Use the greeting, sign-off and paragraph plan below for this 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 are a member of a residents' association and forgot to pay your yearly fee on time.
Write a letter to the association's treasurer. In your letter
Write at least 150 words.
You do NOT need to write any addresses.
Begin your letter as follows:
Dear Sir or Madam,
GoPrep wrote this practice question in the style of the exam. It is not an official IELTS question.
A letter that begins Dear Sir or Madam ends Yours faithfully, followed by your full 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 Sir or Madam,
I am writing to apologise for paying my annual membership fee late. I realise that the deadline was 31 January and that it is now already the middle of March.
I am afraid that I simply forgot. In January I changed jobs, and during the confusion your reminder email was buried among my other messages. I am sorry for the extra work this has caused you.
I would like to pay the fee, together with any late charge, as soon as possible. I will transfer the full amount of 45 pounds to the association's account this Friday, 20 March, and I will send you a copy of the receipt by email so that you can confirm that it has arrived.
To make sure that this does not happen again, I have set up a standing order, so the payment will be made automatically each January.
I value my membership and would like to remain involved with the association. Please accept my apologies once again for the delay.
Yours faithfully,
Pavel Horak
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| I am writing to apologise for | formally say sorry for something |
| Please accept my sincere apologies. | a strong, polite apology |
| I deeply regret any inconvenience this may have caused. | say you are sorry for the trouble |
| Unfortunately, circumstances beyond my control | explain that the cause was not your fault |
| To make up for this, I would like to offer | suggest compensation |
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