write article b1

Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET): How to write an article in 2021

Home or cinema – How do you watch your favourite films? I know many people who love animated or romantic films, but for me, there is nothing better than an amazing drama or adventure movie like ‘Indiana Jones’ because I’m a big fan of stories with a fascinating plot. In my opinion, watching a film at home isn’t the same as going to the cinema to enjoy a great movie on a huge screen with popcorn and cola. If it wasn’t so expensive, I would go every week. So, if you want to give me some money to go to the cinema more often, or to tell me which you prefer – the cinema or the TV screen, leave a comment.

Introduction

What does a typical article task look like, how to organise your article, always make a plan, the different parts of an article, main paragraphs.

I know many people who love animated or romantic films, but for me, there is nothing better than an amazing drama or adventure movie like ‘Indiana Jones’ because I’m a big fan of stories with a fascinating plot. In my opinion, watching a film at home isn’t the same as going to the cinema to enjoy a great movie on a huge screen with popcorn and cola. If it wasn’t so expensive, I would go every week.

In the first paragraph I talk about film genres (animated, romantic, drama, adventure) as well as one specific film (Indiana Jones). I also tried to include some interesting grammar (I know many people who…, nothing better than) and vocabulary (amazing drama, I’m a big fan of…, fascinating plot). On top of that, I used different linking words to connect my ideas (who, but, because).

Final sentence

So, if you want to give me some money to go to the cinema more often, or to tell me which you prefer – the cinema or the TV screen, leave a comment.

Start to practise today

Similar posts, cambridge b1 preliminary (pet): everything you need to know in 2021, cambridge b1 preliminary (pet): reading part 5, cambridge b1 preliminary (pet): reading, cambridge b1 preliminary (pet): reading part 6, cambridge b1 preliminary (pet): how to calculate your score, cambridge b1 preliminary (pet): how to write an email in 2021, 24 comments.

Teacher Julieta

English for life.

How to Write an Article for the Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET)

An article is an informal/ neutral piece of writing that is written for a specific audience. The purpose of an article is to share an opinion , or knowledge on a particular topic , or offer suggestions and pieces of advice to the readers. Newspapers, magazines, and journals usually publish articles. For that reason, articles have to be easy to read.

Parts of an Article

• Title : It should be short and informative. Try to choose an interesting title, so the reader wants to read your article to learn more about the topic.
• Author’s name : A line having the name of the person who wrote the article (optional)
• Introductory paragraph: Here you introduce the topic. The introduction should be short, catching, and interesting.
• Descriptive paragraph: Here you give examples and reasons.
• Additional information: only if needed.
• Conclusion : This is the ending paragraph of the article that should be a summary of your article.

Steps to write an article

1 Think of the topic that you are going to write about carefully.

2 Identify the target audience . Who are going to read your article: students, young people, adults, elderly people, or professionals?

3 Find the objective of writing the article. Do you want to give advice? Are you going to give some useful tips? Do you want to teach your readers how to do something?

4 Identify the details that are more significant and think of some examples .

5 Organize your ideas and arrange the information and the facts in a coherent and logical way.

Now that you know the parts of an article and the steps to follow, let’s see an article sample for the B1 Cambridge writing test .

You see this announcement in your English school magazine.

Useful language for writing an article

For the introductory paragraph:

• Have you ever thought about …?
• What would you do if …?
• Do you like + verb+ing …?
• How important is it for you to …?
• What would life be like if …?

Giving your opinion:

• In my opinion, …
• From my point of view, …
• As far as I’m concerned, …
• I guess that …
• I’m under the impression that …
• I have no doubt that …
• I have the feeling that…

Giving advice:

• Don’t forget to …
• Remember to…
• Make sure you…
• You should + base form
• You should have + past participle
• Never + base form
• What about if …?
• Let’s consider…
• Why don’t you …?

Adding more details and examples:

• In addition, …
• Above all, …
• On top of that, …
• Moreover, …
• Another advantage/ disadvantage of …
• … in case
• … so (that)
• … because it might + base form
• The evidence shows (that) …
• The facts suggest (that) …

Writing Practice 1

You are going to write an opinion article for a school magazine about the best places to visit in your city.

Plan the content

1 Think of at least 2 interesting/ touristic places

2 Think of an interesting introductory paragraph

3 Write your introduction

4 Write your descriptive paragraphs. Write one paragraph per place

5 Write your conclusion

6 Type your answer in the box below, and I’ll give you personalized feedback.

• Did you write a clear introduction that introduces the purpose of the opinion article?
• Does the introduction include a sentence with your opinion on the best places to visit?
• Have you included separate paragraphs for each recommended place?
• Did you provide detailed descriptions of each place, highlighting their attractions and unique features?
• Have you supported your opinion with specific examples or personal experiences for each place?
• Does the conclusion summarize the main points discussed in the body paragraphs?
• Does it restate your opinion on the best places to visit in the city?
• Does it provide a strong closing statement or call to action?

Writing Practice 2

You are going to write an article for a school magazine. Choose one of the titles below>

How to stay safe if you are hiking in the mountains.

• How to stay safe on a day at the beach.
• How to stay safe online.

1 Think of at least 3 useful tips

4 Write your descriptive paragraphs. Write one paragraph per tip.

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14 thoughts on “ How to Write an Article for the Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET) ”

Do you like hiking in the mountains? Hiking is an exciting and healthy activity. I guess staying safe when you are hiking in the mountains is very important for us. Below there are some useful tips about how to stay safe if you are hiking in the mountains.

In my opinion, the most important thing is wearing a pair of comfortable sneakers. If you do so, your hiking wiil be enjoyable. If not, your hiking will be a terrible activity. Other important things are wearing a cap to prevent sunburns and putting sunscreen on your face and arms.

Second, you should take a suitable bag that contains water, emergency medicine, a tissue or a towel, energy food, an outside coat, and other needed items. On top of that is water.

