Problem: many B2 First candidates finish two full answers and still lose marks, because no one taught them to read their own writing the way an examiner does. Answer in brief: every B2 First Writing script is judged on four subscales — Content, Communicative Achievement, Organisation and Language — and the fastest way to gain marks is to check each answer against those four before you stop. Part 1 is always a compulsory opinion essay (both printed notes plus one idea of your own, 140–190 words); Part 2 is one task of your choice, often a letter or email whose register must match its reader. This guide teaches that examiner’s-eye method with short exact excerpts from Writing Excellence for the Cambridge B2 First Exam (Jobin Thomas) and four complete new model answers with word counts stated.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this article you will be able to: plan a compulsory Part 1 essay that covers both printed notes plus your own third idea; write a formal complaint email and an informal advice email that each sound like their reader expects; hold every answer inside 140–190 words; run a 40-minute routine per answer with checking time kept back; and mark your own scripts against Content, Communicative Achievement, Organisation and Language before you hand them in.
- State a clear opinion in a Part 1 essay and support each of the three ideas with a reason and a concrete detail.
- Switch register on demand: polite, contraction-free complaint for an official reader; warm, contracted, encouraging reply for a friend.
- Produce full answers of 140–190 words under timed conditions (every model below states its exact count).
- Correct the six faults in the clinic below, including tense choice for finished past events.
What the exam asks — and what this book trains
The official B2 First format gives Writing 1 hour 20 minutes and two equally weighted parts: a compulsory essay in Part 1 and a choice of task in Part 2, each answer 140–190 words. Each script is assessed against four subscales — Content, Communicative Achievement, Organisation and Language. Those facts are paraphrased from the official format page and handbook linked under Sources below; the 40-minutes-per-task split used in this article is a suggested routine, not an official rule. One dating note: the official format includes a set-text option on the for Schools paper, while the standard paper offers three Part 2 tasks — matching the book; check the current paper before the exam. The method below works for either.
The source book, Writing Excellence for the Cambridge B2 First Exam (Jobin Thomas), trains this paper in two halves. The first half is a complete Part 1 essay course: orientation to the paper, the four assessment scales in plain English, exact task requirements, a timed essay method, essay language, one fully annotated Band 3 versus Band 5 model pair, guided practice tasks, common mistakes and a mini mock. The second half trains letters and emails: formal versus informal tone, a planning method, useful phrases, three annotated models (formal complaint, informal advice, and a deliberate wrong-format example) and a self-check list. Two small edition quirks are corrected openly in this article: the guided-practice heading says “10 Tasks” but the edition contains five guided essay tasks (Tasks 1–5) plus three mini-mock options, and the letter/email self-check promises a report-writing section that is not present in this edition.
The 40-minute method, mapped to the four criteria
The book’s timing divides each answer into three stages: 8–10 minutes planning, 20–25 minutes drafting, and 5–7 minutes editing. The reason this works is that each stage protects different marks, as the table shows.
| Stage | Time | What it protects |
|---|---|---|
| Plan | 8–10 minutes | Content (all points covered) and Organisation (paragraph order decided) |
| Draft | 20–25 minutes | Communicative Achievement (steady register) and Language (range on show) |
| Check | 5–7 minutes | Language accuracy plus a last Content sweep for missed points |
Planning means underlining the topic and the two printed notes, choosing your own third idea, assigning one paragraph to each point, and fixing your register (formal and contraction-free for the essay; formal or informal for Part 2 according to the reader). Drafting means opening with a paraphrase of the prompt plus your stance, developing each paragraph with a reason and a concrete detail, and linking ideas only where a link genuinely shows a relationship. Checking means counting roughly into the 140–190 band, reading once for missed content and once for language slips, and repairing rather than rewriting.
Worked pair: one essay task, mid-level versus strong
The book’s most useful teaching move is showing the same task answered at two levels. Here is the exact task, then a short exact excerpt of the mid-level answer, then a complete new strong model with commentary.
The exact book task (Model Essay 1)
Exact excerpt from the source book. Task 1: “In your English class you have been talking about environmental problems. Now, your teacher has asked you to write an essay. Every country in the world has problems with pollution and damage to the environment. Do you think these problems can be solved? Write about: 1. transport 2. rivers and seas 3. … (your own idea).”
