Negotiation · 8-minute guide
A clear ask is information you can act on.
A strong ask has three parts: a fact, a request, and a reason. Add a follow-up question that gives you useful information whether the answer is yes or no.
Rewrite one ask
The example
The regrade that never got asked for.
Tessa gets a 71 on an essay. The rubric says “no clear thesis,” but her thesis is underlined at the end of paragraph two. She rehearses asking for two weeks and says nothing. The review window closes Friday.
Her teacher has many essays and does not know Tessa wants a review. Not asking does not protect the relationship; it leaves the current result in place.
Practice
Build an ask that can return real information.
Your answers stay in this page and are not submitted or saved.
Check your understanding
Which ask is clearest?
“Can you change my grade?”
It names the outcome, but not the evidence or the specific review you want.
“I feel like I did better than this.”
The feeling matters, but it does not give the other person a concrete next move.
“My thesis is in paragraph two. Could we compare it with the rubric? I want to understand what I missed.”
Best fit. It includes a verifiable fact, a specific request, and a reason.
When this guide may not fit
This structure is for ordinary self-advocacy where it is reasonably safe to ask. It is not a script for coercion, retaliation, grooming, harassment, or another situation where the power difference creates a safety risk. In those situations, involve a trusted adult or the relevant safeguarding channel.