An email request for help

Read an email asking for help from another department to practise and improve your reading skills.

Do the preparation task first. Then read the text and do the exercises.

Preparation

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Reading text

To:

James Forrester

Date:

6 November

Subject:

Possible help with product design

Dear James,

As you know, we have been working on the new perfume that we are launching in April and we are unsure about some of the packaging details. We have seen some of your creative work in the sales department and we think you have a very good eye for detail.

Do you have some time before close of business this Friday to sit down with us and talk through some of our designs? We would truly appreciate your advice on this. It shouldn't take longer than two hours of your time and we would be happy to clear it with Patricia, your department head, if necessary.

Best regards,

Sarah Ford

Head of Department
Product Design

Task 1

Exercise

Task 2

Exercise

Discussion

What should you include in an email asking for help?

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Language level

B1 - Intermediate

I think should include that what is the reason for them help.

Asking for help I would send some details in an attachment in order to get a colleague a bit more prepared for the meeting. He could think over some ideas before the meeting and shorten his own and overall time discussing.

Dear British Council maintenance team. I think there is a mistake in the task number 2 related with the order of the sentences. I think "Sarah asks Patricia for permission to use James" should go before "Sarah writes an email to James asking for help". I think it makes more sense this way, because you cannot send an email to an employee asking for help if you don´t have his superior permission. Thanks for all your great work, Javi.

Hello javibuendi,

The order is correct: the email is first and the request for permission is later.

The reason for this is that Sarah wants first to know if James is available. If he is, then she says she will clear it with his boss if necessary. James may say there is no need to talk to Patricia, for example.

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

Okay Peter, now I understand it better. Thanks for the explanation!

I think before we launch a new product, we should first test the packaging and its feasibility, so that other people see it like and are interested in our new product, before launching a new product there is a problem we can ask other people for help, one of them is via email by explaining the problem that occurred on these products, and don't forget to ask the readiness of the people we ask for their help.

I think that proposing some options is the most important when you ask for help; can you please help me with some project on 2pm this Friday or next Friday? In this case, receiver has comfortable to make a decision as they have two options. Just asking for help sometimes may sound rude. So, preparing some choice is essential in my personal experience.

i think we should include the problem after that ask for help next we should mention the time and the date clearly finally thank him and ask him if he could help us

Firstly why we need the persons help. The language of the email should be a requesting for help and not an obligation. If seeking time from someone, it should be flexible time and not on a fixed date and time.

it's not an obligation from the other part so you have to be kindness and show sympathy with the other, also you have to be clear with your message and show how important is his help for the project.