What a mid-level answer looks like
Exact short excerpt from the source book’s Band 3 sample. “We have big problems with transport. There are too many cars in my city and the air is really dirty. Sometimes I cannot even take a breath because the smoke from traffic is everywhere.”
The book’s annotation explains the verdict honestly: the essay discusses transport and rivers and seas but never adds a clear third idea of its own, so Content is capped; it lists problems with only a small solution, so the question “can these problems be solved?” is barely answered; and the tone slips toward chatty (“I cannot even take a breath”). Organisation is the salvageable part — one paragraph per bullet — which is worth copying. The repair is therefore precise: keep the paragraph-per-point skeleton, add a genuine third idea, answer “can they be solved?” explicitly, and lift chatty lines into neutral register.
New strong model on the same task (new suggested model, 180 words)
Every country faces serious pollution, but I believe these problems can be solved if governments and citizens act together. Transport, water protection and public education all have a part to play.
Firstly, transport emissions must fall. City air is often dirty because too many short journeys are made by car. If bus networks were cheaper and cycle lanes were safer, many drivers would leave their cars at home, and rush-hour fumes would drop quickly.
Secondly, rivers and seas need stronger protection. Factories still discharge waste into rivers, which then poisons fish and coastal wildlife. Governments should fine polluters heavily and publish the results, so that companies have a clear reason to change.
Finally, my own suggestion is school-based education. When children measure local air quality or visit a recycling plant, they carry the message home. Within a few years, whole neighbourhoods have sorted their waste in one well-known city project, which shows that habits can shift.
In conclusion, cleaner transport, guarded rivers and informed citizens can solve much of the damage. The tools exist; what matters now is using them.
Why this scores higher — criterion by criterion. Content: transport, rivers and seas, plus a distinct third idea (school-based education), each with a reason and a concrete detail, and the “can they be solved?” question answered in the first and last lines. Communicative Achievement: steady neutral register for a teacher reader (“I believe”, “should”, no contractions, no chat). Organisation: introduction with stance and map, three body paragraphs opened by Firstly, Secondly, Finally, and a conclusion that answers rather than repeats. Language: a conditional (“If bus networks were cheaper…”), a relative clause (“which then poisons fish”), a present-perfect link to the present (“have sorted their waste”, correctly chosen because the result continues to the present), and topic vocabulary (emissions, discharge, coastal wildlife) used precisely.
Letters and emails: formal complaint versus friendly advice
Letters and emails live or die on register — the same complaint that impresses a director would alarm a friend, and the warmth that suits a friend would sink a formal request. The book trains the two poles with two fully annotated Band 5 models.
Model 1: formal email of complaint (book task and approach)
Task summarised faithfully from the source book (adapted wording, same requirements). You attended a two-week English course abroad and several things went wrong. Write to the school director explaining which course and when, describing the problems, and saying what you want done, in 140–190 words in an appropriate style.
Exact short excerpt from the source book’s Band 5 model. “Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing to express my disappointment with the Intermediate English Intensive Course (Course ID 304) which I attended at your language school from 1st–14th August this year.”
What to copy: the opening names the course and dates at once (Content complete from line one); the tone is polite but firm throughout (“I would therefore like to request appropriate compensation”, never rude); problems are enumerated with Firstly, Secondly, Finally, each with one concrete detail (18 students against an advertised maximum of 10; unusable computers; a host family with no time to talk); and the closing states the desired outcome plus an expectation of reply. Note the diplomatic grammar the book highlights: passives (“was advertised”, “no action was taken”) describe faults without pointing a finger at the reader, which is exactly right for a complaint.
Model 2: informal email of advice (book task and approach)
Task summarised faithfully from the source book (adapted wording, same requirements). Your English friend Alex asked for advice on getting fit: little exercise because of studying, junk food while revising, constant tiredness and stress. Reply with advice on each problem plus encouragement, in 140–190 words.
Exact short excerpt from the source book’s Band 5 model. “Hi Alex, Thanks for your email! I’m really glad you’re looking to get fit and healthy – I have a few ideas that might help.”
What to copy: every bullet gets a concrete, schedule-aware suggestion (a 15-minute walk between study blocks; nuts and water on the desk instead of crisps; short breaks with stretching); the advice is hedged and friendly (“Why not…?”, “Maybe you can…”, “If I were you…”) rather than bossy; contractions, direct address and encouragement (“You can do it – I believe in you!”) hold the warm register; and the sign-off uses a first name only. The email reads as one flowing reply, not a checklist — that natural coverage is what Communicative Achievement rewards.
