Writing to a landlord about broken heating
Tomáš is a tenant in a small flat in Plzeň. The heating has stopped working; outside it is -5 °C and the flat is 16 °C. His landlord is Mr. Novák, whom he addresses formally. The A1 writing task says: write a short email of 25–35 words. Include a greeting, the problem, one request, and a closing. Tomáš's draft reads: 'Dobrý den, topení nefunguje. Prosím opravit. Děkuji. Tomáš.' He thinks it is enough because it has all four parts. The examiner's notes say the draft is 7 words, lacks a time reference and a polite request form, and uses an imperative that is too direct for a landlord. Tomáš knows the verb 'opravit' but not the phrase 'mohl byste'. He must revise without adding new facts. He may use a dictionary for one word only.
1. Identify two ways the draft fails the writing task, apart from word count.
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Two clear failures are:
- No time reference or urgency.
Topení nefungujestates the problem, but not since when. The task situation givesod včeraand 16 °C, which are natural A1 details. - The request is not a polite, complete request form.
Prosím opravitis an infinitive afterprosím; it reads like a note, not an email to a landlord. A safer A1 pattern isProsím, opravte toorMohl byste to opravit?
The draft also has only 7 words, so it cannot meet 25–35 words, but the question asks for other failures. The judgement is about task completeness and register, not just grammar.
2. Write a revised 25–35 word email that keeps Tomáš's facts and uses formal address.
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Model answer:
Dobrý den, pane Nováku, od včera mi nefunguje topení. V bytě je jen 16 °C a je mi zima. Mohl byste prosím poslat opraváře? Děkuji. Tomáš
Word count: 26 words. It contains:
- greeting:
Dobrý den, pane Nováku - problem and time:
od včera mi nefunguje topení - consequence:
V bytě je jen 16 °C a je mi zima - polite request:
Mohl byste prosím poslat opraváře? - closing:
Děkuji. Tomáš
The conditional Mohl byste is the key register upgrade. It is longer than an imperative but still A1-friendly because it is a fixed phrase.
3. Why is 'Prosím opravit' risky at A1, and what simpler alternatives are safe?
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Prosím opravit is risky because it combines a polite word with a bare infinitive. In Czech, an email request normally needs a finite verb or a fixed polite phrase. The infinitive opravit is a dictionary form; it does not address the landlord directly.
Safe A1 alternatives:
Prosím, opravte to.- formal imperative, short and clear.Mohl byste to opravit?- polite conditional.Potřebuji opravit topení.- states need, though less polite as a request.
The judgement is not to avoid imperatives entirely; it is to avoid an infinitive that has no subject and sounds like a shopping list. In a formal email, opravte is acceptable; opravit alone is not.