A free TOEFL Writing lesson from the Test Ninjas course, complete and with no sign-up. It teaches the English behind Write an Email and then shows you how that English decides the answers.
Test Ninjas Research · Updated October 1, 2026
About this lesson
Detail
This lesson
Section
Writing · Write an Email
English focus
Email register (greetings, sign-offs, requests and word choice for formal and informal readers); stating the purpose in the first lines; closing with a next step
Task skill
Turning the recipient line, the situation and the three requirement verbs into a three-part plan before writing
Time
About 50 minutes
In the course
Lesson 28 of 41
Read the whole lesson below, or start the interactive version, which takes you through it one step at a time: a quick check, teaching cycles with drills, a word bank, a summary and a walk-through on a real course question. This is one of four free lessons, one per section; see them all.
Lesson narration uses AI-generated voices. Audio in these samples uses AI-generated voices. The written text of every page is shown in full below.
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Start
Brief
Listen to this page
By the end of this lesson, you can
Choose the greeting, requests, word level and sign-off that fit the reader, reading the recipient line and the situation together (someone you haven’t met or who decides → usually formal; someone you work with every week → neutral; a friend → informal), and avoid both mistakes: too casual for a manager, too stiff for a friend.
Open with one or two sentences that give the context and your purpose (I am writing about / to ask / because …), ask politely with indirect questions (I would like to know how …), and close with a clear last request when you still need something (the action, plus a time if the situation gives or suggests one), then a courtesy line and a matching sign-off.
Read a Write an Email prompt in three passes (reader, situation, requirement verbs), write a one-line plan for each requirement, and give each requirement its own paragraph that does what its verb asks.
Why it matters
In Write an Email, you write to one named reader, and that reader decides how your English should sound.
This lesson teaches the email language that fits the relationship: the greeting, the requests and the sign-off that suit a manager or a friend, a first sentence that says why you are writing, and an ending that tells the reader exactly what you need.
Then it shows you how to read the prompt in three passes and turn its three requirement verbs into a one-minute plan, so no requirement slips away.
The recipient line says Dr. Lena Brandt, lab safety officer. A student writes to her about broken safety goggles:
Hey Lena, goggles in Lab 2 are broken. Fix them pls.
Dear Dr. Brandt, I’m writing about the safety goggles in Lab 2: four of the twelve have broken straps. Could they be replaced before Thursday’s practical?
The facts in the first email are right. But it greets an officer by her first name, gives an order, uses a texting form (pls) and never says how many goggles or by when. A reader who doesn’t know the writer may simply not act. The second email uses title + surname, says why it was written in the first sentence, and asks a question she can say yes to.
Same news, very different chance of a reply. Every change in the second email is taught in this lesson.
Warm-up
Quick check
4 quick questions before any teaching. Try them first: the ones you miss show which cycle needs most of your attention.
Question 1 of 4
The recipient line says “Ms. Fatima Adeyemi, manager of the campus conference center.” You haven’t met her. Which greeting fits?
Hi Fatima!
Dear Ms. Adeyemi,
Dear Ms. Fatima,
To whom it may concern,
Show the answer
Answer: B. Dear Ms. Adeyemi,
Title + surname for a manager you haven’t met.
Question 2 of 4
You want Diego, the hiking club leader, to add a shorter route to Sunday’s hike for new members. Which first sentence tells him what you want?
Hi Diego, after last Sunday’s hike, some of the new members told me that the route was too long for them.
Hi Diego, I hope you’re well and enjoying the autumn weather.
Hi Diego, I’m writing to ask whether Sunday’s hike could include a shorter route for new members.
Hi Diego, I’m writing about a few things to do with the club.
Show the answer
Answer: C. Hi Diego, I’m writing to ask whether Sunday’s hike could include a shorter route for new members.
The first sentence says what you want (a shorter route), for whom (new members) and when (Sunday).
Question 3 of 4
Read the draft. For each requirement, did the writer do it, leave it out, or change it into a different job?
Draft email to Mr. Tomás Rivera, bike-repair workshop organizer
Requirements: (1) Explain why evening sessions would help. (2) Propose a day for an evening session. (3) Ask how people can sign up.
Dear Mr. Rivera,
I am writing about the bike-repair workshops at the student center. At the moment they run only at 11 a.m., when most of us are in class or at work. Evening sessions would let commuter students fix their bikes before riding home.
Could we try a Wednesday session from 6 to 8 p.m.?
I would also like to know when sign-up for the evening sessions will open.
Thank you for considering this.
Best regards,
Sipho
Label each one: done / missing / changed (does a different job)
Requirement 1: explain why evening sessions would help
Requirement 2: propose a day for an evening session
Requirement 3: ask how people can sign up
Show the answer
done. Done: the 11 a.m. time clashes with classes and work, and evening sessions would let commuter students fix their bikes before riding home.
done. Done: Could we try a Wednesday session from 6 to 8 p.m.? proposes a day and a time, as a question.
changed (does a different job). Changed: the draft still asks about sign-up, but it asks when sign-up opens, not how people can sign up, so Mr. Rivera would reply with a date, not a method. Keep the question word: Could you tell me how people can sign up?
Question 4 of 4
You are writing to Mr. Ravi Menon, the biology lab technician, about borrowing microscopes for your science club. Which last line tells him exactly what to do?
Hope to hear something soon.
Please do whatever is necessary.
Our science club is planning a pond-water session with six microscopes on Friday afternoon.
Could you let me know by Wednesday whether we can borrow six microscopes on Friday?
Show the answer
Answer: D. Could you let me know by Wednesday whether we can borrow six microscopes on Friday?
It names the action (let me know), the deadline (Wednesday) and the exact request (six microscopes on Friday).
Cycle 1 · English
Register: matching the reader
Who is reading? The recipient line sets the register
Listen to this page
Every Write an Email prompt starts with a recipient line: the To: line that names the person you are writing to. Read it before anything else. It tells you your relationship with the reader, and the relationship sets the register: how formal your language is.
Choosing the register
Form
recipient line → relationship → register
Meaning
The reader judges your attitude from your greeting and your requests before judging your content. A mismatch costs goodwill, even when every fact is right.
Use
Read the recipient line first in every prompt, then check what the situation says about your relationship. Choose your greeting, your request forms and your sign-off from both.
Read the recipient line and the situation together: the relationship sets the register, not the name alone. You haven’t met them, or they decide the matter (title + surname, often with a role): usually formal. A friend, classmate or housemate (a first name): informal.
Someone the prompt says you work with every week, such as your club adviser: usually neutral, friendly but still careful, even with a title (Hi Dr. Chen). A first name alone doesn’t always mean a friend, so check the situation too.
Recipient line
Relationship
Greeting
Contractions
Sign-off
Dr. Hana Ito, housing office manager
you haven’t met; she decides
Dear Dr. Ito,
few
Best regards, + your name (full name if the reader doesn’t know you)
Olu
a classmate you know well
Hi Olu,
yes
Cheers, / See you Friday,
Dr. Chen, your club adviser
you work with her every week
Hello Dr. Chen, / Hi Dr. Chen,
some
Thanks, / Best,
Mr. Kwame Boateng, IT help desk supervisor
a stranger in a service role
Dear Mr. Boateng,
few
Kind regards,
Reader
A first line that fits
formal: Dr. Ito
Dear Dr. Ito, I am writing about my room change for next semester.
informal: Olu
Hi Olu, quick question about Friday’s study session: are we still meeting at the café?
neutral: Dr. Chen
Hello Dr. Chen, thanks for letting our group use the lab on Friday.
