The 80-Word Email to the Landlord
Writing paper, Task 2. Candidate Marina, 19, rents a flat in Thessaloniki. On 3 February the heating stopped; there has been no hot water since 4 February. Her landlord, Mr. Papadopoulos, lives in Athens and usually replies by SMS. The task: write an email of about 80 words, in formal Greek, that (a) reports the problem with dates, (b) asks him to arrange a technician by 5 February, and (c) asks him to confirm the appointment. Marina’s draft begins: «Γεια σου Γιώργο, το καλοριφέρ χάλασε. Έλα να το φτιάξεις. Δεν πληρώνω νοίκι αν δεν έρθεις.» She has 15 minutes left and has written 32 words. She thinks the imperative is clear and direct, and that «Γεια σου» is friendly. The mark scheme rewards task completion, register, and coherence.
1. Identify two choices in Marina’s draft that will cost marks, and explain the exam logic behind each.
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Choice 1 - «Γεια σου Γιώργο». This is informal singular address. The task requires formal Greek, and the landlord is addressed as «κύριε Παπαδόπουλε», not by first name. The friendly intention does not cancel the register error; the mark scheme separates tone from grammatical formality.
Choice 2 - «Έλα να το φτιάξεις». A direct imperative to a landlord is face-threatening and does not match the request function. A B1 email can still be clear without commanding: «Θα σας παρακαλούσα να κανονίσετε τεχνικό». The threat «Δεν πληρώνω νοίκι» is also not in the task and shifts the email into a legal dispute, which weakens task completion and coherence.
She also spends words on the threat instead of including the confirmation request, so she risks omitting bullet (c).
2. Rewrite the opening 40–50 words so that the email reports the problem and makes the deadline request in appropriate formal Greek.
Read the worked answer
One acceptable version:
«Αξιότιμε κύριε Παπαδόπουλε,
Σας γράφω σχετικά με πρόβλημα θέρμανσης στο διαμέρισμα. Από τις 3 Φεβρουαρίου το καλοριφέρ δεν λειτουργεί και από τις 4 Φεβρουαρίου δεν έχουμε ζεστό νερό. Θα σας παρακαλούσα να κανονίσετε την επίσκεψη τεχνικού μέχρι τις 5 Φεβρουαρίου και να μου επιβεβαιώσετε την ημερομηνία και την ώρα.»
This keeps both dates, uses formal plural address, replaces the imperative with «θα σας παρακαλούσα να…», and adds the confirmation request. It stays close to the 80-word limit and leaves room for a closing formula such as «Με εκτίμηση».