Semi-Formal Apology Letter · Missed a Colleague's Important Event
A complete IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 question with a model answer of 247 words, plus a breakdown of the sentence structures, cohesive devices and vocabulary that answer uses. Write your own version first, then compare.
Written by Manish Sharma · CELTA and DELTA qualified · 8 years teaching IELTS
Score my answer to this questionThe question
You have 20 minutes. Write at least 150 words.
A colleague invited you to an important personal event, but at the last minute you were unable to attend. Write a letter to your colleague. In your letter: - Apologise for not being there - Explain what prevented you from coming - Suggest a way to make up for missing the occasion Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write any addresses. Begin your letter as follows: Dear Tom,
How to approach it
- 01Use 'Dear Tom' as given and sign off warmly with 'Warm regards' or 'Yours sincerely' — name known, semi-formal
- 02Open with a direct apology that acknowledges what the event meant to the recipient
- 03Make the explanation specific and genuine — a vague reason undermines the apology
- 04Address why you did not let them know in time if your explanation does not cover this
- 05Propose a concrete way to make amends — a meal, a gift, a future visit
- 06Close by reaffirming the apology and offering flexibility on rescheduling
Model answer
247 words in 6 paragraphs. Read it after you have written your own, not before: the point of a model answer is to show you what you missed, and you cannot miss anything you have not attempted.
Dear Tom,
I am so sorry I was not at your daughter's christening on Saturday. I know how much that day meant to you and Mira, and missing it after I had promised to be there has weighed on me ever since.
Let me explain what happened. On Friday evening my younger son, Liam, came home from school with a high fever and started having repeated chest pains around midnight. We rushed him to the hospital just after one in the morning, and we ended up spending most of Saturday in the children's ward while he was assessed and treated. He is now home and on the mend, thankfully, but by the time he was discharged in the late afternoon, your service was long over. I tried to message you on the morning itself, but in the rush I left my phone in the car and only saw your reminder hours later. I am so sorry I left you to wonder where I was.
To make it up to both of you, I would love to take you, Mira and the baby out for a proper family lunch at The Olive Tree this Sunday — my treat. I have also picked up a small christening gift for your daughter that I will bring with me. If Sunday does not work, please name any weekend in the next month and I will clear my diary.
Thank you for understanding, and once again I really am sorry.
Warm regards, Daniel
What this answer actually does
Measured from the text above, and compared against the other 31 answers of the same type in this library. These are counts, not band scores: they describe what the writing does, which is the part you can copy.
23 more than the median answer for this task type
3 words at the shortest, 32 at the longest
2 more than the median answer for this task type
carry a subordinate or relative clause
Sentence rhythm
Sentences average 19 words and vary by 9 words either side of that, running from 3 words to 32. Variation is the point. Grammatical Range and Accuracy rewards a mix of simple and complex sentences, and an answer where every sentence is the same length reads as flat no matter how correct it is. 4 of the 13 sentences here carry a subordinate or relative clause.
The cohesive devices it uses
4 in total, spread across 3 different functions. Range matters more than count: an answer that opens every paragraph with a sequencer signals its structure but never signals a relationship between ideas, and Coherence and Cohesion is marked on both.
while
since
next, once
Vocabulary and repetition
Ignoring grammar words, 74 per cent of the content words in this answer are distinct, and 63 per cent appear exactly once. Lexical Resource is where repetition costs the most marks, and the usual cause is not a small vocabulary but reaching for the same noun every time the topic is named.
The longest run of words copied straight from the question is 2 words. Examiners discount wording lifted from the question, so a short run here is the right outcome: the answer restates the topic in its own words rather than borrowing the question's.
What you are marked on
All four criteria carry equal weight, and your Writing band is their average rounded to the nearest half band.
Task Achievement
Cover all three bullets fully: a sincere apology, a clear explanation, and a specific offer to make up for missing the event.
Coherence & Cohesion
Organise the letter into clear paragraphs by bullet point with a warm semi-formal opening and closing.
Lexical Resource
Use language appropriate to a sincere personal apology, including expressions for regret, explanation, and reparation.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
Use a range of past tenses to narrate events and modal verbs (would, could, will) for offers and suggestions.
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