Skip to content
Pick TwoActivity

A2 Key writing: short message and note practice

A2Writing40 questionsUpdated

The A2 Key short message asks you to write a note, text or card of about twenty-five words to a friend, covering three points given in the instructions. The marks come from covering all three, not from clever language. This page shows you how to turn three bullet points into three sentences and check them in under a minute.

What this task tests

  • Covering every content point in the instructions, with none missing.
  • Writing roughly the right number of words.
  • Choosing a friendly, natural tone for a friend or family member.
  • Using present, past and simple future forms accurately in short sentences.
  • Starting and ending a note in a normal way.
  • Spelling common everyday words correctly.
  • Using capital letters, full stops and question marks.
  • Making the message clear enough that the reader knows what to do.

How to do it

  1. Step 1:

    Number the points

    Write 1, 2, 3 in the margin of the question paper next to each thing you must say. You will tick them off at the end.

  2. Step 2:

    One sentence per point

    Three short sentences plus a greeting is almost exactly twenty-five words. Do not try to combine two points into one long sentence.

  3. Step 3:

    Start with the reason for writing

    Open with something like ‘Thanks for your message’ or ‘I can’t come on Saturday’. It sets the situation in five words.

  4. Step 4:

    Answer in the same tense as the question

    If the instruction says ‘tell your friend what you did’, write in the past. If it says ‘invite’, write about the future.

  5. Step 5:

    Keep the sentences short

    A long sentence at A2 is a sentence with mistakes in it. Full stops are free, and each one protects the sentence before it.

  6. Step 6:

    Add a normal ending

    ‘See you soon’, ‘Let me know’ or ‘Love, Ana’ finishes the note properly and takes three words.

  7. Step 7:

    Tick the three points

    Read your note once looking only for your three numbers. A missing point is the most expensive mistake on this task.

  8. Step 8:

    Check the three usual errors

    Third-person -s, past tense verbs and capital letters. Those three checks take twenty seconds and catch most of what you lose.

Mistakes that cost marks

  • Not thisWriting a long, friendly note that only covers two of the three points.

    ThisWriting three short sentences that cover all three.

    The mark scheme counts content points. Beautiful English about the wrong thing scores nothing.

  • Not thisDear Sir, I am writing to inform you…

    ThisHi Sam, I can’t come on Saturday.

    The message is to a friend. Formal language is not more correct here; it is the wrong register.

  • Not thisI will go yesterday to the park.

    ThisI went to the park yesterday.

    The time word decides the tense. Check every verb against the time words in your own sentence.

  • Not thisWriting sixty words to be safe.

    ThisWriting about twenty-five.

    Extra sentences add extra mistakes and take time from the longer task, without adding marks.

  • Not thiswe can meet at the cinema on friday

    ThisWe can meet at the cinema on Friday.

    Days, names and the first word of a sentence need capital letters, and every sentence needs a full stop.

  • Not thisRepeating the words of the question back exactly.

    ThisSaying the same thing in your own words.

    Copying the instructions is not writing, and examiners do not count copied words as your own language.

Language this task keeps reusing

Hi / Hello
friendly ways to start a message
Thanks for
used to say thank you for a message or invitation
Sorry, but
used to refuse something politely
Let’s meet
a simple way to suggest meeting
How about
used to suggest a time or an idea: How about Sunday?
Can you
used to ask someone to do something
Don’t forget
used to remind someone
See you soon
a friendly way to end a message
Let me know
asks the reader to reply
I’d love to
a warm way to accept an invitation
because
gives a reason, often the second content point
at (a time)
used with clock times: at seven
meet me
come to the same place as me
bring
take something with you to where the other person is

Practice: the short message

40 original questions. The first 10 are open to everyone. Answers are checked in your browser and never sent to us, so you can share this page with a class as it is.

1Complete the sentence.

A note to a friend usually starts withand then the friend’s name.
The instructions say: tell your friend where to meet, when to meet and what to bring. How many sentences do you need?

3Complete the sentence.

Sorry, I can’t come on SaturdayI am visiting my grandmother.
Which opening is best for a note to a friend?

5Complete the sentence.

The message should be about twenty-words long.
Decide if each statement about the short message is true.
  • You lose marks if you miss one of the content points.
  • Writing sixty words instead of twenty-five gets extra marks.
  • A friendly tone is right for a note to a friend.
3 to go
The task says ‘invite your friend to your party’. Which sentence does that?

8Complete the sentence.

Don’tto bring your swimming things.

9Write a short note (about 25 words) to your friend Alex: say you cannot go to the cinema, give a reason, and suggest another day.

Which ending is best for a message to a friend?

Keep going

30 more questions on this page

Leave your email and the rest of the set opens straight away — on this page and every other exam page on the site. We read every address by hand and write back with practice suited to what you are preparing for. No list, no drip sequence.

One email, once. We never sell it or pass it on.

Note

Pick Two Activity is an independent tool. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Cambridge University Press & Assessment, the British Council, IDP, ETS, Duolingo or any other exam board. Exam names are trademarks of their owners and are used here only to describe the exam you are preparing for. Every question on this page is original practice written by us: we do not provide, copy or reproduce official exam papers.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to count my words?

No, but learn what twenty-five words look like in your handwriting. Write one example at home, count it once, and use its length as your guide.

What happens if I write too much?

You do not lose marks for length itself, but longer answers contain more mistakes and take time away from the second writing task.

Should I sign the note?

Yes, if it is a note or card. A name at the end makes the message complete and takes one word.

Is it a problem if my three sentences are very simple?

No. Clear, correct, simple sentences that cover all three points score well. Complicated sentences that go wrong do not.

Can I use contractions like I’m and can’t?

Yes. This is an informal message to someone you know, and contractions are natural there.