'Let Gavin in to my office now, please Mrs Chan ... sit down, Gavin, and let us discuss what happened in the maths exam. But before you give your version of events, I want to tell you that you have really let me down. I thought that you were one of the most trustworthy boys in the whole school. You have also let yourself down and you have let down your parents who will be very disappointed with you when I tell them what you have done.
'Your form teacher has asked me to let you off any punishment, but I have refused to consider that option. Why should I let you off when you have been caught cheating in an important examination?
'You will be detained after school for two weeks, one hour every day. I will instruct the teacher on duty to make sure you are not let out of school until you have completed the full hour. If you see other pupils being let out of detention early, do not think you will be allowed to leave with them.
'Let Gavin's form teacher in to the office, please, Mrs Chan. We need to discuss all this with him.'
YOUR TURN
1. TO LET DOWN - means to disappoint. It also means to fail to keep an appointment.
I've really let my parents down by failing all my exams.