Why the task type is never optional
The book’s third letter model is deliberately uncomfortable: it answers an article prompt (“The Perfect Holiday” — ideal destination and activities) in the form of a formal letter to the editor. The content is actually good — tropical island, swimming, diving, surfing, local food, sunsets, with reasons — and the language is strong. Yet it would lose marks, because Communicative Achievement assesses whether you wrote the text type you were asked for. A letter’s greeting, “Dear Editor”, and “Thank you for the opportunity to contribute” cannot do an article’s job: no title, no hook for magazine readers, no lively direct address, no closing call to action such as “So pack your bags for the island paradise!”
The lesson is blunt and worth memorising: always write the text type on the paper, never the one you prefer. Before planning, circle the required type and its reader, and reject any opening line that belongs to a different genre. Content can be excellent and still be capped by the wrong format.
Practice bank: three tasks with full new models
Attempt each task under timed conditions (about 40 minutes: 10 planning, 25 writing, 5 checking) before opening its model. All names, dates and course details below are fictional practice data.
Practice 1 — Part 1 essay (adapted from the book’s mini-mock Task B)
Task (adapted; same situation, reworded). Your teacher has asked you to write an essay on this statement: “It is better to work at home than in an office.” Do you agree? Write about: 1. contact with people 2. working hours 3. … (your own idea). Write 140–190 words in a neutral essay style.
Reveal the new suggested model (168 words) and commentary
Whether working from home beats working in an office divides opinion. In my view, each suits different people, because contact with colleagues, control of hours and the home itself all matter.
Firstly, contact with people is weaker at home. Office workers chat, share ideas and solve problems quickly, whereas home workers can feel isolated. If employees met their team online every morning, some of that loneliness would lift, but screens cannot replace real conversation.
Secondly, working hours are more flexible at home. People can start early, take a proper lunch break or collect children from school. However, without fixed hours, some workers never truly stop, and evenings fill with unfinished emails.
Finally, my own point is cost. Home workers save fares and lunches, yet heating and electricity bills rise. Offices had already shifted many staff home before the last price rises, which shows that firms noticed the saving first.
In conclusion, home suits disciplined self-starters, while sociable people may thrive in offices. Neither choice wins for everyone.
Commentary. Content: both notes plus a distinct third idea (cost), each with a balanced reason, and a clear stance that answers “Do you agree?” Organisation: stance-and-map introduction, three signposted paragraphs, conclusion with judgement. Language: contrast structures (whereas, however), a conditional (“If employees met…”), and a past-perfect finished reference (“had already shifted…before the last price rises”).
Practice 2 — Part 2 formal email (newly written practice question)
Task (new). You recently finished a two-week weekend photography course at a local college, but the darkroom was closed throughout, the class had 22 students although the advert promised a maximum of 12, and the tutor arrived late to three sessions. Write an email to the course manager explaining which course you took and when, describing the problems, and saying what you would like done. Write 140–190 words in a formal style.
Reveal the new suggested model (150 words) and commentary
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to express my disappointment with the Saturday Photography Basics course (Course P12) which I attended at your college on 2–13 March this year.
Firstly, the darkroom was closed for the entire fortnight, although practical sessions had been advertised as the main attraction. As a result, we never developed a single print. Secondly, the class contained 22 students although the advert promised a maximum of 12, so individual guidance was almost impossible. Finally, the tutor arrived late to three sessions, which shortened already crowded lessons.
I mentioned the darkroom closure to reception during the second week, but no alternative was arranged. I would therefore like to request a partial refund or a free place on a future course where the advertised facilities are available.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your response.
Yours faithfully,
Daniel Reyes
Commentary. Content: course plus dates, three specified problems each with a consequence, prior complaint mentioned, outcome requested. Communicative Achievement: consistently formal — no contractions, “I am writing to express”, “I would therefore like to request”. Organisation: context paragraph, enumerated problems, history plus request, polite close. Language: past simple for finished events (“arrived”, “contained”), a past-perfect cause (“had been advertised”), and diplomatic passives (“was closed”, “was arranged”).
Practice 3 — Part 2 informal email (newly written practice question)
Task (new). Your English friend Jordan is spending a weekend in your town next month and has asked you where to go, where to eat, and what to pack for the weather. Reply with suggestions for each question plus a warm invitation, in 140–190 words in an informal style.
