The 120-Word Homestay Email
A student will stay with a host family in Fukushima for two weeks. The student's train from Tokyo is delayed by 90 minutes, so arrival will be 18:40 instead of 17:10 on Sunday. The host family's email says dinner is at 18:00 and asks about food allergies. The student must write an email of no more than 120 words. The draft is 160 words and includes: an apology, the new arrival time, a request to keep dinner warm, a question about the nearest bus stop, a description of the weather in Tokyo, and a sentence about the student's club activity. The teacher says the email must be polite but not overly formal, and must include only information the host needs. The student is worried about using “I am sorry for inconvenience” because a friend said it sounds rude.
1. Which two pieces of information in the draft should be cut to meet the word limit, and why?
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Cut: the weather description and the club activity sentence.
Reasoning: The host needs to know when the student will arrive, that the student is sorry for the change, and how to handle dinner and allergies. Weather in Tokyo and club activity do not affect the host's plans; they are self-focused details that use words without helping the reader. The bus-stop question is also a possible cut, because the host is receiving the student and may already have a plan. Keeping the apology, new arrival time, dinner request, and allergy response serves the purpose. The judgement is audience-based: a short email is not a diary; every sentence should help the host act.
2. Revise the opening sentence to be polite but not overly formal.
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Revision: “Dear Mr. and Mrs. Tanaka, I am sorry to tell you that my train is delayed, and I will arrive at 18:40 instead of 17:10.”
Reasoning: “I am sorry to tell you” is polite and direct without sounding like a business letter. “I apologize for any inconvenience” is more formal and can feel distant in a homestay email. The draft phrase “I am sorry for inconvenience” is flawed because it omits “the” and is vague. A clear opening should name the change and the new time immediately, so the host can adjust dinner plans.
3. The draft says “Please keep dinner warm.” Is this appropriate? Explain.
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Judgement: It is understandable but can sound demanding, because it tells the host to do extra work.
Reasoning: A guest should ask rather than instruct. Better options are “Would it be possible to save some dinner for me?” or “Please don't wait for me if dinner is ready-I am happy to eat later.” These show awareness of the host's schedule. The original is not grammatically wrong; the problem is pragmatic politeness. In a homestay email, the relationship matters, so the request should give the host a choice.