Many prompts name someone who decides, so formal is common. Still, read the recipient line and the situation every time.
Formal is not fancy
Listen to this page
Formal English doesn’t mean long, rare words. It means complete, polite and plain: full sentences, polite requests (Could you …? or I would be grateful if you could …) and standard words.
Contractions (I’m, don’t) are less common in formal emails, but they are not errors. The real problems are slang (super, totally, what’s up), rows of exclamation marks and texting forms (pls, u, thx).
Over-formal writing is a register mistake too. It would be most appreciated were it to be possible … hides what you want, and the reader has to dig for it.
Everyday
More formal
In a formal email
get
receive
I have not received the updated schedule.
ask for
request
I am writing to request a larger room.
put off
postpone
Could the meeting be postponed until Friday?
till
until
The office will be closed until Monday.
come to
attend
I will not be able to attend Thursday’s workshop.
fix (a problem)
resolve
I hope the problem can be resolved before Monday.
a lot of (+ plural noun)
many
Many members have asked about this.
These pairs are choices, not corrections: get, think and many common phrasal verbs (sign up, find out) are fine in a formal email.
A few everyday forms do sound casual, such as put off, sort out and till, so a formal email usually picks the more formal word. Two pairs also have limits.
Many replaces a lot of only before a plural noun; with an uncountable noun, use a great deal of (a great deal of information). And resolve is for a problem: a broken object is repaired (Could the printer be repaired this week?).
1Dear Ms. Alvarez,
2I am writing about the room booking for the chess club’s spring tournament. 3Could we move it from Room 104 to the main hall? 4About sixty players have signed up.
1Dear Ms. Alvarez Title + surname: a formal greeting.
2I am writing about Full forms, and the purpose comes first.
3Could we move A request as a question, because she decides. We includes you as a member of the club.
4About sixty players have signed up. A plain fact that supports the request. No fancy words needed.
Requests by register
The ladder
Listen to this page
You can make a request in four ways. The most direct form is at the top and the most formal at the bottom: the further down, the more formal.
The request ladder
Form
imperative → Could you …? → Could we …? / Would it be possible to …? → I would be grateful if you could …
Meaning
The further down the ladder, the more careful and formal the request sounds. The last two both suit a reader who decides, and I would be grateful if you could … is typical when you ask a favor.
Use
The more the reader decides (a manager, a professor, a stranger), the further down you usually go. With a friend, Could you …? is usually enough. Could we …? works when you are part of the group or project the change affects (a club member, a volunteer); as an outsider, choose another rung.
Form
Example
Best with
imperative
Send me the list.
a friend, for something small; or, with please, a routine step the reader expects (Please let me know if …). Not for a decision or a favor.
Could you …?
Could you send me the list?
almost anyone
Could we …? / Would it be possible to …?
Would it be possible to move the talk to Room 12?
someone who decides. Could we …? when you are part of the group or project affected (Could we move the talk to Room 12?: we includes you). As an outsider, use Would it be possible to …?, Could you …? or I would be grateful if you could ….
I would be grateful if you could …
I would be grateful if you could send the list by Thursday.
a formal reader, for a favor
Please + an instruction is fine for routine steps the reader expects to take (Please let me know if you have questions). But when the reader decides, or you ask a favor, please doesn’t turn an order into a request.
Asking for information is a different job, not a rung on this ladder. For that, use an indirect question: I would like to know whether the list will be shared online. The next cycle shows how to build one.
Worked example
Turn an order into a request a manager can say yes to
You are writing to Ms. Grace Okafor, student center manager, whom you have never met. Rewrite this order as a request:
Give our club the big lounge for games night.
Show the steps and the answer
Read the readerYou have never met her, and she controls the rooms, so the register is formal.
Choose a rung of the ladderShe decides, so use Could …? or Would it be possible to …?, not an imperative.
Keep the content, change the verbGive our club becomes could our club use: now she gives permission instead of taking an order. The rest of the words stay the same.
Add what she needs to decideThe date (May 3) and the size of the group (about forty players).
Check the formCould + subject + base verb (could our club use), and a question mark at the end.
Answer: Could our club use the big lounge for games night on May 3? We expect about forty players.
Common mistakes with register
Listen to this page
Five common mistakes with greetings and requests, each with its reason.
To Professor Maria Costa: Dear Professor Maria,
To Professor Maria Costa: Dear Professor Costa,
In English emails, titles such as Professor, Dr., Ms. and Mr. go with the surname (or the full name), not with the first name alone.
To Mr. Nakamura: Dear Sir or Madam,
To Mr. Nakamura: Dear Mr. Nakamura,
When the recipient line gives a name, use it. Sir or Madam is only for readers you can’t name.
To Ms. Lopez, a housing manager you haven’t met: Hey Ms. Lopez, what’s up with the room change?
To Ms. Lopez, a housing manager you haven’t met: Dear Ms. Lopez, I’m writing to ask about the room change.
Hey and what’s up are for friends. A manager you haven’t met usually gets Dear and a clear purpose (I’m is fine).
To your friend Kenji: Dear Mr. Kenji, I am writing to inform you that I shall be unable to attend.
To your friend Kenji: Hi Kenji, I can’t make it on Saturday, sorry.
A friend gets a first name and contractions; stiff formulas sound cold. And Mr. + a first name isn’t standard in English emails.
Please answer me quickly.
I would appreciate a reply by Thursday, if possible.
Answer me quickly pushes the reader, and please doesn’t soften it much. I would appreciate a reply by Thursday is polite and gives a clear deadline, and if possible leaves the reader room.
Same news, two readers
Listen to this page
One piece of news, written twice. Watch the greeting, the verb forms, the request, the word choice and the sign-off all change.
1Dear Professor Sato,
2I am writing to let you know that I will miss Thursday’s lab because of a choir tour. 3Could I attend the Friday section instead?
4Best regards,
Priya Shah
1Dear Professor Sato Title + surname for a course instructor.
2I am writing to let you know Full forms, and the purpose comes first.
3Could I attend A request as a question: the instructor decides.
4Best regards A formal sign-off that matches Dear.
1Hi Mateo,
2I’ll miss Thursday’s lab (choir tour, sorry!). 3Could you grab me a copy of the handout?
4Thanks,
Priya
1Hi Mateo A first name for a lab partner.
2I’ll miss A contraction.
3Could you grab me A friendly request; grab is informal.
4Thanks A short, friendly sign-off.
Same news, but the register changed, and so did the request, because each reader can help in a different way. Now try three quick questions.
Try it · question 1 of 3
Is each sentence formal or informal?
Label each one: formal / informal
I have not received the updated list.
Still haven’t gotten the new list!
Can we put it off till Friday?
Could the meeting be postponed until Friday?
