Apologising and explaining a mistake to a teacher
You promised your Japanese teacher, Mr Yamada, that you would hand in a 300-character composition by Friday. On Thursday night you realise you left your draft at school, and your laptop has broken, so you cannot retype it quickly. You have photos of two paragraphs on your phone but not the third. You also have a dentist appointment on Friday afternoon, so you will not be at school after lunch. You want to ask for an extension to Monday and to hand in the two photographed paragraphs on Friday as partial work. You are unsure whether to lead with the apology or the explanation.
1. Draft what you would say to Mr Yamada in Japanese, and explain your ordering choices.
Read the worked answer
Draft:
「山田先生、金曜日の作文のことで、ご相談があります。本当に申し訳ありません。実は、下書きを学校に忘れてしまって、パソコンも壊れてしまったので、金曜日までに全部を出すことが難しくなりました。今、二つの段落は写真に残っているのですが、三つ目の段落は手元にありません。金曜日の午後は歯医者の予約があるため、学校にいられません。月曜日まで待っていただけないでしょうか。金曜日には、写真に残っている二つの段落だけでもお送りしたいと思っています。ご迷惑をおかけして、すみません。」
Ordering:
- Topic first (作文のことで、ご相談があります) so the teacher knows why you are speaking.
- Apology early (申し訳ありません) but brief - a long apology before the facts sounds evasive.
- Facts with 実は and ～てしまった to show the problem is yours, not an excuse.
- Request late and soft (待っていただけないでしょうか) after the situation is clear.
- Offer (partial submission) shows good faith rather than only asking for leniency.
- Closing apology to end respectfully.
2. Mr Yamada replies: 「事情はわかりました。ただ、締め切りを守ることも大切です。月曜日まで待ちますが、金曜日には写真の分を送ってください。それと、次からは下書きを学校に置かないように。」 Summarise what he has granted, what condition he attached, and one thing you should change in future.
Read the worked answer
Granted: an extension to Monday (月曜日まで待ちます). He accepts the situation (事情はわかりました).
Condition: you must still send the photographed paragraphs on Friday (金曜日には写真の分を送ってください). The extension is for the missing third paragraph, not for everything. Missing Friday's partial submission would break the agreement.
Advice given: do not leave drafts at school from now on (次からは下書きを学校に置かないように). ～ように here is a soft instruction, not a suggestion.
What to change: keep a copy away from school - save drafts online or photograph all paragraphs, not two. The problem was not the broken laptop alone; it was having only one copy in one place.
Tone to note: 「ただ、締め切りを守ることも大切です」 is mild criticism. A good reply acknowledges it rather than only thanking him: 「ご理解いただき、ありがとうございます。金曜日には写真の分を必ず送ります。これからは下書きのコピーを家に置いておきます。」