Lastly, I want to remind you to take an insect repellent liquid spray. Moreover, you’d better get a trekking pole to help you walk and protect your knees.

If you prepare well, you will have a lot of fun.

Let’s go hiking in the mountains!

Like Liked by 1 person

Excellent Beryl!! Great tips!!! 🌟🌟🌟 Please compare your first draft with the final version.

Teacher, thanks very much for your checking. I revised the problematic part. There were a total of 8 mistakes in my first draft.

[…] using a formal tone. As with other pieces of formal writing (for example, essays, formal emails, articles, etc.), there is a special format used to write reports in […]

The best places to visit in our city Do you like visiting different cities? What would you do if you go to my city? There are many exciting places in my city. For example, there are museums, wetland parks, malls, zoos,etc. Where would you like to go? Today I recommend two beautiful places to you.

The first place is a wetland park and its name is Baigui lake park. It is located in the southwest of my city. The government spent much money building it ten years ago.There are many plants,animals,birds and fishes.You can camp in a forest in the park and have a barbecue.On top of that, you can see egrets by boat on the lake. The next place that I want to recommend to you is a mall. This mall is located in the east of our city and its name is wanda plaza.There are many shops in this plaza and their prices are fair.Therefore, t here are so many people shopping here that the road before the plaza is often jammed with traffic. However, it is still a good place to go but remember not to go there on weekends. Finally,these two places are the best in their respective fields.In my case,one of them is the best outdoor activities place and the other is the best shopping mall. Moreover, make sure you have read the map of both places before you go. If you follow these advice,you will have a lot of fun with your visit.

Well done!!! Don’t forget to write your conclusion 😀

How to stay safe online

Do you like surfing the Internet? With the development of the times, many people use the internet to work or study. What would you do if you are online? I have the feeling that it is important to keep safe while you are using the internet. Below there is some useful information about how to stay safe if you are online.

First,I guess that there were lots of network attacks in recent years. So the important thing before you use the internet is to install antivirus software on your computer or phone.Antivirus software can intercept most network attacks. If you don’t do this, the viruses might attack your account and the trojans can steal your password. Never be unprotected while using the internet.

Second,you should not visit some illegal websites. For example, there are gambling websites, usury websites, and pornographic websites. These websites might download or install viruses or trojans on your device. Afterward, these viruses or trojans will attack your device.

Finally, anyways, good surfing habits will help you to stay safe online. On top of that, you should often check your device and keep your device in good condition.

Great Job Shuabing. Don’t forget to write your conclusion 😀

The best places to visit in my city

What is the most important thing of park for you? It would be different if you have girlfriend/boyfriend, kids or not. I have been living in Toronto since last April with my two children, so I will introduce our favorite parks for kids from my point of view.

First place is the Grange Park. It locates nearby our home and int middle of the downtown area. It has a lot of play equipment for toddlers and more older kids. They can also use splash pads in summer. Because it has a lot of nature, you can watch many squirrels and birds. It is a big park, so we can have a lunch on the park benches. In my opinion, a lot of families could enjoy this park.

Second place is the Round House Park. It is located nearby our home, too. It is in the Railway Museum, and we can see many steam locomotives in this park. It has two play equipment that look like the steam locomotive. Because boys usually like vehicles like my son, I have no doubt that most boys would like this park.

I guess that some of the important things of park for kids are accessibility, comfortability and good park equipment. How to make your children enjoy parks on weekends is imporant. But don’t forget these tips. Let’s enjoy our weekends in the great parks with our kids!

How to make the amazing coffee

Susan is an Italian pretty lady. She lived in the beautiful city of New York. She always makes a great coffee in her house and enjoy the coffee time. One day, she called me and invited me to drink coffee. She told me this coffee is different from others. When I went to her house and sat in the yard. Susan made the coffee in the kitchen, set the table and we also had wine. We drank apricot wine and a mint wine. One cup of coffee then apricot wine and finally mint wine. I try to drink a one cup of coffee, is a little too sweet. She told me this cup of coffee is a little Italian liqueur so will sweet. And then I drank another cup of coffee. It was a magical feeling! It was a cool feeling! I love it! Actually I didn’t want to leave before I had to work, I think you can try to this wonderful coffee! Is amazing!

Good effort!

The best places to visit in our city

Do you enjoy traveling to different cities？If so, my city will impress you because of its beautiful buildings . For example the Palace Museum, the Summer Palace, the Great Wall, the Old Summer Palace, the Niu Street,the Temple of Heaven etc. It will take you at least one day to visit each place . If you want to vist all of them on the same day, it will be a test of both time and strength, won’t it ? But, or those who come here for the first time, I suggest you two places: the Palace Museum and the Great Wall.

The first place is the Palace Museum. It is the largest and well preserved ancient wooden structure buliding in the world. It covers an area of 72000 square meters. There are over seventy palaces and over nine thousand rooms. Doesn’t it sound worth it visiting?

The second place I recommend to you is the Great Wall. In fact, it’s called the Badaling Great Wall, which is a part of the Great Wall. This bulding has a history of over 500 years. Its total length is 7600 meters. The wall is 6-9 meters high and about 5 meters wide. It is said that it can make five houses walk side by side. By the way,the highest point of the wall exceeds 1000 meters. I think it is cool enough to take photos.

Finally, these two places are the best for those who come here for the first time.If you follow these advice, my city will leave a deep impression on you.

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Exam English ✓

• B1 Preliminary (PET)
• B1 Preliminary for Schools
• Cambridge exams

Free Practice Tests for learners of English

B1 preliminary (pet) writing.

Two parts - 45 minutes

• Writing part 1: write an email
• Writing part 2: write an article OR a story

Scoring The Writing section is worth 25% of the total score for the exam.

