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 missed an important lesson without telling your teacher in advance.
Write a letter to your teacher, Ms Walsh. In your letter
Write at least 150 words.
You do NOT need to write any addresses.
Begin your letter as follows:
Dear Ms Walsh,
GoPrep wrote this practice question in the style of the exam. It is not an official IELTS question.
A letter to a named person ends Yours sincerely, 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 Ms Walsh,
I am writing to apologise for missing Tuesday's lesson. I know I should have contacted you before the class, and I am sorry that I did not.
The reason I was absent was that my younger brother had an accident at school and hurt his arm. My parents were both at work, so the school phoned me, and I went to meet him at the hospital. We spent the whole afternoon there waiting for an X-ray, and I did not look at my phone until late in the evening. By then, it was too late to let you know, although I did intend to.
I feel particularly bad because I know that the lesson was about the structure of the final essay, which is an important part of the course.
Could you please tell me how I can catch up? I have asked a classmate for her notes, and I would be happy to meet you in your office hours.
Thank you for your understanding.
Yours sincerely,
Alina Moroz
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| I'm writing to say how sorry I am about | open an apology politely |
| I feel terrible about | express guilt |
| Please accept my apologies for | polite apology |
| I should have let you know earlier. | admit a mistake |
| 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.