IELTS General Writing Task 1 – Damaged Borrowed Book
Model Answer (Band 8–8.5)
Dear Sarah,
I am writing to sincerely apologise for the unfortunate damage to the book that you were kind enough to lend me last week. I feel extremely embarrassed about the situation and wanted to explain what happened as soon as possible.
While I was reading it at home yesterday evening, a cup of coffee was accidentally knocked over and a considerable amount of liquid spilled onto several pages. Although I tried to dry it immediately, some of the pages have unfortunately become stained and slightly warped.
Please accept my heartfelt apologies for this carelessness. I fully understand the inconvenience I have caused and would like to take full responsibility for the damage. I would be more than happy to replace the book with a brand-new copy or reimburse you for its full cost, whichever you prefer.
Once again, I am truly sorry for this incident, and I hope you will forgive my mistake.
Yours sincerely,
Daniel
Analytical Review – Strengths, Weaknesses & Improvements
- Clear apologetic and responsible tone appropriate for the situation.
- Logical structure: apology → explanation → compensation → closing.
- Strong phrases such as “take full responsibility,” “heartfelt apologies,” “brand-new copy”.
- Natural flow with no unnecessary repetition.
- The exact value of the book is not mentioned.
- Add the approximate price to strengthen the offer of compensation.
- Include a future gesture to rebuild trust.
- apologise → express my sincere regret
- carelessness → momentary negligence
- replace the book → provide a full replacement
- take responsibility → accept full liability
- Add one polite conditional sentence.
- Include a specific compensation timeline.
- Maintain the same level of emotional control and clarity.