B2 First email and letter: Part 2 writing practice

• Matching register to reader: a friend, a manager, an editor or an organiser you have never met.
• Choosing the right greeting and the sign-off that goes with it.
• Replying to every point in the message you have been sent, including the questions in the notes.
• Functional language: requesting, suggesting, apologising, thanking, complaining politely.
• Opening with a reason for writing, rather than with small talk that never ends.
• Organising a short reply into three or four purposeful paragraphs.
• Softening language: would, could, I was wondering whether, it would be helpful if.
• Giving clear, specific information such as times, numbers and arrangements.
• Closing with a next step: what you would like the reader to do.
• Accuracy in polite structures, where small errors make the tone sound rude.

1. Step 1: 1

   Identify the reader and the relationship first

   Friend, colleague, stranger in an official role. That decision governs everything else, and it takes ten seconds to make it explicitly instead of drifting into whatever tone comes out.

2. Step 2: 2

   Number the points in the prompt

   Most tasks contain three or four things to respond to, some in the message and some in the handwritten notes. Number them and tick each one off as you write.

3. Step 3: 3

   Pair the greeting with the sign-off

   Dear Mr Alvarez goes with Yours sincerely; Dear Sir or Madam goes with Yours faithfully; Hi Anna goes with Best wishes or See you soon. Mixing the pairs is a visible error.

4. Step 4: 4

   State the reason for writing in the first two lines

   ‘Thank you for your message about the trip. I am writing to confirm the numbers and to ask about the deadline.’ The reader then knows exactly what is coming.

5. Step 5: 5

   Give one paragraph to each point

   Short paragraphs with a clear job each are easier to read and easier to check than one long block that tries to cover everything.

6. Step 6: 6

   Soften requests in a formal email

   ‘Could you possibly send the details?’ rather than ‘Send the details.’ Politeness is part of communicative achievement, and direct imperatives read as rude in formal contexts.

7. Step 7: 7

   Be specific with facts

   Invent times, prices and names rather than writing ‘soon’ and ‘some people’. Specific detail reads as a real message and uses your words efficiently.

8. Step 8: 8

   Match the ending to the purpose

   An enquiry ends with ‘I look forward to hearing from you’; a friendly reply ends with ‘Let me know what you think’. Both point at the next step.

9. Step 9: 9

   Avoid switching register halfway

   Candidates often start formally and relax by the third paragraph. Reread checking only for tone: contractions, exclamation marks and phrasal verbs in a formal piece are the usual symptoms.

10. Step 10: 10

    Check the mechanics of the layout

    Greeting on its own line, a comma after it, paragraph breaks, a sign-off and your name. It costs nothing and it looks like the genre you were asked for.

• Not thisDear Sir or Madam, ... Yours sincerely, Ana

  ThisDear Sir or Madam, ... Yours faithfully, Ana

  Sincerely goes with a name you know; faithfully goes with Sir or Madam. This pairing is tested by almost every formal task.

• Not thisI am writing for ask about the summer course.

  ThisI am writing to ask about the summer course.

  Purpose is expressed with a to-infinitive, or with ‘for’ plus an -ing form: for asking. The blend is the most frequent error in formal openings.

• Not thisSend me the timetable.

  ThisCould you possibly send me the timetable?

  A bare imperative to a stranger reads as an order. Softened requests are part of what the task is testing.

• Not thisI look forward to hear from you.

  ThisI look forward to hearing from you.

  The ‘to’ here is a preposition, so it takes an -ing form. The phrase appears in so many letters that the error is worth drilling on its own.

• Not thisAnswering two of the four points because the letter was already long enough.

  ThisAnswering all four points, briefly if necessary.

  Content is marked on coverage. Two well-written paragraphs that miss half the prompt score worse than four short ones that cover it.

• Not thisHi there! I hope this email finds you well. Yours faithfully.

  ThisHi Anna, ... Best wishes, Marta

  Mixing an informal greeting with a formal sign-off shows the register was never decided. Pick one level and hold it.

• Not thisI demand that you refund my money immediately.

  ThisI would be grateful if you could refund the cost of the ticket.

  Even a complaint stays polite at B2. Aggressive phrasing is a communicative achievement problem, not a language one.

I am writing to

states the purpose of a formal message

with reference to

refers to an earlier message or advertisement

I was wondering whether

a soft way to make a request

I would be grateful if you could

polite formal request

please find attached

introduces a file sent with an email

I look forward to hearing from you

standard formal closing line

do not hesitate to contact me

invites further questions

thanks for getting in touch

friendly opening in an informal reply

sorry for the late reply

informal apology for delay

let me know what you think

friendly closing that asks for a response

it would be helpful if

polite way to ask for something

as soon as possible

requests speed without being rude

on behalf of

writing for a group or organisation

apologise for any inconvenience

formal phrase accepting fault politely

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.

• Previous: Article40 questions
• Next: Review40 questions
• All B2 First writing topics5 task types
• B2 First preparationFree B2 First (FCE) practice organised by task: Use of English, Writing, Listening and Spe