IELTS Formal Letter: Letter to college librarian regarding overdue books

The task

You borrowed some books from your school or college library. Unfortunately, you have to go away to visit a sick relative and cannot return the books in time.

Write a letter to the library. In your letter:

→explain what has happened
→tell them what you want to do about it

Write at least 150 words. You do not need to write any addresses. Begin your letter: Dear ...,

Model answer

Band 8 sample letter

Band 8167 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Dear Librarian,

I am writing to inform you that I will be unable to return the three books I currently have on loan from the college library by their due date of 15 October.

Due to an urgent family emergency, I must travel interstate tomorrow to visit a relative who has fallen seriously ill. Because this situation requires my immediate presence for an indefinite period, I am currently packing my belongings and preparing for travel, which has left me unable to visit the campus to return the items in person.

I would like to request an extension on the loan period for these books. If an extension is not possible, please let me know if it is acceptable for a friend to return them on my behalf later this week. Alternatively, I am happy to pay any accrued fines upon my return to college. I apologise for any inconvenience this delay may cause your staff and appreciate your understanding regarding these unforeseen circumstances.

Yours faithfully,

James Sterling

Write your own and get a band

Answer this prompt in a timed General Training writing test and get a band for task achievement, coherence, vocabulary and grammar, with the sentences to fix.

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Examiner's view

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response clearly addresses all parts of the prompt while maintaining a consistently professional tone and logical flow. A common Band 6 error is failing to propose a specific solution or asking for an extension without providing a clear reason for the delay.

→Write to an organisation or someone you do not know: open with Dear Sir or Madam, close with Yours faithfully.
→If you know the person's surname, use Dear Mr or Ms and close with Yours sincerely.
→No contractions, no slang; polite indirect requests such as I would be grateful if you could.

6 phrases

Useful phrases from the letter

interstate
existing or occurring between different states
indefinite period
a duration of time that is not fixed
accrued fines
penalties that have accumulated over a period
unforeseen circumstances
unexpected events that cannot be predicted
on my behalf
as a representative of or for me
inconvenience
trouble or difficulty caused to someone else

Frequently asked questions

Is this letter formal or informal?+

Formal. Write to an organisation or someone you do not know: open with Dear Sir or Madam, close with Yours faithfully.

How many words should an IELTS General Training letter be?+

At least 150 words, and 160 to 200 is the comfortable range. Spend about 20 minutes on it and leave 40 for Task 2, which carries twice the marks.

What does the examiner look for?+

Keep practising

More giving information letters

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