Structure and tone
How to write an IELTS apology letter
The tone comes from the reader, not the purpose. In this set: 6 formal, 10 semi-formal, 15 informal.
The outline every sample here follows
- 1.Salutation: Write to an organisation or someone you do not know: open with Dear Sir or Madam, close with Yours faithfully. Write to someone you know but not closely, such as a manager, landlord or neighbour, using their title and surname. Write to a friend or relative by first name and close with Best wishes, Love or See you soon.
- 2.Opening: State the purpose of the letter in the first one or two sentences.
- 3.Body: One paragraph per bullet point, in the order given, each with a specific detail (a date, a name, a reason).
- 4.Closing line: Close with the action you want: I would appreciate a reply by Friday, or Let me know when you are free.
- 5.Sign-off: A sign-off that matches the salutation, then your name.
31 letters
All IELTS apology letter samples
- Apology letter to a neighbour for property damageYou recently had a small accident where you accidentally damaged a neighbor's fence while parking your car.semi-formal · apology
- Apology letter to cousin for missing birthday partyLast Weekend, Your Cousin Celebrated Her 50th Birthday, but You Couldn't Attend and Forgot to Cancel.informal · apology
- Apology to a colleague regarding project mistakeYou made a significant mistake on a recent project at work.semi-formal · apology
- Formal Letter Declining a Job Offer to HRYou recently applied for two separate jobs. Both of them have chosen to hire you, but you must write a letter to one of them explaining why you are unable to take the position.formal · apology
- Formal Letter to University Committee Regarding Missed ExamYou have received a letter from your university of Albion demanding a reason for your absence from an exam. You were ill that day but failed to submit the evidence.formal · apology
- Letter to a classmate regarding an unreturned textbookYou borrowed an important textbook from a classmate last term. You now realize your classmate has returned home overseas and you still have the book.informal · apology
- Letter to a close friend apologizing for absenceYou recently missed a close friend's wedding because of a sudden emergency.informal · apology
- Letter to a close friend apologizing for missing birthdayOne of your friends recently had a birthday celebration, but you missed it and you forgot to tell your friend that you couldn't attend.informal · apology
- Letter to a friend about an item mistakenly takenYou stayed with your friend and by mistake carried home one of his objects.informal · apology
- Letter to a friend apologising for accidental damageYou recently stayed with your friend to look after the house while he/she is away. You accidentally damaged something in his/her house.informal · apology
- Letter to a friend apologising for missing meetingLast Month, You Travelled to Another City. You Told a Friend Who Lives in The City that You Would Meet Them, but You Did Not.informal · apology
- Letter to a friend apologizing for a misunderstandingYou recently had a serious misunderstanding with a friend.informal · apology
- Letter to a friend apologizing for missing birthdayAn English-speaking friend invited you to their birthday party, but unfortunately, you were unable to attend due to a sudden illness.informal · apology
- Letter to a friend apologizing for missing partyA friend of yours invited you to a home party he/she arranged. However, you have just missed this party. Now you want to apologise for not attending it.informal · apology
- Letter to a friend cancelling movie plansYour friend had made a plan for you to see a movie together but you can now not join him. You've found another friend who can go instead of you.informal · apology
- Letter to a friend cancelling our dinner plansYou had planned to meet a friend for dinner, but now you cannot go.informal · apology
- Letter to a friend cancelling theatre plansYour friend bought tickets to the theatre for both of you.informal · apology
- Letter to a friend declining a birthday invitationYour friend is celebrating her birthday soon and has invited you to a party. But you are unable to come because you are going to attend an important meeting that day.informal · apology
- Letter to a friend declining an anniversary invitationYour friend recently invited you to a marriage anniversary party that they are holding next Saturday. However, you can not attend this party.informal · apology
- Letter to a librarian regarding a damaged bookYou borrowed a book from a public library and the book is now damaged.formal · apology
- Letter to Chris's parents declining a surprise party invitationThe parents of your Australian friend Chris have Invited you to a surprise birthday party for him/her.semi-formal · apology
- Letter to Employer Explaining Delay in Starting JobYou were going to start a job next month, but you will not be able to.formal · apology
- Letter to former teacher declining conference invitationYour previous English teacher has invited you to attend a conference he is hosting but you can't go to his invitation.semi-formal · apology
- Letter to librarian explaining a lost library bookYou are an international student and have borrowed a book from the local public library. You left the book on a bus and when you contacted the bus company, they could not find it.formal · apology
- Letter to manager declining summer job offerYou agreed to take a particular job over the summer, but due to unforeseen circumstances, you can no longer take the position.semi-formal · apology
- Letter to manager explaining recent work latenessFor the past seven days, you were late for work due to some unavoidable issues at home.semi-formal · apology
- Letter to neighbors regarding recent noise complaintsYour neighbors have recently written to you to complain about the noise from your house/ flat.semi-formal · apology
- Letter to new employer regarding delayed start dateYou are due to start a new job next week but you will not be able to because you have some problems.formal · apology
- Letter to teacher explaining incomplete essay assignmentYou have an evening class and your teacher gave you an essay to work on for the weekend. However, you were not able to finish the essay.semi-formal · apology
- Letter to teacher returning a borrowed textbookYou Recently Completed a Course and Borrowed a Book from Your Teacher that You Couldn't Return in Time. You Would Like to Return the Book Now.semi-formal · apology
- Letter to team leader regarding product presentation absenceYou are a part of a product development team and there is an event for product presentation coming up but you can not attend the event.semi-formal · apology
Frequently asked questions
Should an IELTS apology letter be formal or informal?+
It depends on who you are writing to, not on the purpose. Of the 31 apology letters here, 6 formal, 10 semi-formal, 15 informal. From the reader named in the prompt. An unnamed organisation or official is formal; a named person you deal with professionally is semi-formal; a friend or family member is informal.
How should I structure an IELTS apology letter?+
Open with the purpose in one sentence, then one paragraph per bullet point in the order given. Close with the action you want: I would appreciate a reply by Friday, or Let me know when you are free.
How many words and how long for the letter?+
At least 150 words in about 20 minutes; 160 to 200 is the comfortable range. Leave 40 minutes for Task 2, which carries twice the marks.
How is the letter scored?+
Scored on task achievement (purpose clear, all bullets covered, tone consistent), coherence and cohesion, lexical resource, and grammatical range and accuracy. Task 1 is worth half of Task 2.
Keep going
Other IELTS letter types
- Formal letters · 266
- Semi-Formal letters · 88
- Informal letters · 129
- Complaint letters · 118
- Request letters · 103
- Information letters · 67
- Application letters · 42
- Advice letters · 28
- Arrangement letters · 25
- Invitation letters · 19
- Thank-You letters · 15
- Landlord letters · 20
- All IELTS letter samples
- IELTS General Training writing practice
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