Show the answer
formal. Formal: the full form have not and the more formal verb received.
informal. Informal: a contraction, no subject, and an exclamation mark.
informal. Informal: the casual phrasal verb put off (formal: postpone) and till (formal emails usually use until).
formal. Formal: the more formal verb postpone and a request as a question.
Try it · question 2 of 3
You are writing to Ms. Ingrid Solberg, head librarian. You want the seminar room for a club talk. Which request fits?
Give us the seminar room on March 12.
Hey Ingrid! Can we grab the seminar room on the 12th? It would be awesome, thanks!
Would it be possible to use the seminar room for our club talk on March 12?
It would be most appreciated were the seminar room to be made available at some point in the near future.
Show the answer
Answer: C. Would it be possible to use the seminar room for our club talk on March 12?
A careful question for someone who decides, with the date and the purpose.
Try it · question 3 of 3
You are writing to your friend Sofia. Which sign-off matches the greeting Hi Sofia,?
Sincerely yours,
Cheers,
Best regard,
Show the answer
Answer: B. Cheers,
An informal sign-off to match an informal greeting.
Practice: cycle 1
Question 1 of 7
Which reader does each line suit best?
Label each one: a manager you’ve never met / a close friend
Dear Ms. Okonkwo,
Hi Tomás!
Can’t wait to see you Saturday!
I look forward to hearing from you.
Kind regards,
Cheers,
Show the answer
a manager you’ve never met.Dear + title + surname: a formal greeting.
a close friend. A first name and an exclamation mark: friendly and informal.
a close friend. No subject, a contraction and an exclamation mark: for a friend.
a manager you’ve never met. A set formal courtesy line with full forms.
a manager you’ve never met. A formal sign-off.
a close friend. An informal sign-off.
Question 2 of 7
The recipient line says “Professor Rafael Ramírez, chemistry lab coordinator.” You haven’t met him. Which greeting fits best?
Dear Professor Ramírez,
Dear Professor Rafael,
Hi Rafael, hope your week’s going great!
Dear Sir or Madam,
Show the answer
Answer: A. Dear Professor Ramírez,
Title + surname, the formal greeting for a coordinator you haven’t met.
Question 3 of 7
You are writing to Dr. Hana Ito, housing office manager, because the heater in your room has stopped working. You haven’t met her. Does each sentence fit this reader?
Label each one: fits this reader / too casual for this reader
The heater’s totally dead, sort it out asap.
I would like to request a maintenance visit this week.
Could someone take a look at it before Friday?
Thanks a bunch, you’re a lifesaver!
Thank you for your help.
Show the answer
too casual for this reader. Too casual: slang (totally dead), an order (sort it out) and a texting form (asap).
fits this reader. Fits: would like to request is polite and clear, with a time.
fits this reader. Fits: a request as a question, with a deadline. Take a look at is a common, neutral phrase that is fine in a formal email, like sign up.
too casual for this reader. Too casual for someone you haven’t met: thanks a bunch and lifesaver are for friends.
fits this reader. Fits: a standard, polite courtesy line.
Question 4 of 7
You are writing to Ms. Nora Grant, director of the student theater group. Rewrite this order as a polite request that starts with Could you:
“Send me the updated rehearsal schedule.”
Keep the other words the same (you may add please). Type the whole sentence.
Show the answer
Answer: Could you send me the updated rehearsal schedule
Could you + base verb turns the order into a question, so Ms. Grant can say yes.
Question 5 of 7
Tap the one word that is too informal for this email.
Dear Mr. Obi, I am writing to ask whether our environmental science class could tour the recycling plant next month. We are super interested in how glass is sorted. Would a Tuesday morning be possible?
Show the answer
Answer: super
super as an intensifier is informal, the kind of word you’d use with friends. In a formal email, write very or particularly interested.
Question 6 of 7
You are writing to your friend Jonas about Saturday’s volleyball game. Which opening fits best?
Dear Mr. Jonas, I am writing to formally request confirmation of the meeting time.
Jonas. Game. Saturday. Eight?
To whom it may concern: I have a question regarding the arrangements for Saturday’s game.
Hi Jonas, quick question about Saturday’s game: are we still meeting at eight?
Show the answer
Answer: D. Hi Jonas, quick question about Saturday’s game: are we still meeting at eight?
Hi + first name, an informal purpose line and a clear question.
Question 7 of 7
The recipient line says “Ms. Rosa Delgado, internship program manager.” You haven’t met her. Which paragraph fits best?
Hey Rosa! Any chance I could start a week late? Exams, ugh.
Could I move my start date from June 2 to June 9? My final exam is now on June 4.
It would be most appreciated were my commencement date to be subject to modification.
I need to start on June 9 instead of June 2, because my final exam has been moved to June 4. Please change my start date.
Show the answer
Answer: B. Could I move my start date from June 2 to June 9? My final exam is now on June 4.
A clear request as a question, a reason with a date, and a polite, plain register.
Cycle 2 · English
Openings, purpose lines and closings
Say why you are writing, first
Listen to this page
A busy reader wants to know one thing first: what do you want? So the first one or two sentences of an email give the context and your purpose.
Opening line
Form
(context) + I am writing about + noun / to + base verb / because + clause. Informal: Quick question about … / Just checking in about …
Meaning
The reader then reads every later sentence as support for a request they already understand.
Use
Every email, in every register. Background comes later, if at all.
Frame
What follows
Example
I am writing about
a noun phrase
I am writing about the timetable for the spring language exchange.
I am writing to
a base verb
I am writing to ask whether the Tuesday study group could meet in Room 12.
I am writing because
a clause
I am writing because the rehearsal room has been booked twice for Friday.
I’m writing to let you know that
a clause
I’m writing to let you know that our club has chosen a new president.
Quick question about (informal)
a noun, then the question
Quick question about the rehearsal: is it still at six?
Why am writing? The present progressive describes what you are doing right now, and it is the standard frame today (I write to … exists, but it sounds very formal and old-fashioned). Then to + base verb gives your purpose: to ask, to request.
The mistake I write you for asking mixes up both parts.
Context in one clause, then the purpose
Listen to this page
When the reader may not know you, one clause of context can come before the purpose, in the same sentence: who you are, or what this is about.
Add who you are only when it helps the reader act (I’m the volunteer coordinator for the book fair). Your history does not belong here.
Then choose the purpose verb from what you need, as in the table below.
What you need
Purpose verb
Example with context
information
ask about / ask whether
I’m in your Tuesday seminar, and I’m writing to ask about the reading list.
a change or permission
request / ask whether I could
As secretary of the debate society, I am writing to request the projector for Friday.
to offer an idea
suggest / propose
I volunteer at the campus garden, and I am writing to suggest a second watering day.
to report a problem
let you know about / explain
I live in Birch Hall, and I’m writing to let you know that the laundry room door doesn’t lock.
Last year I joined the photography club. I liked it a lot. Many people come every week. Yesterday …
I’m writing to ask whether the photography club could meet in a larger room.
Backstory makes the reader wait, and a busy reader may stop before your request. A useful fact (about thirty people now come every week) goes after the purpose.
Asking politely
Indirect questions
Listen to this page
Formal readers often get questions inside a polite frame. The frame (Could you tell me, I would like to know) does the asking, so the question part uses statement order.
