One of your friends recently had a birthday celebration, but you missed it and you forgot to tell your friend that you couldn't attend. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter, apologise for missing the birthday celebration explain why you missed it and why you didn't tell your friend and say what you would like to do to show that you are sorry Dear..................,
Sample Response
Dear Pollock, I'm so sorry that I missed your birthday party and I hope you are not mad at me. I was so excited to have been invited to your birthday and I even had plans for the occasion. But the last moment of emergency compelled me to change my plan. I'm sorry that I even had not informed you. I hope you had a grand party on your birthday. I'm so happy to see the fabulous photos on Facebook. I wish I could've been there too. But just before your birthday, I got a call that from my hometown and was terribly shocked by the news that my grandfather had a heart attack. I flew to my hometown without any delay and had been there for a couple of days. Fortunately, my grandfather has recovered and is out of danger now. I would be terribly busy the whole week in my office due to a missed deadline. Hopefully, I will be at my usual pace within a few days. I would like to meet you at your home and stay at the weekends. I won't forget your birthday present. Warm wishes, Nickol
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Add comma Original: I hope you are not mad at me Suggested revision: I hope you are not mad at me Why it matters: The wording is fine, but this idea would read better after a comma following the apology.
- 2. Natural event phrase Original: to have been invited to your birthday Suggested revision: to be invited to your birthday party Why it matters: “Birthday party” is more natural than “birthday” when referring to the celebration.
- 3. Unnatural phrase Original: the last moment of emergency Suggested revision: a last-minute emergency Why it matters: This is the natural expression for an unexpected urgent situation.
- 4. Plural noun Original: change my plan Suggested revision: change my plans Why it matters: “Plans” is the usual plural form when referring to arrangements for an event.
- 5. Word order Original: I even had not informed you Suggested revision: I had not even informed you Why it matters: The adverb “even” should come after the auxiliary in this perfect-tense structure.
- 6. Smoother transition Original: But just before your birthday Suggested revision: Unfortunately, just before your birthday Why it matters: This links the emergency to the apology more smoothly than starting with “But”.
- 7. Remove extra word Original: I got a call that from my hometown Suggested revision: I got a call from my hometown Why it matters: The word “that” is not needed before “from”.
- 8. Past simple Original: had been there for a couple of days Suggested revision: stayed there for a couple of days Why it matters: Use the past simple for a completed visit.
- 9. Future form Original: I would be terribly busy Suggested revision: I will be very busy Why it matters: Use “will” for a future situation that is expected to happen.
- 10. Natural recovery phrase Original: at my usual pace Suggested revision: back to my normal routine Why it matters: This better expresses returning to normal after a disruption.
- 11. Time expression Original: stay at the weekends Suggested revision: stay for the weekend Why it matters: “For the weekend” is the correct phrase for one planned visit.
- 12. Clearer amends Original: I won't forget your birthday present Suggested revision: I will bring your birthday present and take you out for dinner to make it up to you Why it matters: This makes the apology action more concrete and warmer.
Suggested Rewrites
- I hope you are not mad at me I hope you are not mad at me
- to have been invited to your birthday to be invited to your birthday party
- the last moment of emergency a last-minute emergency
- change my plan change my plans
- I even had not informed you I had not even informed you
- But just before your birthday Unfortunately, just before your birthday
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Detailed feedback by IELTS writing criterion after the annotated essay.
Task Achievement
The letter clearly apologises for missing the birthday, explains the family emergency, and proposes a way to make amends. The informal tone suits a friend, though the explanation of why no message was sent is implied rather than fully developed.
Add one direct sentence explaining that the emergency and travel prevented you from calling or texting before the party.
Coherence and Cohesion
The ideas move logically from apology to reason, update, and proposed visit. Cohesion is mostly natural, but the whole letter is one block and a few transitions are repetitive or abrupt.
Use short paragraphs for the apology, the emergency explanation, and the plan to visit with a present.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is friendly and expressive, with phrases such as “grand party” and “fabulous photos”. Some choices sound unnatural or overly formal for a friend, including “compelled me” and “usual pace”.
Keep the warm informal tone and replace stiff phrases with simpler conversational wording.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Meaning is clear and there is some variety in sentence structure. Accuracy is reduced by tense errors, awkward word order, and several article or preposition problems.
Proofread verb tense around the past emergency and future plans, especially “had not informed”, “would be”, and “at the weekends”.