46/ 50
＋ Best follows the required order and gives a firm no.
－ The long warning section and postscript make it excessive.
Write an email that declines clearly
Puts the answer in the first two sentences and removes the hedging that invites another round.
| Category | Office work › Email |
|---|---|
| Tags | DraftingOffice workerTemplate |
| Updated | · 1 change |
Write an email declining or asking for understanding. Rules: 1. **The answer appears by the second sentence.** A long approach makes it worse, not gentler. 2. Structure: acknowledgment → the decline or the delay → one sentence of reason → an alternative or the next possible date. 3. **One sentence of reason.** Do not write a long explanation; it reads as a negotiating position. 4. **Do not leave room.** "It may be difficult" reads as a maybe and produces another round. If it is a no, it must read as a no. 5. If there is no alternative, say so. Do not manufacture one. 6. Match the level of formality to the relationship. Then: what not to say here, and why each would invite a follow-up. **Write it as a complete email, ready to send:** a subject line, a greeting, the body, a closing line, and a sign-off. ***Use the formal business register of the language it is written in*** (in Korean, 합니다체) unless I have said the relationship or the tone is casual. *Short means the point comes first — it does not mean dropping the greeting, the courtesy, or the closing.* *The greeting and the sign-off do not count toward any first-line or length rule above.*
After pasting, fill in the fields at the bottom (Relationship · What I am declining · Reason · Alternatives)
What this prompt does
Softening a refusal until it reads as a maybe is the common failure. This states it early, gives one reason, and refuses to leave an opening.
Model comparison
Claude is strongest on format and firmness. Gemini is specific but long, while ChatGPT is concise yet too ambiguous.
46/ 50
＋ Clearly predicts the follow-ups each phrase would invite.
－ The options are wordy and add an extra-contract detail.
43/ 50
＋ Concise and natural, with clear reasons and options.
－ “Would be difficult” leaves room and weakens the refusal.
| Criterion | ChatGPT | Claude | Gemini | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instruction following | 7 | 10 | 9 | Claude +11% |
| Accuracy | 9 | 10 | 10 | Tie |
| Specificity | 9 | 10 | 10 | Tie |
| Structure | 9 | 9 | 9 | Tie |
| Right length | 9 | 7 | 8 | ChatGPT +13% |
Scored 1–10 by gpt-5.6-sol with model names hidden (2026-09-24). This is an AI review, not a measurement.
Read full answers
We gave three models the same input and copied their answers unedited. Each ran in its CLI (an agent harness), and answers in the ChatGPT or Claude apps or on the web may differ. Outputs are in Korean.
Relationship: 장기 거래처. 앞으로도 계속 일합니다. What I am declining: 다음 주까지 추가 기능 두 개를 무상으로 넣어달라는 요청 Reason: 계약 범위 밖이고, 일정상 진행 중인 다른 작업이 밀립니다. Alternatives: 다음 분기 계약 갱신 때 범위에 포함하거나, 별도 견적으로 지금 진행하는 것
제목: 추가 기능 요청 관련 안내
안녕하세요, ○○님.
요청 주신 추가 기능 두 건은 이번 계약 범위에 포함하여 무상으로 진행하기 어렵습니다. 해당 요청은 계약 범위를 벗어나며, 현재 일정상 진행 중인 다른 작업에도 차질이 생깁니다. 다음 분기 계약 갱신 시 범위에 포함하거나, 별도 견적으로는 지금 진행할 수 있습니다.
검토 부탁드립니다. 앞으로도 원활히 협업하겠습니다.
감사합니다.
○○ 드림
여기서 피할 표현
“일정상 조금 어려울 것 같습니다.”
→ 가능성이 남아 있어 일정 조정이나 재검토를 요청하게 됩니다.“이번에는 최대한 검토해 보겠습니다.”
→ 무상 진행 여부를 다시 협상할 여지를 줍니다.“상황을 봐서 가능하면 진행하겠습니다.”
→ 확정된 거절이 아니므로 후속 확인을 부릅니다.“죄송하지만 여러 사정이 있어서 어렵습니다.”
→ 이유가 모호해 구체적인 사정을 더 설명하거나 설득하려는 대화로 이어집니다.
Change history
| Date | What changed and why |
|---|---|
| Added a default formal register and a complete-message format (greeting, closing, sign-off). |
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