IELTS Formal Letter: Letter to a Museum Curator Requesting Exhibition Information

The task

As part of a student social survey project, you are organizing a group to visit a historical exhibition in a small town.

Write a letter asking for information regarding such things as the. In your letter:

→contents of the exhibition
→the dates of its opening and closing
→if there are any discounts available

Write at least 150 words. You do not need to write any addresses. Begin your letter: Dear ...,

Model answer

Band 8 sample letter

Band 8175 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Dear Curator,

I am currently coordinating a student social survey project at my university, which focuses on local heritage. We are keen to organize a group visit to the historical exhibition currently hosted at your venue.

Could you please provide some details regarding the specific contents of the exhibition? We are particularly interested in understanding whether the displays cover local industrial history or broader regional developments, as this will help us prepare our research questions accordingly.

Furthermore, I would appreciate clarification on the exhibition’s schedule. Could you confirm the exact dates of its opening and closing? Knowing this timeline is essential for us to finalize our group itinerary and ensure that our visit aligns with the exhibition's availability.

Lastly, as we are a group of students, I am inquiring whether any concessionary rates or group discounts are available for educational visits. If so, could you please outline the procedure for booking tickets at these reduced prices?

Thank you for your assistance with our project. I look forward to your prompt response.

Yours faithfully,

Jonathan Sterling

Write your own and get a band

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Examiner's view

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response covers all three bullet points with specific, relevant details while maintaining a professional and consistent tone throughout. A common mistake for Band 6 candidates is failing to link the request to the specific 'student survey' context provided in the prompt, often resulting in a generic inquiry.

→Write to an organisation or someone you do not know: open with Dear Sir or Madam, close with Yours faithfully.
→If you know the person's surname, use Dear Mr or Ms and close with Yours sincerely.
→No contractions, no slang; polite indirect requests such as I would be grateful if you could.

6 phrases

Useful phrases from the letter

coordinating
organizing the different elements of a complex activity
heritage
the history and traditions of a specific place
itinerary
a planned route or schedule of a journey
concessionary rates
prices reduced for specific groups like students
aligns
to place things in a correct or suitable position
prompt
done without delay or immediate in action

Frequently asked questions

Is this letter formal or informal?+

Formal. Write to an organisation or someone you do not know: open with Dear Sir or Madam, close with Yours faithfully.

How many words should an IELTS General Training letter be?+

At least 150 words, and 160 to 200 is the comfortable range. Spend about 20 minutes on it and leave 40 for Task 2, which carries twice the marks.

What does the examiner look for?+

Keep practising

More giving information letters

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