake |
| I'd like to make it up to you by | offer to repair the situation |
| I hope you can forgive me. | ask for forgiveness |
Answer random Part 1, 2 and 3 questions on an exam timer.
Average your four skill bands, rounded the way IELTS rounds them.
Compare an IELTS band with TOEFL, Duolingo and PTE scores and CEFR levels.
Look up the IELTS score a university asks for, with the source.