Problem: a bank of 50 full writing sets can become 50 ways to repeat yourself — same essay frame, same favourite Part 2 type, sample answers read but never used. Answer in brief: treat the 50 sets as a rotation system: each set pairs a compulsory Part 1 essay with a Part 2 choice of three (article, letter, review), so cycle your Part 2 choice deliberately, attempt each set under the book’s plan–write–check timing, and compare against the answer key with the four criteria — not for copying, but for one transferable fix per set. This guide teaches that rotation method from FCE Cambridge B2 First Writing Practice Book with 50 Sets (Jobin Thomas), with two complete new suggested models inside the word band and a coverage warning about what the bank does not contain.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this article you will be able to: run any set in this bank under exam timing; rotate your Part 2 choice so articles, letters and reviews all get trained; use a sample answer as a fix-finder rather than a script; hold both answers inside 140–190 words; and name the bank’s coverage gap and how to fill it.
- Attempt a full set — essay plus one Part 2 answer — in 80 minutes.
- Choose a different Part 2 type each session until all three are comfortable.
- Extract one concrete improvement from every sample-answer comparison.
- Finish inside the word band on both tasks.
- Supplement the missing Part 2 types from outside the bank.
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 — “In your English class you have been discussing…” — with two notes to cover plus your own idea, 140–190 words. Part 2 offers three options and you answer one, also 140–190 words. Every answer is judged under Content, Communicative Achievement, Organisation and Language.
This book opens with compact guidance — the paper layout, the 140–190 word rule with its under-length and over-length dangers, a 40-minutes-per-task split (plan 5–7, write 25–28, check 5), the four criteria in plain language, and three success habits: plan before writing, adapt style to task and reader, and check carefully. Then come 50 full sets in a fixed shape: a Part 1 essay prompt on an everyday theme, a Part 2 choice of three (always one article, one letter and one review), and an answer key with sample answers for the tasks. The sections of the book read for this article were the complete introductory guidance and a full traverse of all 50 sets with their keys — every Part 1 theme and every Part 2 option counted and classified.
One coverage warning before you rotate
Counted directly across all 50 sets, the Part 2 options are always the same trio: 50 articles, 50 letters and 50 reviews. There are no reports and no formal emails in the bank. In the exam, your Part 2 choice of three could include a report or a formal letter or email, and this bank will never show you one. That is not a flaw in what the book teaches — its three covered types are trained thoroughly — but it is a gap you must fill elsewhere: practise at least four reports (headings plus recommendations) and four formal emails from another source before the exam, or one entire Part 2 format will be new on the day.
The set-rotation method
Volume only helps when each set trains something different. Use this five-step routine per set, about 80 minutes.
- Attempt the essay first, always. Part 1 is compulsory in the exam, so it is compulsory in practice. Plan 5–7 minutes (three points ordered), write 25–28, check 5. Do not read the sample first.
- Rotate the Part 2 choice. If the last set was an article, this set is a letter or a review — no exceptions until all three types feel routine. Log your choice per set number.
- Compare against the key with one question: what does the sample paragraph do that mine did not? Write the difference in plain words and file it under one criterion.
- Transfer exactly one fix into a rewrite of one paragraph. One deliberate transfer per set beats fifty admired samples.
- Every tenth set, sit a blind re-test: redo the weakest of the previous nine sets’ tasks without looking at the key, and confirm the fix stuck.
The book’s own three habits sit underneath the routine: every plan before writing, every style matched to reader, every check genuinely spent on mistakes rather than admiring sentences.
Worked essay: technology in daily life
The adapted task (from the book’s Set 1)
Adapted from the book’s Set 1 Part 1 prompt, with wording rephrased and requirements preserved: your class has been discussing technology in daily life; write an essay on whether technology is making our lives easier or more complicated, covering communication and everyday tasks plus your own idea, in 140–190 words.
New suggested model — 148 words (verified count)
Is technology making our lives easier or more complicated? In my opinion, it generally makes life easier, although it also creates new problems we must manage.
Firstly, communication is faster and more convenient. Mobile phones and message apps let us contact family or colleagues instantly, wherever they are. However, constant notifications can make people feel they must reply at once, which adds pressure.
