How can you turn the prompt into a list of actions?
ETS places Write an Email in an academic or social situation and asks for a message with a specific purpose. Its specifications emphasize clarity, organization, an appropriate tone, and control of grammar and vocabulary. Our first step is to identify the prompt verbs. “Explain” calls for an explanation; “request” calls for a request; “suggest” calls for a suggestion. A detailed story does not replace the latter two actions.
Mentally check each point: the problem is understandable, permission is requested, and a measure is suggested. In the exercise below, these three points belong to our practice prompt; their number is not a general rule for every task. Follow the actual requests in each prompt.
What tone suits this relationship?
Ask what the person already knows and what their responsibilities are. A coordinator may be able to approve a location without knowing how your workshop works. Give the context in one sentence, then explain the difficulty. Do not blame them for something the situation does not establish.
For someone you do not know well, a simple opening, a request with “could,” and a courteous closing make a consistent whole. Your tone can be more casual with a classmate. A formula cannot do the work for you: “Could you help?” remains vague unless you say what help you need. On the other hand, too many deferential phrases can bury the main request.
What should you explain, and what can you leave out?
A useful detail explains a consequence or helps the reader make a decision. The location, time slot, equipment needed, and a practical solution may help. A long story about how the club was created may not help the reader approve a change of location. After each sentence, ask: which request does this information make clearer?
In a fictional exercise, you can add a plausible detail that does not contradict the situation. However, present a possibility as a possibility. “We could place protective sheets under the tables” suggests a measure; “The courtyard has protective sheets” invents a feature of the location. Prefer the facts given and suggestions you can support over unnecessary claims.
How can you build a message that moves forward?
Our starting outline includes an opening, the purpose of the message, an explanation, a request with a suggestion, and a closing. This is not a required number of paragraphs. Group sentences by function so the reader can follow the situation without having to backtrack.
Make the connections explicit. “Because” explains the difficulty; “could” frames the request; “to keep the area clean” links a measure to its purpose. Choose these connectors because they match your reasoning. Mechanically using “firstly,” “secondly,” and “finally” can make a simple email sound like an essay without improving readability.
Are all three requests actually addressed?
Write your response before reading the example. This is a fictional practice situation and is not scored. After writing, match a sentence in your message to each of the three objectives; any objective without a corresponding sentence still needs work.
Your campus repair workshop cannot use its usual room because the tables are being repaired. Write an email to Ms. Vega, the student-events coordinator. Explain how the room closure affects your workshop. Ask permission to use the covered courtyard. Describe one measure your group could take to leave the space clean.
Enter your answer before viewing the review.
The solution, step by step
One possible response: “Dear Ms. Vega, I am writing about our campus repair workshop next Tuesday. Our usual room is unavailable because its tables are being repaired, so we currently have nowhere to set out the tools and welcome participants. Could we use the covered courtyard from 3 to 5 p.m. instead? The cover would allow us to continue even if it rains. To keep the area clean, we could place protective sheets under our worktables and remove them with any waste at the end of the session. Our volunteers would also check the space before leaving. Please let me know whether this arrangement would be possible. Thank you for considering our request. Kind regards, Alex.”
The method in action
- The first objective asks for a consequence, not just a repetition of the closure. The response explains that the group can no longer set out its tools or welcome participants. This detail links the problem to how the workshop operates.
- The question “Could we use…?” explicitly asks for permission. The time slot is a plausible fictional detail that makes it easier for the coordinator to respond; the prompt does not require that specific time.
- The protective sheets under the tables and removal of waste provide a concrete way to keep the area clean. They are suggested with “could”: the response does not claim that the location already provides them.
- The opening, request, and closing maintain a consistent tone. Compare the functions with your own text without copying every sentence: other solutions and wording can meet the same objectives.
The pitfall
An elegant phrase that omits the expected action
A message can be polite and grammatical but still incomplete. “Thank you for your understanding” does not ask for permission or confirmation. Reread the prompt verbs, then find the corresponding actions in your text. Do not confuse an implied intention with an explicit request.
Finally, avoid memorized introductions that could precede any topic. Keep a small set of phrases you understand, but adapt what follows to the problem. Our practical test is simple: would someone reading the message know how to respond? This is not an official rubric or a score calculation.
Key takeaways
- Identify every action requested in the actual prompt.
- Add details that explain a consequence or make a decision easier.
- Adapt your tone to the relationship and state your request precisely.
- Check that you have met the objectives before trying to make the wording more impressive.