You have been offered a job and have been asked to start next week. You want the job, but because of a previous commitment you want to delay starting for two weeks. Write to the manager. In your letter: - accept the job - explain your situation - ask for a change to your start date
Same question Compare 2 different answersSample Response
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am Elina Afrin, writing to express my gratitude for the job offer extended to me. I am excited about the opportunity to join your team as a senior software developer and contribute to the success of the company.
However, I regret to inform you that due to a prior commitment, I am unable to start the job next week as requested. I am currently working on an important project at my current office, which will require my attention for the next two weeks.
I want to assure you that my commitment to the role and my enthusiasm for the opportunity remain unwavering, and I am very much looking forward to joining your company. Considering the circumstances, I am requesting a delay in my start date by two weeks to accommodate my existing commitment. I can assure you that I will also use the additional time to prepare thoroughly for my new role.
Thank you for your understanding and flexibility in this matter. I am eager to begin my employment with your esteemed company and am confident that my delayed start will not impact my ability to contribute effectively.
I look forward to hearing from you soon regarding the revised start date.
Yours faithfully,
Elina Afrin
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use natural collocation Original: start the job next week Suggested revision: start work next week Why it matters: Start work is the more natural collocation for beginning employment.
- 2. Name the employer Original: office Suggested revision: employer Why it matters: Employer identifies the organisation more precisely than office in this context.
- 3. Use a clear request Original: a delay in my start date by two weeks Suggested revision: that my start date be postponed by two weeks Why it matters: The revised clause is the natural grammatical complement after requesting.
- 4. Remove repeated assurance Original: I can assure you that I will also use Suggested revision: I will also use Why it matters: The previous sentence already gives an assurance, so repeating the phrase is unnecessary.
- 5. Use natural register Original: esteemed company Suggested revision: company Why it matters: Esteemed sounds overly flattering in a professional request to a future employer.
- 6. Avoid assuming approval Original: my delayed start Suggested revision: the proposed delay Why it matters: The manager has not yet agreed to the requested change.
- 7. Keep request conditional Original: the revised start date Suggested revision: my requested start date Why it matters: Requested avoids implying that the start date has already been revised.
- 8. Sentence rewrite Original: I want to assure you that my commitment to the role and my enthusiasm for the opportunity remain unwavering, and I am very much looking forward to joining your company. Suggested revision: I remain fully committed to the role and look forward to joining your company. Why it matters: The shorter version preserves the assurance while removing repetition and inflated wording.
- 9. Accept the offer explicitly Suggested revision: Add a direct statement that you are pleased to accept the senior software developer position. Why it matters: Expressing gratitude and excitement does not state acceptance as explicitly as the first bullet point requires.
- 10. Specify the requested date Suggested revision: Name the exact revised start date you are requesting, if it is known. Why it matters: A concrete date would make the requested two-week postponement easier for the manager to act on.
Suggested Rewrites
- start the job next week start work next week
- office employer
- a delay in my start date by two weeks that my start date be postponed by two weeks
- I can assure you that I will also use I will also use
- esteemed company company
- my delayed start the proposed delay
Why this response received Band 8.0
The letter fully addresses the situation, clearly accepts the role, explains the existing commitment, and makes a polite, specific request for a two-week delay. Its strongest features are its controlled organisation and highly accurate grammar, while the main limitation is an occasionally inflated, corporate tone. The highest priority is to make the wording more natural and concise without losing the consistently respectful register.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The purpose is immediately clear, all three bullet points are fully developed, and the formal tone is consistently appropriate for a manager.
State the requested revised joining date explicitly to make the practical outcome even more precise.
Coherence and Cohesion
The letter is logically sequenced, uses clear paragraphing, and connects each stage smoothly without disrupting progression.
Trim repeated assurances about enthusiasm and commitment so that each paragraph advances the request more efficiently.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is wide, precise, and suitably formal, though expressions such as "remain unwavering" and "esteemed company" sound slightly inflated.
Prefer natural professional phrasing over ceremonial language to make the letter sound more authentic and direct.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex structures is handled with excellent control, and the response is almost entirely error-free.
Maintain this accuracy while varying sentence openings slightly to make the polished syntax feel less formulaic.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
You have been offered a job and have been asked to start next week. You want the job, but because of a previous commitment you want to delay starting for two weeks. Write to the manager. In your letter:
- accept the job
- explain your situation
- ask for a change to your start date
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.