You are taking a course at a local college. The deadline for your project was last week but you haven't finished it. Write a letter to your lecturer. In your letter: - introduce yourself - explain why you haven't handed in the project yet - request more time to do it.
Sample Response
Dear Ms. McKeen, My name is Leo Smith and I am a first-year student in your Marketing class at Capilano College. I am writing to you because I have a problem with the project you set about social media. The due date was last week but I'm afraid I haven't finished it yet. As you know, I have been absent from class for almost ten days with COVID-19 symptoms and I have not been attending lectures. I only managed to get the reading list from a friend and go to the library to do research yesterday. You will see from your records that I have never missed a deadline for an assignment so far during my course. However, I am requesting an extension of one week in this case because I am so behind with my work. I hope you will take my illness into consideration and grant me an extension. Yours sincerely, Leo Smith
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Improve the collocation Original: the project you set about social media Suggested revision: the social media project you assigned Why it matters: This wording expresses the lecturer's role and the project topic more naturally.
- 2. Add clause comma Original: last week but Suggested revision: last week, but Why it matters: A comma should separate the two independent clauses joined by 'but'.
- 3. Use formal register Original: I'm afraid Suggested revision: I am afraid Why it matters: Avoiding the contraction gives the request to a lecturer a slightly more formal tone.
- 4. Use precise wording Original: so Suggested revision: considerably Why it matters: 'Considerably' is more precise and suitably formal than the intensifier 'so'.
- 5. Sentence rewrite Original: As you know, I have been absent from class for almost ten days with COVID-19 symptoms and I have not been attending lectures. Suggested revision: As you know, I have missed almost ten days of classes because of COVID-19 symptoms. Why it matters: The rewrite removes repetition while preserving the explanation for the delay.
- 6. Sentence rewrite Original: I only managed to get the reading list from a friend and go to the library to do research yesterday. Suggested revision: I only managed to get the reading list from a friend and go to the library to conduct research yesterday. Why it matters: This keeps both coordinated verbs governed consistently by 'managed to' and improves the formal collocation.
- 7. Sentence rewrite Original: I hope you will take my illness into consideration and grant me an extension. Suggested revision: I would be grateful if you could take my illness into consideration and grant me the extension. Why it matters: This conditional request uses a more appropriately polite tone for a lecturer.
- 8. Organise the request Suggested revision: Use separate paragraphs to introduce yourself and the project, explain the delay, and state the requested extension. Why it matters: Grouping the three required points would make the letter easier to scan and follow.
Suggested Rewrites
- the project you set about social media the social media project you assigned
- last week but last week, but
- I'm afraid I am afraid
- so considerably
- As you know, I have been absent from class for almost ten days with COVID-19 symptoms and I have not been attending lectures. As you know, I have missed almost ten days of classes because of COVID-19 symptoms.
- I only managed to get the reading list from a friend and go to the library to do research yesterday. I only managed to get the reading list from a friend and go to the library to conduct research yesterday.
Why this response received Band 8.0
The letter is direct, courteous, and complete, with a clear introduction, a credible explanation for the missed deadline, and a specific request supported by relevant circumstances. Its main limitation is slight repetition and compression around the illness and absence; the best refinement would be to organize the explanation and request into visibly distinct paragraphs and streamline overlapping details.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The letter fully achieves its purpose by introducing the writer, explaining the delay credibly, and requesting a precise extension in an appropriate tone.
Make the request even more persuasive by briefly stating the revised date on which the completed project will be submitted.
Coherence and Cohesion
Information progresses naturally from identification and purpose through explanation to the extension request, with cohesive links used accurately.
Separate the introduction, explanation, and request into clear paragraphs and remove minor repetition about absence from class.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is varied, precise, and suitably formal, with natural expressions for the academic context and the extension request.
Replace the slightly general phrase about having a problem with a more precise reference to the delayed social-media project.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A broad range of sentence structures is handled accurately, and the response remains clear throughout.
Refine sentence economy by combining the overlapping references to being absent and not attending lectures.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
You are taking a course at a local college. The deadline for your project was last week but you haven't finished it. Write a letter to your lecturer. In your letter:
- introduce yourself
- explain why you haven't handed in the project yet
- request more time to do it.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.