Questions 6-7: Respond to a Written Request

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Respond to a Written Request

Definition Questions 6 and 7 test your ability to respond to written requests using a
variety of well-organized sentences and appropriate grammar and vocabulary.

Targeted Skills In order to correctly respond to Questions 6 and 7, you should be able to:
• organize your ideas in writing.
• use appropriate connecting words.
• write a variety of sentence types.
• write grammatically correct sentences.
• use appropriate vocabulary.
• respond to the given tasks.
Question You will be given specific tasks to address in each response. The tasks will be
Types relevant to the e-mail and may be worded such as the following.
• Ask THREE questions.
• Make TWO requests for information.
• Make ONE suggestion.
• Give TWO pieces of information.
• Explain ONE problem.

A Good A good response addresses all the tasks, has a variety of sentences, has
Response logically organized ideas, and contains few or no grammar or vocabulary errors.

Things to 1. Begin your e-mail with an appropriate introduction.

Remember 2. Keep your audience in mind. You may be responding to an e-mail from a boss,
a job hunter, a repairperson, or someone else. Use language appropriate for
the audience.
3. Be sure to address all the tasks in your response.
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 Respond to a Written Request

Writing Test "ELP^ ') next »

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Questions 6-7: Respond to a written request

Directions: In this part of the test, you will write a response to an e-mail.

Your response will be scored on

• the quality and variety of your sentences.

• vocabulary.
• organization.
You will have 10 minutes to read and answer the e-mail.

Directions: Read the e-mail.

From: [email protected]
To: Anna Billings
Subject: Daily Jobseeker update
Sent: March 14,2 0 -
Dear Daily Jobseeker subscriber,

Here is the most recent job opening:

Marleyhome Inc. is looking for an experienced accountant to fill a vacancy in its Accounting
Department. The company needs someone with an accounting degree and at least three years
of experience. Contact Ralph Kramer, [email protected].

Directions: Respond to the e-mail as if you are interested in applying for the position. Make ONE
statement about your professional background and TWO requests for information about the job.

(write your response here)

d POWERED BY C OBUtlD

recent: happening
only a short while
ago

experienced:
knowing a lot or
being very skillful at
a job or activity

vacancy: a job or
position that has not
been filled

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SAMPLE RESPONSE ► Dear Mr. Kramer:

I understand that you want to hire someone to work in your Accounting Department. I have
worked as an accountant at the Hiram Company for five years. Could you please send me a
job application? Also, I would like to know when the job will begin. Thank you very much for
your help.

Sincerely,
Mary Clark

Tips and Tasks for Answering Correctly

» For Questions 6 and 7, you will read e-mails about a

variety of business-related subjects. You should practice quickly identifying what the subject of an e-mail is.

For e-mails, always look first at the This information at the top of the e-mail tells you important
information. A header includes these things:
• The the sender’s e-mail address, and • The
often the sender’s title or company . The subject of the e. mai|
• The (who the e-mail is sent to)
In many cases, the subject line in the header will tell you much of what you need to know. For
Questions 6 and 7, specific requests may also be in the directions (see the next section for more
information on directions). In other cases, you will have to look in the body of the message. Always
search in this order: (1) subject line, (2) directions, (3) body of the message.

Look at the headers in the sample e-mails and underline the information in each that answers the
questions below. Then use the underlined information to answer the question that follows each e-mail.
• Who wrote the e-mail? • Who is the recipient of the e-mail?
• What is the writer’s position? • What is the subject of the e-mail?

