IELTS Writing Correction Service
Writing Samples
Band 4.5

Your friend invited you to his/her birthday party, but you are unable to attend. Write a letter apologizing for your absence. In your letter: • State why you cannot go • Explain your reason for not contacting your friend sooner • Suggest another time to meet

#friend #birthday #party #absence #reason #time
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Dear John, I am writing
this
Linking Words
 letter
for
Change preposition
to
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apologies
Replace the word
apologise
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from
Change preposition
to
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 you. Because
,
Remove the comma
apply
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 I did not go to the party that your birthday. That day, my car
to
Fix the infinitive
apply
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broke down when I was going to the party.
After
Linking Words
Linking Words
this
Add a comma
this,
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 I took my car to the machine shop. But there were no spare parts for
for
Remove the redundancy
apply
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my engine.
Therefore
Linking Words
, I had to bring the necessary spare parts from another city. I couldn't contact
with
Change preposition
apply
show examples
you. Because that time my phone was out of charge. So it
not
Add a missing verb
is not
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 possible to contact you. I am very sorry for that. I hope you had a great time. If you want we
possible meeting
Replace the word
possibly meet
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in
Change preposition
at
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other
Correct quantifier usage
another
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 time. I try to
going
Change the verb
go
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 to
the
Remove the article
apply
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your house or you can come to my home. Once again I apologize for not attending the party and I hope to
meeting
Change the verb
meet
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 soon. Best wishes, George
Submitted by soglomovsarvar on

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coherence cohesion
Consider revising the sentence structure to improve clarity and coherence. For example, 'I am writing to apologize for not attending your birthday party.'
task achievement
Try to avoid minor grammatical errors such as unnecessary words or incorrect verb forms. For example, 'I couldn't contact you' instead of 'I couldn't contact with you.'
task achievement
The letter successfully covers all required points: stating why you couldn't go, explaining the delay in contacting, and suggesting a future meeting.
task achievement
The tone of the letter is suitably apologetic and friendly, which is appropriate for writing to a friend.
coherence cohesion
The greeting and closing are appropriate and polite.

Word Count

IELTS says that you should write a minimum of 150 words in writing task 1. If you go under word count you will lose marks in task response.

A very long letter will not give you a higher band score.

Aim for between 160 to 190 words in writing task 1. This will ensure a concise letter and will be realistic in terms of time management. You have only 20 minutes to write the letter and you need around 5 minutes of planning time, so you will not be able to write a long letter in 15 minutes.

Discover more tips in The Ultimate Guide to Get a Target Band Score of 7+ »— a book that's free for 🚀 Premium users.

Topic Vocabulary:
  • apologize for
  • unfortunately
  • due to
  • prior commitment
  • unforeseen circumstances
  • sincerely sorry
  • inform you earlier
  • propose
  • alternative arrangement
  • catch up
  • value our friendship
  • hope you have a fantastic time
  • regret
  • delighted
  • reschedule
  • appreciate your understanding
  • busy schedule
  • looking forward to
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