Writing: a formal email request to a marae committee
A Year 12 class wants to hold a noho marae for two nights in Term 3. There are 14 students and 2 teachers, so 16 people in total. One student has a peanut allergy; another does not eat meat. The class needs the wharekai and the whare moe. A student drafts an email: 'Hi guys, can we use your marae? We have 16 people. One has a peanut allergy and one is vegetarian. Thanks.' The teacher says it must be rewritten in te reo Māori, with a formal greeting and sign-off, a polite request, and clear details. The marae committee is made up of five people, including two kaumātua. The student has 25 minutes and a dictionary. They are unsure whether to use 'mātou' or 'tātou', and whether 'Kia ora' is too casual for the committee.
1. Choose a greeting and sign-off for the email and explain why they suit the audience and purpose.
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Use 'Tēnā koutou e te komiti' - formal, plural, and directed to the five committee members. 'Kia ora' is not wrong, but it is more casual and would sit oddly with a formal request to elders. For the sign-off, 'Nāku noa, nā [name]' is a conventional formal close; 'Ngā mihi' is also acceptable but slightly less formal. 'Hi guys' and 'Thanks' do not match the audience or purpose. The greeting and sign-off should frame the email as a respectful request, not a casual text. The body should then use 'Kei te tono mātou' and 'ka taea rānei e koutou' to keep the tone polite.
2. The draft says 'We have 16 people.' Should the student use 'mātou' or 'tātou'? Explain and write the sentence in te reo Māori.
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Use 'mātou', because the 16 people are the class group and the committee is not included. 'Tātou' would include the people being addressed - the committee - which is wrong here. A clear sentence is: 'Tekau mā ono mātou katoa: tekau mā whā ngā tauira, tokorua ngā kaiako.' If the student later addresses the committee and the class together, 'tātou' would be correct, e.g. 'Ka nui te mihi ki a tātou katoa.' The pronoun choice signals whether the addressee is inside or outside the group.
3. Rewrite the request so it is polite and clear, including the dietary needs. Use at least one 'ka taea rānei...' construction.
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A polite version is: 'Kei te tono mātou kia whakaaetia te whakamahi i te wharekai me te whare moe mō ngā pō e rua. Ka taea rānei e koutou te whakamārama mai mēnā he wā pai? He mate pāwera ki te pīnati tō tētahi o mātou, ā, kāore tētahi e kai ana i te mīti.' 'Kia whakaaetia' is a passive request ('to be allowed'); 'mō ngā pō e rua' gives the duration; 'ka taea rānei e koutou' is a polite formula for 'could you'. The dietary details are stated plainly, not as an afterthought. This is clearer and more respectful than 'can we use your marae?' because it names the buildings, the nights, and the needs.