Elisa Hays, Front Desk Supervisor

Front desk agents, Hotel Mediterraneo
Reservation system
December 1,20—
It has come to my attention that several of you have experienced problems with the reservation
system recently. In order to address these problems, we need to compile a complete list of the
issues that each of you have encountered. Please send me this list at your earliest convenience.
Sincerely,
Elisa Hays
Front Desk Supervisor

1. What is the main purpose of the e-mail?

To describe a problem with the current reservation system
To gather information about problems with the reservation system
113
 Daniel Olivares, Olivares Shipping Inc.
Administrative Staff
Vacation
February 1 9 ,2 0 -
Sheila Weston, the head administrative coordinator, will be out of the office from March 10-15. We
will need to redistribute her various tasks among the rest of the administrative staff while she’s out.
Also, please be advised that you must give at least two weeks’ notice of any plans to take vacation.
Sincerely,
Daniel Olivares
Owner, Olivares Shipping, Inc.

What is the main purpose of the e-mail?

To inform employees about changes to the vacation policy
To explain an employee’s extended absence

Walter Terborg
Rita Chen
Application for employment
October 10,20—
Dear Ms. Chen:
Thank you for your interest in the accountant position at Garrison and Associates. I am writing
because your online application is currently incomplete. To see which materials are missing,
please log in to your online account. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about
the position or the application process.
Thank you,
Walter Terborg, Human Resources

What is the main purpose of the e-mail?

To alert the recipient about a problem with her application
To inform the recipient that the application has been received
» The directions for Questions 6 and 7 provide you with key
information about what to include in your response. The directions are typically worded as follows.

Respond to the e-mail as if you are a front desk employee for the Hotel Mediterraneo. In
your e-mail, give ONE date you are available to meet with the client and TWO suggestions for travel.

Notice that the directions provide important information about:

• the role you should play in your response.
• three specific tasks that you must address in your response. Note that the number of tasks to be
included in your response is in capital letters.

The tasks described in the directions vary and may involve:

• requests for more information. • a description of something.
• specific actions. • instructions.
• discussion of a problem. • an opinion.
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 The following directions are based on the e-mails in the TIP TASK on pages Read the
directions and underline the information that helps you understand the required tasks. Then place a
check mark ( /) next to information that you would include in your response based on the directions.

Respond to the e-mail as if you are a front desk agent at Hotel Mediterraneo. In your
e-mail, describe THREE problems with the reservation system.

□ Information about reservations was lost. □ A new reservation could not be booked.
□ A guest’s room was not cleaned. □ A guest wanted a discount on the room.
□ The system shut down suddenly. □ The front desk supervisor was not available.
2
Respond to the e-mail as if you are on the administrative staff at Olivares Shipping
Inc. In your e-mail, give TWO administrative tasks that you can perform while Ms. Weston is gone
and ONE range of dates during which you plan to be on vacation.

□ Tuesday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. □ File any incoming documents

□ Submit a vacation request form □ April 3 to April 7
□ Collect time sheets from employees □ Confirm Ms. Weston’s flight

Respond to the e-mail as if you are Rita Chen. In your e-mail, describe TWO
application materials you submitted and ask ONE question about the position.

□ A list of references □ How much does the position pay?

□ An updated resume □ Where is the office located?
□ A letter from Mr. Garrison □ How many employees work at the office?

» Though the responses for Questions 6

and 7 may vary according to the specific e-mail and directions, a good response will usually include
these parts.

- Greet the person the e-mail is directed to.

- First sentence of your response.

- Explain the purpose of your e-mail.
- Introduce yourself if necessary.

- Address the first task as specified by the directions.

- Address the second task as specified by the directions.

- Address the third task as specified by the directions.

- Conclude the e-mail.

- Explain any further action that may be needed.

- Sign the e-mail as the role indicates.

SKILLS FUR THE lULIU” I t S I: SFtAKINU ANU WKII INli

TASK Match the sample responses (A-C) to the correct sample e-mails (1 -3) from pages 113-114.
Note the structure of the responses and how each sentence fits the template in TIP 1 on page 115.
A. Response A is for sample e-mail_____ .

