# Email a professor or teacher about help, an extension, or a grade

A short, respectful email to your instructor that states your request clearly and gets a useful reply.

- Topic: Email & Workplace Communication
- Framework: Few-Shot
- Level: Standard
- Tags: Email, Education, Write, Explain & Teach, Fill-in Template
- Source: https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/prompts/email-a-professor-or-teacher-about-help-an-extension-or-a-grade

## Prompt

```text
Write an email from me to my professor or teacher.

**Who:** [NAME and title, e.g. "Dr. Lopez", "Mr. Chen"; course name and section]
**What I need:** [extension / meeting / question about material / question about a grade / missed class / recommendation request / other]
**The situation, honestly:** [WHAT HAPPENED, relevant dates]
**What I've already done:** [e.g. "checked the syllabus", "asked a classmate", "started the assignment"]
**What I'm asking for specifically:** [e.g. "48 more hours", "15 minutes at office hours"]
**Course policy, if known:** [e.g. "syllabus says extensions need 24 hours' notice"]

Requirements:
- Subject line with the course code and the request.
- Correct title and greeting. If I don't know their preferred title, use "Professor [Last name]" for college or the title I gave.
- State the request in the first two sentences.
- Brief, honest context; no over-explaining or excessive apology. Don't share private medical details beyond what's needed; "a health issue" or "a family emergency" is enough, and mention documentation if the policy requires it.
- Show I've checked the syllabus and respect their time.
- For a grade question: ask to understand the grading, not to argue for points.

Return a subject line, the email (under 150 words), and a one-line note on when to follow up if there's no reply.
```

## What to fill in

- WHAT HAPPENED, relevant dates
- e.g. "48 more hours", "15 minutes at office hours"
- e.g. "syllabus says extensions need 24 hours' notice"
- Last name

Free to copy and use. From ThinkWithPrompt (https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/), a library of 2,663 curated AI prompts.