You arranged to visit a friend in Australia, but an important event at home now means that you must change the dates of the visit. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter: - explain the important event - apologise for the situation - suggest a new arrangement
Sample Response
Dear Alistar,
Hope all is well with you. First of all, I'd like to apologize to you since I won’t be able to visit you in Australia next week because of some important event. I know that this news probably would frustrate you just as much as it did me, but if I explain the situation to you in brief, you'll probably understand why I'll need to change the plan.
The reason, for which, I'm changing the schedule of this visit is that I'll have to attend the high school graduation ceremony of my only cousin (paternal), with whom I'm very close. He'd informed me about his upcoming graduation ceremony, which will also take place next week, well in advance. But it just slipped my mind somehow. Now, seeing me skipping one of the most important events of my cousin’s life like this would certainly make him feel sad which I just wouldn’t like to see.
Now that I just explained the situation to you, you probably wouldn’t mind if I plan to visit you early next month and start making arrangements for this.
Warm wishes,
Alex
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Add subject Original: Hope all is well with you. Suggested revision: I hope all is well with you. Why it matters: Adding 'I' makes the opening grammatically complete.
- 2. Natural apology link Original: since I won’t be able to visit you Suggested revision: because I won't be able to visit you Why it matters: 'Because' is more direct and natural in this friendly explanation.
- 3. Modal order Original: probably would frustrate you Suggested revision: would probably frustrate you Why it matters: The adverb usually comes between the modal and main verb.
- 4. Concise phrase Original: if I explain the situation to you in brief Suggested revision: if I briefly explain the situation Why it matters: The shorter version is more natural.
- 5. Remove extra commas Original: The reason, for which, I'm changing Suggested revision: The reason I'm changing Why it matters: The commas around 'for which' are not needed and make the sentence heavy.
- 6. Natural family detail Original: my only cousin (paternal) Suggested revision: my only cousin on my father's side Why it matters: Parentheses feel too formal for this personal letter.
- 7. Smooth contrast Original: well in advance. But it just slipped my mind Suggested revision: well in advance, but it just slipped my mind Why it matters: This keeps the contrast within one flowing sentence.
- 8. Verb pattern Original: seeing me skipping Suggested revision: seeing me skip Why it matters: After 'seeing me', the base verb form is more natural here.
- 9. Natural ending Original: which I just wouldn’t like to see Suggested revision: and I would hate to disappoint him Why it matters: This expresses the feeling more naturally.
- 10. Avoid repetition Original: Now that I just explained the situation to you Suggested revision: I hope you understand the situation Why it matters: The original repeats the function of the previous paragraph instead of moving forward.
- 11. Add specific plan Original: early next month Suggested revision: during the first week of next month Why it matters: A clearer time frame would make the new arrangement more complete.
- 12. Reference clarity Original: start making arrangements for this Suggested revision: start making the new arrangements Why it matters: 'This' is vague; naming the arrangements is clearer.
Suggested Rewrites
- Hope all is well with you. I hope all is well with you.
- since I won’t be able to visit you because I won't be able to visit you
- probably would frustrate you would probably frustrate you
- if I explain the situation to you in brief if I briefly explain the situation
- The reason, for which, I'm changing The reason I'm changing
- my only cousin (paternal) my only cousin on my father's side
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Detailed feedback by IELTS writing criterion after the annotated essay.
Task Achievement
The letter clearly explains the graduation ceremony, apologises, and proposes visiting early next month. The purpose is achieved, but the new arrangement could be more specific about dates and practical changes.
Add one concrete replacement date or travel plan and keep the explanation shorter so the friend can immediately see the revised arrangement.
Coherence and Cohesion
The paragraphs follow a logical apology-explanation-suggestion sequence, but some transitions are wordy and the final paragraph repeats that the situation has been explained.
Use more direct linking: apologise, give the reason, then move straight to the new dates and any practical offer.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is flexible and friendly, with natural phrases such as 'Warm wishes', but several choices are over-formal or slightly unnatural for a letter to a friend.
Prefer simple personal wording, such as 'I am really sorry', 'I forgot', and 'I hope next month still works for you'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
The grammar is mostly controlled, but comma placement, conditional wording, and tense choices occasionally sound awkward.
Remove unnecessary commas and check modal verbs in polite explanations, especially 'would' and 'will'.