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Practice

Write a polite email asking for help

You’re filling in the weekly report and you know the delivery date. What you need from a colleague is the right place to enter it. Write an email they can answer in one line.

Model email

Subject: Weekly report: where to enter the delivery date

Hi Sam,

I’m filling in this week’s report and I’m not sure which column to use for the delivery date.

Could you show me where to enter it? A completed row would help me see how to fill it in.

Thanks for your help,
Maya

Make your request easy to answer

Name the task in the subject line.
“Weekly report” tells Sam which document to open. “Delivery date” identifies the part Maya is asking about.
Explain where you’re stuck.
“I’m not sure which column to use” gives Sam more to work with than “I’m confused.”
Ask for one thing.
“Could you show me where to enter it?” is polite and specific. A sample row is one way Sam can answer that same question.

Try the email quiz

Three questions. Choose an answer to read its explanation. You can try another answer at any time.

1. Which subject line will help Sam find this email later?

A quick question

Try again. This sounds friendly, but Sam can’t see which task the question is about.

Weekly report: delivery date column

Correct. This names both the document and the field Maya needs help with.

Weekly report: late delivery

Try again. This suggests a delivery was late. Maya’s question is about recording a date.

2. Which sentence politely asks for the help Maya needs?

Could you finish the weekly report for me?

Try again. “Could you” is polite, but this asks Sam to do the whole task. Maya only needs guidance on one field.

Could you tell me when the delivery will arrive?

Try again. This asks for the delivery date itself. Maya already has the date.

Could you show me where to enter the delivery date?

Correct. Sam can answer by naming the column or showing a completed row.

3. How can Maya confirm she understood Sam’s reply?

Sam writes, “Use the Delivery column and include the day, month and year.”

Thanks, Sam. I’ll put the full date in the Delivery column.

Correct. Maya thanks Sam and repeats the instruction accurately. Sam can spot a misunderstanding straight away.

Thanks, Sam. I’ll enter the day and month only.

Try again. Sam also asked for the year. “The full date” includes all three parts here.

Thanks, Sam. Let me know when you’ve entered the date.

Try again. Sam explained how to do it. Maya is still the person filling in the report.

Try your own email (optional)

Now imagine you need to know where to enter a supplier’s name. Write a subject, greet your colleague, explain the difficulty, ask for help and close the email.

Compare with another example

Subject: Supplier name on the order form

Hi Sam,

I’m completing the order form. Could you tell me which box to use for the supplier’s name?

Thanks,
Maya

Different wording works. Can your colleague tell which form you mean and what they need to explain?