Most first emails get no answer at once, and a polite follow-up is normal. In this exercise you write two short emails: one after no reply, and one after a "not now". Read both situations below before you press Start exercise. They stay on this page, so you can close the exercise to look something up and carry on where you were.
The situation
All companies, people and figures are invented for teaching.
Priya Shah is an account manager at Margie's Travel, a business travel agency in Manchester. Lamna Healthcare, a home care provider, has opened two new offices, and its job adverts say care coordinators travel between Manchester, Leeds and Bristol. On Tuesday, 3 November, Priya sent this email to Lamna's operations manager.
Priya Shah
priya.shah@margiestravel.example
Travel between your three offices
Hi Mr Okafor, I saw in your job advert that Lamna's care coordinators now travel between Manchester, Leeds and Bristol. Congratulations on the two new offices. When a team starts travelling regularly, bookings and expense claims quickly pile up. We book train travel and hotels for 12 care and health providers in the North West, with one booking form for staff and one invoice a month for finance. Would a one-page overview of how this works be useful to you? Best regards, Priya Shah Account Manager, Margie's Travel Unit 2, Canal Yard, Manchester 0161 496 0000 If this is not relevant, just reply "no" and I will not write again.
Situation A: no reply
It is Monday, 9 November. Daniel has not replied. Write Priya's follow-up as a reply in the same thread (so the subject stays "Re: Travel between your three offices" and you do not need to write one).
30 to 90 words.
Start with a greeting to Mr Okafor.
Add one new angle. Pick one: an example (a care provider that used to receive about 200 travel receipts a month now gets one invoice), a one-page travel policy template you can send, or the question whether someone else at Lamna handles travel.
Ask exactly one question.
No "just checking in", no "bumping this", no "did you see my email?".
End with a sign-off, your name and the opt-out line.
Situation B: "not now"
On Wednesday, 11 November, Daniel replies:
Daniel Okafor
daniel.okafor@lamnahealthcare.example
Re: Travel between your three offices
Hi Priya, Thanks for your email. Travel is not a priority right now, we are still settling into the new offices. Maybe in Q3. Daniel
Q3 means the third quarter of the year: July, August and September, if the company's year starts in January. Some companies use a different financial year, so when in doubt, name a month.
Write Priya's answer:
25 to 80 words.
Thank him and accept his answer.
Suggest a concrete time in Q3 (for example early July) and ask whether you may get back to him then. That is your one question.
No pressure: no "are you sure?", no "it only takes 15 minutes", no deadline.
End with a sign-off and your name.
Model answers
Other answers can be just as good.
Priya Shah
priya.shah@margiestravel.example
Re: Travel between your three offices
Hi Mr Okafor, One more idea since my last email. A care provider we work with used to receive about 200 train and hotel receipts a month from its coordinators. Now staff book through one form, and finance gets one invoice. Would something like that be useful for Lamna too? Best regards, Priya Shah Margie's Travel If this is not relevant, just reply "no" and I will not write again.
Why it works: it adds one concrete example, it is shorter than the first email, and the one question is easy to answer.
Priya Shah
priya.shah@margiestravel.example
Re: Travel between your three offices
Hi Daniel, Thank you for letting me know, that makes sense while the new offices settle in. Shall I get back to you in early July? All the best, Priya
Why it works: it accepts his answer at once, names a concrete time and asks permission. He wrote "Hi Priya" and signed with his first name, so Priya can answer the same way. If he says yes, she notes a reminder for early July and writes nothing until then.
Teacher notes
How to run it (35 minutes). 5 minutes: read the situation together; check that everyone understands "Q3" and "thread". 10 minutes: the ordering, sorting and quiz tasks. 15 minutes: the two writing tasks. 5 minutes: two learners read out their "not now" answers; the class says how Daniel would feel reading them. With a class link, learners hand in a result code at the end.
What the trainer checks. The live checks look for simple text patterns: a greeting with the name, a reference to the earlier email, a word that signals a new angle, exactly one question mark, no "checking in" or "bump", a time in Q3, a request for permission and a sign-off followed by a name. They are hints, not a grade. A pushy email can pass them, and a good one can miss one. The self-checks and a human reader matter more.
Common mistakes.
Writing a follow-up that repeats the first email, only longer.
Hiding blame in polite words: "As I have not heard from you..." or "I am sure you are very busy, but...".
Answering "not now" with a sales pitch or a discount.
Writing "I will contact you in Q3" without asking. It is not wrong, but asking ("Shall I...?") leaves the decision with Daniel.
Forgetting to stop: after Daniel's reply, the remaining steps of the sequence must not go out.
Follow-up questions.
How is answering "not now" different from answering "no"? What do you do differently afterwards?
Why does the model answer to Daniel use "Hi Daniel" when the first email used "Hi Mr Okafor"?
What would you write if Daniel had answered "We already have a travel agency"? (Thank him, accept it, and at most ask once whether you may stay in touch.)
For business English classes. Collect the phrases for accepting and postponing: "That makes sense." / "Thanks for letting me know." / "Shall I get back to you in...?" / "I will make a note to..." / "Good luck with...".