Professional Complaint to an Instructor

Written by AI · TOEFL · email · full marks on this task's criteria · 131 words

The task

You are enrolled in a ceramics course where students are assigned individual shelving units to store their works-in-progress. You discovered that a large, fragile sculpture you spent weeks creating has been severely damaged after someone moved it to make space for their own supplies. Write an email to your ceramics instructor. In your email, Describe the damage to your project, explain why you believe the current storage policy is insufficient, and propose a solution to ensure the safety of student work.

The answer

Dear Professor Halloway,

I am writing to report that my large coil-built sculpture was severely damaged yesterday. The base has cracked and several decorative appendages have shattered after someone shifted it to clear space on my assigned shelf.

While the current policy of communal storage encourages a shared studio environment, it clearly fails to account for the fragility of larger, long-term projects. When students are forced to move others' work to accommodate their own supplies, accidents become inevitable.

To prevent this, I propose that we implement a mandatory 'do not touch' tag system for works-in-progress that are particularly vulnerable. Additionally, designating a specific high-shelf area for large-scale pieces would keep them out of the high-traffic zones where this damage occurred. I hope we can address this before further work is compromised.

Why these choices work

Read these rather than the essay. Copying model phrasing is what costs marks — the technique is the part you can reuse.

I am writing to report

Opens directly with the purpose of the email, avoiding generic filler phrases.

While the current policy... it clearly fails

Uses a 'concession-rebuttal' structure to acknowledge the counter-argument before dismissing it with a stronger point.

accidents become inevitable

Employs a strong, logical assertion to explain the causal link between the policy and the damage.

I propose that we implement

Uses formal, action-oriented vocabulary to sound professional rather than merely complaining.

further work is compromised

Uses a sophisticated, precise verb that elevates the register of the complaint.

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Written by OpenWriting Coach's AI writer and reviewed before publishing. OpenWriting Coach is an independent tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to IELTS, the British Council, IDP, Cambridge, or ETS.