Inquiring About a Work-Related Seminar Abroad

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

14 sample answers, estimated Band 5.0–7.5. Your turn?

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From essays on this question

Letter points: Inquiring About a Work-Related Seminar Abroad

WhyThis is aFormal letter — it asks you to cover every bullet point in a formal tone.

SoWe group the points under each bullet point of the task.

Ask for information about the seminar dates

2 points

Ask for details of the programme

7 points

Ask about accommodation

4 points

Ask about the cost

5 points

Same question · Different responses

Sample responses and feedback

Response 01

Must fixSuggested

Answer · 60 words · 5 paragraphs · 2 comments

Score details

Response 01
Estimated band5.0/ 9

Overall assessment

The strongest aspect is the use of a correctly formatted formal letter with an appropriate opening and closing. The main limitation is that none of the four required content points (dates, programme, accommodation, and cost) is actually addressed, and the response is far shorter than the expected minimum, leaving the communicative purpose largely unachieved.

TA

Task Achievement

The letter fails to cover any of the four required bullet points about dates, programme, accommodation, and cost, and at 60 words it is severely under the minimum length, so the communicative task is only minimally attempted despite an appropriate formal register.

4.0
CC

Coherence and Cohesion

There is a basic letter structure with some linking phrases, but progression is mechanical and the ideas remain limited and underdeveloped because the required content is absent.

5.0
LR

Lexical Resource

The vocabulary is adequate for a formal request, with phrases such as 'above-mentioned information' and 'looking forward to hearing from you', but the range is restricted and lacks the specificity the task demands.

5.0
GRA

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

Sentence forms are mostly simple and some attempts at complexity contain errors, such as 'because of adequate preparation before the departure', though meaning remains generally clear.

5.0

What to work on next

Develop a distinct paragraph for each bullet point, asking specific questions about the seminar dates, programme, accommodation, and cost, and expand the letter to a full length.

From essays on this question

Useful vocabulary: Inquiring About a Work-Related Seminar Abroad

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Sentence patterns: Inquiring About a Work-Related Seminar Abroad

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Task 1 General question loaded.
Part 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. Write at least 150 words.

Words: 020:00 starts on first word