Writing an Email to a Professor: Seeking Advice on Thesis Reading
Situations for Sending an Email to Professor
In TOEFL Writing Part 2, some questions ask you to write an email to a professor. In this scenario, you may be asked to make a request in an academic context, ask questions, or share updates on the progress of an academic project.
Since a professor is not your friend, you need to maintain a formal tone when writing the email, unless otherwise specified.
Creativity Tends to Be Important
When you are asked to write an email to a professor, TOEFL often provides only limited information or context. This means you need to use your creativity to develop details such as your current situation, any issues you have encountered, and updates on the project you are working on.
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.
You are enrolled in a course taught by Professor Singh. In the class, students are expected to work with several academic articles throughout the semester. Recently, you noticed that many of the readings include technical terms and research methods that are new to you.
You would like to strengthen your understanding of these materials so that you can participate more actively in class discussions.
Write an email to Professor Singh. In your email, do the following:
- Explain the difficulty you are experiencing with the readings.
- Ask for advice on how you might better approach the articles.
- Mention what steps you are already taking to improve your understanding.
Write as much as you can and in complete sentences.
Your Response:
To: Professor Singh
Subject: Question About Approaching the Course Readings
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: Professor Singh
Subject: Question About Approaching the Course Readings
Dear Professor Singh,
I have been working through the assigned articles for the course and have found them very interesting, but I sometimes struggle to fully understand the technical terms and research methods discussed in the readings. Because of this, I occasionally feel that I am not able to contribute as actively to class discussions as I would like.
Recently, I have started reviewing unfamiliar terms and rereading certain sections more carefully to improve my understanding. However, I was wondering if you might have any suggestions for approaching these articles more effectively.
Thank you for your guidance.
Best regards,
Joey
Overall Structure
This email follows a clear and effective structure that fits the requirements of the prompt. The response includes three main elements:
- A description of the difficulty with the course readings
- A request for advice from the professor
- A brief explanation of the student’s own efforts to improve
Because the response addresses all parts of the task, it fulfills the assignment completely.
Opening
I have been working through the assigned articles for the course and have found them very interesting…
The opening sentence introduces the topic naturally. The student acknowledges the value of the readings before describing the challenge. This helps maintain a respectful and positive tone when writing to a professor.
Explaining the Difficulty
I sometimes struggle to fully understand the technical terms and research methods…
This sentence clearly explains the problem. Instead of simply saying the readings are difficult, the writer specifies the exact issue: unfamiliar terminology and research methods. Specific explanations make the message clearer and more credible.
Connecting the Difficulty to Class Participation
I occasionally feel that I am not able to contribute as actively to class discussions…
This part shows why the issue matters. The student connects the reading difficulty to participation in class discussions, which demonstrates academic responsibility.
Showing Initiative
Recently, I have started reviewing unfamiliar terms and rereading certain sections…
This sentence is important because it shows that the student is already making an effort to improve. Professors usually respond positively when students show initiative instead of relying entirely on the instructor.
Asking for Advice
I was wondering if you might have any suggestions for approaching these articles more effectively.
This question is polite and appropriate for academic communication. The phrase “I was wondering if you might…” softens the request and keeps the tone respectful.
Closing
Thank you for your time and guidance.
This closing is brief but appropriate. In a short academic email, a simple and polite closing is usually best.
