Problem: many B2 First candidates practise essays and Part 2 tasks at random, so the compulsory essay — worth half the Writing paper — never gets a method of its own: plans run long, one printed note goes missing, or the answer drifts past 190 words. Answer in brief: give Part 1 its own timed routine (plan 8–10 minutes, draft 20–25, check 5–7), build every essay on the same paragraph blueprint, and judge each attempt with the four official criteria before you touch Part 2. This guide teaches that essay-first method from The Cambridge B2 First Writing Workbook (Jobin Thomas): three model tasks each with a Band 5 and a Band 3 answer, ten guided practice tasks, an eight-fault mistake clinic, a three-task mini mock with a marking sheet, and a large Part 2 bonus appendix — with one complete new suggested model inside the word band.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this article you will be able to: run a 40-minute Part 1 routine without watching the clock in panic; plan an essay that covers both printed notes plus your own third idea; build five paragraphs from the book’s blueprint; explain what separates the book’s Band 5 models from its Band 3 models on the same tasks; avoid the eight faults in the mistake clinic; and pick a Part 2 task with the book’s decision-tree questions.
- Split 40 minutes into plan, draft and check — and keep each phase inside its minutes.
- Cover all three content points in every essay, with your own idea genuinely developed.
- Read a levelled pair and name one transferable difference per criterion.
- Hold every answer inside 140–190 words.
- Choose a Part 2 task by strength, not by impulse.
What the exam asks — and what this book contains
The Writing paper gives you 1 hour 20 minutes for two equally weighted tasks. Part 1 is always a compulsory essay: a short classroom context, a question asking for your opinion, two printed notes you must cover, and a third idea you add yourself — 140–190 words for your teacher. Part 2 offers a choice of three tasks (article, email or letter, report, review, occasionally story) and you answer one, also 140–190 words. All answers are judged under Content, Communicative Achievement, Organisation and Language.
This book is built essay-first across nine chapters: orientation to the paper, the four assessment scales in plain English, the exact Part 1 requirements with a compliance checklist, a high-performance timed method, a full chapter of essay language (linkers, hedging, cause and effect, contrast, stance phrases, B2 complex structures, precise vocabulary), three model tasks each with a Band 5 and a Band 3 answer, ten guided practice tasks, an eight-fault mistake clinic, and a three-task mini mock with a marking sheet. A large bonus appendix then covers Part 2 — choice strategy plus per-type guidance for articles, emails and letters, reports, reviews and stories. The sections of the book read for this article were the orientation, scales, requirements, method, language, all three model pairs, all ten guided tasks, the full mistake clinic, the mini mock with its marking sheet, and the Part 2 appendix.
The essay-first timed method
The book’s central timing for Part 1 is explicit: about 40 minutes, divided into planning (8–10 minutes), drafting (20–25 minutes) and editing (5–7 minutes), with roughly 5 minutes at the start of the paper for reading and understanding both tasks. Its motto for planning — “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail” — is followed by a concrete planning job list: decode the two printed notes, choose your third idea, order the three points, and note two or three linkers and one complex sentence you will definitely use. Planning is not thinking time; it is decision time, and the draft should contain no new decisions.
The drafting rule is equally practical: write continuously from the plan, one paragraph per point, and leave a line between paragraphs so the edit pass can insert fixes. The editing pass then works top-down — content points first (are all three covered?), then paragraphing and links, then one grammar sweep for your known weak spots (articles, verb forms, spelling of topic words). The book’s note on time management is honest: the split is a guideline, and faster planners should bank the spare minutes for checking rather than for writing longer answers.
The paragraph blueprint
The book expands its method into a paragraph blueprint you can reuse for any essay question: an introduction that rephrases the question and states your position; one paragraph per content point (printed note one, printed note two, your own idea), each opening with a clear topic sentence and carrying at least one supporting detail or example; and a conclusion that restates your position without adding new arguments. Five paragraphs, five jobs — and the blueprint maps each paragraph to the criteria it serves: introductions and conclusions carry Communicative Achievement, middle paragraphs carry Content, the topic sentences carry Organisation, and one deliberate complex structure per middle paragraph carries Language.
What the Band 5 / Band 3 pairs teach
Each of the book’s three model tasks — the environment (individuals versus government), health (the most important factor in a healthy lifestyle), and technology in education — prints two complete answers at different levels. The pairs repay active comparison. On the environment task, the Band 3 answer announces its structure (“In my essay I will…”) and lists ideas, while the Band 5 answer opens on the dilemma itself and gives each paragraph a position to defend. On the health task, the Band 3 answer sits on the fence between factors, while the Band 5 answer commits to a view and supports it. The pattern across all three pairs is the same: the higher answer takes a position, develops each point with a concrete detail, and links paragraphs with a small set of correctly used markers; the lower answer hedges, generalises and over-connects. One transferable lesson per pair, applied to your next essay, is the whole point of the exercise.
