General Writing Sample Task 1 #88

IELTS Exam Tip

IELTS General Training Task 1 questions are divided into two parts: the situation, which gives you information to explain the context, and the task, which tells you what you need to include in your letter.

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

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.

Write at least 150 words.

Model answer

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

(155 words)


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