Letter

Band 7+: You've been invited to a friend's wedding but unfortunately, you are unable to attend. Write a letter to your friend explaining why you can't make it. You should include details about: - express your happiness for them - explain your reason for not being able to attend - extend your best wishes and suggest an alternative way to celebrate with them

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Note: Both the topic and the answer were created by one of our users.

Dear Mary,

I hope you are doing well. It was great to hear from you. I am writing to thank you for inviting me to your wedding but unfortunately I will not be able to attend.

I will not be able to attend the event because on that particular day, I will be accompanying my mother for her dialysis session. As you are aware, she has been ailing for sometime now and the doctors dicovered she has a kidney failure. She cannot be alone as once the dialysis is done, she becomes weak and so she needs someone with her.

It breaks my heart for missing your special day as this is something we have visualised since we were children. We have been planning for this day for close to six months and I feel terrible that I will not able to be with you.

I will definitely celebrate with you by attending all the anniversaries and get together that you will organise in the near future.

All the best as you start a new chapter in your life.

Best wishes,

Linda.

Word Count: 182

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Overall Band Score

7.5

(+/- 0.5)

Vocabulary Complexity:
B1 - Intermediate
Using more sophisticated words could be beneficial.

Grammar Mistakes: N/A

Vocabulary Repetition:
No noticeable repetition! Great job!

Task Response

The letter effectively addresses all three bullet points: it clearly explains the reason for not attending (accompanying mother for dialysis), expresses feelings about missing the event (heartbroken, terrible), and suggests future celebration (attending anniversaries and get-togethers). The tone is appropriate and the content is relevant. Minor lapses include a few spelling errors ('dicovered', 'sometime now') and a slightly awkward phrase ('visualised since we were children'). To improve, ensure proofreading for spelling and consider a more specific future celebration plan, such as taking the couple out for a meal or a special gift.

Coherence & Cohesion

The letter is well-organized and easy to follow. The purpose is clear from the start, and each paragraph addresses a specific point from the task. The flow is logical, and the tone is appropriate. Minor improvements could be made by using more cohesive devices to link ideas between paragraphs, but overall the message is coherent and cohesive.

Lexical Resource

The vocabulary is appropriate and generally accurate. There is a good range of words and phrases, such as 'accompanying my mother for her dialysis session' and 'visualised since we were children.' However, there are a few minor errors and awkward phrasings, such as 'dicovered' (should be 'discovered') and 'I will not able to be with you' (should be 'I will not be able to be with you'). The language is natural but could be more sophisticated in places.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy

The letter demonstrates a good range of grammatical structures, including complex sentences and appropriate use of tenses. However, there are a few errors that affect accuracy, such as 'dicovered' (spelling), 'for sometime now' (should be 'for some time now'), and 'I will not able to be with you' (missing 'be'). These are minor and do not impede understanding, but they prevent a higher score.

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