Dear Mr. Olivares,

I just wanted to quickly respond to the e-mail you sent on February 19
regarding Ms. Weston’s absence, While Ms. Weston is out, I
can collect the employee timesheets and file incoming documents. Please let me know if there is
any other way I can help.
3 ] I also want to let you know that I plan to be on vacation from April 3
to April 7. Please tell me if you need more information about my vacation
plans.

Sincerely,
Eric Redding, Administrative Assistant

B. Response B is for sample e-m ail_____ .

Dear Mr.Terborg:
Thank you for the update on the status of my application,
Since receiving your e-mail on October 1 0 , have sent the missing materials
by mail to your office. These materials include a list of references as well as an updated resume.
If it is not a problem, I wanted to ask how much the accountant
position pays, Thank you again for your previous e-mail, and please let me
know about the salary when you can.

Best,
Rita Chen

C. Response C is for sample e-m ail_____ .

Hello Ms. Hays,

am writing in response to your e-mail dated December 1 regarding
problems with the reservation system, One problem that I had was
that the system lost reservation information, A second problem was
that the system shut down suddenly while I was using it. Finally, the
system did not allow me to make a new reservation, Please let me know
if you require any further information.

Sincerely,
Jaime Sanchez, Front Desk Agent

116
 You should familiarize yourself with the language
that is typically used in responses for Questions 6 and 7. Remember that you will want to use more
or less formal language, depending to whom the response is addressed. Generally, if your response is
addressed to someone with a higher position (such as a manager or an owner), you should use more
formal language. In contrast, if your response is addressed to a co-worker or peer, you should use less
formal language. This chart shows some examples of common language for responses.

Common Language More Formal Less Formal

Greetings • Dear Mr. Park /Ms. Garcia / • Hi [First name],
Mrs. Smith /Dr. Swanson
[Family name]:
• Hello Mr. K ing/M s. Brown,

If you do not know the name of Notice that informal greetings

the recipient, you can use: have a comma.
• Dear Sir or Madam:
• To whom it may concern:

Notice that formal greetings

often have a colon.
Introductions • I am writing in response to . . . • I just wanted to respond to
• It seems t h at. . . your e-mail a bou t. . .
• My name is X, and I am • I thought I would write to let
interested in . . . you know (that) . . .
• I am writing because (of) . . . • I'm writing because (of) . . .

Notice that the most formal Notice that informal writing

writing does not include includes contractions.
contractions except on negatives.
Polite Requests • I would appreciate it if you • Could you pl eas e. . . ?
could. . . • I ’d like it if you woul d. . .
• I f you don’t mind, could y o u . .. ? • Please [do something].
• Would it be possible fo r you • It would be terrific if you
to. . . ? could. . .
• I f it isn’t too much trouble, • Would you mi nd. . . ?
would you . . . ?
Giving Information • I would like to let you know • I ’d like t o . . .
that . . . • lust wanted you to know
• One important thing about that . . .
X is... • I just want to let you know
• Please be advised that . . . about . . .
• One thing to remember. . . • Don’tforget that. . .
Mentioning Problems • One problem that I have • The problem i s . . .
encountered is . . . • The issue here i s . . .
• Unfortunately, I have had an • I ’ve h ad lots o f problems
issue with . . . with. . .
Providing Explanations • The main reason fo r this i s . . . • That's because. . .
• Due to X . . . • The reason is . . .
• Because o f this,. . . • Because I'm . . .
• The reason (why) X is . . . • I'm writing because. . .
(continued)

117
 Common Language More Formal Less Form al (continued)
Providing Instructions • I believe we sh ou ld. . . • I think we should. . .
or Suggestions • It may he wise to . . . • How ab o ut. . . ?
• It would be a good idea to . . . • Why don’t y o u . . . ?
• I suggest that. . . • Let’s . . .
Giving Opinions • I maintain that . . . • I think (that) . . .
• From my point o f view, . . . • I ’m assuming (that). . .
• It is my belief that. . . • I feel (that) . . .
• I hold the opinion that. . . • Personally, I feel (that) . . .
Concluding Statements • Thank you very much fo r your • I ’m looking forw ard to hearing
prompt attention to this matter. from you.
• Please let me know if you have • Let me know if you need
any questions or need any anything else.
further information. • Thanks!
• Thank you.
Closings • Sincerely, • Talk to you soon!
• Yours truly, • See you soon.
• Nice hearing from you.
Some business e-mails have only Informal e-mails often close
a full name or a name and title. with only a first name.

