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 John Parkinson writing in regard to getting enrolled in a diploma course that your institution has recently invited candidates to apply to. I am hoping that you would provide me with some further details regarding this. I have learned about the course from a website, and I require more details to apply to this course. I have recently earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Edinburgh and hold a diploma in Basic Computing. I would like to enhance my skills in this arena and your course 'Advanced Diploma in Computing' seems a fitting one to me. Could you please write back to me with details about the course, particularly about what topics it will cover and how long it will take? I would also like to know the admission process and course fee. So kindly mention all the costs this course includes and also inform me how should I apply. If there is a special requirement to apply to the course, I should know it beforehand. I would be much obliged if you can provide me with the details at your earliest as I am looking forward to getting enrolled in this course soon. Yours faithfully, John Parkinson
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. State the purpose directly Original: writing in regard to getting enrolled Suggested revision: writing to enquire about enrolling Why it matters: The revision is concise and uses the standard formal enquiry phrase.
- 2. Clarify the course reference Original: a diploma course that your institution has recently invited candidates to apply to Suggested revision: a diploma course for which your institution has recently invited applications Why it matters: The relative construction avoids the awkward repeated preposition.
- 3. Use a direct polite request Original: I am hoping that you would provide Suggested revision: I hope you can provide Why it matters: The present form is more natural for a current request.
- 4. Clarify the reference Original: some further details regarding this Suggested revision: further details about the course Why it matters: The explicit noun removes the vague reference “this.”
- 5. Correct the application phrase Original: more details to apply to this course Suggested revision: more information before applying for this course Why it matters: Applicants apply for a course, and the timing relationship is clearer with “before.”
- 6. Use precise field language Original: enhance my skills in this arena Suggested revision: develop my skills in this field Why it matters: “Field” is more natural than “arena” for an area of study.
- 7. Express suitability precisely Original: seems a fitting one to me Suggested revision: seems well suited to my goals Why it matters: The revision specifies why the course appears appropriate.
- 8. Fix indirect question order Original: inform me how should I apply Suggested revision: inform me how I should apply Why it matters: An indirect question uses statement word order.
- 9. Ask for prerequisites directly Original: a special requirement to apply to the course Suggested revision: any specific prerequisites for the course Why it matters: This wording uses the task’s precise term and avoids the awkward application phrase.
- 10. Complete the formal phrase Original: at your earliest Suggested revision: at your earliest convenience Why it matters: The fixed courteous expression requires “convenience.”
Suggested Rewrites
- writing in regard to getting enrolled writing to enquire about enrolling
- a diploma course that your institution has recently invited candidates to apply to a diploma course for which your institution has recently invited applications
- I am hoping that you would provide I hope you can provide
- some further details regarding this further details about the course
- more details to apply to this course more information before applying for this course
- enhance my skills in this arena develop my skills in this field
Why this response received Band 7.5
The letter is purposeful, appropriately formal, and thorough: it requests the course content and duration, fees, application process, and prerequisites while providing relevant background. Its main limitation is some repetition and a small number of awkward or grammatically faulty request forms. The highest-priority improvement is to group the questions more efficiently and ensure that indirect questions use statement word order.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The formal enquiry fully covers course details, fees, and prerequisites, with relevant qualifications that clarify the applicant’s needs and no significant omission.
Retain the comprehensive coverage while making each requested item slightly more explicit and concise.
Coherence and Cohesion
The letter progresses clearly from purpose and background to detailed questions and a courteous closing, although repeated references to “details” and “course” create some redundancy.
Group the questions into one compact enquiry section and use referencing to reduce repetition.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is varied and generally precise for a formal course enquiry, with only occasional awkward phrases such as “skills in this arena” and “at your earliest.”
Use conventional formal expressions such as skills in this field and at your earliest convenience.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A good range of simple and complex structures is handled accurately overall, with a few errors in indirect-question order and modal consistency.
Use statement order after reporting verbs, as in “inform me how I should apply,” and keep polite modals consistent.
Write this task while it is fresh
Try the same task now. It helps you remember the feedback and write better next time.
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.