You have arranged to visit a friend in England 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 Albert, Hope you are doing fine. I have been eagerly waiting to meet you in a few days and spend some pleasant time in England. However, my younger sister gave birth to a baby boy two days ago and would be staying at our home for around 3 weeks. I am afraid I will have to reschedule my visit to England in early June instead of early May. I have almost finished my preparation to travel to England and applied for the visa. If things go as expected, I will get the visa in a week. Despite my anticipation to meet you on 3rd May, my current situation forces me to delay the tour for a month. My sister has had her first baby and she is staying with us. We are so happy to have a new angel in our family and my presence is quite important for the baby and the mother. I am the only male member of the family and cannot desert my family while I travel to England. I am so sorry that I cannot visit you as initially planned and it must be hard for you to reschedule everything. I wish I have had an alternative! Wishing to meet you on 4th June if everything goes smoothly. Take care and have an excellent time ahead. Warm wishes, Jonathon
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Informal subject Original: Hope you are doing fine. Suggested revision: I hope you are doing fine. Why it matters: Adding the subject makes the sentence grammatically complete.
- 2. Tense choice Original: would be staying Suggested revision: will be staying Why it matters: Use will for a future arrangement from the present viewpoint.
- 3. Natural plural Original: my preparation Suggested revision: my preparations Why it matters: Preparations is the usual plural noun for travel arrangements.
- 4. Avoid repetition Original: My sister has had her first baby Suggested revision: As this is her first baby Why it matters: The baby has already been mentioned, so this can be linked more concisely.
- 5. Tone choice Original: a new angel Suggested revision: a new baby Why it matters: New angel is affectionate but may sound too sentimental.
- 6. Over-strong verb Original: desert my family Suggested revision: leave my family unsupported Why it matters: Desert is very strong and suggests betrayal; the softer phrase fits the context.
- 7. Wish structure Original: I wish I have had an alternative Suggested revision: I wish I had an alternative Why it matters: Use past simple after wish for an unreal present situation.
- 8. Incomplete clause Original: Wishing to meet you Suggested revision: I hope to meet you Why it matters: The sentence needs a finite verb and subject.
- 9. Article use Original: applied for the visa Suggested revision: applied for a visa Why it matters: A visa is more natural unless a specific visa has already been identified.
- 10. Visit wording Original: delay the tour Suggested revision: delay my visit Why it matters: Visit is more natural than tour when staying with a friend.
- 11. Sentence rewrite Original: However, my younger sister gave birth to a baby boy two days ago and would be staying at our home for around 3 weeks. Suggested revision: However, my younger sister gave birth to a baby boy two days ago and will be staying at our home for around three weeks. Why it matters: This fixes the future form and keeps the reason clear.
- 12. Sentence rewrite Original: I wish I have had an alternative! Suggested revision: I wish I had an alternative! Why it matters: This is the correct form after wish.
Suggested Rewrites
- Hope you are doing fine. I hope you are doing fine.
- would be staying will be staying
- my preparation my preparations
- My sister has had her first baby As this is her first baby
- a new angel a new baby
- desert my family leave my family unsupported
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Detailed feedback by IELTS writing criterion after the annotated essay.
Task Achievement
The letter clearly explains the important event, apologises, and suggests a new date. The informal tone is suitable for a friend, though some explanation is repeated.
Keep the apology and new arrangement, but reduce repeated details about your sister and family duty.
Coherence and Cohesion
The response is easy to follow, but one-paragraph formatting and repeated information weaken progression. The new arrangement appears near both the start and end.
Use three paragraphs: reason for postponing, apology, and new arrangement.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is flexible and mostly natural, with some awkward or overly dramatic choices such as desert my family and new angel.
Use friendly, idiomatic phrases that fit a personal letter without sounding melodramatic.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Most grammar is clear, but there are errors in tense, modality, and clause construction.
Revise conditional and wish structures, especially I wish I had and I hope to meet.