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 Rona Lyn Olivar, an ICU nurseNurse at the Urdaneta Heart Hospital, located in the province of Pangasinan in the Philippines. I have learned from a colleague that you will holdconduct an electrocardiogram training coursean Electrocardiogram Training in Singapore, and I am writing to ask for some information regarding the seminar and hoperegarding the seminar, and hoping that you would kindly provide it to me.
Firstly, with regardregards to the schedule, kindly inform me about the seminar schedule and what time it would begin and end each daywhat time would it begin and end each day. Secondly, please provide details ofnotify me of the programme topics and speakerstopics and speakers of the program. I am also wondering if there is any special arrangementsconsideration for the registered nurses who will be attending the seminar. FinallyAnd finally, I would like to know about the accommodation and the cost. Would the accommodation be arranged by the organisersarranged by you or should attendees arrange it themselves?should an individual be responsible for that? What would be the approximate cost of attending the seminarcost to attend and successfully finish the seminar?
I am enthusiastic about attending the seminar, and your reply will help me plan for it in advance. I therefore look forwardSo, I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Yours faithfully,
Rona Olivar
Why this response received Band 7.5
The letter is purposeful, appropriately formal, and fully develops every requested area through specific questions about timing, programme content, accommodation, and fees. Its main weakness is occasional awkwardness in sentence construction and phrasing, which slightly reduces precision despite consistently clear meaning. The highest-priority improvement is to refine embedded questions and eliminate loosely attached clauses so the language sounds more natural and controlled.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The response clearly explains its purpose and fully addresses all four bullet points with relevant, specific requests in an appropriate register.
Keep the same comprehensive coverage while trimming the less essential question about special consideration so the enquiry remains tightly focused.
Coherence and Cohesion
Clear paragraphing and an orderly sequence of requests make the letter easy to follow, although some linking is slightly mechanical.
Use smoother thematic transitions in place of the repeated Firstly, Secondly, and finally sequence.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is varied and suitable for a formal enquiry, with only occasional imprecise combinations such as special consideration and successfully finish the seminar.
Choose more idiomatic expressions such as concessions for registered nurses and complete the seminar to improve lexical precision.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
The response uses varied complex sentences with generally good control, though a few faulty embedded questions and loosely coordinated clauses occur.
Correct indirect question order and clause attachment, for example changing what time would it begin to what time it would begin.
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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.