You would like to participate in a work-related seminar in another country. Write a letter to the person in charge of the seminar. In your letter: - ask for information about the seminar dates - ask for details of the programme - ask about accommodation - ask about the cost
Sample Response
Dear Sir or Madam, I am Swathi Reddy, working as a software engineer in India. I have recently learned about your seminar on Ethical Hacking, scheduled to be held in Sydney, Australia in December 2025, through an advertisement in a newspaper. I am planning to attend this workshop and need some further details. The schedule was not mentioned in the advert. Hence, I would like to know the duration and schedule of the workshop. I would highly appreciate it if you could give me a brief of the programme: which aspects of Ethical Hacking will be covered as part of the workshop, and if there will be any hands-on or not. Please also inform me how much it would cost to book my seat. Lastly, as I will be travelling from India, I would like to know about the accommodation arrangements. Is there any living place provided by you? If not, could you please let me know of the hotels nearby along with the approximate cost per night including meals? Thank you in advance for your reply. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Yours faithfully, Swathi Reddy
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use standard capitalization Original: seminar on Ethical Hacking Suggested revision: seminar on ethical hacking Why it matters: The general field of ethical hacking does not normally require title capitals.
- 2. Use natural collocation Original: a brief of the programme Suggested revision: an overview of the programme Why it matters: An overview of is the natural phrase for requesting a programme summary.
- 3. Complete the noun phrase Original: any hands-on or not Suggested revision: any hands-on sessions Why it matters: Hands-on needs a noun such as sessions in this question.
- 4. Use seminar wording Original: book my seat Suggested revision: reserve a place Why it matters: Reserve a place is more natural in a formal seminar enquiry.
- 5. Use accommodation term Original: any living place Suggested revision: any accommodation Why it matters: Accommodation is the appropriate formal term for a place to stay.
- 6. Name the organisers Original: provided by you Suggested revision: provided by the seminar organisers Why it matters: The specific reference is clearer and more formal than by you.
- 7. Request recommendations Original: let me know of the hotels nearby Suggested revision: recommend any nearby hotels Why it matters: The revision makes the request more direct and natural.
- 8. Sentence rewrite Original: I am Swathi Reddy, working as a software engineer in India. Suggested revision: My name is Swathi Reddy, and I work as a software engineer in India. Why it matters: The rewrite avoids the awkward participial construction after the name.
- 9. Sentence rewrite Original: I would highly appreciate it if you could give me a brief of the programme: which aspects of Ethical Hacking will be covered as part of the workshop, and if there will be any hands-on or not. Suggested revision: I would appreciate an overview of the programme, including the aspects of ethical hacking covered and whether it includes any hands-on sessions. Why it matters: The rewrite forms a complete indirect question and removes the awkward colon structure.
- 10. Group the four requests Suggested revision: Use separate paragraphs for the seminar schedule and programme, then costs and accommodation. Why it matters: The single block makes the four requested information points less easy to scan.
Suggested Rewrites
- seminar on Ethical Hacking seminar on ethical hacking
- a brief of the programme an overview of the programme
- any hands-on or not any hands-on sessions
- book my seat reserve a place
- any living place any accommodation
- provided by you provided by the seminar organisers
Why this response received Band 7.5
The letter has a clear, appropriately formal purpose and fully addresses the seminar schedule, programme, fee, and accommodation, adding useful questions about practical sessions and nearby hotels. Its main weakness is occasional unnatural phrasing, especially around a programme brief, hands-on content, and a provided living place. Prioritise more idiomatic request language and divide the requests into short purpose-based paragraphs for a more polished professional letter.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The purpose is immediately clear, all four bullet points are fully addressed with relevant detail, and the formal tone is consistently appropriate.
For still greater precision, ask for the exact start and end dates rather than only the duration and schedule.
Coherence and Cohesion
The requests follow a sensible sequence and are linked clearly, although presenting the whole body as one block limits visual organisation.
Place the programme, cost, and accommodation requests in separate short paragraphs to make the letter easier to scan.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is varied and suitable for a formal enquiry, with only occasional awkward phrases such as "a brief of the programme" and "living place."
Use natural expressions such as "an outline of the programme," "practical sessions," and "accommodation provided by the organiser."
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A good range of complex request forms is used with generally accurate control, while a few clause and word-form problems remain.
Refine the programme question to "whether there will be any hands-on sessions" and check parallel structure in multi-part requests.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
You would like to participate in a work-related seminar in another country. Write a letter to the person in charge of the seminar. In your letter:
- ask for information about the seminar dates
- ask for details of the programme
- ask about accommodation
- ask about the cost
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.