Indirect questions
Form
I would like to know / Could you tell me / Could you let me know + wh- word or whether / if + subject + verb
Meaning
Softer than a direct question, because the frame does the asking.
Use
Asking a formal or neutral reader for information. Could you tell me …? ends with a question mark; I would like to know … ends with a period.
Direct question
Indirect question
What changed
When will the room be ready?
I would like to know when the room will be ready.
will moves after the subject
Is Room 3B free on Friday?
Could you tell me whether Room 3B is free on Friday?
a yes/no question takes whether (or if)
How do students sign up?
Could you let me know how students sign up?
do disappears: it only made the question
What should I do with the old forms?
Could you tell me what I should do with the old forms?
should moves after the subject; do is the main verb here, so it stays
Why doesn’t the side door open?
Could you tell me why the side door doesn’t open?
a negative keeps doesn’t; only the order changes
Where did the group meet?
Could you tell me where the group met?
did disappears; the verb takes the past tense
Who organizes the fair?
Could you tell me who organizes the fair?
nothing moves: who is already the subject
So do / does / did disappears only when it just made the question. Main-verb do (what I should do) and negatives (why the side door doesn’t open) stay.
I would like to know when will the room be ready.
I would like to know when the room will be ready.
The frame already asks, so the question part uses statement order: subject (the room), then verb (will be).
In an email, an indirect question is often the neatest way to do an Ask how or Ask whether requirement.
Closing
The last request, a courtesy line and a matching sign-off
Listen to this page
The end of an email can do three jobs. If you still need something, the last request names the action, and the time when timing matters. An optional courtesy line then thanks the reader or looks ahead.
Last, the sign-off repeats the register of your greeting: a Dear greeting usually takes a formal sign-off, and a Hi greeting a neutral or informal one.
Register
Courtesy line
Sign-off
formal
Thank you for considering this. / I look forward to hearing from you.
Best regards, / Kind regards, / Sincerely, + your name
neutral
Thanks for your help with this. / Thanks again.
Best, / Thanks,
informal
Thanks so much! / See you Thursday.
Cheers, / Talk soon,
The strongest last request names the action, plus a time when timing matters: Could you let me know by Friday whether the room is free? A wish such as Hope to hear something soon can’t replace it: on its own, it asks for nothing.
Put the sign-off on its own line, then your name.
Worked example
Build the opening and the closing
You organize events for the robotics club, and you have never met Mr. Tanaka, facilities coordinator. Write to him to find out whether Room 3B can hold forty visitors for your open day on April 12. Write the greeting, the first two sentences and the end.
Show the steps and the answer
Greeting from the recipient lineYou haven’t met, and he decides about rooms, so title + surname: Dear Mr. Tanaka,
Context in one clauseI organize events for the robotics club,
Purpose in the same sentenceand I am writing to ask about a room for our open day on April 12.
The exact question, indirectCould you tell me whether Room 3B can hold forty visitors? After whether, statement order: Room 3B can hold.
Last request, then a courtesy lineIf Room 3B is too small, could you suggest another room by Friday? It names the action and the time. Then a courtesy line: Thank you for your help.
Sign-off that matches DearBest regards, on its own line, then your name: Mei Lin.
Answer: Dear Mr. Tanaka,
I organize events for the robotics club, and I am writing to ask about a room for our open day on April 12. Could you tell me whether Room 3B can hold forty visitors?
[middle paragraphs]
If Room 3B is too small, could you suggest another room by Friday? Thank you for your help.
Best regards,
Mei Lin
Common mistakes in openings and closings
Listen to this page
Openings and closings use fixed frames. Learn them whole, because small slips in them are easy for a reader to notice.
I write you for asking about the workshop.
I am writing to ask about the workshop.
I am writing is the standard way to say what you are doing now (I write to … sounds old-fashioned), and to + base verb gives your purpose; for asking doesn’t.
I look forward to hear from you.
I look forward to hearing from you.
In look forward to, to is a preposition, so the verb after it takes ‑ing.
Thank you for consider my request.
Thank you for considering my request.
After a preposition such as for, use the ‑ing form.
Best regard,
Best regards,
A fixed phrase: regards is always plural here.
Waiting your answer.
I look forward to your reply.
A fragment with no subject sounds abrupt, and wait needs for.
Try it · question 1 of 3
These sentences come from an email to Ms. Reyes, the pool manager. Tap the sentence that says what the email is asking her for.
I hope you had a good weekend.
I have been on the swim team for two years.
I am writing to ask whether the pool could open at 6 a.m. on weekdays.
Several of us have 8 a.m. classes.
Show the answer
Answer: I am writing to ask whether the pool could open at 6 a.m. on weekdays.
I am writing to ask whether … states the purpose. In a well-organized email, it would come near the top, before the background.
Try it · question 2 of 3
Complete the courtesy line:
Thank you for ___ the agenda so quickly.
send
to send
sending
sent
Show the answer
Answer: C. sending
for + ‑ing, as in Thank you for considering.
Try it · question 3 of 3
Which polite question is correct?
Could you tell me where will the meeting be held?
Could you tell me where the meeting will be held?
Could you tell me where does the meeting take place?
Show the answer
Answer: B. Could you tell me where the meeting will be held?
where + subject (the meeting) + verb (will be held). The frame does the asking.
Practice: cycle 2
Question 1 of 7
These sentences come from an email to Nadia, the film club leader. Tap the sentence that says what the email is asking her for.
I’ve been in the film club since September, and I love it.
Quick question about the club’s tripod: could I borrow it this weekend?
I need it to film a short scene for my media class on Saturday.
I’d bring it back on Monday morning.
Show the answer
Answer: Quick question about the club’s tripod: could I borrow it this weekend?
Quick question about the club’s tripod: could I borrow it this weekend? is an informal purpose line that names the request. The other sentences are background, a reason and a promise.
Question 2 of 7
You are writing to the recreation center manager about the climbing wall. Which first sentence states your purpose best?
I have been a member of the recreation center for two years, and I climb there three or four times a week.
I am writing about the climbing wall and a few other things at the center.
I hope this email finds you well.
I am writing to ask whether the climbing wall could open on Sunday mornings.
Show the answer
Answer: D. I am writing to ask whether the climbing wall could open on Sunday mornings.
The purpose frame plus the exact request (Sunday mornings).
Question 3 of 7
This opening sentence of an email has two problems: the verb form and the way it gives the purpose. Rewrite it with the standard frame. Keep the verb ask and the other words. You is optional: keep it or leave it out. Type the whole sentence:
“I write you for ask about the volunteer training.”
Show the answer
Answer: I am writing to ask about the volunteer training
am writing describes what you are doing now, and to ask gives your purpose. If you kept you, writing to you is the usual form; writing you is also common in US English.
Question 4 of 7
Build the indirect question for an email to the department office. Fill every slot and use each tile no more than once.
I would like to know _____ _____ _____ _____ _____.
Tiles: the revised timetable · be posted · when · is · on the website · will
Show the answer
Answer: I would like to know when the revised timetable will be posted on the website.
when + the revised timetable + will + be posted + on the website: statement order after the frame, and is stays in the bank.
Question 5 of 7
You are writing to Ms. Chloe Martin, the student radio station manager, about a recording slot. Which last line tells her exactly what to do?
