Persuading the Principal on Library Hours
You are the elected student library representative at a sixth-form college. Exams begin in three weeks. The library closes at 5pm and has 60 study spaces; there are 240 Year 13 students. A survey of 35 students found that 22 would use the library after 5pm if it stayed open, and 18 said they study at home because the library closes too early. The principal has said that extended opening would cost £22 per hour for staffing and raises security concerns. You must write a 350-word letter to the principal proposing an 8pm closing time for the three exam weeks. You want to be persuasive without sounding demanding. The student council can provide two volunteer supervisors, but they cannot replace qualified staff.
1. Outline a persuasive structure for the letter and justify two language choices for this audience.
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A persuasive structure should move from shared purpose to a costed, low-risk request. Suggested order: (1) open with the shared goal of supporting exam performance; (2) acknowledge the principal's staffing and security constraints before making the request; (3) present the survey evidence - 22 of 35 would use the library after 5pm - while noting the sample is small and should be treated as a pilot signal, not proof; (4) propose a three-week trial to 8pm with student volunteers supplementing, not replacing, one qualified staff member; (5) cost the proposal: three hours extra per evening for 15 weekdays at £22 per hour is £990, and suggest the student council or a small grant could part-fund it; (6) address security with a sign-in system and a closing arrangement; (7) end with a clear, respectful request for a decision.
Two language choices: use measured modals such as 'could' and 'would' rather than 'must', because the principal has authority and cost responsibility; and use 'we' and 'our' to frame the request as a shared college project, not a demand from a pressure group.
2. Write the opening paragraph (40-60 words) and explain how its tone balances confidence and respect.
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Opening paragraph (58 words): Dear Principal, I am writing as the elected library representative to ask you to consider a three-week trial of 8pm closing during exams. I know staffing costs and security are real constraints, so I am not asking for an open-ended change. A survey of 35 Year 13 students found that 22 would use the library after 5pm, and 18 already study at home because it closes too early.
Tone: The paragraph is confident because it names a specific proposal and uses evidence, but respectful because it acknowledges the principal's constraints before making the request. 'Ask you to consider' and 'I know ... are real constraints' avoid a demanding tone. The word 'trial' lowers the risk: the principal is not being asked to commit permanently. The final sentence gives a reason rather than an emotional appeal, which suits a principal who must justify spending.