Writing an Inquiry Email about Online Shopping (Intermediate)
Patterns for Inquiry Emails
In this question format, you are given a situation in which you attempted to complete a task but encountered a problem along the way. The issue may involve a technical error, a system problem, or human error. You are then required to write an email to the person or department in charge.
Depending on the prompt, your email should include some or all of the following elements:
- A brief introduction that maintains appropriate formality and explains the background
- A clear description of the problem you experienced
- A request for assistance or a solution
- A request for confirmation or clarification, if necessary
In real life, inquiry emails cover a wide range of situations, and the same is true in TOEFL tasks. Topics may include anything from school admissions to hotel reservations.
Maintain Formality
The level of formality in an email depends on the context and the relationship between the sender and the recipient. In general, inquiry mail is sent to stranger to you, meaning that certain level of formality should be maintained for politeness.
For this reason, avoid using casual or colloquial expressions when writing an inquiry email. A clear, polite, and neutral tone is the safest and most appropriate choice.
Practice Question
Email Prompt
You will read some information and use the information to write an email. You will have 7 minutes to write the email.
You recently ordered an item from an online shopping website. According to the order details, the item was expected to arrive within three to four days. However, one week has passed, and you have not yet received the product. You also have not received any update regarding the shipping status.
You would like to contact the company to ask about your order.
Write an email to the customer support team. In your email, do the following:
- Explain when and what you ordered.
- Describe the problem you are experiencing.
- Ask for information about the delivery status or next steps.
Write as much as you can and in complete sentences.
Your Response:
To: Customer Support
Subject: Inquiry About Delayed Delivery
When writing an inquiry-type response, it is important to mention when the issue occurred. If the prompt does not specify a date, you are expected to supply one yourself, using expressions such as “three days ago” or “a week earlier.”
However, in this prompt, the time is already provided: “one week has passed.” Therefore, instead of inventing a date, you should state that the order was placed a week ago.
Model Answer
To: Customer Support
Subject: Inquiry About Delayed Delivery
Dear Customer Support Team,
I am writing to inquire about an order I placed on your website one week ago. According to the order confirmation, the item was expected to arrive within three to four days. However, the product has yet to be delivered, and there has been no information provided about its shipping status.
I wanted to check whether the order has been shipped or if there has been any delay. If additional information is needed from my side, please let me know. I would appreciate any update you can provide regarding the delivery.
Thank you for your assistance.
Kind regards,
Joe
Sharing Background (When and How)
In inquiry emails, it is generally not appropriate to begin by stating the problem directly. A more polite and effective approach is to first explain the background that led to the issue.
When describing the background, be sure to include:
- What action you took
- When you took that action
In this case, for example, you placed an order on an online shopping website about a week ago. Once you clearly state this basic information, you may add reasonable details to provide context. As long as these details remain consistent with the situation, it is acceptable to include information that is not explicitly mentioned in the prompt.
I am writing to inquire about an order I placed on your website one week ago. According to the order confirmation, the item was expected to arrive within three to four days.
At this point, you don’t necessarily have to include the problem itself you encountered. We will write it in the following sentences.
Describing Problem
After you explain the background and mention when the action was taken, the next step is to clearly state the problem you encountered.
In this prompt, the problem is explicitly stated in the given email, so you don’t need to invent any details. Simply restate the issue in your own words.
Below is the sentence that introduces the problem in the prompt.
However, one week has passed, and you have not yet received the product. You also have not received any update regarding the shipping status.
Suggestion (Requesting Updates and Next Steps)
In the latter half of the email, you need to clearly state what you want the recipient to do. According to the prompt, you are required to make two requests:
- Ask for an updated delivery date
- Ask what you should do next
In the model answer, this part is described as follows:
For the first request, you can simply rephrase what is stated in the prompt. For the second request, you are allowed to add reasonable details using your own words, as long as they stay within the situation.
In the model answer, this part is written as follows:
I wanted to check whether the order has been shipped or if there has been any delay. If additional information is needed from my side, please let me know. I would appreciate any update you can provide regarding the delivery.
This sentence politely asks both for next steps and for an update, without sounding demanding.
You could also take a different approach, such as asking about the procedure for canceling the order, if that better fits the situation. As long as your request is logical and expressed politely, it will be evaluated positively on the test.
For example, the following sentence is another appropriate way to ask about the next step in an inquiry email.
If the item has not yet been shipped, please let me know whether it would be possible to cancel the order and receive a refund.