Secondly, technology simplifies everyday tasks. Online banking, shopping and maps save hours every week. For example, ordering groceries from home helps busy parents and elderly people who struggle to carry heavy bags.
Finally, learning has become easier. Students can watch lessons, check dictionaries and practise languages online for free. The danger is distraction: the same device that teaches also tempts.
In conclusion, technology eases communication, chores and study, provided we control it rather than serve it. Used wisely, it simplifies far more than it complicates.
Why this model works
- Content: both notes plus a developed third idea (learning), each with a concrete detail; the “easier or more complicated” question gets a qualified answer, not a fence-sit.
- Communicative Achievement: formal essay tone throughout — full forms, impersonal subjects, balanced concession (“although”, “however”, “provided”).
- Organisation: five paragraphs on the standard blueprint; one linker family per boundary, no stacking.
- Language: B2 range with control — modal and conditional ideas (“can make people feel”, “provided we control it”), topic collocations (“constant notifications”, “busy parents”, “elderly people”).
Worked Part 2: a film review
The adapted task (from the book’s Set 1 review option)
Adapted from the book’s Set 1 review option, reworded with requirements preserved: you have just watched an enjoyable action film; write a review for a youth website describing the film, saying what you liked and disliked, and recommending whether others should see it — 140–190 words in an appropriate style.
New suggested model — 156 words (verified count)
Night Chase: ninety minutes of pure speed
Have you ever watched a film that never lets you breathe? Night Chase, the new action thriller by director Mara Ellison, is exactly that — and I loved nearly every minute.
The story follows a courier who must cross the city by midnight with a mysterious parcel. The chase scenes are brilliantly filmed: real stunts, loud streets, and a heroine who thinks faster than her pursuers. The soundtrack pushes every scene forward. The supporting cast is strong too, especially the veteran actor playing the tired detective who steals every scene she enters.
My only complaint is the ending, which feels rushed. After such careful suspense, the final ten minutes solve everything too neatly, and the villain gives up far too easily.
Still, if you enjoy action with a clever heroine and stunning night photography, book a ticket this weekend. Just do not expect a perfect finish — expect a thrilling ride.
Why this model works
- Content: description, like, dislike and recommendation all present — the four jobs of the review brief, each in its own paragraph.
- Communicative Achievement: lively magazine voice for young readers — direct address (“Have you ever…?”, “book a ticket”), a title, italics for the film name, contractions where natural.
- Organisation: hook, story, complaint, verdict; the concession (“My only complaint”, “Still”) pivots cleanly between praise and judgement.
- Language: descriptive range — “brilliantly filmed”, “stunning night photography”, “solve everything too neatly” — without drifting into plot summary.
Practice bank: sets by theme
The bank’s 50 Part 1 themes recycle everyday life; the adapted prompts below preserve each theme and its requirements with reworded text. Run each as a full set with your rotated Part 2 choice.
Sets on people and relationships
Friendship qualities; family celebrations; free-time habits; hobbies; music tastes. Each essay covers two notes plus your own idea — practise stating a personal position rather than listing.
Sets on study and work
Learning English; education methods; part-time jobs for teenagers; online study; reading habits. Watch for the fence-sitting trap on “most useful” and “most important” questions.
Sets on places and issues
Daily life in towns; holidays; food habits; health and fitness; fashion; films and entertainment; community events. These reward concrete local detail over general claims.
Sets on ideas and change
Technology in daily life; books versus screens; environment themes; leisure trends. Practise the qualified answer — “generally X, although Y” — rather than pure balance.
Part 2 letter practice (book’s Set 1 pattern)
Adapted: you borrowed a friend’s dictionary; write a thank-you letter describing how it helped and offering a favour in return. Informal, warm, 140–190 words — then rotate to an article next set.
Part 2 article practice (book’s Set 1 pattern)
Adapted: your school magazine wants articles on the most exciting school day; describe it, explain the excitement, encourage others to join similar activities. Lively voice, title included.
Error clinic: six rotation faults and their fixes
- Reading samples before attempting. The key becomes a script and nothing transfers. Fix: attempt first, every time — the routine forbids peeking.
