You recently booked a part-time course at a college. You now need to cancel your booking. Write a letter to the college administrator. In your letter: - say which part-time course you booked - explain why you need to cancel your booking - ask about booking a different course
Sample Response
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to cancel my enrollment in the part-time course “Introduction to Photography” scheduled to begin on May 15th, 2024. Unfortunately, due to a recent family emergency, I will be out of town for an extended period and unable to attend the course as initially planned.
While I regret having to cancelwithdraw my booking, I would appreciate information aboutI kindly request information on any similar courses offered at a later date, as I remain keen to continue studying photographykeen on furthering my education in photography. The opportunity to develop my skills in this field is of great importance to me, and I would appreciate the chance to explore alternative coursesalternative course options that better suit my current circumstances.
I am grateful for your understanding and assistance with this requestin this matter. Your institution’s commitment to providing quality educational experiences is commendable, and I look forward to the opportunity to enrollpossibility of enrolling in a future course that aligns with my interests and availability.
Yours faithfullySincerely,
Akshay Kapoor
Why this response received Band 8.0
The letter's strongest feature is its clear formal purpose and complete handling of the course, cancellation reason, and request for a later photography option, all expressed with controlled language. Its main limitation is an overly complimentary closing paragraph that adds little practical detail; the highest-priority improvement is to replace that material with a direct question about future dates, availability, and the procedure for transferring the booking.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The response identifies the exact course and start date, gives a credible reason for cancellation, and requests information about suitable later courses in a consistently formal tone.
Ask more specifically about the next available course date and whether the existing booking or payment can be transferred.
Coherence and Cohesion
Information is arranged in focused paragraphs that progress smoothly from cancellation to alternatives and a courteous conclusion.
Make the final paragraph more purposeful by shortening the general praise and linking the closing directly to the requested administrative response.
Lexical Resource
The letter demonstrates varied, formal vocabulary that communicates the situation precisely, although a few expressions are slightly formulaic or less idiomatic.
Prefer natural administrative collocations such as cancel my booking or withdraw from the course rather than withdraw my booking.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Complex sentences, relative clauses, and subordinate structures are used accurately throughout with strong punctuation and agreement control.
Maintain this accuracy while using one or two shorter sentences to make the practical requests more direct.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
You recently booked a part-time course at a college. You now need to cancel your booking. Write a letter to the college administrator. In your letter:
- say which part-time course you booked
- explain why you need to cancel your booking
- ask about booking a different course
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.