An email request
Do the preparation task first. Then read the text and tips and do the exercises.
Preparation
Dear Ms Leitman,
I am writing to request your help following a change in my circumstances.
As you know, I am enrolled on the Basic Spanish course at your college, which starts in September. However, due to unforeseen family events, I have had to leave the country for a while to assist my parents in Hong Kong.
At present it is not clear when I will be able to return and unfortunately I will not be able to start the course as planned.
I would like to request a refund for the course fees already paid. I apologise for the short notice and for any inconvenience caused. In the event that a refund is not possible, I would be grateful if you could postpone my enrolment until my return.
Thank you in advance for your help and I hope to be able to update you on the situation soon.
Yours sincerely,
Honor Singh
Tips
- Organise the letter clearly into:
- The reason for writing
- The nature of the problem
- The outcome you'd like
- An apology for the inconvenience
- Don't go into too much personal detail when explaining the problem, as this is a formal situation with a person you don't know well.
- To make polite requests use the phrase I would be grateful if you could …
- Using nouns instead of verbs can make your writing sound more formal. (For example, instead of My circumstances have changed, say There has been a change in my circumstances.)
- Sign off Yours sincerely, if you know the person's name and Yours faithfully, if you don't.
Do we need a comma after "which" in this case?
As far as I know, we use a comma before "which" when introducing a clause that provides extra, non-essential information. If you remove the "which" clause, the sentence still makes perfect sense.
Here we are talking about a certain programme, and the month it is held in specifies which one.
Hello Maria Zak,
No, no comma is required here as this is not a relative clause. Rather, it is a wh-clause used as the object of the verb 'specifies'. You can read more about these clauses here:
https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/free-resources/grammar/english-grammar-reference/reporting-verbs-wh-if-clauses
Peter
The LearnEnglish TEam
Dear Peter,
Thank you for yout kind answer. Then maybe you should remove it from the quoted sentence in the example letter. It's confusing my students.
Hello again Maria Zak,
I think there's been a misunderstanding! You didn't quote any sentence in your initial question, so I assumed you were talking about the last sentence in your post, which ends 'which one' - that's why I talked about the verb 'specifies'.
If you are referring to a sentence in the text of the email, please quote the sentence.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Johanatan Valdez
The last time I had to cancel something because of an unforeseen situation, it was in the COVID-19 pandemic. I had to cancel a flight due to lockdowns and travel restrictions
Dear Mr. Leitman,
Im writing to request a refund for the course Spanish level 2.
As you know, I am enrolled at your course Spanish level 2, starting this September. Due to unforeseen events Im not able to attend the start up of this class in September. Im travelling to Norway to take care of my parents, and its uncertain when I am able to return.
I would be grateful if there is possible to return my tuition fee. If this is not the case, I would be grateful if I can join the class when I get back. I apologize for the short notice and any inconveniences caused by this.
Yours faitfully,
May
Dear Mr. X
Good Afternoon,
I hope that you have received my above email along with the documents.
Thanks and Best Regards.
Dear Mr. Sam Levy,
I am contacting you regarding the lashes session that I have registered for, which will start in September 19.
I am writing to request your help as there has been a change in my circumstances. Due to unforeseen reason, I have had to leave the country and assist my parents in Paris. At present, it is not clear when I will be able to return. Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend the course. I am kindly asking if it is possible to get a refund for the course fees already paid. If a refund is not possible, I would be grateful if you can postpone my enrolment until my return.
Thanks in advance for your support and understanding.
Yours Sincerely
Adele H
Dear Mrs. Jane
I am writing to ask for your assistance in changing the date of my interview.
It is stated in your email that my interview is scheduled for next Saturday morning. Unfortunately, I will have extra classes at the same time due to an unforeseen change in my school timetables. Thus, I’m afraid that I can’t be able to attend the interview as planned.
I would like to request a rearrangement of my interview. Could you switch my schedule to another day? It would be great for next Sunday because I’m certainly assured that I don’t have any trouble. I sincerely apologize for the short notice and any inconvenience caused. In the event that a rearrangement is not possible, I would be grateful if you have a better proposal.
Thank you in advance for your help and I hope to be able to update you on the situation soon.
Yours sincerely,
Hannah
Dear Sarah,
I am writing to request your help following the change in my schedule.
As you know, I am enrolled in your English learning course which starts in November. However, due to unforeseen personal events, I have had to leave for the hospital located in BC province to take care of my father. It is currently not clear when I will be able to attend the class.
I would like to request a refund for the tuition fees already paid. I apologize for the short notice and any inconvenience caused. In the event that a refund is not available, I would be grateful if you could postpone my enrolment until my return.
Thank you in advance for your help and I hope to be able to keep you posted on my situation. I look forward to hearing from you.
With warmest regards,
John