Reveal the new suggested model (140 words) and commentary
Hi Jordan,
Great to hear you’re coming — you’ll love it here! I’ve got a few ideas for your weekend.
For sightseeing, why don’t we start with the old castle on Saturday morning? The views are amazing, and there’s a market in the square below where you can grab souvenirs. If the weather holds, we could walk along the river in the afternoon — it only takes an hour and it’s really peaceful.
As for food, you have to try the little Italian place near my flat. Their pizzas are fantastic and they don’t cost much. And pack a warm jacket plus comfortable shoes, because evenings get chilly and we’ll be on our feet a lot.
I’m really looking forward to seeing you! Let me know what time your train arrives so I can meet you at the station.
Take care,
Priya
Commentary. Content: all three questions answered with concrete, personal suggestions plus invitation and arrival arrangement. Communicative Achievement: warm informal register throughout — contractions, “why don’t we…?”, “you have to try…”, exclamation, first-name sign-off. Organisation: greeting plus opener, one paragraph per question with signposts (“For sightseeing”, “As for food”), closing with a forward-looking line.
Error clinic: six faults and their fixes
These are the book’s six common essay faults, each with a faulty version, a repair, and the criterion it protects. The repairs are newly written mini-examples.
1. Under-length or over-length answers
Far under 140 words usually means a point was skipped (Content falls); far over 190 invites rushed errors (Language falls). Fault: a 95-word essay covering transport in one line each. Fix: plan three body paragraphs of 35–40 words each plus a roughly 25-word introduction and conclusion — that arithmetic lands near 155–170 words. Count lines roughly at the checking stage and add one developed sentence per thin paragraph.
2. Ignoring a bullet point
Fault: an essay on the transport-and-rivers task that discusses cars for three paragraphs and mentions rivers once. Fix: tick each bullet in the margin as you cover it; if rivers have only one sentence after drafting, stop and add a reason plus a detail (“Factories discharge waste, which poisons fish; fines would force change”). A chunk of required content can never be compensated by extra writing elsewhere.
3. Wrong register or tone
Fault: opening an essay with “Well, I guess we all know cars are bad, right?” or opening a friend’s email with “Moreover, I am writing to inform you”. Fix: essays stay neutral (“Many people argue that…”); formal letters avoid contractions entirely; informal emails welcome them. Read the first and last lines aloud: if the essay sounds chatty or the friend’s email sounds stiff, rewrite those two lines first.
4. Weak paragraphing
Fault: one unbroken block of 170 words, or every sentence on its own line. Fix: four to five paragraphs for the essay (introduction, one per point, conclusion); for letters, an opening, one paragraph per problem or question, and a closing. Leave a blank line between paragraphs so the examiner sees the structure instantly.
5. Over-generalising
Fault: “All young people waste time on social media, so every solution will fail.” Absolute claims sound unsubstantiated and invite contradiction. Fix: hedge with the book’s softeners — “Many young people spend a lot of time on social media, so some solutions may struggle.” Words such as many, often, tends to, may, seems protect both Communicative Achievement and credibility.
6. Tense slips on finished past references — and misused linkers
Fault: “By 2019, the town’s old factory has been transformed into a gallery.” The factory conversion is finished history, so the present perfect is wrong here; map type or topic never forces present perfect. Fix: use the past simple or past perfect for completed past events: “By 2019, the town’s old factory had been transformed into a gallery.” Keep present perfect for links to the present (“The gallery has attracted visitors since it opened”). The same checking pass should catch doubled linkers: “Although the scheme was popular, but money ran out” must lose one half — “Although the scheme was popular, money ran out.”
Independent timed task and self-check
Do this task closed-book in about 40 minutes, then mark it with the checklist. Task (adapted from the book’s guided Task 1; same situation, reworded). Your teacher has asked you to write an essay on this problem: teenagers in some areas leave school early to work. How can we help them continue their education? Write about: 1. family problems 2. financial difficulties 3. … (your own idea). Write 140–190 words in a neutral essay style.
Reveal the answer guidance (no single correct text — check yours against these points)
- Content: both bullets addressed with a cause and a remedy each (for example, caring duties met by flexible timetables; costs met by grants or free materials), plus a distinct third idea (for example, mentoring or part-time study schemes), with the “how can we help?” question answered.
- Communicative Achievement: neutral essay register throughout, clear opinion, no direct address to the reader and no email-style openings.