• Writing part 1 is marked out of 20
• Writing part 2 is marked out of 20
• Communicative Achievement
• Organisation

How to prepare for B1 Preliminary (PET) Writing

• read the instructions carefully before you start each section
• think about the timing. Spend 25 minutes on each part
• study these vocabulary topics
• study grammar at B1 level
• practise writing short texts, including emails

Writing tests

• part 1 - email
• part 1 - email 2
• part 2 - article
• part 2 - story

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• Pre-A1 Starters
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How to write an article for B1 Preliminary

In this post, I’m going to share some tips on how to write an article for B1 Preliminary.

You may find my checklists for B1 Preliminary Writing useful too.

Let’s look at the B1 Preliminary for Schools sample writing task, from the Handbook, available from the Teaching resources on the Cambridge English Language Assessment website .

The instructions/rubric

At the top of the screen/question paper page, there are the instructions.

Tip: The number of words is not included in the instructions for each question, so make sure that students remember that they need to write about 100 words!

The article question

Let’s analyse this question. (The advice applies to any article question). I’m going to group my tips and comments into the four areas of assessment.

The context

Students are writing an article for a website or magazine. In this example, they are writing about what makes them laugh, things that they find funny.

The target reader(s)

The people who will read the article will be visitors to the website or readers of the magazine. They will probably be both teachers and students of English. So the article does not need to be formal in style.

Communicative Achievement

A title is usually used with an article. The exam question gives us a title that students can transform and use ( What makes me laugh ) if they can’t think of another one. * But notice that they should change the pronoun in the title you > me.

The readers will be English language students, like the writer, so the tone should be quite informal.

The magazine wants articles about what makes the writer laugh, so it should include personal opinions and experiences .

Organisation

Paragraphs should be used in articles, just as with the email and the story tasks in the B1 Writing Paper.

I recommend 4 paragraphs for B1 and 100 words.

Any piece of writing needs an introduction, the middle content and a conclusion. Articles also need these three things.

In the introduction , students can refer to the question they are answering. In this example, I would start with two questions (again, taken from the exam question and a change in the pronouns): What do I find funny and what makes me laugh? Then, I would give a reaction to these questions, without going into detail.

In the middle two paragraphs, I would give two separate examples of things that make me laugh and a little bit of detail (reasons and/or examples). In the sample answer below, I talk about jokes and memes, etc.

Below, you can see that we have a variety of shorter and longer sentences. This is a good approach to take.

Linking words and Cohesive devices

Sequencing. Clear indication of the time and order of events is important in writing. In the sample below, the words ‘ Nowadays’, ‘after ‘ do this.

Cohesion Relative clauses and pronouns help to make writing more logical, more cohesive. In the sample below, there are several examples: who laughs a lot most days, s omething that we often do people who share my sense of humour .

In this example, we have therefore

In the example below, we have although

Range As far as possible, students should try and use a variety of words in their articles. At B1 level, this will probably be quite limited but they should still try.

In the sample answer below, we can see words related to the topic: funny, laugh, laughing, telling jokes, memes, messages, sense of humour, comedy, comedians

Less common lexis

There are also some words that would be considered more complex, like: spontaneous, receive, forward, share my sense of humour, medicine.

Grammatical forms

Perhaps I could have expanded the range of tenses in the sample article by including an anecdote about a programme, etc. The article contains the present simple.

However, there are some examples of other structures: a conditional: If I can, ; -ing form as subject: Laughing is something spontaneous Laughing is good medicine ..

At B1 level, many of the sentences and structures will be simple. It is important that these should be as accurate as possible.

The relative clauses in the sample answer make it more complex.

The -ing forms as subjects are also more complex structures.

And modal verbs are often mentioned in feedback from Cambridge on sample answers.

If students make errors because they are trying to use more complex language, then that will be perceived much more leniently by the examiners than mistakes with very simple structures.

There are no errors in the sample answer below. Obviously, students should check their writing both in the exam and when they are writing practice articles.

My Sample Answer

What makes me laugh

What do I find funny and what makes me laugh? For someone like me, who laughs a lot most days, these questions really made me think!

Laughing is something spontaneous, something that we might often do without even thinking why we are laughing! Some people are brilliant at telling jokes. I’m not, although I love hearing them!

Nowadays, we receive memes, videos and messages in our chat groups or on social media. I forward the funny ones to my friends and family after laughing at them myself! I choose people who share my sense of humour. If I can, I also watch comedy programmes and comedians with these people.

Laughing is good medicine. It helps us deal with stress and relax, therefore it should definitely be part of our daily lives.

Further recommended resources

The B1 Writing Checklist from Cambridge is a brilliant resource.

I would also like to recommend JoannaESL’s post about writing articles for B1 Preliminary . It is a full-blown lesson plan, also working on Part 3 of the Speaking Test!

Related Posts:

• B1 Preliminary Writing checklists
• How to approach B1 Preliminary Reading Part 2
• Article on the Cambridge University Press and Assessment…
• Wh- questions for Cambridge B1 Preliminary stories
• Playing a game with photos for B1 Speaking
• Approaching a new (exam) task

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Cambridge English Preliminary: Writing

By Lucrecia Luque Mortimer

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Guidance for teachers preparing candidates for the Writing paper of the Cambridge Preliminary Exam.

In the Cambridge English Preliminary (PET) exam, the reading and writing components are on the same paper. In the writing section of the exam, which consists of three parts, candidates are encouraged to focus on the structural patterns of language and to communicate a specific message in a clear and concise manner.

The three writing parts on the paper are as follows:

Part 1: Sentence transformations

This section tests the candidate's ability to say the same thing in different ways. Candidates are given an initial sentence and asked to fill in the gaps in a second sentence using a different structural pattern, so that it still has the same meaning. There are five sentences, all related by theme. There is one mark for each correct answer. Candidates have to fill the gap with one, two or three words. Take care! Contractions count as two words, e.g. ‘don’t’ = do + not

Number of marks: 5 (In order to be awarded the mark for each sentence, no errors are permissable.)

Things students may be asked to do

What is the best way to do this task?