Worked essay: parks or roads for our town
The adapted task (from the book’s Guided Task 1)
Adapted from the book’s town-improvement guided task, with wording rephrased and requirements preserved: your class has been talking about improving your town or city, and your teacher has asked for an essay. Should the council spend more on parks or on roads? Cover both notes plus your own idea, in 140–190 words.
New suggested model — 152 words (verified count)
Should our town spend more on parks or on roads? In my opinion, parks deserve the priority because they improve daily life for everyone, although good roads also matter.
Firstly, green spaces protect health. People who live near parks walk and exercise more, and children gain a safe place to play. A town with trees and benches feels calmer than streets full of traffic.
Secondly, parks bring the community together. Festivals, markets and sports events all need open space, and these occasions help neighbours meet. Roads move cars, but parks move people towards each other.
However, some argue that fixing potholes and widening streets matters more for work and trade. This is fair, yet extra lanes soon fill with extra cars, while a park serves generations.
In conclusion, although transport needs funding, parks give the greater lasting benefit. A town that invests in green space invests in its people’s health and happiness.
Why this model works
- Content: both notes (parks, roads) plus a developed third idea (community life) each own a paragraph, with supporting details throughout; the question gets a direct answer in the first and last lines.
- Communicative Achievement: neutral, formal essay tone for a teacher — impersonal subjects, no chatty asides, hedging where claims are large (“some argue”, “although”).
- Organisation: five paragraphs on the blueprint, each opened by a topic sentence; linkers are few and correct (“firstly”, “secondly”, “however”, “in conclusion”, “although”, “yet”).
- Language: range without risk — a conditional idea (“people who live near parks walk more”), passives (“should be required”-style control avoided in favour of accurate actives), and topic collocations (“green spaces”, “lasting benefit”, “daily life”).
Practice bank: guided tasks and mini mock
All ten guided tasks below are adapted from the book’s prompts (topics and requirements preserved, wording rephrased); each is a full 40-minute essay under the timed method. The three mini-mock tasks are the book’s exact topics, stated briefly.
Guided 1 — learning English
Your class discussed the importance of learning English; write an essay on whether English is the most useful language to learn, covering school use and work use plus your own idea. 140–190 words.
Guided 2 — hobbies or jobs
Your class discussed whether teenagers should spend free time on hobbies or part-time jobs; give your view covering skills and money plus your own idea. 140–190 words.
Guided 3 — homework
Your class discussed whether schools should assign homework; write an essay covering learning benefits and stress plus your own idea. 140–190 words.
Guided 4 — technology and isolation
Your school magazine debated whether technology makes people feel more isolated; your teacher wants an essay covering connection and loneliness plus your own idea. 140–190 words.
Guided 5 — art in society
Your class discussed the role of art — music, painting, theatre — in society; write an essay covering enjoyment and education plus your own idea. 140–190 words.
Guided 6 — hard work or luck
Your class discussed whether success depends more on hard work or on luck; give your view covering effort and opportunity plus your own idea. 140–190 words.
Guided 7 — tourism
Your class discussed tourism in your region; write an essay on whether tourism does more harm than good, covering money and damage plus your own idea. 140–190 words.
Guided 8 — sport for young people
Your class discussed the importance of sport and physical activity for young people; write an essay covering health and friendship plus your own idea. 140–190 words.
Mini mock 1 — school uniforms (exact book topic)
Class debate on whether school uniforms should be required; essay for your teacher, both sides plus your own idea. 140–190 words, 40 minutes.
Mini mock 2 and 3 — television; life skills (exact book topics)
Mock 2: the impact of television on society. Mock 3: learning life skills such as cooking, budgeting and basic repairs in school. Both as essays with two notes plus your own idea, 140–190 words each.
Error clinic: eight faults and their fixes
The book’s mistake clinic names eight faults; each is summarised here with its fix.
- Under- or over-length essays (Content). Writing far under 140 words leaves points uncovered; far over 190 invites repetition. Fix: count during practice until the band feels automatic, and cut whole sentences rather than words when over.
- Missing a bullet point (Content). Ignoring one printed note or the own idea directly caps Content. Fix: tick the three points on the question paper before planning and again after drafting.
- Wrong register or tone (Communicative Achievement). Slang, texting shortcuts or chatty nudges suit messages, not essays. Fix: default to full forms and impersonal subjects; save contractions for informal Part 2 tasks.
- Weak paragraphing (Organisation). One giant block, or every sentence as its own paragraph, hides the structure. Fix: five paragraphs on the blueprint, one job each.
- Over-generalisations without support (Content / Communicative Achievement). Sweeping claims with no detail convince nobody. Fix: follow every claim with “for example” or a concrete consequence.
- Misused linking words (Organisation / Language). Starting every sentence with a connector, or using contrast markers for additions, confuses the reader. Fix: one linker per paragraph boundary, chosen for its real meaning.
