A friendly email can still leave the reader without the information they asked for. Before drafting, turn the incoming message into a short list of requests, then make sure your reply answers each one.
The email-planning chapter in Writing Excellence for the Cambridge B2 First Exam links recipient, purpose and content. The following practice makes those decisions concrete.
Original incoming message
“I am visiting your town on Saturday. Where could we meet, how can I get there from the station, and should I bring anything for the walk?”
Separate the questions before answering
The message requests a meeting place, directions and preparation advice. A long description of your favourite café would answer only part of it. Note a brief answer to all three before deciding how to arrange the paragraphs.
Check a possible reply plan
Opening: Say you are pleased about the visit.
Meeting and travel: Suggest a named meeting point and clear directions from the station.
Preparation: Explain what to bring for the planned walk.
Closing: Ask the friend to confirm the arrival time if needed.
This is a planning example; invent suitable details for the fictional task rather than giving unverified real travel advice.
Group related information
Meeting arrangements and directions may fit naturally together. A new paragraph can introduce what to bring. You do not need one paragraph for every sentence, but a large block containing all the information may be harder to follow.
Keep the tone consistent
A reply to a friend can sound warm and direct. A request to an unfamiliar organisation may need a different opening and more formal wording. Read the recipient and situation instead of assuming every email has the same register.
Before finishing, compare the draft with the incoming message. Tick the actual answer to each request, not merely a sentence mentioning its topic. Check names, dates and the action you want the reader to take next.
Explore Cambridge B2 First Writing — Course 4 to see the course outline, current availability and enrolment options. Use the worked exercise above to identify a skill you would like to practise next.
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Cambridge B2 First Writing — Course 4
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Source: Cambridge b2 139-3.epub, Jobins Training. Examples labelled original or illustrative were written for this article. Independent exam preparation; no affiliation with or endorsement by the examining body. Practice does not predict an official score.