Reading the Timetable Before You Write
A student must write a 120-word email asking a teacher to move a test. Three facts must appear: the test is on Thursday, the student has a regional athletics carnival that day, and Friday at lunch is free. The student's draft says: 'I can't do the test Thursday because of sport. Can we do it another time? Thanks.' The teacher's reply policy says requests must name the original date, the clash, and a proposed alternative, or they are declined. The email must also include the student's name and class code 10B.
1. Using the three required facts, explain exactly what the draft is missing and why the teacher would decline it.
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The policy needs three things:
- Original date - the draft says 'Thursday', which is close, but it does not tie it to the test clearly. Better: 'the Thursday test'.
- The clash - 'because of sport' is vague. It must name the regional athletics carnival.
- Proposed alternative - the draft says 'another time' and never mentions Friday lunch, so the teacher has nothing to accept.
It also omits the student's name and class code 10B, which the brief requires.
Because the alternative is missing, the policy says decline. The fix is to supply all three facts plus name and code, then the request can be approved on its merits.
2. Write the email in about 120 words. Then explain how you kept it within the length while still meeting every requirement.
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Email:
Dear Ms Patel,
I am writing to ask if I could sit the Thursday science test at a different time. I am in 10B, and on Thursday I am representing the school at the regional athletics carnival, so I cannot be in class for the test.
Would Friday at lunch work for you? I am free then and happy to come to your room. I have kept up with the classwork and can bring my notes.
Thank you for considering this.
Kind regards, Jordan Lee, 10B
How I kept the length: I used one sentence per requirement - date, clash, alternative - and cut small talk. The name and code sit in the sign-off. At roughly 110 words it meets the 120-word target without padding.