You would like to enrol in a qualification course. Write a letter to the person in charge of the course. In your letter: - ask for details about the course - ask about the fees - ask about the prerequisites
Sample Response
Dear Sir or Madam, I am Caroline Norton, writing to request some information about the two-year diploma program in architectural design that your institute offers. I am keen to get registered in this course and that is why require further information regarding it. In relation to the course, I learned about the course from an advertisement published in a local newspaper, but sadly, I did not find all the details. Firstly, I would like to ask if this is a full-time or a part-time course and which subjects of architecture are included in it? Furthermore, does it provide practical training to the participants? And, can you please inform me of the total cost of the course? Lastly, is there any previous qualification related to the architecture required for eligibility? I will be very grateful to you if you kindly send me these details as I am really hoping to get enrolled in it. I hope to hear from you soon. Yours faithfully, Caroline Norton
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use natural enrolment verb Original: get registered in this course Suggested revision: enrol in this course Why it matters: Enrol is the more natural verb for joining an academic course.
- 2. Add missing subject Original: that is why require Suggested revision: that is why I require Why it matters: The clause needs the subject I before the verb require.
- 3. End indirect question Original: included in it? Suggested revision: included in it. Why it matters: This is an indirect question introduced by I would like to ask, so it should end with a full stop.
- 4. Use general reference Original: to the participants Suggested revision: to participants Why it matters: The zero article is more natural when referring to course participants in general.
- 5. Link request smoothly Original: And, can you Suggested revision: Could you also Why it matters: This transition connects the fee request more smoothly and maintains a formal tone.
- 6. Remove unnecessary article Original: related to the architecture Suggested revision: related to architecture Why it matters: Architecture is used as an uncountable field of study here and does not take the article the.
- 7. Use polite conditional Original: will Suggested revision: would Why it matters: Would creates the conventional polite form for a formal request.
- 8. Use concise verb Original: get enrolled in it Suggested revision: enrol in it Why it matters: The active verb enrol is more concise and natural in this context.
- 9. Sentence rewrite Original: In relation to the course, I learned about the course from an advertisement published in a local newspaper, but sadly, I did not find all the details. Suggested revision: I learned about the course from an advertisement in a local newspaper, but it did not provide all the details. Why it matters: This revision removes repetition and identifies the advertisement as the source that lacked details.
- 10. Separate letter sections Suggested revision: Use separate paragraphs for the opening, course questions, and closing. Why it matters: Grouping each communicative stage into its own paragraph would make the requests easier to follow.
Suggested Rewrites
- get registered in this course enrol in this course
- that is why require that is why I require
- included in it? included in it.
- to the participants to participants
- And, can you Could you also
- related to the architecture related to architecture
Why this response received Band 7.0
The letter clearly achieves its purpose and directly covers course content, delivery mode, practical training, fees, and entry requirements in a consistently formal tone. Its main limitation is presentation: the entire response forms one dense paragraph, while several awkward grammatical and lexical choices reduce polish. The highest-priority improvement is to group the requests into logical paragraphs and proofread sentence structures and collocations.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The purpose is immediately clear, all three bullet points are fully covered, and the formal tone is appropriate.
Develop the course-detail request slightly further by asking about matters such as the timetable or assessment method.
Coherence and Cohesion
The requests progress logically and linking expressions guide the reader, but the single-block format weakens paragraphing.
Separate the introduction, course questions, and closing request into clear paragraphs instead of presenting the whole letter as one block.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is varied and generally precise, although collocations such as 'get registered' and 'qualification related to the architecture' sound unnatural.
Use more natural combinations such as 'enrol on the course' and 'a prior qualification in architecture.'
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A useful range of question forms and complex sentences is evident, but several structural errors and awkward constructions remain.
Proofread for omitted subjects and cleaner clause structure, especially in 'that is why require further information.'
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
You would like to enrol in a qualification course. Write a letter to the person in charge of the course. In your letter:
- ask for details about the course
- ask about the fees
- ask about the prerequisites
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.