- Always choosing the favourite type. Thirty articles and zero reviews leaves a third of the paper untrained. Fix: the rotation log; favourites wait their turn.
- Copying sample sentences. Memorised passages ignore the actual task and weaken Content. Fix: copy structures (“My only complaint is…”), never sentences.
- Ignoring the word band on samples’ authority. Some models run long; length is your discipline regardless. Fix: count every practice answer until the band is instinctive.
- Skipping the check phase. Small errors survive fifty sets. Fix: keep a personal error list and spend all five check minutes on your listed items.
- Never re-testing. Fixes fade without blind repetition. Fix: every tenth set re-tests the weakest of the previous nine.
Independent timed set and self-check
Newly written independent set: Part 1 — your class has been discussing whether towns should ban cars from the centre; write an essay covering cleaner air and shop access plus your own idea. Part 2 — write a letter to a friend describing a recent sports event you attended, saying what impressed you and inviting them next time. Both 140–190 words, 80 minutes total. Self-check with four questions: are all content points covered and developed; does each answer suit its reader; do paragraphs and linkers carry the structure; is the range B2 with errors that never block meaning? Any “no” sends that task back for a rewrite before the next set.
Study sequence with the book
- Week 1 — guidance and first sets. Read the intro guidance; run Sets 1–5 with forced Part 2 rotation (article, letter, review, article, letter).
- Week 2 — themed volume. Run ten more sets across all four theme groups; start the rotation log and the personal error list.
- Week 3 — blind re-tests. Every tenth set re-tests the weakest task; add outside report and formal-email practice for the coverage gap.
- Week 4 — exam simulation. Sit three full sets back-to-back under 80 minutes each with no key access; mark with the four-question check.
FAQs
Do I really need all 50 sets?
Most candidates do not. Thirty well-rotated sets with transfers beat fifty skimmed ones. Use the bank’s size for choice, not as a quota — stop when blind re-tests consistently pass.
Should I memorise the sample answers?
No. Memorised passages mismatch the task you actually face. Memorise flexible frames from the samples — openings, concessions, recommendation lines — and fill them from each new task.
What if my exam Part 2 includes a report?
Then you prepare it outside this bank, which contains none. Learn the report shape — title, headings, factual tone, recommendations — with four timed practices from another source.
Are the bank’s letters formal or informal?
The counted options are informal letters to friends. Formal letters and emails need separate practice with appropriate openings, closings and full forms.
How strict is 140–190 words?
Treat it as a hard band. Under-length usually means uncovered content; over-length usually means repetition or drift. Count during practice until the band feels automatic.
How do I choose my Part 2 task in the exam?
Read all three options, check you have ideas, confirm you know the format’s conventions, and pick the reader you can address most naturally. A familiar format with a plain topic beats an exciting topic in a format you have never practised.
The matching book
FCE Cambridge B2 First Writing Practice Book with 50 Sets by Jobin Thomas is a volume-training bank: compact exam guidance (format, word limit, timing split, criteria, success habits) followed by 50 full sets, each with a Part 1 essay prompt, a Part 2 choice of article, letter or review, and an answer key with sample answers. If the rotation routine in this article suited you, the book gives you 50 arenas to run it in — supplemented with outside report and formal-email practice for full Part 2 cover.
Cambridge B2 First Writing — Book 9 (product page)
Keep practising with FCE Cambridge B2 First Writing Practice Book with 50 Sets
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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 FCE Cambridge B2 First Writing Practice Book with 50 Sets, author Jobin Thomas; file “Camebridge b2- 149-1.epub” (5 spine files, about 260,000 characters extracted). Exact title above is the book’s own title, not the file name.
- Coverage counts verified directly: 50 Part 1 essay prompts; Part 2 options counted as 50 articles, 50 letters, 50 reviews, with no reports and no formal correspondence observed — stated here as a gap to fill, not a defect to hide.
- Labels used honestly: “adapted” marks tasks reworded from the book with themes and requirements preserved; “newly written” marks both full models and the independent set, which are suggested answers — other valid answers exist.