Letter

Band 7+: You recently borrowed a book from a friend, but you accidentally damaged it. Write an email to your friend. In your email: explain what happened to the book apologise for the damage say what you will do to fix the problem

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Dear Angela,

I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing in regard to the book I borrowed from you a month ago.

In the early hours of Saturday, I laid on my bed reading the last chapter of the novel when my 3 year old cousin walked into the room. He requested for water, I dropped the book on the chair close to the door in the room to get him some water. Upon my arrival, I found him with torn pages from the novel. Apparently, he unintentionally ripped off its fifth and seventh page. Hence, the reason for the delay in returning the item.

I would appreciate it if you could tell me what the book cost so I can refund you the money. Alternatively, I will check bookshops around to check and purchase the exact one. I am sorry for any inconveniences this might cause you.

Yours sincerely,

My name.

Word Count: 154

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Overall Band Score

(+/- 0.5)

Vocabulary Complexity:
A2 - Upper Beginner
Consider using more varied and advanced words.

Grammar Mistakes: N/A

Vocabulary Repetition:
No noticeable repetition! Great job!

Task Response

The letter effectively addresses all three required points: how the book was damaged (torn by a child), why it couldn't be returned in good condition (the damage occurred), and what you plan to do (refund or replace). The tone is polite and appropriate. To achieve a higher score, consider providing a bit more detail on why you were unable to return it in good condition - for example, mentioning that you didn't notice the damage immediately or that you wanted to inform your colleague first. Additionally, ensure the letter is fully proofread for minor grammatical issues (e.g., 'laid' should be 'lay', 'requested for water' could be 'asked for water').

Coherence & Cohesion

The letter is generally well-organized and easy to follow. The sequence of events is clear, and the purpose of each paragraph is distinct. However, the transition between the description of the damage and the reason for the delay could be smoother. Consider using a linking phrase like 'As a result' or 'This is why' to connect the incident to the delay more naturally. Additionally, the final paragraph could be more clearly separated from the explanation to improve paragraphing.

Lexical Resource

The vocabulary used is appropriate and mostly accurate, with some good choices like 'in regard to' and 'unintentionally ripped off'. However, there is room for more sophisticated and natural phrasing. For example, 'laid on my bed' could be 'was lying on my bed', and 'requested for water' should be 'asked for water'. The phrase 'check bookshops around to check' is repetitive; consider 'look in local bookshops' or 'search for a replacement copy'. Overall, the lexical range is adequate but not fully flexible.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy

The letter contains several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings that affect clarity. For instance, 'I laid on my bed' should be 'I was lying on my bed' (past continuous), and 'He requested for water' should be 'He asked for water' (no preposition needed). 'Upon my arrival, I found him with torn pages' is slightly unclear; it would be better as 'When I returned, I found him tearing pages from the novel'. The sentence 'Hence, the reason for the delay' is grammatically incomplete; consider 'Hence the delay in returning the book'. Punctuation is generally correct, but the errors in tense and prepositions reduce the overall accuracy. To improve, focus on using past tenses correctly and avoiding unnecessary prepositions.

Answers On The Same Topic:

You recently borrowed a book from a friend, but you accidentally damaged it. Write an email to your friend. In your email: explain what happened to the book apologise for the damage say what you will do to fix the problem

Dear Anna, How are you? Hope you are doing well. Please convey my regards to your family, especially you mother. I am writing to express my sincere apology for damaging your favourite book you had given me. Unfortunately, some of the pages have been torn and separated from the binding. I could completely understand how […]

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