Could you let me know by Thursday whether the Friday 4 p.m. slot is still free?
Could you let me know at some point whether any of the station’s recording slots might be free?
I hope the Friday slot works out somehow.
Please reply.
Show the answer
Answer: A. Could you let me know by Thursday whether the Friday 4 p.m. slot is still free?
The action (let me know), the deadline (Thursday) and the exact question (the Friday 4 p.m. slot).
Question 6 of 7
Is each closing phrase correct, or does it have an error?
Label each one: correct / has an error
I look forward to see you at the open day.
Thank you for reviewing my application.
Kind regards,
Thank you for organize the trip.
Best regard,
I look forward to working with your team.
Show the answer
has an error. Error: in look forward to, to is a preposition, so use ‑ing: to seeing you.
correct.for + ‑ing.
correct. A fixed formal sign-off with plural regards.
has an error. Error: after for, use the ‑ing form: for organizing.
has an error. Error: the fixed phrase is Best regards,, with plural regards.
correct.look forward to + ‑ing.
Question 7 of 7
Write the greeting and the first two sentences of this email. By the end of sentence two, the reader should know exactly what you are asking for.
Write an Email
To: Mr. Arjun Mehta, arts center coordinator
Subject: Woodworking class
You take the Saturday woodworking class at the arts center. The class has moved to Sunday mornings, when you work. You would like to join the Tuesday evening group instead.
Show the model answer
Model
Dear Mr. Mehta,
I am writing about the Saturday woodworking class, which has moved to Sundays. Because I work on Sunday mornings, I would like to ask whether I could join the Tuesday evening group instead.
Check your response
I used Dear + title + surname.
My first sentence names the topic (the class change).
By the end of sentence two, Mr. Mehta knows what I am asking for.
My request uses a polite frame, such as I would like to ask whether or Could I …?.
Cycle 3 · Task skill
Three requirements, one plan
How Write an Email works
Listen to this page
In Write an Email you respond to a short scenario, not a question. The prompt has a recipient line, a subject, a situation, and three requirements under In your email:. You have seven minutes.
There is no required word count, but every requirement must be done.
Read the prompt in three passes. First, the recipient line: who is reading. Together with what the situation says about your relationship, it sets the register.
Second, the situation: the facts you must keep. Third, the requirements: three jobs. Spend about a minute on the passes and a quick plan; it saves time later.
Part of the prompt
What it tells you
What you do with it
To: line
who the reader is (the situation may add your relationship)
choose the greeting, the request forms and the sign-off
Subject:
the topic
use it in your purpose line if it helps
the situation
what happened, what you want, dates and numbers
keep the facts, but don’t retell them all
In your email: (three bullets)
three jobs, each starting with a verb
one plan line and one paragraph for each, in the same order
The verb is the job
Listen to this page
Each requirement starts with a verb, and the verb decides what kind of sentence you must write.
Requirement verb
What your sentences must do
Frame
Example
Explain why
give a reason
… because … / …, so … / The problem is that …
The room holds twenty, but thirty-five have signed up.
Propose / Suggest
offer a change the reader can accept
Could we …? / It might help to … / One option would be to …
Could we move the talk to the main hall?
Ask how / when
ask a real question with that same question word
Could you tell me how …? / I would like to know when …
Could you tell me how the new list will be shared?
Ask whether
ask a yes/no question about the same point
I would like to know whether / if … or a direct Could …?
Could you tell me whether the lab opens on Sundays?
Ask (someone) to do something
make a polite request for action
Could you …? / I would be grateful if you could …
I would be grateful if you could extend the deadline to Monday.
Describe what happened
tell the events in order
past tense + times
I arrived at 8:50, and the door was still locked.
Describe a problem or a thing
give the concrete facts: what, where, when, how many
usually present tense
The printer on the second floor jams on every double-sided job.
Mention
name one specific thing
a named detail
The session on citation tools was the most useful part.
When an Ask requirement has a question word such as how or when, keep that word. If it says ask how, your email must ask how, not when or whether: the reader answers the question you actually wrote.
Ask whether needs a yes/no question about the same point, so whether, if or a direct Could …? all work. Just don’t switch to how or when.
Try it
What kind of sentence does each requirement need?
Label each one: give a reason / propose something / ask a question
Suggest a new time for the book club
Explain why the reading room is too noisy
Ask whether members can bring guests
Propose a way to share the one projector
Show the answer
propose something.Suggest = offer a change: a new time.
give a reason.Explain why = give a reason: what makes it noisy.
ask a question.Ask whether = a yes/no question: Could you tell me whether …?
propose something.Propose = offer a plan the reader can accept.
The plan
One line per requirement
Listen to this page
In the first minute, jot down a register note and three short lines. Each line is the requirement’s verb, your content and one concrete detail.
Then the email follows the plan: a purpose line, one paragraph per plan line, and a courtesy line with the sign-off.
The plan is a checklist, so no requirement can slip away, and each one keeps its verb.
Use
The first minute of every email. Write keywords, not full sentences.
Prompt
To: Ms. Carla Duarte, volunteer coordinator
The Saturday tree-planting day lists only morning shifts.
In your email:
- explain why some volunteers can’t come in the morning
- propose an afternoon shift
- ask how volunteers who already signed up will hear about the change
Plan
1Formal: Dear Ms. Duarte.
21 EXPLAIN WHY: many have Saturday classes or jobs (3library desk shifts start at 9).
2 PROPOSE: 4a 1–4 p.m. shift.
3 ASK HOW: 5how will people already on the list be told (email? updated sheet?)
1Formal: Dear Ms. Duarte The register note, from the recipient line.
21 EXPLAIN WHY Each line starts with the prompt’s own verb.
3library desk shifts start at 9 One concrete detail per line.
4a 1–4 p.m. shift The proposal has exact times.
5how will people already on the list be told The prompt’s question word, how, is kept.
3. the volunteers
3 ASK HOW: how will volunteers already on the list be told?
A topic word doesn’t tell you what to write. The verb and the question word do.
Keep the plan to about a minute. If a line has no detail yet, take one from the situation or add a realistic one. You can also add a purpose line: what you want, in a few keywords (Purpose: afternoon shift for tree planting).
It becomes your first sentence.
The trap
The situation is not the task
Listen to this page
The situation is often longer than the requirements, so it feels like the task. It isn’t. Retelling it wastes minutes, and a requirement can disappear or change its verb.
A requirement can turn into a different job in two ways. An Ask how / whether / when becomes a statement, so the reader has nothing to answer. Or the question changes (when instead of how), so the reader answers a different question.
(An Ask (someone) to … requirement is different: a polite request such as I would be grateful if you could … does that job.)
A third problem is tone: a propose written as an order still proposes, but to a reader who decides it sounds like a demand. Check each paragraph against its plan line before you move on.
Requirement: Ask how volunteers who signed up will hear about the change. Email: The volunteers who signed up should be told.
Could you let me know how volunteers who already signed up will hear about the new shift?
A statement doesn’t ask anything. The requirement needs a question with how.
Same requirement. Email: Could you tell me when the change will start?
Could you tell me how volunteers on the list will be told?
when asks a different question, so the reader would reply with a date, not a method.