TASK Read the language commonly used in responses. Circle the expression that is not the same as the
other two and note why it is different.

1. Dear Sir or Madam: To whom it may concern: Dear Lisa,

2. I’m writing because . . . Talk to you soon! My name i s . . .

3 . 1feel th a t. . . Why don’t you . . . ? I suggest th a t. . .

4. Would it be possible for you . . . ? I’d like t o . . . Don’t forget th a t .. .

5. Thanks. Thank you. Sincerely,

118
 Steven Appleby
Martha Simon
Small Business Magazine
June 11,20—
Dear Ms. Simon:
I work for I am writing an article about small-business owners in your
city, and I would like to interview you for the article. Would you be available to meet with me
sometime next week?
Thank you.
Steven Appleby

Respond to the e-mail as if you are Martha Simon. Say ONE time you are available
and ask TWO questions.

What is this e-mail about?

A request for an interview
Information about a new magazine
A subscription order

What pieces of information must you include in your response? How many must you include? Circle
the correct tasks and the number you need for each.
Question(s) 1 2 3
Request(s) 1 2 3
Time(s) available 1 2 3
Piece(s) of information 1 2 3
Order(s) 1 2 3

Samantha Hawkins
Hampton Human Resources
Positions at Hampton
August 10,20—
Dear Sir or Madam:
I am interested in applying for a position at Hampton Inc. I recently graduated from the university
and am interested in any openings you may have in your Marketing Department. If you have any
positions open, please let me know what they are and how I can apply.
Thank you.
Samantha Hawkins

Respond to the e-mail as if you are a human resources officer at Hampton, Inc. In
your e-mail, ask ONE question and give TWO pieces of information.

119
 1. What is this e-mail about?
a. An advertisement for a job
b. An application for a job
c. A request for information about jobs
2. What pieces of information must you include in your response? How many must you include? Circle
the correct tasks and the number you need for each.
a. Question(s) 12 3
b. Request(s) 12 3
c. Time(s) available 12 3
d. Piece(s) of information 1 2 3
e. Order(s) 12 3

1. Closing
2. Supporting information 2
3. Supporting information 1
4. Opening statement
5. Concluding statement
6. Greeting

__Dear Ms. Hawkins:

_ Thank you for your e-mail inquiring about positions at Hampton, Inc. _ I understand that you
are interested in working in our Marketing Department. We currently have an open position for a
Market Researcher. We plan to review applications next week.__Do you have any experience in
that area?__Let me know if you are interested in this position.

__Sincerely,
Michael White
Hampton Human Resources

__Dear Mr. Appleby,

__I will be very happy to let you interview me for your article.__ I will be free next Tuesday
afternoon at 2:00.1hope that is a good time for you. __ I have a couple of questions. How long do
you think the interview will last? Also, could you tell me exactly what the subject of your article is?
__I’m looking forward to meeting you.

Martha Simon

120
 WRITINGQUESTIONS 6-7: RESPONDTOAWRITTENREQUEST

Dear______________________,

I received your______________________about_______________________I will be available

______________________ I would like to ask you some things. First,______________________
_____________________________________ Also,_____________________________________
_____________________________________________________I look forward to seeing you next

Sincerely,

Dear______________________,

Thank you fo r_______________________________________________________. You asked about

We have_____________________________________ in our Marketing Department. It requires

________________________________________How much________________________________
______________________ ? I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Response Checklist: Questions 6 -7

Yes No

1 .1 included a greeting.

