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
Sample 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 work next weekstart the job next week as requested. I am currently working on an important project at my current employeroffice, 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 that my start date be postponed by two weeksa delay in my start date by two weeks to accommodate my existing commitment. I will also useI 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 companyesteemed company and am confident that the proposed delaymy delayed start will not impact my ability to contribute effectively.
I look forward to hearing from you soon regarding my requested start datethe revised start date.
Yours faithfully,
Elina Afrin
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.