Requirement: Propose an afternoon shift. Email: Please add an afternoon shift.
Could we add an afternoon shift from 1 to 4?
Please add … still proposes the shift, but it assumes a decision that belongs to the coordinator, so it sounds like a demand. A question proposes the same change and leaves the decision to her.
Try it
Requirement:
Ask whether the library could lend our club two folding tables.
Which sentence does this job?
Folding tables would really help our club at the spring fair, because we have only one small table.
Could you tell me when the library can lend us two folding tables?
Could you let me know whether the library could lend us two folding tables?
Please lend us two folding tables for the spring fair next Saturday afternoon.
Show the answer
Answer: C. Could you let me know whether the library could lend us two folding tables?
A real question that keeps whether and the exact request.
Strategy on a full problem, part 1: read and plan
Listen to this page
Here is the whole routine on one full prompt. This page covers the first minute: three passes and a plan.
Part of the prompt
What it says
To
Dr. Lucia Benedetti, director of campus visits
Subject
Training for new tour guides
Situation
You lead campus tours for visiting high-school students. Training for new guides is held only on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9 to 11, when many students have classes. Two of this term’s five new guides have already stopped coming.
In your email (1)
Explain why the training schedule is difficult for students.
In your email (2)
Suggest a different way to organize the training.
In your email (3)
Ask whether new guides could receive the tour notes before their first session.
Worked example
Plan the tour-guide email in one minute
Read the prompt above in three passes. Then write a register note and one plan line per requirement.
Show the steps and the answer
Reader → registerA director decides, so formal: Dear Dr. Benedetti, Use suggestions and questions, no orders.
Situation → facts to keepTue/Thu 9–11; many students in class then; two of five new guides have stopped coming.
Line 1, EXPLAIN WHYmornings = class time; students must choose; 2 of 5 gone.
Line 2, SUGGESTrepeat the session on Thursday 4–6, or record one session to watch online + a practice tour.
Line 3, ASK WHETHERtour notes before session 1? A yes/no question: whether, if or a direct Could …? all work.
Answer: Formal: Dear Dr. Benedetti.
1 EXPLAIN WHY: 9–11 = class time; 2 of 5 new guides stopped.
2 SUGGEST: Thu 4–6 repeat, or recorded session + practice tour.
3 ASK WHETHER: tour notes before first session?
Strategy on a full problem, part 2: write from the plan, then check
Listen to this page
Now each plan line becomes one short paragraph, and the last minute checks the email against the plan.
Worked example
Write the tour-guide email from the plan
Turn the plan from the last page into a full email.
Show the steps and the answer
Greeting, context, purposeDear Dr. Benedetti, then one sentence: who you are and what you want (to suggest a change to the training schedule).
Paragraph 1 = plan line 1The reason, built from the situation’s facts: the 9–11 times, the clash with classes (required classes is an added, realistic detail), two of our five new guides.
Paragraph 2 = plan line 2The suggestion as a question, because she decides: Could the office offer the same session on a weekday afternoon …? Then a second option: Another option would be to ….
Paragraph 3 = plan line 3An indirect yes/no question with whether: I would also like to know whether new guides could receive the tour notes …, plus one sentence on why it helps.
Courtesy line and sign-offThank you for considering these ideas. Then Best regards, on its own line, and your name.
Check against the planThree verbs done in order (explain ✓, suggest ✓, ask whether ✓); formal throughout; fixed phrases correct.
Answer: Dear Dr. Benedetti,
I am one of the student tour guides, and I am writing to suggest a change to the training schedule for new guides.
At the moment, training takes place only on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9 to 11. Many first-year students have required classes at that time, so they have to choose between a lecture and the training. I think this is one reason why two of our five new guides have already stopped coming.
Could the office offer the same session on a weekday afternoon, perhaps Thursday from 4 to 6? Another option would be to record one morning session so that new guides can watch it online and then join a short practice tour.
I would also like to know whether new guides could receive the tour notes before their first session. Reading them in advance would make the training time more useful.
Thank you for considering these ideas.
Best regards,
Amara Diallo
Why it works: the first sentence already says what the writer wants, each paragraph matches one plan line, the suggestion is a question because the director decides, and the ask is a real yes/no question. The facts are used, not retold.
About 150 words is plenty when every sentence does a job.
Try it
A different draft for the tour-guide prompt ends like this:
I also think new guides should get the tour notes early.
What is wrong?
Requirement 3 now gives an opinion instead of asking whether.
Requirement 1 has no reason.
The line is too informal for a director: it uses everyday verbs like think and get.
Nothing is wrong: the line covers the tour notes, so all three requirements are done.
Show the answer
Answer: A. Requirement 3 now gives an opinion instead of asking whether.
The requirement says Ask whether, but the line is a statement. Fix: I would also like to know whether new guides could receive the tour notes before their first session.
Practice: cycle 3
Question 1 of 8
What must your sentences do for each requirement?
Label each one: give a reason / propose something / ask a question / tell events in order / give one specific detail
Describe what happened at the ticket desk
Ask when the photo contest results will be posted
Explain why the seminar room is too small
Mention one thing you liked about the workshop
Suggest a better time for the club meeting
Show the answer
tell events in order.Describe what happened = tell the events in order, with times.
ask a question.Ask when = a real question with when.
give a reason.Explain why = give a reason, for example with because or numbers.
give one specific detail.Mention = name one specific thing.
propose something.Suggest = offer a change the reader can accept.
Question 2 of 8
Requirement:
Ask how the new study-room booking system will work.
Which sentence does this job?
The new booking system will probably be much better.
Could you tell me how students will book rooms under the new system?
I have booked study rooms every week for two years.
Could you tell me when the new system starts?
Show the answer
Answer: B. Could you tell me how students will book rooms under the new system?
A real question that keeps the requirement’s how.
Question 3 of 8
An email to Ms. Kaur, the campus shuttle coordinator, has three requirements: (1) describe the problem with the evening shuttle; (2) propose a change; (3) ask how riders will be told. Tap the sentence that does requirement 2.
I am writing about the last evening shuttle from the main library.
At the moment it leaves at 9 p.m., but the library closes at 9:30.
Students who study until closing have to walk back to the dorms in the dark.
Could the last shuttle leave at 9:45 instead?
I would also like to know how riders will be told about any change.
Thank you for your help with this.
Show the answer
Answer: Could the last shuttle leave at 9:45 instead?
Could the last shuttle leave at 9:45 instead? proposes a specific change, as a question.
Question 4 of 8
Read the draft. For each requirement, did the writer do it, leave it out, or change it into a different job?
Draft email to Mr. Hiro Watanabe, international office coordinator
Requirements: (1) Explain why Friday evenings are hard for many students. (2) Propose a second session. (3) Ask how students can sign up.
Dear Mr. Watanabe,
I am writing about the language-exchange café and an idea for a second session.
Could the office add a second café on Tuesdays at lunchtime, from 12 to 1?
Students who want to join will need clear sign-up instructions.
Thank you for considering this.
