Writing (B2 First Paper 2)
B2 First Writing lasts 1 hour 20 minutes, has two tasks, and is worth 20% of the total. Part 1 is a compulsory essay; Part 2 offers a choice of three tasks, typically article, email/letter, report or review, with a set-text option in some sessions. Both tasks are 140–190 words.
The four assessment criteria
- Content: every content point covered, reader fully informed.
- Communicative Achievement: register, format and conventions appropriate to the task, clear purpose.
- Organisation: paragraphs, topic sentences, cohesive devices, logical progression.
- Language: range and accuracy of grammar and vocabulary. They are equally weighted, so a well-organised, accurate but off-format answer cannot score highly.
Part 1: the essay
You are given notes with three ideas; you must discuss two of them and add your own idea. The essay must have a clear position, not a list. Structure: introduction stating the question and your position; one paragraph per chosen idea with explanation and example; a short conclusion that brings in your own idea and answers the question.
Part 2: format conventions
- Article: title, engaging opening, direct questions to the reader, optional subheadings, conclusion.
- Email/letter: correct greeting and sign-off, consistent formal or informal register, every prompt answered.
- Report: title, introduction, headed sections such as Findings and Recommendations, impersonal factual tone.
- Review: title, what is being reviewed, description, evaluation, recommendation.
Worked example (essay)
Prompt: "Should schools ban mobile phones?" Notes: improves concentration; safety; social interaction. Choose concentration and safety; own idea: teaching digital responsibility. Paragraph 1: "While phones can support learning, they also fragment attention; banning them during lessons would let teachers…" Paragraph 2: "Safety is the strongest counter-argument: parents want to reach children…" Conclusion: a ban plus lessons in responsible use. Reasoning: two ideas are discussed, not merely mentioned; each has explanation and example; the own idea appears in the conclusion and still answers the question.
Traps that cost marks
- Writing the wrong genre: a story when the task asks for a report destroys Communicative Achievement.
- Missing a content point, for example ignoring one of the two essay ideas.
- Memorised opening sentences that do not fit the specific task.
- Register slips: contractions and idioms in an essay or report.
- Overlong answers that lose organisation; the word limit is 140–190.