• Students should read the example, which shows them what they have to do.
• Then they should read all the sentences to understand the topic.
• After writing the word(s), they should read each full sentence to themselves and compare it carefully with the first sentence. Is the meaning the same?
• When they have finished, it is a good idea to let them practise writing only the missing words on the answer sheet.

How to improve your students’ performance

Students who have focused on fluency in English but have not paid much attention to grammatical or spelling accuracy may find this exercise very difficult.

1. Accuracy

Providing examples of how inaccuracies (in grammar or spelling) can produce misunderstandings may help to focus attention on the need to say what you mean (e.g.  Mary was giving a lecture / Mary was given a lecture; John is interesting / John is interested ). You may also want to stress how important clarity and accuracy are in the world of work and education, and how much employers value accuracy.

2. Paraphrasing

Make sure students understand that paraphrasing is a useful skill in the real world. It is a skill we use in order to clarify and explain: we rephrase or reformulate information by saying it again using different words. Link this exercise with the need to paraphrase in the speaking test when the students do not know or cannot remember a word or expression to describe something in the photograph.

Part 2: Writing a short communicative message

Candidates have to write a short communicative message of between 35 and 45 words.The focus of this task is on communicating a specific message in a concise and clear manner. Candidates do not need to show creativity because they are told:

• who to write to (e.g. a friend);
• the reason why they are writing (e.g. they are visiting a city and they want to send a postcard; there is some important news; they have received a present, etc);
• and three content points that they must include in the message (e.g. thank your friend, explain what you will do with the present, and invite your friend to visit you).

Number of marks: 5

1. Include all three content points

To get full marks, all content points must be included. If one content point is missing, the candidate will get a maximum of three marks.You may want to say that a few minutes devoted to planning what to write is not a waste of time!

2. Write within the word limits

Candidates will lose marks if their answers are longer than 45 words or shorter than 35. You may want to give students examples of answers that are too short, so that they can say what is missing, or too long, so that they can say what information is not required.

If your students’ answers are too short, get them to write a short sentence (you could dictate this to them) and then build it up to 45 words. This can be achieved by asking students a series of questions related to the sentence, and then incorporating their answers into the original sentence. For example:

3. Write clearly and accurately

Minor errors will not result in lost marks. However, if there are errors that affect the clarity of the message, then marks will be lost.

Part 3: Continuous writing

In this part candidates can choose to write either a story or an informal letter of about 100 words. Candidates who write fewer than 80 words will lose marks. Candidates should be advised to write at least 90 words and not to worry if their answer is a bit longer than 100. This task is worth more marks than tasks one and two combined, so remind students that they must leave enough time to complete it fully.

Number of marks: 15 (The task is marked out of five, and then the band score is multiplied by three to translate it to a mark out of 15. For example, a candidate who gets a Band 4 will be awarded 12 marks out of 15.)

1. General advice

In this part of the exam, students can use their imagination and have a chance to use a variety of vocabulary and structures.They should be encouraged to be ambitious within the limitations of the language they have learnt. They will be awarded higher marks if they use a range of tenses and appropriate vocabulary and expressions. [See page 30 of the PET Handbook:  www.cambridgeenglish.org/images/168150-cambridge-english-preliminary-teachers-handbook.pdf ]

Students could be shown example letters or stories which have clear flaws, e.g.:

• They are too short. (They should work in pairs to make them longer by adding a few sentences.)
• They lack interesting vocabulary. (They should work in pairs to introduce some different words or expressions.)
• They lack a proper introduction or conclusion. (They should work in pairs to provide it.)

It is a good idea to encourage students to judge their own letters or stories by asking themselves these questions:

a) Is it clear and interesting?

• Will the reader understand the points in the letter or follow the development of the story?
• Is it divided into paragraphs?
• Is the handwriting clear enough?
• Is there an interesting introduction and conclusion?

b) Can I correct any language mistakes before handing it in?

• Is the spelling correct?
• Are verb tenses used correctly?
• Have I used punctuation marks?

2. Specific advice

a) The letter

The letter in the exam task will tell candidates what to include in their letter. It is important to read the letter carefully and 1) make a note of the topic (e.g. it is about free time activities / museums / mobile phones, etc), and 2) underline any questions the friend is asking.

Students need to be told that if they get carried away and end up writing about a different topic, or they do not give the information the task is asking for, they will be penalized. They must include appropriate opening and closing lines.

b) The story

This question will give a short title or the first sentence of a story. Students should be encouraged to read the task very carefully. The answer must be linked to the question in content, so candidates should note any names or pronouns used in the question. If the first sentence is in the third person, for example, the story must be written in the third person. Students should get used to making a simple plan of the story before starting to write, making sure to include the following details:

• The beginning (e.g. Who is the main character? When and where does the story start? What happened?).
• The development (e.g. What happened next? How did X react? What did X do?).
• The conclusion (e.g. What happened in the end? How did X feel about it?).

To write a good story, students will need to have a good command of:

• Past tenses: the past simple, past continuous and past perfect simple (regular and irregular forms) in affirmative and negative sentences.
• Simple reported speech (e.g. Peter asked the woman if she could help him ).
• Sequencing words and expressions (e.g. Then... , After that …, While... , When …, The following day …, In the afternoon …, etc).

For more ideas and tasks, information and tips, see Macmillan Education's Testbuilder series, available to purchase here:   www.macmillanenglish.com/courses/testbuilders  

• Cambridge: B1 Preliminary (PET)
• Intermediate
• Study Skills
• Teaching Notes
• Up to 60 mins
• Whole Class

Cambridge English Preliminary: Speaking Part 3

Cambridge english preliminary: reading part 4, related articles.

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Is there a food or meal you could eat every day without getting tired of it?

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Guidance for teachers preparing candidates for Part 3 of the Speaking paper of the Cambridge Preliminary Exam.

Guidance for teachers preparing candidates for Part 4 of the Reading paper of the Cambridge Preliminary Exam, with a worksheet taken from Lucrecia Luque-Mortimer’s PET Testbuilder.