2 . 1 began with an opening statement and ended with a concluding

statement.

3 . 1 addressed all tasks given in the directions.

4 . 1 used a variety of sentence types and vocabulary.

5 . 1 used correct grammar and spelling.

121
 Mark Hayes
Easton Office Supply Company
Order
November 30,20—
I put in a large order for office supplies from your company several weeks ago. I received the order
yesterday; however, it was not complete. It did not contain the two boxes of manila envelopes that
I ordered. Can you please resolve this problem for me?
Thank you.
Mark Hayes

Respond to the e-mail as if you are an employee of the Easton Office Supply
Company. In your e-mail, explain TWO problems and make ONE request.

What is this e-mail about?

2. What tasks and how many of each are you asked to address in your response?

Mary Wilson
All staff
Tokyo visit
April 15, 20—
Greetings to all,
As you know, next week we will receive guests from our Tokyo office. I need some ideas for
interesting activities and places of interest they should visit. Also, I would like to know if any of you
are available to take our visitors out for a meal or to visit some special place.
Thanks for your help.
Mary Wilson

Respond to the e-mail as if you are a staff member. In your e-mail, make TWO
suggestions and offer to help with ONE task.

What is this e-mail about?

What tasks and how many of each are you asked to address in your response?

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___ Second, the person who packed your order forgot to include a note of explanation about the
envelopes.
___Dear Mr. Hayes:
___ Let me explain what happened.
___ First, we are currently out of envelopes but will get more at the end of the month.
___ I apologize again and will complete your order as soon as possible.
___ I have received your message about the problem with your order.
___Please let me know if you will still want the envelopes then.

___First, I think the guests should visit the art museum.

___I have a couple of suggestions for you.
___Second, I think they would also enjoy a walk in the City Gardens.
___I read your e-mail about the guests from the Tokyo office.
___ Hi Mary,
___Let me know if I can help in any other way.
___Also, I would be happy to invite them to my house for dinner on Wednesday.

[Greeting]_______
[Opening statement]

[Supporting information 1]

[Supporting information 2]

[Supporting information 3]

[Concluding information]

[Closing]

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 [Greeting]_______
[Opening statement]

[Supporting information 1]

[Supporting information 2]

[Supporting information 3]

[Concluding statement]

[Closing]

Response Checklist: Questions 6 -7

Yesi No

1 .1 included a greeting.
2 .1 began with an opening statement and ended with a concluding
statement.

3 .1 addressed all tasks given in the directions.

4 . 1 used supporting statements.

5 .1 used a variety of sentence types and vocabulary.

124
 Questions 6 -7 : Respond to a written request
Directions: In this part of the test, you will write a response to an e-mail.

Your response will be scored on

• the quality and variety of your sentences.

• vocabulary.
• organization.
Give yourself 10 minutes to read and answer each e-mail.

Writinq Test ^
0 o o
HELP 1 BACK NEXT )

Question 6 of 8

Samuel George
Janet Jones
Changing banks
February 23,20—
Dear Ms. Jones,
We understand that you have moved your accounts to another bank. We are very sorry to lose your
business. To help us provide better service in the future, would you mind telling us why you made
the decision to change banks? Thank you very much.
Sincerely,
Samuel George
National City Bank Customer Service

Respond to the e-mail as if you are Janet Jones. In your e-mail, explain ONE problem
and make TWO suggestions.

125
Writing Test ^ HELP ' ^ acK>

Question 7 of 8

John Jenkins
Shirley Park
Budget report
February 23,20—
Shirley,
I am working on the annual budget report as you requested. You asked me to have it finished by
next Friday; however, it’s taking longer than I thought. Could I have one more week to complete the
report? That way I would have time to do a thorough job.
Thank you.
John

Respond to the e-mail as if you are Shirley Park. In your e-mail, ask ONE question
and give TWO pieces of information.