This topic tests something different — not a grammar rule, but whether you know what people actually SAY in a given situation, and how a formal email should sound.
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A dialogue-completion question needs a reply that fits the SITUATION, not just a grammatically correct sentence.
📌 Reading a dialogue question
Identify who is speaking and what they want — a request, an apology, an invitation?
Match the register — a reply to a teacher is more formal than a reply to a friend.
Reject options that are grammatically fine but socially wrong — for example, a rude reply to a polite request.
✨ Everyday functional phrases
Making a suggestion
polite, not a command
"Why don't we try the new route?"
Politely declining
softened refusal
"I'd love to, but I have a prior commitment."
The same words can be right in one situation and rude or odd in another — the trap is choosing a technically polite phrase that does not fit the specific scene.
📊 Situation and the expected response
| Situation | Expected kind of response |
|---|---|
| Someone apologises to you | Accept graciously — "That's quite all right." |
| You are asked for permission | Grant it politely, or decline with a reason. |
| You disagree with an elder | Disagree respectfully, never bluntly. |
| Someone congratulates you | Thank them, do not deflect rudely. |
Olympiad trap: "No problem" is casual and fine among friends, but a formal situation (addressing a Principal, writing to a company) needs "Thank you, I appreciate it" instead.
A formal email follows a fixed structure — Olympiad papers test whether you know each part and its correct tone.
🏆 Parts of a formal email
| Part | Correct form |
|---|---|
| Salutation | "Dear Sir/Madam," or "Dear Mr Sharma," |
| Opening line | "I am writing to enquire about…" — never "Hey, so…" |
| Closing | "Yours sincerely," (when you know the name) / "Yours faithfully," (when you do not) |
| Sign-off | Full name, no nicknames or emojis |
Pro tip: "Yours faithfully" pairs only with "Dear Sir/Madam" (name unknown); "Yours sincerely" pairs only with a named greeting like "Dear Mr Sharma". Mixing the two is a common Olympiad trap.
12 IEO-pattern questions on dialogue completion, situational responses and formal writing etiquette, including two Achievers-level questions.
