You applied for a college course and were accepted, but you cannot join the course. Write a letter to the principal of the college. In your letter: - say which course you applied for - explain why you cannot join the course - ask about the possibility of taking the course in the future
Sample Response
Dear Sir or Madam, I am excited to be accepted into the "Advertising and Public Relations" course at your college in the summer semester. However, I regret to inform you that I will not be able to join the course as I was denied a visa from the embassy. Last March, I applied for a full-time four-year Bachelor of Arts course in “Advertising and Public Relations” and got the acceptance letter on 12th April. I initially planned to enrol in the course from the beginning of June, but unfortunately, my visa application with the UK embassy was rejected. They are yet to send me details for the refusal, but I thought I should inform you without delay as someone else should get the chance. I guess I will have to wait for the next semester to start the course. I would like to request you to consider me for the next semester. In case this is not possible, I would like to know the procedure to apply again to the same course. I am looking forward to hearing from you at your convenience. Yours faithfully, Rohit Kumar
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use formal tone Original: excited to be accepted Suggested revision: pleased to have been accepted Why it matters: This wording is more suitably formal for a letter to a college principal.
- 2. Correct the preposition Original: from Suggested revision: by Why it matters: The embassy is the agent that denied the visa, so “by” is required.
- 3. Separate coordinate modifiers Original: full-time four-year Suggested revision: full-time, four-year Why it matters: A comma clearly separates the two independent modifiers of “course”.
- 4. Choose formal wording Original: got Suggested revision: received Why it matters: “Received” is more precise and formal than “got” in this letter.
- 5. Correct the phrase Original: for Suggested revision: of Why it matters: “Details of” is the appropriate phrase for information explaining the visa refusal.
- 6. Clarify the request Original: request you to consider me Suggested revision: ask you to consider my application Why it matters: Referring to the application makes the future-course request more precise.
- 7. Sentence rewrite Original: I guess I will have to wait for the next semester to start the course. Suggested revision: I understand that I may need to wait until the next semester to start the course. Why it matters: The revision preserves the meaning while using a more respectful and formal tone.
- 8. Organise the letter Suggested revision: Separate the response into an opening, a paragraph explaining the visa problem, a paragraph making the future-course request, and a short closing. Why it matters: Clear paragraphing would make the purpose, explanation, and request easier for the principal to follow.
Suggested Rewrites
- excited to be accepted pleased to have been accepted
- from by
- full-time four-year full-time, four-year
- got received
- for of
- request you to consider me ask you to consider my application
Why this response received Band 8.0
The letter fully achieves its purpose, covering the course, visa refusal, and future enrolment options with clear supporting detail and an appropriately formal tone. Its main limitation is the absence of paragraph breaks and a few slightly awkward phrases, which modestly reduce polish. The highest-priority improvement is to group the reason and future request into distinct paragraphs while refining minor collocations.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The purpose is immediately clear, all three bullet points are fully addressed, and the formal register is consistently suitable.
Refine the explanation of the refusal by stating more precisely that the embassy has not yet provided its reasons.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas progress logically from acceptance and the visa problem to the request for a later intake, with cohesive links used naturally.
Use separate paragraphs for the background, reason for withdrawal, and request so the letter's structure is easier to scan.
Lexical Resource
A wide and generally precise vocabulary supports the formal purpose, including effective phrases such as 'regret to inform you' and 'at your convenience'.
Replace slightly awkward collocations such as 'details for the refusal' with more idiomatic wording such as 'reasons for the refusal'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A varied range of simple and complex sentences is controlled accurately, with only minor lapses that do not impede meaning.
Polish article and preposition choices in the few less natural clauses to make the language consistently precise.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
You applied for a college course and were accepted, but you cannot join the course. Write a letter to the principal of the college. In your letter:
- say which course you applied for
- explain why you cannot join the course
- ask about the possibility of taking the course in the future
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.