By English Test Coach · Updated
General Training Task 1 · Semi-formal letters
Returning borrowed club equipment late
An original IELTS practice question with a planning route and a sample answer to learn from.
Aim for at least 150 words in about 20 minutes. Suggested practice level: intermediate, not a predicted band.
Your writing task
You borrowed a portable speaker from a local club and did not return it on the agreed day. You know the club coordinator through regular volunteering. Write a letter to the coordinator. Apologise and explain the delay, describe how you will return the equipment, and say how you will avoid a similar problem.
How to approach this question
Write to someone you know in an official context, such as a manager or neighbour. Stay polite and direct without sounding either distant or overly casual.
Semi-formal letters: make clear requests and workable proposals →
Worked example: Connect responsibility with a practical repair and prevention →
Purpose and explanation: apologise for the missed return date and acknowledge a practical effect on the club. Give one plausible reason for the delay, but do not use it to deny responsibility. A known coordinator calls for respectful personal language, not an impersonal complaint or a casual message to a close friend.
Repair and prevention: specify when and how you can return the speaker and accessories, leaving the coordinator room to confirm the handover. Make the future step address the stated cause, such as checking a date or setting a reminder. A promise to be more careful is less useful than a concrete change.
These are possible directions, not required opinions or facts to memorise. Develop your own response and check every claim against the task.
A possible plan
- Opening: greet the known recipient appropriately and state your purpose without unnecessary ceremony.
- First task point: explain the situation with specific details and a respectful, direct tone.
- Remaining task points: cover every request while reflecting the existing relationship.
- Closing: invite a response and choose a polite sign-off that is neither highly formal nor casual.
Vocabulary you can use precisely
Choose language that fits your meaning. You do not need to include every phrase.
- at short notice
- With little time to prepare or arrange something.
You had to find another speaker at short notice because I returned it late.
- confirm the handover
- Agree the details of passing an item back to someone.
Please let me know whether 5.30 p.m. is suitable so that we can confirm the handover.
Ready to write your own answer?
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