Inquiring About a Work-Related Seminar Abroad

  • Professional training
  • Events
  • Travel
  • Request

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

Annotated response

1 correction note

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing this letter to express my interest in participating in the upcoming professional seminar scheduled to take place in London, UK, and request you to give me more details about it. I have heard about the seminar from a colleague, and I believe it would greatly benefit my professional development.

detailed information regarding the dates, programme itinerary, and topics to be covered during the seminar. Additionally, I would appreciate details about accommodation options available for participants, including any recommended hotels or lodging facilities near the venue. Understanding the cost associated with attending the seminar, including registration fees, accommodation expenses, and any additional costs, would also be helpful for planning purposes.

As an enthusiastic learner and dedicated professional, I am eager to expand my knowledge and skills through this seminar. Attending such events allows me to stay updated with industry trends and best practices, ultimately contributing to my growth and effectiveness in my role.

Thank you for considering my request, and I look forward to receiving the requested information soon.

Yours faithfully,

Ivan Fox

Overall assessment

Why this response received Band 7.0

The letter covers all four required points with a clear purpose and a consistently polite, formal register. Several sentences of generic enthusiasm add length without adding concrete information to the requests, and the request beginning I would like to request that please provide needs a complete subordinate clause.

IELTS criteria

How each score was decided

Task Achievement

7.0

The response achieves its communicative purpose and addresses all four bullet points—dates, programme, accommodation, and cost—with an appropriate polite register, though the coverage of some points is thin and padded with generic statements about professional growth rather than specific enquiries.

Coherence and Cohesion

7.0

Ideas are logically organised with clear paragraphing, appropriate opening and closing, and effective cohesive devices such as 'additionally' and 'as an enthusiastic learner', though the middle paragraph packs all requests together rather than progressing through them individually.

Lexical Resource

7.0

Vocabulary is sufficiently flexible and precise for the purpose, with natural collocations like 'programme itinerary', 'recommended hotels', and 'registration fees', though some phrasing is slightly formulaic and repetitive, such as 'request' used twice in close succession.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

7.0

A good range of sentence structures is used with generally strong control, including complex forms like 'I would like to request that please provide me' which shows a minor grammatical slip, but most sentences are accurate and errors do not impede communication.

More responses with feedback

View all 14 responses (5.0–7.5)