Meeting the word count and task requirements in a short written task
A B1 writing task asks the candidate to write an email of 80–100 words to a friend, in which he must (1) invite the friend to a weekend trip, (2) say what the friend should bring, and (3) ask one question about transport. The candidate writes 145 words. He covers the invitation at length, describing the town and the hotel in detail, mentions "вземи си топли дрехи" in passing, and ends with "Кажи ми как ще стигнем до там?" He writes the email in a formal register, opening with "Уважаеми господине" and closing with "С уважение", because he believes formal writing scores higher. He uses accurate grammar throughout.
1. Identify the three scoring problems in this email and rank them by likely impact on the mark.
Read the worked answer
Problems, ranked:
- Register is wrong (highest impact). The task says "to a friend". "Уважаеми господине" and "С уважение" are formal and address a stranger, not a friend. A register mismatch on a clearly specified audience damages the communicative-achievement criterion more than a small grammar slip, because the text does not do what the task asked.
- Word count is exceeded (145 vs. 80–100). Many rubrics penalise or ignore content beyond the limit, and the excess here came from description that was not required. The candidate spent his words on the wrong content.
- One requirement is thin. The "what to bring" point is present but minimal; it is technically covered, so this is a minor issue, but it shows where the words should have gone.
The candidate's belief that formal = higher marks is the root error. Register is judged against the task's stated audience, not against an abstract scale of formality.
2. Rewrite the plan - not the full text - that this candidate should have followed, and state the word budget for each part.
Read the worked answer
Plan for an 80–100 word informal email:
- Greeting + invitation (about 20–25 words): "Здравей, Иво! В събота и неделя отиваме на екскурзия до Велико Търново. Искаш ли да дойдеш с нас?"
- What to bring (about 20–25 words): two or three concrete items with a reason - "Вземи си удобни обувки и топло яке, защото вечер става студено."
- Question about transport (about 15–20 words): one clear question - "Само едно нещо не ми е ясно: с влак или с кола ще пътуваме?"
- Closing (about 10 words): "Пиши ми скоро. Поздрави, Мария."
Total: roughly 70–80 words of content plus greeting and closing, comfortably inside 80–100.
Key principles:
- Cover each bullet in one short block so no requirement can be missed.
- Match register to the named reader (informal greeting, informal closing, "ти" forms).
- Leave the description out. Extra scenery is not rewarded and pushes you over the limit.
- If you finish under the minimum, add one sentence to the weakest bullet, not a new topic.