Providing Feedback on a Colleague’s Proposal for a Meeting Summary
Situations for Sending an Email to Colleague
In TOEFL Writing Part 2, you are tasked to compose an email based on a given situation. One common scenario is writing an email to a colleague about an event that has already taken place. In this case, the email typically focuses on providing feedback or suggesting ways to improve future events.
Because this type of email serves a professional purpose, it is important to maintain an appropriate level of formality throughout the message.
Maintain Formality
The level of formality in an email depends on the context and the relationship between the sender and the recipient. In TOEFL Writing Part 2, emails addressed to colleagues are generally written for professional purposes. Although colleagues are not strangers, the relationship is typically work-related rather than personal.
For this reason, casual or informal language is usually inappropriate unless the prompt explicitly allows it. Maintaining a clear and professional tone is essential in this task.
Now, let’s try writing an email based on a similar scenario.
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.
Your colleague Jordan recently introduced a new way of summarizing weekly project updates during team meetings. Instead of giving detailed verbal reports, each team member now prepares a short visual slide that highlights key progress, challenges, and next steps.
The team has tried this format for two meetings so far. While the approach has made the meetings more structured, some aspects of the new format may still need adjustment.
You would like to share your thoughts with Jordan.
Write an email to Jordan. In your email, do the following:
- Describe your experience with the new meeting format.
- Mention one aspect that you found particularly effective.
- Offer one thoughtful comment about how the format could work even better for the team.
Write as much as you can and in complete sentences.
Your Response:
To: Jordan
Subject: Thoughts on the New Meeting Update Format
Remember that you only have 7 minutes to complete the task. This means you are not expected to provide an in-depth analysis of the problem or detailed suggestions. Keep your ideas simple and focus on clarity.
Also, since you are writing an email to a colleague, the tone does not need to be overly formal. As long as you avoid highly colloquial expressions, a polite and natural style is enough.
Model Answer
To: Jordan
Subject: Thoughts on the New Meeting Update Format
Hi Jordan,
After the past two meetings, I wanted to share a quick thought about the new slide-based update format. I found that having everyone summarize their progress visually made it much easier to understand the overall status of the projects. It also helped the discussion move forward more smoothly because the key points were already clear.
One thing I noticed, though, is that some slides contained quite a lot of information, which made them a bit difficult to follow during the meeting. Perhaps encouraging shorter bullet points could keep the updates quick and focused.
Overall, I think the new format has made the meetings more efficient.
Best regards,
Joe
Explanation
This response works well because it does exactly what the task requires without trying to do too much. In a 7-minute email task, that is very important. The writer gives a clear reaction to the new format, points out one strong feature, and then adds one thoughtful comment in a constructive way.
Opening
After the past two meetings, I wanted to share a quick thought about the new slide-based update format.
This is a natural way to begin. It immediately tells the reader why the email is being written. At the same time, it does not sound too formal or too stiff. The phrase “a quick thought” helps keep the tone friendly and appropriate for writing to a colleague.
Positive Point
I found that having everyone summarize their progress visually made it much easier to understand the overall status of the projects.
This sentence clearly explains one benefit of the new format. Instead of saying only that the system was “good” or “helpful,” the writer explains why it was useful. That makes the feedback more convincing and more specific.
Further Support
It also helped the discussion move forward more smoothly because the key points were already clear.
This sentence adds a second layer to the same positive idea. The response does not introduce a completely new topic here. Instead, it develops the first point naturally. That gives the email better flow.
Constructive Concern
One thing I noticed, though, is that some slides contained quite a lot of information, which made them a bit difficult to follow during the meeting.
This is a good example of constructive feedback. The writer does not sound harsh or negative. The phrase “One thing I noticed, though” creates a smooth transition, and “a bit difficult to follow” is softer than a direct criticism. That tone fits a workplace email very well.
Thoughtful Comment
Perhaps encouraging shorter bullet points could keep the updates quick and focused.
This is effective because it offers a practical idea without sounding demanding. The words “Perhaps” and “could” make the suggestion polite. In this task, that is better than sounding too strong or too critical.
Closing
Overall, I think the new format has made the meetings more efficient.
The final sentence leaves the email on a positive note. Even though the writer mentioned one concern, the overall message is supportive. That balance is important in a feedback email to a colleague.
