Letter

Band 6+: You are working for a company.You need to take some time off work and want to ask your manager about this. Write a letter to your manager. In your letter • explain why you want to take time off work • give details of the amount of time you need • suggest how your work could be covered while you are away

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Dear John,

I am writing to request for a week off to handle some unexpected personal situation.

Last night I woke up with an unexpected call from my aunt. She has been living in Paris for the past six years. She told me that she is planning to give me a visit in near future, and she is going to stay at my place for about seven days.

Starting today, I am training both Mark and John for the required tasks I need to get done while I am not here. They have both agreed to cover my part until I come back. Additionally, I will be in touch with both of them in case they needed something from me.

I would like to take this time-off by the end of this month. My aunt told me that she has not bought the plane ticket yet, but I am assuming she is going to come here close to the end of this month.

I look forward to hear back from you

Yours sincerely,

Ardalan Rahimi

Word Count: 175

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Overall Band Score

6.5

(+/- 0.5)

Vocabulary Complexity:
A1 - Beginner
Aim to use more advanced language.

Grammar Mistakes: N/A

Vocabulary Repetition:
No noticeable repetition! Great job!

Task Response

The letter addresses the main requirements of the task: it explains the reason for needing time off (a visit from an aunt), suggests how work will be covered (training colleagues Mark and John), and states when the leave is desired (end of the month). However, there are some inaccuracies and irrelevant details. The reason given (a planned visit) may not be considered a 'personal emergency' as implied, and the timing is vague because the aunt hasn't bought a ticket yet. The suggestion for covering work is appropriate but could be more specific. To improve, ensure the reason aligns with the task's expectation of 'personal reasons' and provide clearer dates for the leave. Avoid uncertain statements about the timing.

Coherence & Cohesion

The letter is generally well-organized and easy to follow. The purpose is clearly stated in the first paragraph, and the subsequent paragraphs address the required points. However, the flow could be improved by linking ideas more smoothly. For example, the transition from explaining the reason for leave to discussing work coverage feels abrupt. Consider using cohesive devices like 'In addition' or 'Furthermore' to connect paragraphs more naturally. The paragraphing is adequate but could be more skillfully managed to enhance readability.

Lexical Resource

The vocabulary used is appropriate and mostly accurate, with some good choices like 'unexpected personal situation' and 'cover my part.' However, there are a few awkward or informal phrases, such as 'give me a visit' (better: 'visit me') and 'time-off' (better: 'time off'). The range of vocabulary is adequate but could be expanded with more sophisticated terms, such as 'address my responsibilities' instead of 'get done.' Overall, the lexical resource is effective but lacks the natural sophistication of a higher band score. Boost vocabulary complexity to elevate the overall score.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy

The letter contains several grammatical errors and phrasing issues that affect clarity. For example, 'request for a week off' should be 'request a week off,' and 'in case they needed something' should be 'in case they need something.' The sentence 'Starting today, I am training both Mark and John for the required tasks I need to get done while I am not here' is awkwardly constructed. Punctuation is mostly correct, but the final line lacks a period. While a range of structures is attempted, errors in tense and preposition usage reduce accuracy. More careful proofreading and practice with complex sentences would improve this area.

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