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Complete illustrative examples
These are editorial examples to adapt, rather than tested emails or curricula. Use only the promises and arrangements you can deliver.
Example 1: write a clear workplace request email
Learner: Adults who can already write short English sentences and need to request a document from a colleague.
Prerequisites
- Write and edit a short English paragraph.
- Open a plain document or email draft; sending an email is not required.
Materials: The fictional briefs below and a place to draft text. No real colleague's address or confidential document is needed.
One observable outcome
Given a fictional workplace brief, write a request email of no more than 120 words with a specific subject, the requested item, the supplied deadline, a relevant reason and a polite close.
Worked example
Brief: You are preparing a planning meeting for Friday. Ask Sam for the draft agenda by 3 pm Thursday so you can prepare the discussion questions.
Subject: Draft agenda for Friday's planning meeting Hi Sam, Could you send me the draft agenda by 3 pm Thursday? I will use it to prepare the discussion questions for Friday's planning meeting. Thanks, Alex
Why these choices: The subject names the item and meeting. The first sentence names the item and deadline. The second sentence gives the reason from the brief. The closing is polite. No extra facts or urgency have been invented.
Lesson plan
1. Extract the request from the brief
Explain: Before drafting, identify the item, deadline and reason. These are the facts the recipient needs to answer the request.
Show: For the agenda brief: item = draft agenda; deadline = 3 pm Thursday; reason = prepare discussion questions for Friday's meeting.
Try: New brief: You are rehearsing a presentation on Wednesday. Ask Jo for the presentation file by noon Tuesday so you can check the slide order. Write the item, deadline and reason as three notes.
Check: The notes should name the presentation file, noon Tuesday and checking the slide order before Wednesday's rehearsal. Revise any detail that differs from the brief.
2. Turn the notes into a subject and two sentences
Explain: Use the subject to identify the request. Put the requested item and deadline together, then add the reason in a separate sentence if it reads more clearly.
Show:
Subject: Presentation file for Wednesday's rehearsal Could you send me the presentation file by noon Tuesday? I would like to check the slide order before Wednesday's rehearsal.
Try: Add a greeting and polite closing to the presentation-file example. Remove a sentence if it repeats information without helping the recipient.
Check: A reader should find the item, deadline and reason without guessing. The subject should distinguish the request from a generic “Quick question.”
3. Draft and check a fresh request
Explain: The final attempt should use a new brief so the learner practises making the choices rather than copying a model.
Show: Use the complete agenda email above as the reference: underline the requested item, circle the deadline and mark the reason.
Try: Final brief: You are assembling a workshop handout for Monday. Ask Taylor for the room checklist by 4 pm Friday so you can include the setup instructions. Write the full email in no more than 120 words.
Check: Check the final email against the five criteria below. Revise missing or invented details, then read the revised email once as the recipient.
Final check
- The subject identifies the room-checklist request or Monday's workshop.
- The message asks Taylor for the room checklist.
- The deadline is 4 pm Friday, as supplied in the brief.
- The reason is to include setup instructions in Monday's workshop handout.
- The email has a polite close and is no more than 120 words.
Feedback and revision: For self-study, compare the draft with the criteria and revise it. If tutor feedback is offered, ask the tutor to identify the first missing criterion rather than rewrite the whole email.
Outside scope: One routine document request. Negotiation, conflict, sensitive personal information and a complete business-writing curriculum are outside this example.
Planning time: Illustrative plan: 5 minutes to extract facts, 10 minutes to inspect and adapt a model, and 10–15 minutes for the final draft and revision. Adjust after observing learners.
What to inspect in a pilot: If learners consistently invent deadlines or omit reasons, revise the brief-extraction activity before adding more email examples.
Example 2: organise a small workshop attendance table
Learner: Volunteer workshop organisers who can enter and edit spreadsheet cells but do not yet use a consistent attendance table.
Prerequisites
- Enter text into cells, edit a value and save a file.
- Recognise rows and columns in a spreadsheet.
Materials: A spreadsheet application and the fictional session records below. Use fictional records for practice; learners do not need to upload a real attendance list.
One observable outcome
Given eight fictional session records, produce a reviewable table with one source record per row, consistent date and attendance labels, and a separate note identifying a possible repeated record before deciding whether to remove it.
Worked example
Source records
12 Oct 2026; Morgan Lee; W101; yes 2026-10-12; Jamie Park; W102; attended 12 October 2026; Taylor Reed; W103; not recorded
| Session date | Attendee name | Booking reference | Attended? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-12 | Morgan Lee | W101 | Yes |
| 2026-10-12 | Jamie Park | W102 | Yes |
| 2026-10-12 | Taylor Reed | W103 | Not recorded |
Why these choices: All three dates use one format. The supplied labels “yes” and “attended” both mean Yes in this exercise. “Not recorded” stays unknown; it does not become No. Names and booking references remain as supplied.
