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 writing to get some details about the seminar - New Techniques of Production Management, which your organisation will administer in London. I am hoping that you will reply to my queries so that I can book my seat for the symposium. I have been working as a production manager in a large home appliances company in Iran for the last five years and I think this seminar would be helpful to me as it covers some new approaches to managing workers and manufacturing lines. I believe this seminar would enhance participants' knowledge and skills in different management manners and styles applied in the home appliance manufacturing industry. As I did not obtain all the information that I need from your advertisement, I would like to know the date and schedule of the seminar. What kind of accommodation would you prepare for the participants, if at all? Finally, how much the registration would cost? Can I book and pay online? If so, give me details instructions, please. I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest. Yours faithfully, Milad Rahimi
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use natural verb Original: administer Suggested revision: hold Why it matters: A seminar is normally held rather than administered in a location.
- 2. Use formal phrasing Original: book my seat Suggested revision: reserve my place Why it matters: This phrase is more natural for registering for a professional seminar.
- 3. Fix compound modifier Original: home appliances company Suggested revision: home-appliance company Why it matters: The singular hyphenated form is needed when the phrase modifies company.
- 4. Correct word choice Original: manners Suggested revision: methods Why it matters: Methods is the appropriate word for ways of managing people and production.
- 5. Request exact dates Original: date and schedule of the seminar Suggested revision: dates and daily schedule of the seminar Why it matters: The plural wording makes the request for the seminar dates and programme more precise.
- 6. Use correct collocation Original: prepare for the participants Suggested revision: provide for participants Why it matters: Accommodation is provided for participants rather than prepared for them.
- 7. Fix question order Original: the registration would cost Suggested revision: would registration cost Why it matters: A direct question requires auxiliary-subject inversion.
- 8. Use adjective form Original: details Suggested revision: detailed Why it matters: Detailed is the adjective needed to modify instructions.
- 9. Complete fixed phrase Original: at your earliest Suggested revision: at your earliest convenience Why it matters: The formal closing expression requires convenience.
- 10. Use formal wording Original: get some details Suggested revision: obtain further information Why it matters: The revised phrase is more precise for a formal information request.
- 11. Introduce seminar title Original: seminar - Suggested revision: seminar: Why it matters: A colon introduces the seminar title more clearly than a spaced hyphen.
- 12. Use natural collocation Original: reply to my queries Suggested revision: respond to my questions Why it matters: Respond to is the more natural verb phrase for answering questions.
Suggested Rewrites
- administer hold
- book my seat reserve my place
- home appliances company home-appliance company
- manners methods
- date and schedule of the seminar dates and daily schedule of the seminar
- prepare for the participants provide for participants
Why this response received Band 6.5
The letter establishes a clear purpose, supplies relevant professional context, and addresses the requested dates, programme, accommodation, and cost. Its main limitation is uneven language control, with several awkward collocations and malformed question or request structures, while the single-block presentation also weakens readability. The highest priority is to organise the requests into clear paragraphs and edit each question for natural, grammatically complete phrasing.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The purpose is clear, all four requested areas are covered, and the formal tone is generally suitable.
Develop the programme enquiry more explicitly by asking about specific sessions, speakers, or activities rather than mainly describing the seminar's likely benefits.
Coherence and Cohesion
The ideas follow a broadly logical sequence, but presenting the entire letter as one block reduces clarity and progression.
Separate the background, seminar enquiries, and closing into distinct paragraphs and reduce repetition around management and manufacturing.
Lexical Resource
The letter uses a reasonably varied professional vocabulary, although several collocations such as management manners and details instructions are unnatural.
Prioritise accurate common combinations such as management approaches, detailed instructions, and registration fee over less secure formal wording.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A range of complex structures is attempted successfully, but errors in question formation, determiners, and fixed expressions remain noticeable.
Review indirect and direct question structures, especially how much the registration would cost, and check noun phrases for correct adjective and determiner forms.
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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.