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• Aurelia Colta
• August 3, 2021
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Insights into B1 Preliminary Writing

This article is addressed to all of you who are preparing to take the b1 preliminary exam..

How is your preparation level when it comes to writing?

We are used to listening to people talking or singing in English, and reading all kinds of texts, starting with easy adverts on billboards to more complex academic and/or professional ones. Consequently, we do reach much more easily, though I don’t mean effortlessly, a B1 listening and reading comprehension level. Writing, instead, is not everyone’s thing, even though it is undeniably important, and not just for exam purposes.

Let’s first look into what types of writing you must show control of in B1 Preliminary exam Writing paper.

B1 Preliminary Writing paper lasts 45 minutes. It counts for 25% of the total mark.

It includes the following types of texts:

There are two parts:

Part 1 : Answering a friend’s email and including the notes that are provided. This part is obligatory.

Part 2 : Writing an article by answering the questions, or a story which must start with the sentence provided in the question. In this part, you choose one between these two.

Each of these writings` word length is around 100 words .

You must have been practising the above writing types once you started your B1 preparation, and I am sure you have already made your choice in the second part, either going for a story or an article depending on which you are mastering the best. An ARTICLE writer should be good at engaging the reader with rhetoric questions and colourful language, while A STORY writer must be a pro at past tenses, sequence of events connectors and why not  – a pinch of suspense. Which one do you take to, like a duck to water? 😉

B1 Preliminary Writing Assessment Criteria

To know what exactly is expected from a candidate’s B1 Preliminary exam writing piece, we have got four Writing Assessment Criteria :

• Content : It focuses on how well the candidate has done what they were asked to do.
• Communicative Achievement : it focuses on how appropriate the writing is for the task and whether the candidate has used the appropriate register.
• Organization : It focuses on how logical and ordered the writing is.
• Language : It focuses on a wide range of topic vocabulary and grammar, as well as how accurate the writing is.

Responses are marked on each of these subscales from 0 to 5. So, there is a maximum of 20 points for each of the two writings.

Knowing these criteria is a must since it gives you a clear picture of what exactly you should consider while sitting the writing paper and what changes to make while proofreading your work before you hand it in. Take a close look at the below descriptors specific to each of the above-mentioned subscales:

(It is taken from Cambridge Assessment English B1 Preliminary Handbook for Teachers for exams from 2020 )

B1 Preliminary Writing Checklists  

Find below a general checklist for any of your writings in both Part 1 and Part 2 given the four writing assessment criteria:

Now, let’s dive into the checklist for each of the three writings:

B1 Preliminary Writing Part 1 An Email

• written about the topic indicated in the question and included ALL THE NOTES provided?
• made few mistakes in spelling or grammar?
• used a range of vocabulary?
• written the right number of words?
• written in paragraphs?
• clearly linked the points with linkers and connectors?
• started and ended your email in a suitable way?
• used words and expressions that are suitable for informal language?
• got the right length? (TIP: Count the words you have written in one full line. Multiply it with the number of lines, and you will get an approximate number of words)

B1 Preliminary Writing Part 2

• answered ALL THE QUESTIONS and included all the necessary information?
• got three-four paragraphs?
• used adjectives to make the article interesting to read?
• used a range of topic-related vocabulary?
• expressed a personal opinion?
• used linking words and phrases?
• got the right length?
• started your story with the sentence given in the instructions? 
• got a WHO? WHAT? WHERE? WHEN?, and HOW?
• used time expressions. e.g. before, during, after, when, while, until, first, then, next, immediately, as soon as, finally, in the end, etc?
• used a variety of past tenses: past simple for events, past continuous to describe the background, and past perfect simple or continuous for things that happened before something else?
• used adjectives and adverbs to describe the scene, people, etc?
• got three paragraphs: beginning, middle, and end?
• used direct speech?

The above checklists are useful in both self- and peer-assessment, in case you are using them in class or while preparing for the exam together with your friend.

Top Writing Tips:

• Practice writing using exam tasks. The more you write, the better at writing you will become.
• Always proofread your work, by correcting, adding, or making other changes to your final writing.
• Be ambitious. Play with language chunks. It will pay off!

Once again, I hope the information above has been handy and helped you clarify any doubts you might have related to B1 Preliminary Writing paper.

Stay tuned for more words of advice and handy material!

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Exam Seekers

Content related to english exams and courses., |ee-025b| b1: preliminary – writing [part 2a: writing an article].

Hello Exam Seekers,

I thought that things had calmed down here, but I was so wrong. Still many things to do and so little time I have… I planned on having this post public in the morning, but… then again, I’ve been having very little control of my life these past few weeks.

What I do have control, though, is of the content that I post. So, let’s go!

Last week I worked on the Cambridge B1 Preliminary. I have already written about the Reading and Use of English, please make sure you check them out:

• Part 1 – Multiple Choice ;
• Part 2 – Matching ;
• Part 3  –  Multiple Choice ;
• Part 4 – Gapped Text ;
• Part 5 – Multiple-Choice Cloze ;
• Part 6 – Open Cloze .

Last Tuesday, though, I started working on the Writing exam: [Part 1] Writing an e-mail . Today, we are still talking about the writing exam, but now it’s [Part 2] Writing an article or a story.

In part 1, candidates have to write about 100 words answering an e-mail. There is no other option. For part 2, candidates have to choose to write an article or a story based on the guideline. Candidates must write 100 words, answering the question of their choosing. It is worth up to 20 marks.

I chose to start with the article, so here are the questions:

As you can see, the article they are looking for is about films. They ask two questions to be responded to. Remember that you have to write up to 100 words or so. If you write 90 to 110 words, it’s not a problem. I’d try to use 100 to 110 words and not 90 because using the maximum number of words available usually shows that you know more. So here we go:

What kind of films do you enjoy?

I like romantic films and drama.

Do you prefer watching them at the cinema or at home?

