You are due to start a new job next week but you will not be able to because you have some problems. Write a letter to your new employer. In your letter: - explain your situation - describe your problems - tell him/her when you think you can start
Sample Response
Dear Sir or Madam, I am very grateful to you for the job opportunity as an internal auditor in your organisation, KSMorganisation - KSM Chartered Accountants. I am supposed to join on 1 NovemberNovember 1st; however,, however, I regret to inform you that I can not join on the agreed datepre-agreed date. I sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. Please allow me to elaborate on why I will not be able to join your organisation on the date previously planned. Unfortunately, last week while playing football with some old friends, I severely sprained my ankle. I was rushed to the hospital immediately and receivedtook medical care for the next few days. Since my injury is seriouscondition is critical and my doctor has advisedthe doctor advised me not to walk for the next few days, it will be impossiblepractically impossible for me to join your company on the agreedstipulated date. I trust you can understand my difficultdire circumstances. If possible, I would like to postpone my startjoining date by two weeks and start work on 15 Novemberstart my work from 15th November. I hope you would allow me to join two weeks later than previously planned so that I can concentrate on my work immediately after joining your office. I look forward to your reply.Looking forward to your reply. Yours faithfully,Sameed Qureshi
Why this response received Band 7.0
The letter communicates the delayed start clearly, explains the injury in relevant detail, and proposes a definite alternative date in a suitably apologetic tone. Its main limitation is that the response is presented as one continuous block and includes several unnatural or overstated expressions. The highest priority is to organise the stages into distinct paragraphs and replace awkward collocations with precise, professional language.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The response covers the situation, medical problem, and revised start date clearly while sustaining a respectful tone appropriate for a new employer.
Add a conventional complimentary close and phrase the medical circumstances more precisely to make the formal letter fully complete and credible.
Coherence and Cohesion
The message follows a logical sequence from apology to explanation and proposed solution, but the absence of paragraph breaks makes the letter less easy to navigate.
Separate the opening request, injury explanation, revised start date, and closing into clear functional paragraphs.
Lexical Resource
A good range of formal and topic-specific vocabulary conveys the message effectively, although collocations such as "took medical care" and "start my work from" are unnatural.
Use precise alternatives such as "received medical treatment" and "start work on 15 November" and avoid overstating a sprain as a critical condition.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Complex sentences are generally well controlled and meaning remains clear, though there is a comma splice and the closing participial phrase is incomplete.
Use a full stop or semicolon before "however" and write a complete closing sentence such as "I look forward to your reply".
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
You are due to start a new job next week but you will not be able to because you have some problems. Write a letter to your new employer. In your letter:
- explain your situation
- describe your problems
- tell him/her when you think you can start
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.