- No clear opinion or wrong format (Communicative Achievement / Content). Sitting on the fence in an opinion essay, or writing a letter shape for an essay task. Fix: answer the question in sentence one and check the shape against the blueprint.
- Spelling and basic grammar errors (Language). Frequent small slips — “enviroment”, “succesful”, unstable verb forms — drag Language down. Fix: keep a personal error list and spend the last check minutes only on your listed items.
The Part 2 bonus appendix: choosing well
The bonus appendix opens with the economics of Part 2: three questions labelled 2, 3 and 4, one answer, equal marks to Part 1, about 40 minutes. Its decision-tree approach asks, in order: do I have ideas for this topic; do I know this format’s conventions; can I address this reader naturally? The first “no” eliminates the option. Per-type guidance follows — articles (lively, reader-involving, often with a title), informal emails and letters (warm openings and closings, contractions welcome), reports (factual, headed, recommendations), reviews (description plus judgement plus recommendation) and the occasional story — each held to the same four criteria with audience and purpose doing the extra work. Use the appendix after the essay method is secure, not before.
Independent timed task and marking sheet
Newly written independent task: your class has been discussing whether towns should ban cars from the centre; write an essay for your teacher covering cleaner air and shop access plus your own idea, in 140–190 words and 40 minutes. Mark it with this adapted five-point sheet drawn from the book’s marking sheet: Content — all three points relevant and developed, reader fully informed (5) down to points missing (1–2); Communicative Achievement — formal essay tone held throughout; Organisation — blueprint paragraphs with correct links; Language — B2 range with errors that never block meaning; Word band — inside 140–190. Any essay scoring below 4 on Content gets a rewrite before the next timed task, whatever its other scores.
Study sequence with the book
- Week 1 — requirements and method. Read the orientation, scales and requirements chapters; run the timed method on Guided 1–2.
- Week 2 — language and pairs. Study the essay-language chapter; compare all three Band 5 / Band 3 pairs one per session and transfer one lesson each time.
- Week 3 — guided volume. Write Guided 3–8 under timing; check each against the mistake clinic before marking.
- Week 4 — mock and Part 2. Take the three mini mocks with the marking sheet; then work the Part 2 appendix decision tree on two past-paper option sets.
FAQs
Can I pass on Part 1 alone if my essay is excellent?
No. Both parts carry equal weight, so a brilliant essay cannot rescue a missing or collapsed Part 2. The essay-first order in this article is about training sequence, not exam importance.
Is 8–10 minutes of planning too much?
Not if the plan makes decisions rather than collecting thoughts. A plan that orders three points and banks two linkers and one complex sentence pays for itself in drafting speed and in Content coverage.
Must I really state my opinion? Can’t I balance both sides?
Balance the discussion, then decide. Examiners reward a clear position supported by reasons; a conclusion that everything depends usually reads as no opinion at all, which the book’s pairs show is the Band 3 trap.
Are the Band 3 models bad answers?
No — they are realistic mid-level answers, which is why they teach well. Most candidates write at that level first; the pairs show exactly which upgrades buy the most marks.
How strict is 140–190 words?
Treat it as a hard band in practice. Under-length almost always means uncovered content; over-length almost always means repetition or drift. The book’s first mistake entry exists because length faults are the cheapest marks to lose.
When should I start the Part 2 appendix?
When three consecutive timed essays all score 4+ on Content with the marking sheet. Before that, Part 2 practice spreads attention the essay still needs.
The matching book
The Cambridge B2 First Writing Workbook by Jobin Thomas is an essay-first training course: orientation, plain-English assessment scales, exact Part 1 requirements with a compliance checklist, a timed plan–draft–edit method with a reusable paragraph blueprint, a full essay-language chapter, three model tasks each with Band 5 and Band 3 answers, ten guided practice tasks, an eight-fault mistake clinic, a three-task mini mock with a marking sheet, and a large Part 2 bonus appendix covering choice strategy and every task type. If the timed blueprint in this article suited you, the book gives you thirteen more supervised tasks to run it on.
Cambridge B2 First Writing — Book 8 (product page)
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Sources and editorial note
- Exam format paraphrased from the official Cambridge B2 First format page: cambridgeenglish.org — B2 First format (Writing: 1 hour 20 minutes, two parts; answers 140–190 words), and the B2 First handbook: B2 First handbook (PDF).
- Source book verified from its actual text (read-only): EPUB metadata title The Cambridge B2 First Writing Workbook, author Jobin Thomas; file “Camebridge B2 writing.epub” (74 spine sections, about 375,000 characters extracted). Exact title above is the book’s own title, not the file name.
- Scope note: the book’s core (chapters 1–9) trains the Part 1 essay only and says so openly; Part 2 is served by a large bonus appendix, described here without inflating it into a second course.
- Labels used honestly: “adapted” marks tasks reworded from the book with topics and requirements preserved; “exact book topic” marks mini-mock topics stated as in the book; “newly written” marks the town-essay model and the independent task, which are suggested answers — other valid answers exist.