Because at the cinema I can see my friends, and at home it’s quiet, and I don’t need to worry about people talking and disturbing me.

This is how I would answer the questions, but, as you can see, they are not 100 words long. These would be my notes, so when I put them all together, it would look like this:

I love watching romantic comedies and dramas. These are my favorite types of films. I usually watch them with my boyfriend at the cinema and at home. I like to watch in both places. I like to watch films in the cinema because of the big screen and the popcorn. But there are always people talking and using their phones in these places, so I enjoy watching films at home, too. In my house, the popcorn is not so good, and the TV is not as big, but it’s quiet, and I don’t need to worry about asking for people to be quiet.

As you can see, my article is a bit long: 104 words. And it’s a bit confusing. My advice would be: CHOOSE ONE OPTION. Instead of saying “both” to watching films at the cinema or at home, just choose one. So let’s try again:

I love watching romantic comedies and dramas. These are my favorite types of films. I usually watch them with my boyfriend at the cinema. That’s the best place to watch movies because of the big screen and the popcorn. I don’t like to watch them at home, it is very lonely, and my popcorn and TV screen are not as big or good. At the cinema, I can also call all my friends to watch movies with me, which is awesome. What about you?

As you can see, I chose one of the options, but now it’s a bit short. My advice here is:  use adjectives to make the text longer and more attractive . You can also divide the sentences or words: instead of saying “I love watching”, you can say “I love to watch”. These would guarantee you extra words to your count.

Let’s try once more:

I love watching romantic comedies and dramas. These are my favorite types of films. I usually watch them with my boyfriend at the cinema. That’s the best place to watch movies because of the big screen and the delicious popcorn. I don’t like to watch them at home. I feel lonely because it’s too quiet, my popcorn is not as good, and my TV screen is not as big. At the cinema, I can also call all my friends to watch movies with me, which is awesome. Then we can share our opinions about it when it’s over. What about you?

As you can see, 99 words. Did you understand the process? This is how I would do it. Now it’s your time to try! Write your articles in the comments, and I will assess them 😛

Well, I do hope that I was helpful!

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• Writing an Article for the PET B1 Level

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Breakout English

Writing an Article – Rhetorical Questions

Writing rhetorical questions is a literary device that professional writers love to hate, but if you’re writing an article for an exam, they can be a very useful tool. You may need to write an article in Cambridge Preliminary (PET) or First (FCE) and in Trinity ISE I, II, or III. Writing an article is a new addition to the Preliminary (PET) exam in 2020, but personally, I think it is a nice option for B1 candidates to show their ability. So why are rhetorical questions a good option for writing articles?

What is a rhetorical question?

A rhetorical question is a question which is asked for effect and doesn’t need to be answered. Sometimes the answer to rhetorical questions is obvious or sometimes the asker will go on to answer it themselves.

As you can see by the way I used a rhetorical question in the introduction to this blog, they encourage a reader to keep reading. The psychological effect of rhetorical questions can be quite powerful because you can spark interest, intrigue and even controversy if used effectively.

When and how often should you be writing rhetorical questions?

They are a great tool for articles and possibly reviews or letters , but that’s where I would draw the line. A rhetorical question has no place in formal writing, which means avoid them in essays, reports and proposals. Articles are generally neutral or informal in exams, so I think they are a great place to show off a few questions.

Use rhetorical questions sparingly . The best place for them is at the end of your 1st paragraph and in the final paragraph as a way to make the ending interesting. One or two questions throughout the text is more than enough.

The materials: Rhetorical question cards

These rhetorical question cards have sentence stems on them so that you can practice writing questions for different topics that could come up in the exam. Brainstorm a series of topics and then try writing a question for each one.

Possible procedure:

• Cut up question cards and give one set to each pair
• On the board, have a list of six possible article topics (like the example above)
• One student rolls a dice which determines the topic everyone has to write about
• Each pair turns over a question card and writes a rhetorical question related to the topic
• Compare and contrast, correct errors and put the best on the board
• Replace the used topic with a new one
• Rinse and repeat

EXAM PART : Writing Part 2 – Article, Preliminary (PET), FIrst (FCE), ISE I, ISE II, ISE III

EXAM SKILLS : Creating cohesion and maintaining reader’s interest

TIME: 20 minutes

PREPARATION: One set of question cards per pair of students, list of article topics appropriate for the level

A1 – Elementary

Practice Grammar Tests for A1 with Answer

A2 – Pre-intermediate

Practice Grammar Tests for A2 with Answer

B1 – Intermediate

Practice Grammar Tests for B1 with Answer

B2 – Upper-intermediate

Practice Grammar Tests for B2 with Answer

C1 – Advanced

Practice Grammar Tests for C1 with Answer

Pre-A1 – STARTERS

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Writing Part 2: AN ARTICLE – B1 PRELIMINARY for Schools Writing

• Writing Tests for B1

1   Read the exam task. What should your article be about? What information should it include?

Articles wanted!

My favourite city

What’s your favourite city?

What’s so special about this city?

What city would you love to travel to in the future?

Tell us what you think!

Write an article answering these questions and we will publish the most interesting ones on our website.

MODEL ANSWER

My favourite city is Paris because it is so lively and interesting. It is also full of surprises. 1

Paris is a city of variety. It has many beautiful old buildings, but it also feels modern. You can visit expensive 2 designer shops or small, traditional markets. There are hundreds of restaurants which serve French food, or different food from around the world. You can meet all kinds of people, too. There is something for everyone. 3

I would love to travel to New York in the future because I’ve seen the city in so many films, and I would love to visit it in real life. 4

1 The first paragraph answers the first question and gives a reason

2 Adjectives make the article more interesting to read.

3 The second paragraph gives more details and answers the second question in the task.

4 The third paragraph is about a city the writer would like to go to in the future.

KEY LANGUAGE AND IDEAS FOR ARTICLES

Use adjectives for describing people and things:

Attractive   brave   calm   cheerful   convenient …

Use linking words and phrases:

and   but   so   because   although   also   as well …

Use an introductory sentence for each paragraph:

Paris is a city of variety.

