More prompts, more pattern recognition. These three scenarios are new — different from the worked examples in the main Write an Email guide — so you can practice cold before checking your response against a model answer.
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Prompt: You missed a paper deadline because of illness. Write to your professor explaining the situation, requesting an extension, and proposing a new submission date.
Model response (108 words): "Dear Professor Lin, I'm writing to let you know I was unable to submit my paper by Friday's deadline, as I was diagnosed with the flu earlier this week and have been unable to work productively. I have a doctor's note available if needed. I'd like to request a short extension and propose submitting the completed paper by next Wednesday, which would give me enough time to finish the analysis section properly rather than rushing it. I understand this is a deviation from the original schedule and appreciate your consideration. Please let me know if Wednesday works or if a different date would be more appropriate. Thank you, Alex Chen"
Why it works: States the reason briefly without over-explaining, makes a specific request (a specific new date, not just "more time"), and closes professionally — all three required elements covered in under 120 words.
Prompt: The heating in your dorm room has stopped working. Write to the housing office describing the problem, explaining the impact, and requesting a repair timeline.
Model response (104 words): "Dear Housing Office, I'm writing to report that the heating system in my room, 214B in Fisher Hall, has stopped working as of yesterday evening. The room temperature has dropped significantly, which is making it difficult to sleep and study, especially with colder weather expected this week. Could you let me know when a technician might be able to look at it? If a full repair will take some time, I'd also appreciate knowing whether a temporary space heater could be provided in the meantime. Thank you for your help with this. Best, Priya Sharma"
Why it works: Includes specific, verifiable details (room number, timing), clearly states the impact rather than just the problem, and offers a reasonable fallback request rather than only demanding a full fix.
Prompt: You're interested in joining a student organization. Write to the club's president asking about membership requirements, meeting times, and how to get involved.
Model response (98 words): "Hi Jordan, My name is Sam, and I'm a first-year student interested in joining the debate society after hearing about it from a friend. Could you tell me a bit about the membership process — is there an application, or can I just show up to a meeting? I'd also like to know when and where the club typically meets, since I want to make sure it doesn't conflict with my class schedule. I'm particularly interested in getting involved with tournament prep if that's something new members can join. Thanks so much, Sam Rivera"
Why it works: Asks three distinct, specific questions rather than one vague one, and the closing detail (tournament prep) shows genuine interest rather than a generic inquiry.
Practice Write an Email prompts with instant AI-graded feedback on task completion, grammar, and tone.