EXTRACT 1.

Dear Alex,

How are you? Hope you and your parents are fine. Thank your for your letter.

I’m so sorry about your fail1. I know it’s not easy to pass those exams because they are really difficult and if you have a bad day, it is almost imposible to pass them. But cheer up! It’s not the end of the world.

Nowadays there are even more2 choices, away from the university. Have you ever thought of spending a year in a foreign country, maybe in Germany or France? At school, I remember you were the best in learning new languages and some friends told me you continued speaking German and French very well. Why not staying a year there3? Afterwards, you could try to repeat the exams.

There are several more options, such as looking for a job or doing other courses. The most important thing is to do something. Don’t stay in the sofa waiting for a miracle!

Hope these tips will help you and I’m waiting for your answer.

Best wishes,

Daniel Sanromán.

1 “a fail” is used as a noun to talk about a particular grade from one exam “I’m sorry, it’s a fail”; otherwise we have to change it to “failure”, but calling it this way wouldn’t sound like you’re trying to help your friend at all. So maybe: “your situation”, “your trouble”…

2even more than when? “Nowadays there are many more choices than in the past.” Or “Nowadays there are plenty of alternatives to going to university”

3It would be acceptable in a real-life situation, but at the exam we need a bit more accuracy. “Why not stay….?” “Why don’t you stay…?” “How about staying….?”

Length: +

Letter format: +

Content:

- show that you’ve received and read his letter: +- friend’s problem: +- advise: +

Grammar: +/-

Vocabulary: + Grade: 4/5