A good job should be creative. Photography is a great hobby.

Give your opinion:

I think … It seems to me that … I would say that …

2   Choose the best introductory sentence in italics for each opening paragraph.

1    There are many benefits to keeping fit. / I don’t really do enough exercise . Doing regular exercise is good for your heart, and it helps you to lose weight. It can also improve your mood, especially if you feeling tired or unhappy.

2   Som e older people are not used to the internet. / The internet has changed people’s lives in many ways . People can now go online to do their shopping and book restaurants and holidays. Students also have access to lots of information that was difficult to find before the internet.

3    Teaching is a very difficult job. / I would like to become a teacher . Students are not always interested in learning, and teachers have to work hard to encourage their students to study. Also, there are sometimes problems with bad behaviour from students.

3   Complete the table with the adjectives from the box. Can you add any more adjectives?

4   Read the exam task in Exercise 5. What should your article be about? What should it include?

5   before you write your article, complete the table with ideas..

My perfect job

What makes the perfect job?

Is it being creative, travelling, meeting people, or something else?

How important is it to earn a lot of money?

6   Write your article, using your notes from Exercise 5. Write about 100 words.

………………………….……………………………………….……………

7   Check your article and make changes if necessary.

◻ Have you answered all the questions and included all the necessary information?

◻ Have you used adjectives to make your article interesting to read?

◻ Have you expressed a personal opinion?

◻ Have you used linking words and phrases?

◻ Have you counted your words?

The article is about your favourite city. You should say what the city is, why you like it and what makes it so special. You should then explain which city you would love to travel to in the future.

1    There are many benefits to keeping fit.

2    The internet has changed people’s lives in many ways.

3    Teaching is a very difficult job.

The article is about your perfect job. You should say what makes a job perfect for you. Then give your opinion about how important it is to earn a lot of money in your job.

Students’ own answers.

Sample answer

For me, an architect is the perfect job because it is interesting, creative, and very challenging. For an architect, every day is different. You might design a modern house, then a new classroom for a school, then change an old factory into flats. So this job is never boring, because every building you work on is different. I think it would also be very satisfying to create beautiful buildings for people to live or work in. I would say it is important to earn enough money so you don’t have to worry about it. But if you enjoy your job, you don’t have to be rich to be happy.

(109 words)

Related Posts

• Writing Part 2: A STORY – B1 PRELIMINARY for Schools Writing
• Writing Part 1: AN EMAIL – B1 PRELIMINARY for Schools Writing
• HOW TO MAKE YOUR WRITING MORE INTERESTING – B1 PRELIMINARY for Schools Writing
• WRITING A REVIEW – B1 English Writing Test
• WRITING AN INFORMAL EMAIL – B1 English Writing Test
• WRITING AN ARTICLE – B1 English Writing Test

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10 Email Writing Topics | B1 Preliminary (PET)

Below is a sample list of email B1 writing topics for Preliminary level students. You can use them to practice writing English essays or to prepare for the Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET) exam.

B1 Preliminary (PET) Email: Writing Topics

Example of B1 writing topics that may appear in the exam:

B1 Email Topic / Question 1 | Preliminary (PET)

Write your email to Jane using all the notes.

B1 Email Topic / Question 2 | Preliminary (PET)

Write your email to John using all the notes.

B1 Email Topic / Question 3 | Preliminary (PET)

Write your email to Ben using all the notes.

B1 Email Topic / Question 4 | Preliminary (PET)

Write your email to Kate using all the notes.

B1 Email Topic / Question 5 | Preliminary (PET)

Write your email to Tim using all the notes.

FCE, CAE, PET

Practice, write & improve, b1 email topic / question 6 | preliminary (pet).

Write your email to Mrs Snow using all the notes.

B1 Email Topic / Question 7 | Preliminary (PET)

Write your email to Jack using all the notes.

B1 Email Topic / Question 8 | Preliminary (PET)

Write your email to Susan using all the notes.

B1 Email Topic / Question 9 | Preliminary (PET)

Write your email to Brenda using all the notes.

B1 Email Topic / Question 10 | Preliminary (PET)

Write your email to Nicola using all the notes.

See more B1 writing topics: PET Writing Part 1

B1 Preliminary (PET) Email: Writing Topics Download PDF

Here you will find 10 sample B1 writing topics , similar ones may appear in the B1 Preliminary (PET) exam:

• B1 Preliminary (PET) Email Writing Topic: Olivia’s party (PDF)
• B1 Preliminary (PET) Email Writing Topic: Your visit (PDF)
• B1 Preliminary (PET) Email Writing Topic: Summer time (PDF)
• B1 Preliminary (PET) Email Writing Topic: School (PDF)
• B1 Preliminary (PET) Email Writing Topic: Visit (PDF)
• B1 Preliminary (PET) Email Writing Topic: Party (PDF)
• B1 Preliminary (PET) Email Writing Topic: Birthday Plans (PDF)
• B1 Preliminary (PET) Email Writing Topic: Holiday (PDF)
• B1 Preliminary (PET) Email Writing Topic: New flat (PDF)
• B1 Preliminary (PET) Email Writing Topic: Birthday invitation (PDF)

Would you pass B1 Preliminary (PET)?

• Being Healthy

This is an example of how to write an article about being healthy for B1 Preliminary Writng Part 2 Article. It provides practice for the writing section of  the Cambridge English B1 Preliminary exam.  

B1 Preliminary Writing Part 2 Article: Being Healthy

More exercises available for B1 Preliminary Writing Part 2 Article :

• Reading Part 1 & 2
• Reading Part 3 & 4
• Reading Part 5 & 6
• Writing Part 1
• Writing Part 2

Part 1 - Read five real-world notices, messages and other short texts for the main message.

