Platform 5 and a 10:30 Interview
At Takasaki Station, Mei is traveling to Maebashi for a school interview. She has a heavy suitcase and a ticket for the 9:42 local train. A station notice says: 'Due to signal trouble, the 9:42 Maebashi local will leave from Platform 5, not Platform 3. It may be 8 to 12 minutes late. The 9:55 rapid train will not stop at Maebashi today.' It is 9:36. Mei sees a station attendant near the ticket gate. She wants to confirm the platform and ask whether she should wait for the local or take a bus. She must be polite because the station is crowded. Her Japanese is limited, so she prepares three English sentences: (A) 'You must tell me where Platform 5 is.' (B) 'Excuse me, could you tell me if the 9:42 train to Maebashi leaves from Platform 5?' (C) 'The rapid train is faster, so I will take it.' She also has a written school phone number and the interview starts at 10:30.
1. Which sentence should Mei use first, and why are the other two unsuitable in this situation?
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Sentence B is the best first choice. It starts with 'Excuse me,' uses the polite request 'could you tell me,' and asks exactly the immediate need: whether the 9:42 Maebashi local leaves from Platform 5. Sentence A is an imperative with 'must,' which sounds like an order to a station attendant and is inappropriate in a crowded public place. Sentence C is unsuitable for two reasons: the notice says the 9:55 rapid will not stop at Maebashi today, and Mei has not yet confirmed that a faster option is available. B also leaves room for a follow-up question about waiting or taking a bus.
2. After the attendant says the local is 10 minutes late, should Mei wait or call the school? Use the times and constraints to decide, and write one polite follow-up question.
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Mei should not decide from the 9:42 time alone. If the local is 10 minutes late, it leaves at about 9:52, but the notice does not give the travel time to Maebashi. Her interview is at 10:30, so she needs the arrival time. A polite follow-up is: 'Could you also tell me what time the train will arrive in Maebashi?' If the arrival leaves enough time to reach the school, she should wait for the local. If not, she should use the school phone number to explain that the train is delayed. Taking the 9:55 rapid is not a valid shortcut because it will not stop at Maebashi today.