Letter

Band 8+: WRITING TASK 1 You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. You recently booked a part-time course at a college. You now need to cancel your booking. Write a letter to the college administrator. In your letter . say which part-time course you booked . explain why you need to cancel your booking · ask about booking a different course Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write any addresses. Begin your letter as follows: Dear Sir or Madam,

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Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to inquire about a cancellation of a part-time biochemistry course that I had booked in advance for spring semester at Johns Hopkins College of Medicine and kindly ask if it is possible to replace it with another course.

I booked a part-time course on fundamentals of biochemistry laboratory techniques, which was going to start in April, on Saturdays and Wednesdays, from 3 to 6 p.m. I selected this course because of my interest in biochemistry, in addition to the need to gain hands-on experience in the field.

However, unfortunately, my course on basics of biochemistry was cancelled, because the attending professor had to go on a maternity leave and there was no replacement for her. Since this course provides the basic theoretical knowledge of biochemistry, which is necessary to learn before participating in practical courses, I decided to cancell my booking and postpone it to the next semester.

I have seen that there is an available spot for a pharmacology course in the upcoming semester. I wanted to kindly ask for your assistance on booking this course instead of the previous one.

I would be really grateful if you could help me in this matter and I am looking forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,

Parisa Firoozbakhsh

Word Count: 214

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Overall Band Score

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Vocabulary Complexity:
C1 - Intricate
Strive to incorporate even richer and more precise language.

Grammar Mistakes: N/A

Vocabulary Repetition:

course: 7

biochemistry: 5

Try using synonyms for the above words

Task Response

The letter fully addresses all parts of the task. The candidate clearly identifies the specific course, provides a logical and well-explained reason for the cancellation, and makes a clear request regarding an alternative course. The tone is appropriately formal and professional throughout. To maintain this high standard, ensure that minor spelling errors (e.g., 'cancell' instead of 'cancel') are corrected, though these do not detract from the overall task achievement.

Coherence & Cohesion

The letter is very well-organized, and the progression of ideas is logical. Each bullet point from the task is addressed in a distinct paragraph, which makes the letter easy to follow. To improve, ensure that transitions between sentences are even more seamless; for instance, the connection between the cancellation of the theoretical course and the decision to cancel the practical course is clear, but could be tightened to avoid a slightly repetitive structure.

Lexical Resource

You have used a good range of vocabulary appropriate for a formal letter, such as 'inquire', 'postpone', and 'assistance'. The terminology related to the subject matter (e.g., 'hands-on experience', 'theoretical knowledge') is used accurately. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations and avoid minor spelling errors like 'cancell' (should be 'cancel').

Grammatical Range & Accuracy

The letter demonstrates a good mix of complex sentence structures, particularly when explaining the reasons for the cancellation. However, there are some minor grammatical slips, such as the use of 'a maternity leave' (maternity leave is uncountable) and some slightly wordy phrasing in the opening paragraph. Aim for more precision in article usage and sentence economy to enhance the overall professional tone.

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