• Notices and Messages How to Video
• Notices and Messages Set 1
• Notices and Messages Set 2
• Notices and Messages Set 3
• Notices and Messages Set 4
• Notices and Messages Set 5
• Notices and Messages Set 6
• Notices and Messages Set 7
• Notices and Messages Set 8

Part 2 - Match five descriptions of people to eight short texts on a particular topic, showing detailed comprehension.

• Films at the Cinema
• Summer Camps
• Trip to London

Part 3 - Read a longer text for detailed comprehension, gist, inference and global meaning, as well as writer’s attitude and opinion.

• Being Special
• Night Shift Work
• Procedures for Part 3
• Rock climbing
• The Zookeeper

Part 4 - Read a longer text from which five sentences have been removed. Show understanding of how a coherent and well-structured text is formed.

• Keep on Running
• Student Budget
• The Olympic Flame
• The Puzzle Maker

Part 5 - Read a shorter text and choose the correct vocabulary items to complete gaps.

• Book Recommendation
• Mountain Climbing
• Playing Computer Games
• Popular Website
• Saving a Tree
• Single or Mixed-gender Schools
• Work of Art

Part 6 - Read a shorter text and complete six gaps using one word for each gap.

• Hometown Changes
• Music Preferences
• New Year’s Day
• Party Invitation
• Special Bike
• Subject Choices
• The First Day of Spring
• The Oldest University in the World

Write about 100 words, answering the email and notes provided.

• Birthday Money
• Learning a language
• New Cooking Club

Write about 100 words, either an article or story.

• Festival in Thailand
• Learning and the Internet
• Music Lover
• Playing Games

Short Stories

• A Broken Train
• A Phone Call
• Surprised Teacher
• Weather Warning
• Woke up late
• Part 3 - Listening
• Part 4 - Listening

Part 3 - Gap-Filled Exercise

• Competition
• Shopping Centre Visit

Part 4 - Multiple Choice Exercise

• A Coach Trip
• Fashion Designer
• Talking about a Journey

The B1 Preliminary Speaking test has four parts and you take it together with another candidate. There are two examiners. One of the examiners talks to you and the other examiner listens.

• Kenza and Mohammed
• Roberto and Simone
• Crosswords Puzzles
• Word Searches
• Word Puzzles
• Air Travel Crossword
• Computer Crossword
• Crime Crossword
• Entertainment Crossword
• Financial Language Crossword
• Food Crossword
• Health Crossword
• Home Crossword
• Language Crossword
• Leisure Crossword
• Money Crossword
• Natural World Crossword
• Places Crossword
• Shopping Crossword
• Sports Crossword
• Technology Crossword
• Texting Crossword
• Time Crossword
• Transport Crossword
• Travel Crossword
• Work and Jobs Crossword
• Adjectives with -ing Word Search
• Art Word Search
• Bonfire Night Word Search
• Buildings Word Search
• Classical Music Word Search
• Countryside Word Search
• Drama Word Search
• Education Word Search
• Entertainment Word Search
• Fast Food Word Search
• Feelings Word Search
• Food and Drink Word Search
• Football Word Search
• Gambling Word Search
• Haunted House Word Search
• Health Word Search
• Home Word Search
• Internet Word Search
• Language Word Search
• Leisure Word Search
• Natural World Word Search
• Shopping Word Search
• Sports Facilities Word Search
• Sports Word Search
• Sushi Word Search
• Technology Word Search
• Time Word Search
• Town and City Word Search
• Travel Word Search
• Weather Word Search
• Work Word Search
• Clothes Word Puzzle
• Color Word Puzzle
• Communication Word Puzzle
• Easter Word Puzzle
• Education Word Puzzle
• Entertainment Word Puzzle
• Environment Word Puzzle
• Food Word Puzzle
• Health Word Puzzle
• Hobbies Word Puzzle
• Language Word Puzzle
• Medicine Word Puzzle
• Natural World Word Puzzle
• Technology Word Puzzle
• Time Word Puzzle
• Weather Word Puzzle
• Vocabulary Skills
• Grammar Skills
• Writing Skills
• Speaking Skills
• Air Travel Exercises
• Animals and Pets
• British and American English
• Chinese New Year
• Computer Exercises
• Easter (A2 – B1 Levels)
• Entertainment
• Environment
• Environmental Issues
• Finance Exercises
• Food and Drink
• Leisure and Hobbies
• Money Exercises
• Phoning and Texting Exercises
• Places and Buildings
• Relationships
• Transport and Travel
• Work and Jobs
• Phrasal Verbs
• Past Simple
• Past Perfect
• Past Continuous
• Order of Adjectives
• Linking Adjectives
• Compound Nouns
• Adverbs of Frequency
• Book Review – The Call
• Short Story – Talent Contest
• Email – Barbecue Invitation
• Email – Holiday Plans
• Article – The Cardboard Bike
• Email – Holiday in Thailand
• Short Story – Computer Problems
• Email – Borrowing
• Report – Eating out in Berlin
• Email – Saving Energy
• Speech – Course Introduction
• Email – New School
• Article – Being Famous
• Email – School Holidays
• Article – Work of Art
• Email – Favourite Film
• Email – Visiting a relative
• Article – Schools for Boys and Girls
• News Report – Bank Robbery
• Blog Post – A New Life in Japan
• Email – Computer Games
• Email – Party Invitation
• Letter – Most Important Time
• Movie Review – Ted
• Email – about University
• Email – Subject Choices
• Report – Features of Glaciers
• Short Story – Art Competition
• Article – The Countryside
• Short Story – The Angel
• Short Story – In Free Fall
• Email – Summer School
• French words using [Ch]

Cambridge English exams are designed for learners at all levels from the pre-intermediate level Cambridge English: Key (KET) to the very advanced level Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE). These exams give candidates proof of their ability to use English in a wide variety of contexts, relevant to work, study and leisure activities.

A2 Key | B1 Preliminary | B2 First

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