Imagine that you are writing an e-mail to a government official to ask him or her to provide information to your town about how to conserve water. Which sentence uses an appropriate tone for an e-mail to a government official?

It would benefit many people to learn how to help protect our environment.

Explanation:

Writing a letter to a government official entails a formal form of letter writing, or in this case an email, which requires the use of formal language. Such documents or communicating mediums are required for a formal setting such as a government official.

And in writing a letter to the official requesting information about how to conserve water, the language used will be in a formal tone, presenting a good and persuasive emotional appeal. There is no space for an informal tone or speech, for it is an official letter addressed to a government employee. Thus, the use of words such as "we were thinking you could give us", "You would be the coolest", or even demeaning words such as "not sure how much you know about conserving water" cannot be used.

Thus, the correct approach is to use words such as "it would benefit many people to learn how to help protect our environment".