Write a letter to the Information Officer at the TAPE Information Office about the Tertiary Preparation Certificate. In your letter: - ask for information about the certificate - describe your educational background - explain why you want to do the course
Sample Response
Dear Sir or Madam, I would like some information about the Tertiary Preparation Certificate programme that I am planning to takeintake this summer. A colleague recommended your institution to meYour institution was recommended to me by a colleague and I hope you will sendI am hoping you would send me the necessary information so that I can apply for admission to the courseget admitted to this course. I completed my high school diploma six years ago. Since then, I have workedSince then I have worked as an office assistantOffice Assistant in two companies and am currently workingand currently working as a librarian in the Johnson Library. However, to advancein order to advance my career and move into a better roleand to be in a better job sector, I will need to undertake further studydo some further study, perhaps in marketing or managementMarketing or Management. Because I have a long gap in my studiesa long study gap, I believe that I should complete the Tertiary Preparation Certificate course before enrolling in a bachelor’s degreethe Bachelor course atin a university. Please send me the necessary information along with the admission form to my postalmail address shown abovementioned at the top at your convenience. I intend to start the course next summer. Thank you for your assistanceThank you in advance. Yours faithfully, Emma Watson
Why this response received Band 7.0
The letter clearly states the certificate enquiry, provides a relevant education and employment history, and explains that the course would bridge a six-year study gap before university study in marketing or management. Its strongest feature is the logical connection between background and future plans. The main limitation is that the requested information remains vague, while several awkward collocations reduce formality; prioritise specific questions about entry requirements, dates, fees, and application procedures.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
All required points are covered and the motivation is well explained, though the request for certificate information lacks specific questions.
Ask directly about entry requirements, course duration, tuition fees, the summer start date, and the application deadline.
Coherence and Cohesion
The letter progresses logically from the enquiry to educational and work background, future study goals, and the request for materials.
Use short paragraphs for the enquiry, personal background, and course motivation so the information officer can locate each point quickly.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is adequate for formal educational correspondence, but several collocations are inaccurate or unnatural.
Replace 'planning to intake', 'better job sector', 'Bachelor course', and 'mail address' with 'planning to take', 'better career opportunities', 'bachelor's degree', and 'postal address'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A range of structures communicates the purpose clearly, but agreement, auxiliary verbs, articles, and tense choices contain noticeable errors.
Use forms such as 'I currently work as a librarian', 'before enrolling in a bachelor's programme at university', and 'I hope you can send me'.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
Write a letter to the Information Officer at the TAPE Information Office about the Tertiary Preparation Certificate. In your letter:
- ask for information about the certificate
- describe your educational background
- explain why you want to do the course
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.