- Organisation: introduction paraphrasing the problem with a stance, one paragraph per point, conclusion with a judgement.
- Language: hedging where claims are broad (“often”, “may”), at least one complex sentence (conditional or relative clause), past tenses correct for any finished events, word count inside 140–190.
Condensed self-check, adapted from the book’s letter/email and essay checklists. Did I answer every bullet plus my own idea, with a reason and detail each? Does the first line match the required text type and reader? Is each paragraph one idea, opened with a genuine link? Is the register steady (no contractions in essay or formal letter; natural contractions to a friend)? Are finished past events in past tenses, linkers used singly, and the total inside 140–190 words?
Study sequence with the book
- Read the orientation and the four scales, then write one paragraph explaining each criterion in your own words.
- Study the Band 3 versus Band 5 essay pair; copy out the Band 3 excerpt above and rewrite it yourself before comparing with the new strong model.
- Learn the tone chapter: convert five formal lines into informal ones and back.
- Work the five guided essay tasks (Tasks 1–5) at 40 minutes each, using the brainstorm–plan–write–self-check routine; then attempt the three mini-mock options and mark them with the book’s marking sheet.
- Study the three letter/email models; write one formal complaint and one informal advice email, checking register line by line.
- Re-read the six-fault clinic before every timed answer until no fault survives the checking stage.
FAQs
Must Part 1 really always be an essay?
Yes. Part 1 is compulsory and is always an essay for a teacher-like reader; Part 2 is where the choice (and the letter/email option) appears. Prepare the essay skeleton until it is automatic.
How strict is the 140–190 word band?
Answers far outside it are penalised indirectly: too short means underdeveloped content, too long means more room for error and often an unfinished ending. Plan for roughly 160–180 words so normal variation stays safe.
Can I use contractions in a formal letter?
No — write “I am”, “did not”, “I would”. Contractions belong to informal emails, where avoiding them would sound stiff.
What if I run out of time with no conclusion?
Finish one sentence of judgement rather than stopping mid-paragraph; a brief conclusion (“In conclusion, both options help, but cleaner transport matters most”) protects Organisation far more than extra body detail.
Is memorising whole model answers useful?
No. Examiners reward answers shaped to the actual prompt; a memorised paragraph on the wrong details damages Content. Memorise frames and linkers instead, and generate ideas fresh each time.
The book’s practice heading says 10 tasks but I can only find five — am I missing pages?
No. This edition’s guided-practice chapter contains five essay tasks (Tasks 1–5) followed by three mini-mock options, plus the three letter/email models — eight essay prompts in total. Work all of them; the method matters more than the headline number.
The matching book
Writing Excellence for the Cambridge B2 First Exam by Jobin Thomas is the book this guide is grounded in: a Part 1 essay course (orientation, four scales, requirements, timed method, essay language, annotated Band 3/Band 5 pair, five guided tasks, mistake clinic, three-option mini mock) followed by a letters-and-emails course (tone, planning method, phrase banks, formal complaint, informal advice and wrong-format models, self-check). If you want the full worked analyses behind the excerpts above, plus the phrase banks and marking sheet, continue with the book itself: Cambridge B2 First Writing — Book 4.
Continue your practice with Writing Excellence for the Cambridge B2 First Exam
Want more practice? This article introduces the key principles, but Writing Excellence for the Cambridge B2 First Exam provides additional practice, worked examples and structured preparation. View the book →
Sources and editorial note
Exam format facts are paraphrased from the official sources: B2 First exam format (Cambridge English) and the B2 First Handbook (PDF, Cambridge English), both checked September 2026. Source-book evidence: Writing Excellence for the Cambridge B2 First Exam (Jobin Thomas), read read-only; contents verified as Title, Copyright, Dedication, Contents, Formal-vs-Informal Tone, Letter/Email Planning Method, Useful Phrases, Model 1 formal complaint email (course 304, 1–14 August), Model 2 informal advice email (Alex, fitness), Model 3 mid-band wrong-format letter (“The Perfect Holiday”), Letter/Email Self-Check, About the Author. Labels used honestly throughout: exact excerpts are quoted verbatim; adapted tasks keep the book’s requirements in reworded form; new tasks and all four full models are newly written for this article with exact word counts verified by script. All personal names, course codes and dates in practice material are fictional. No score guarantee is made, no search metrics are claimed, and no human review is implied.