Lesson plan
1. Set the row rule and headers
Explain: A row should describe one attendee at one session. The date belongs in a column, so another session can use the same structure.
Show: Use the four headers and three example rows above. The same person attending a second session would need a second row because it is a different attendance record.
Try: Create the four headers. Enter the first three records from the practice list below, keeping one record per row.
Check: Each entered value should sit under the matching header. There should be no second header row or session title mixed into the attendee rows.
2. Make equivalent labels consistent
Explain: Choose one readable date format and one set of attendance labels. Convert only values with a clear meaning in the supplied exercise; flag uncertainty instead of guessing.
Show: For this fictional dataset only: “yes” and “attended” become Yes; “no” and “absent” become No; “not recorded” stays Not recorded. Use YYYY-MM-DD for the session dates.
Try: Enter the remaining records and standardise their dates and attendance labels using those rules.
Check: Every date should match the chosen format. Every attendance cell should be Yes, No or Not recorded. Unknown attendance must remain unknown.
3. Review the possible repeat and inspect the table
Explain: A repeated name alone is not enough to delete a row. Compare the session, booking reference and name. Preserve uncertainty in a review note so another person can inspect the decision.
Show: If two source lines share 2026-10-15, Riley Chen and W203, label that pair as a possible repeated record. Keep the source copy and mark it for review. Do not silently discard a source line.
Try: Complete the table from all eight source lines. Add a separate review note identifying the possible repeat and the unknown attendance entry. Check the table with the criteria below.
Check: The source list still contains eight lines. Your working table retains all eight records for review; the note identifies the two W203 entries at the 15 October session. The W103 attendance remains Not recorded.
Fictional practice records
12 Oct 2026; Morgan Lee; W101; yes 2026-10-12; Jamie Park; W102; attended 12 October 2026; Taylor Reed; W103; not recorded 12 Oct 2026; Casey Bell; W104; no 15 Oct 2026; Morgan Lee; W201; yes 2026-10-15; Avery Stone; W202; absent 15 October 2026; Riley Chen; W203; yes 2026-10-15; Riley Chen; W203; attended
Final check
- The table has the four named headers and one source record per row, with no notes mixed into the data rows.
- All session dates use YYYY-MM-DD and match the supplied dates.
- Attendance labels are consistently Yes, No or Not recorded; W103 stays Not recorded.
- Morgan Lee's two different sessions remain separate records.
- A review note identifies both W203 records for 2026-10-15 as a possible repeat, and no source record has been silently deleted.
Feedback and revision: Use the supplied conversion rules and final checklist for self-review. In a supported pilot, ask learners to explain the possible-repeat decision before giving an answer. Correct the rule or instructions when the explanation reveals confusion.
Outside scope: Organising a small fictional table and flagging records for review. Spreadsheet formulas, automated deduplication, contact imports and decisions about real personal data are outside this example.
Planning time: Illustrative plan: 10 minutes for the structure and example, 10 minutes to enter and standardise the records, and 10–15 minutes to inspect and explain the review notes. Adjust after observing learners.
What to inspect in a pilot: If learners delete the second Morgan Lee row or change unknown attendance to No, revise the row-rule explanation and unknown-value example.
Choose one piece of work you can inspect
Name the starting material, the learner's action and the required features of the finished work. “Understand communication” is difficult to inspect. “Given a request brief, write an email that names the item, deadline and reason” gives the learner a visible target.
Decide how the learner will check the result before planning recordings. A checklist is enough for a small task when its criteria are concrete. Explain what happens when the work misses a criterion: compare with the example, revise the attempt or ask for feedback if feedback is part of the offer.
Give every lesson a demonstration, attempt and check
A short explanation introduces the decision. A worked example shows that decision in context. Practice asks the learner to make the decision with different material. The check helps them inspect the result. These are parts of the teaching task, not a required number of videos.
The examples below use three lessons to keep the structure visible. You can combine lessons when the task is simpler. Do not add modules merely to make a course look longer.
State the entry point and the boundary
List prerequisites as actions the learner can already do. State the materials and access they need. Specify what the course leaves for another lesson, such as advanced spreadsheet formulas or an entire business-writing programme.
Any timing below is an illustrative planning estimate. Allow extra time for different starting knowledge and access needs. If you offer a pilot, describe its actual delivery, feedback and support arrangements before inviting participants.
Before using your draft
- The learner, starting material and finished piece of work are explicit.
- The prerequisites describe actions the learner can already do.
- Every lesson contributes to the final task.
- The worked example shows the reasoning as well as the answer.
- The learner attempts a new task and receives a usable check.
- Time, format, support and exclusions are stated honestly.
Next step
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