Best regards,
Leila Nasser
Label each one: done / missing / changed (does a different job)
Requirement 1: explain why Friday evenings are hard for many students
Requirement 2: propose a second session
Requirement 3: ask how students can sign up
Show the answer
missing. Missing: nothing in the draft says why Friday evenings are hard. Add a reason: Many students work or travel home on Fridays, so they miss every session.
done. Done: Could the office add a second café on Tuesdays at lunchtime …? proposes a day and a time, as a question.
changed (does a different job). Changed: the line is about signing up, but it is a statement, so nothing asks how, and Mr. Watanabe has no question to answer. Ask it: Could you tell me how students can sign up for the new session?
Question 5 of 8
Prompt to Dr. Efua Osei, music department: practice rooms close at 8 p.m., even during exam weeks. Requirements: explain why students need later hours; propose a new closing time; ask how late slots could be reserved. Which plan covers all three?
1 WHY: many of us have classes until 7. 2 WHY: exam pieces need two hours of practice a day. 3 PROPOSE: keep the practice rooms open until 11 p.m. in exam weeks.
1 WHY: many of us have classes until 7 and need two hours of practice. 2 PROPOSE: close at 11 p.m. in exam weeks. 3 THANK: thank her for reading and for her help.
1 WHY: many of us have classes until 7 and need two hours of practice. 2 PROPOSE: close at 11 p.m. in exam weeks. 3 ASK HOW: how to reserve 8–11 p.m. slots?
1 WHY: many of us have classes until 7 and need two hours of practice. 2 PROPOSE: close at 11 p.m. in exam weeks. 3 ASK WHETHER: could the rooms stay open later in exam weeks?
Show the answer
Answer: C. 1 WHY: many of us have classes until 7 and need two hours of practice. 2 PROPOSE: close at 11 p.m. in exam weeks. 3 ASK HOW: how to reserve 8–11 p.m. slots?
One line per verb, in order, each with a detail, and line 3 keeps how.
Question 6 of 8
You are writing to Mr. Olu Bankole, print services supervisor. Requirement 2 says:
Propose a way to make poster orders faster.
Which paragraph fits both the verb and the reader?
Make the form faster. It’s really annoying.
The poster form has three separate pages and asks for my student number twice, so every order takes about fifteen minutes at the counter, even for one small poster.
Hey Olu, how about fixing the form? Thanks!!
Perhaps the order form could let students upload the file and choose the size in one step. That would save a second visit to the counter.
Show the answer
Answer: D. Perhaps the order form could let students upload the file and choose the size in one step. That would save a second visit to the counter.
Perhaps … could softens a concrete proposal, and the second sentence says why it helps.
Question 7 of 8
Write a register note and a three-line plan for this email. Each line: the requirement’s verb + your content + one concrete detail.
Write an Email
To: Dr. Hassan Karimi, director of the campus writing center
Subject: Online appointments
The writing center offers only in-person appointments, on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Many students on off-campus internships can’t get there before it closes.
In your email:
- Explain why some students can’t come to the center in person
- Suggest a way to offer online sessions
- Ask how students would book them
Show the model answer
Model
Register: formal, Dear Dr. Karimi.
1 EXPLAIN WHY: students on off-campus internships can’t reach the center before it closes at 5.
2 SUGGEST: two evening video sessions a week (Mon and Wed, 6–8 p.m.).
3 ASK HOW: how would students book them (the same online calendar?).
Check your response
Each line starts with the requirement’s verb.
Each line has one concrete detail.
Line 3 uses the question word the requirement uses (how).
My register note fits a director: Dear Dr. Karimi.
Question 8 of 8
This is the real prompt you will answer in the walk-through, with four key words under it. Plan the email: a register note with the greeting, a purpose line that says what you want from Dr. Park in a few keywords, and one line per requirement (verb + content + one detail). Hint for Explain why: what a participant can agree to, what they may still refuse, and one fact that shows it. In the walk-through, you will then write the full email and compare it with an annotated model.
Write an Email
To: Dr. Elena Park, supervisor of the student oral-history activity
Subject: Consent form clarification
You are reviewing the consent form for the student oral-history project. The form currently says that if someone agrees to be interviewed, their real name will appear in the public exhibit too. One participant is happy to talk about their experiences but only if the project uses a pseudonym. You need to ask for a clearer form before more interviews are collected.
In your email:
- Explain why participation and identification are separate decisions
- Propose separate choices on the form
- Ask how already collected interviews will be checked before publication
Key words (not part of the prompt):
consent form: a form where people give permission
participation: taking part (here, agreeing to be interviewed)
identification: being named (here, a person’s real name shown in the exhibit)
pseudonym: a made-up name used instead of a real one
Show the model answer
Model
Register: formal (a supervisor who decides about the form) → Dear Dr. Park; propose and ask with questions.
Purpose: ask for a revised form with two separate choices.
1 EXPLAIN WHY: agreeing to talk ≠ agreeing to be named; a participant will talk only under a pseudonym.
2 PROPOSE: two separate choices on the form (be interviewed? real name or pseudonym?).
3 ASK HOW: how will interviews already collected be checked before anything is published?
Check your response
I have one line for each requirement, in the prompt’s order.
Line 3 asks how (not whether or when) the collected interviews will be checked.
Each requirement line has one concrete detail.
My register note says formal, with Dear Dr. Park,: she supervises the activity and decides about the form, and the prompt never says I work with her every week.
My purpose line says what I want (a revised form) in a few words.
Vocabulary
Word bank
These words come from the real questions this lesson is built on. Each has its meaning, an example, a common collocation and its word family.
clarificationnoun
an explanation that makes something easier to understand
I emailed the lab coordinator to ask for clarification about the new safety rules.
Goes with
ask for clarification
Word family
clarify (verb), clear (adjective), clarity (noun)
cause confusionverb + noun collocation
to make people unsure about what is happening or what to do
Two rooms with the same number on different floors may cause confusion for visitors.
Read the reader, then the three verbs: greet and ask in a way that suits the person, and give each requirement its own paragraph.
Read the reader, then the three verbs; everything below follows from those two readings.
1. Register from the recipient line
Reader
Register
Greeting
Inside the email
Courtesy line and sign-off
You haven’t met them, or they decide (title + surname, often a role)
usually formal
Dear + title + surname
few contractions, polite requests (Could you …?, I would be grateful if you could …), plain standard words (many phrasal verbs such as sign up are fine; put off, sort out and till sound casual)
I look forward to hearing from you. + Best regards,
Someone the prompt says you work with every week (your adviser)
neutral
Hello / Hi + name (Hi Dr. Chen)
friendly but polite
Thanks, / Best,
A friend or classmate (first name)
informal
Hi / Hey + first name
contractions, casual words and phrasal verbs (grab, sort out)
Thanks so much! + Cheers,
2. Requests for action: the further down, the more formal (last row: questions for information)
Form
Example
Use with
imperative
Send me the list.
a friend, small things; with please, a routine step (Please let me know if …). Not for a decision or a favor.
Could you …?
Could you send me the list?
almost anyone
Could we …? / Would it be possible to …?
