Write Email gives you 9 minutes and a target of 80 to 120 words. Nine minutes is enough to think, but not if you are also inventing a structure. These templates supply the structure so your nine minutes go on the content the prompt actually asks for.
Each template is sized to land between 95 and 110 words once filled, which keeps you inside the range even if you add a sentence.
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| Element | Words | Always present? |
|---|---|---|
| Greeting | 2-4 | Yes |
| Purpose sentence | 12-18 | Yes |
| One paragraph per prompt point | 20-30 each | Yes — usually two or three |
| Action sentence | 12-18 | Yes |
| Sign-off and name | 3-4 | Yes |
| Recipient | Greeting | Sign-off | Contractions? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unnamed company or department | Dear Sir or Madam, | Yours faithfully, | No |
| Named person, formal | Dear Ms. Adeyemi, | Kind regards, | No |
| Manager you know | Dear Ms. Adeyemi, | Kind regards, | Sparingly |
| Colleague | Hi Dana, | Best wishes, | Yes |
| Team, plural | Hi all, | Best wishes, | Yes |
| Friend or neighbour | Hi Priya, / Dear Mr. Feldt, | Best, / Kind regards, | Yes |
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Dear [name], I am writing to request [the thing] for [the period or occasion]. [Reason, one sentence. Be specific: a date, an event, a constraint.] [How the impact will be managed: who will cover, what you will finish first, what will not be affected.] Could you confirm whether this is possible? If [the request] is difficult, I could [alternative] instead. Kind regards, |
| Use when the prompt says |
|---|
| ask for leave / ask for an extension / ask for permission / apply for something |
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Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing regarding [order or reference number and the item or service], [delivered or provided] on [date]. [The problem, described concretely: what is wrong, how many, what state it arrived in.] [One extra fact that strengthens the claim: the packaging was intact, the fault appeared immediately, I have kept the receipt.] I would like [the specific remedy you want], and I would prefer not to [the cost you should not bear]. Please confirm what arrangements you will make. Yours faithfully, |
| Use when the prompt says |
|---|
| complain / report a problem / request a refund or replacement / say you are dissatisfied |
Name the remedy you want. A complaint that describes a problem without stating what should happen leaves out the point the prompt usually asks for.
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Dear [name], I am writing to apologise for [what happened] on [date]. [The reason, stated briefly and without excessive excuse. One sentence.] [What you have already done about it: the corrected version is attached, the order has been reissued, I have spoken to the supplier.] [What will prevent a repeat, if the prompt asks.] Please let me know if anything further is needed. Kind regards, |
| Use when the prompt says |
|---|
| apologise / explain why something went wrong / respond to a complaint |
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Hi all, A quick note about [the change or event]. [What is happening and when, in one sentence with a specific date and time.] [What people need to do, with a deadline. Be concrete: pack by 7:45, register before Friday, bring photo ID.] [What is not changing, or what someone else is handling. This is the sentence that prevents follow-up questions.] If anything is unclear, [named person and role] is the person to ask. Best wishes, |
| Use when the prompt says |
|---|
| inform / announce / tell your team / give instructions |
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Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing to enquire about [the course, service or product] advertised [where you saw it]. Could you tell me [question one], [question two] and [question three]? I would also like to know whether [availability, deadline or eligibility]. [Your own situation, in one sentence: your level, your requirement, your timescale. This is what makes the reply useful.] Thank you for your help. Yours faithfully, |
| Use when the prompt says |
|---|
| ask for information / enquire about / find out whether |
Grouping three questions into one sentence is efficient at 100 words. Three separate question sentences costs 15 words you need elsewhere.
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Hi [name], I am writing to invite you to [event] on [date] at [time], at [place]. [What the event is and why you are inviting this person: one sentence.] [Practical details: what to bring, whether there is food, how to get there, whether to reply by a date.] Let me know by [date] whether you can make it. [Optional: if that date does not work, we could look at another.] Best wishes, |
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Dear [name], Thank you for [the invitation, offer or request]. Unfortunately I will not be able to [do it]. [The reason, one sentence, without over-explaining.] [What you can offer instead: a different date, a partial contribution, a suggestion of someone else.] I am sorry to miss it, and I hope [it goes well / we can arrange something later]. Kind regards, |
Decline in the second sentence. An email that reaches the refusal in the final line has spent its word budget on the wrong thing.
| Function | Formal | Informal |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | I am writing to request / regarding / to enquire about | Just a quick note about / I wanted to ask about |
| Give a reason | This is because / owing to / due to | The reason is / it is because |
| Report a problem | Unfortunately / The difficulty is that | Something has gone wrong with |
| Request action | Could you confirm whether / I would be grateful if you could | Could you let me know / Can you check |
| Offer an alternative | If that is not possible, I could | If not, we could |
| Reassure | Please be assured that / I have already arranged for | Do not worry, I have already |
| Close | I look forward to hearing from you. | Let me know. |
| Weak filling | Strong filling |
|---|---|
| I need some time off next month. | I need three days from Wednesday 12 to Friday 14 March. |
| The item was damaged. | One leg was cracked at the joint and the top surface was scratched. |
| Someone will cover my work. | Joachim has agreed to cover the scheduling desk. |
| Please reply soon. | Could you confirm by Friday so I can book the travel? |
| There is a problem with the meeting. | The room is double-booked at 14:00, so we need the annexe instead. |
Every strong version is the same length or shorter than the weak one. Specificity is not a word cost — it replaces vague words rather than adding to them.
| Error | Fix |
|---|---|
| A prompt point with no paragraph | Number the points and tick them off before submitting |
| Outside 80 to 120 words | Count at minute seven, not at minute nine |
| Formal greeting with informal body | Choose one row of the register table and stay in it |
| Template visible as a template | Fill every bracket with specific content; do not leave generic phrasing |
| Copying the prompt wording | Paraphrase; copied words waste your budget |
| No greeting or no sign-off | Both are required in every email |
Between 80 and 120, and 95 to 110 is the safe target. These templates are sized to land in that band once filled, so adding a sentence will not push you over.
A structure, yes. Memorised sentences, no — they usually fit the prompt imperfectly and eat the word budget you need for the actual content. Learn the skeleton and the sentence functions, then fill them with what this prompt asks for.
By the recipient, not the situation. A complaint to a company is formal; a complaint to a colleague is not. Pick one row of the register table and keep the greeting, body and sign-off consistent with it.
You have room for three — that is what the 20 to 30 words per paragraph allocation is for. If you are running out of space, the purpose or action sentence is too long, not the points. Every listed point needs coverage.
Yes. Specific dates, names and figures make the email concrete and score better than vague statements, and they usually take no more words. Nobody verifies the content.
Nine minutes per email, and PTE Core includes two of them in Part 1. Using a template frees most of those nine minutes for content and the word count check.
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