Cutting a Host-Family Email to the Word Limit
Ken must write a 50–70 word email to his host family. His flight was changed: he will arrive at Haneda Airport at 18:40 on July 22, one day later than planned. He must ask whether someone can pick him up and whether he should take the train instead. He also wants to ask what time the family usually has dinner. His draft is 82 words:
'Dear Mr. and Mrs. Smith,
I am sorry for inconvenience. My flight changed. I will arrive at Haneda Airport at 18:40 on July 22, one day later than I planned. I am very sorry. Could you tell me what time do you have dinner? Also, can someone pick me up? If not, I will take the train. Thank you.
Ken'
His teacher says the content is complete but the email is over the limit, repeats an apology, and contains one embedded-question error. Ken wants to keep a polite tone and all three pieces of information.
1. Revise the email to 50–70 words while keeping the arrival details, the pickup question, and the dinner question. Show the revision and state its word count.
Read the worked answer
Revised version (55 words):
'Dear Mr. and Mrs. Smith,
I am sorry, but my flight has changed. I will arrive at Haneda Airport at 18:40 on July 22, one day later than planned. Could someone pick me up, or should I take the train? Also, what time do you usually have dinner? Please let me know.
Thank you.
Ken'
Word count: Dear(1) Mr.(2) and(3) Mrs.(4) Smith(5) I(6) am(7) sorry(8) but(9) my(10) flight(11) has(12) changed(13) I(14) will(15) arrive(16) at(17) Haneda(18) Airport(19) at(20) 18:40(21) on(22) July(23) 22(24) one(25) day(26) later(27) than(28) planned(29) Could(30) someone(31) pick(32) me(33) up(34) or(35) should(36) I(37) take(38) the(39) train(40) Also(41) what(42) time(43) do(44) you(45) usually(46) have(47) dinner(48) Please(49) let(50) me(51) know(52) Thank(53) you(54) Ken(55).
The revision cuts the repeated apology, combines the pickup and train idea into one choice question, and keeps every required fact.
2. Correct the embedded question and explain the word-order rule in your own words.
Read the worked answer
Incorrect: 'Could you tell me what time do you have dinner?'
Correct: 'Could you tell me what time you usually have dinner?' or 'Could you tell me what time you have dinner?'
When a question is inside another question, the embedded part uses statement order, not question order. 'What time do you have dinner?' has inversion with 'do'. After 'Could you tell me', the clause becomes 'what time you have dinner' - subject before verb, and no 'do'.
The opening 'Could you tell me' already carries the question, so the second part does not need a second question form. This is a common error because the meaning is still a question, but the grammar of the embedded clause is different.
3. Is 'I am sorry for inconvenience' appropriate? Revise it and explain the tone issue.
Read the worked answer
It is understandable but not natural. The usual phrase is 'I am sorry for the inconvenience' or, more personal, 'I am sorry for any trouble this causes.' The missing article matters: 'inconvenience' is used as a countable/particular situation here, so 'the inconvenience' is the standard phrase.
There is also a tone issue: the draft says 'I am sorry' twice, which can sound mechanical. One clear apology is enough. In a host-family email, a simple 'I am sorry, but my flight has changed' is warm and direct. The goal is not to sound more formal; it is to sound natural and considerate while staying within the word limit.