Would it be possible to move the talk to Room 12?
someone who decides; Could we …? when you are part of the group or project affected (Could we move the talk to Room 12?); as an outsider, Would it be possible to …?, Could you …? or I would be grateful if you could …
I would be grateful if you could …
I would be grateful if you could reply by Thursday.
a formal reader, a favor
For information: I would like to know how / whether + statement order
I would like to know whether the list will be online.
a formal or neutral reader, when you need information, not an action
3. Email frames
Part
Frame
Watch out
Purpose line
I am writing about + noun / to + base verb / because + clause
purpose before backstory
Context
one clause: I organize events for …, and I am writing to …
only if it helps the reader act
Polite question
Could you tell me / I would like to know + wh- word or whether / if + subject + verb
no question order; drop do / does / did when it only made the question (how students sign up), but keep main-verb do and negatives (what I should do, why it doesn’t open)
Last request
the action (+ a time when timing matters): Could you let me know by Friday whether …?
a wish alone asks for nothing; a courtesy line (Thank you for considering this.) can follow
Fixed phrases
I look forward to hearing …, Thank you for considering …, Best regards,
‑ing after look forward to and Thank you for; plural regards
4. Requirement verbs and the one-minute plan
Requirement verb
Your sentences must
Frame
Explain why
give a reason
because / so / The problem is that …
Propose / Suggest
offer a change the reader can accept
Could we …? / It might help to … / One option would be to …
Ask how / when
ask a real question with the same question word
Could you tell me how …?
Ask whether
ask a yes/no question about the same point
I would like to know whether / if … or a direct Could …?
Ask (someone) to do something
make a polite request for action
Could you …? / I would be grateful if you could …
Describe what happened
tell events in order
past tense + times
Describe a problem or a thing
give the concrete facts (what, where, when, how many)
usually present tense
Mention
name one specific thing
a named detail
The plan
register note (+ a keyword purpose line) + one line per verb: verb + content + detail
purpose line → one paragraph per line → courtesy line and sign-off
Practice
Apply it to a real question
In the course, this step runs on a test screen modeled on the 2026 TOEFL. Here is the walk-through set from this lesson. Answer each question yourself first, then open the answer to see what to notice, the move to make and why the trap attracts.
A consent form that bundles two choices
To: Dr. Elena Park, supervisor of the student oral-history activity
Subject: Consent form clarification
You are reviewing the consent form for the student oral-history project. The form currently says that if someone agrees to be interviewed, their real name will appear in the public exhibit too. One participant is happy to talk about their experiences but only if the project uses a pseudonym. You need to ask for a clearer form before more interviews are collected.
In your email:
Explain why participation and identification are separate decisions
Propose separate choices on the form
Ask how already collected interviews will be checked before publication
Write an email that addresses all three points. You have 7 minutes.
Response time: 7 minutes.
Show the model answer and the coach’s notes
This model answers the exact consent-form problem instead of broadening it. It explains why participation and identification are separate, proposes a form with two choices, and ends by asking how already collected interviews will be checked before publication. The tone is polite and specific, and the email stays within the uncertainty boundary by asking for a revision rather than assuming approval.
The model, annotated
1Dear Dr. Park,
2I am reviewing the oral-history consent form, and one part is causing confusion. Right now it makes interview participation and name publication one choice, 3but those are separate decisions. 4Someone may be willing to share personal experiences and still prefer a pseudonym in the public exhibit.
5Could we revise the form so it has separate choices: one for agreeing to be interviewed and another for choosing whether the project may publish the real name or should use a pseudonym? That would match what contributors actually decide.
6I would also like to know how the interviews already collected will be checked before publication. If some forms were signed under the current wording, it may help to review them carefully so no one is identified by mistake.
7Thank you for considering this,
Jordan
1Dear Dr. Park, Title + surname: the formal register for a supervisor.
2I am reviewing the oral-history consent form, and one part is causing confusion. Context and the problem in the first sentence; causing confusion names it without blame. The request itself comes in paragraph 2. In your own email you can name it earlier: I am writing to ask whether the form could be revised.
3but those are separate decisions Requirement 1: the claim.
4Someone may be willing to share personal experiences and still prefer a pseudonym in the public exhibit. Requirement 1: the reason (may … still).
5Could we revise the form so it has separate choices Requirement 2: a proposal as a question; we includes you, because you are part of the activity.
6I would also like to know how Requirement 3: an indirect question with the prompt’s own question word, how.
7Thank you for considering this, Here the thank-you line also works as the sign-off: a comma, then the name on its own line. Thank you for considering this. + Best regards, + your name is equally good.
What to notice
The recipient line, “Dr. Elena Park, supervisor of the student oral-history activity”, names a supervisor who decides about the form, so the email is formal. The three verbs are “Explain why …”, “Propose …” and “Ask how …”.
The model opens with the context and the problem: “I am reviewing the oral-history consent form, and one part is causing confusion.” The request itself comes in paragraph 2.
Requirement 1: “Right now it makes interview participation and name publication one choice, but those are separate decisions.” Requirement 2: “Could we revise the form so it has separate choices …?” Requirement 3: “I would also like to know how the interviews already collected will be checked before publication.”
The move
Read the reader, then the three verbs, and give each verb its own paragraph. Explain why gets a reason (“Someone may be willing to share personal experiences and still prefer a pseudonym”). Propose becomes a polite question, because the supervisor decides (“Could we revise …?”).
Ask how becomes an indirect question with statement order (“I would also like to know how the interviews already collected will be checked”). Close with a line that thanks her for considering it.
Why the trap attracts
The participant who wants a pseudonym fills the situation, so it is tempting to write two paragraphs about this participant and let requirement 3 slip away, or to write “The old interviews should be checked too”, a statement that never asks how.
It is also tempting to write “Please change the form”, which assumes a decision that belongs to Dr. Park.
In the full course
Guided practice and the Check
The rest of this step is part of the full TOEFL course. You practice on test screens modeled on the 2026 TOEFL, then take a short Check under test conditions.
✓The Check: a new email task under timed practice conditions, compared with a model answer and the rubric
✓A debrief that links each mistake back to the cycle that teaches it
✓Full-length practice tests built on the 2026 task types
Read the recipient line and the situation first. For someone you haven’t met or who decides, use Dear + title + surname, full sentences and polite requests (Could you …? or I would be grateful if you could …); for a friend, Hi + first name and contractions.
Before writing, plan one line per requirement verb, and tick each line off before you submit. Check the question word in every Ask requirement.
Check your own response
Compare your response with the model and the checklist below. Be honest: this is how you find your next step.
Requirements met: I did what each of the three requirement verbs asked (for example, a real question for Ask how, a polite request for Ask (someone) to, a proposal for Suggest), and none is missing.
Detail: each paragraph uses at least one fact from the situation, such as a time, a name or what happened.
Organization: my first one or two sentences say why I am writing, and my paragraphs follow the order of the requirements.
Register: my greeting, requests and sign-off suit the reader (for a formal reader: title and surname, requests as polite questions or I would be grateful if you could …, no slang, no demands).
Language control: my sentences are complete, and the fixed phrases are correct (I am writing to …, I would like to know how …, I look forward to hearing …).
Remember this
Read the reader, then the three verbs: greet and ask in a way that suits the person, and give each requirement its own paragraph.
That was lesson 28 of 41
The full TOEFL course has 41 lessons like this one across all four sections, each with guided practice and a Check on a test screen modeled on the 2026 TOEFL, plus full-length practice tests.