Writing - two tasks, one reader, every bullet covered
LanguageCert C1 Expert Writing asks for two tasks of roughly equal weight within the written paper. The first is usually a transactional letter or email; the second offers a choice of genre, often an article, report or review. Each prompt names a reader, a purpose and two or three content points, and every point must be covered or Task Achievement drops regardless of how good the English is.
What is rewarded
- Task achievement: all content points, appropriate length, the intended effect on the reader.
- Organisation: one paragraph per function, clear opening and closing, linkers used sparingly and accurately.
- Range: C1 structures - participle clauses, hedging, inversion after not only - only where they carry meaning.
- Accuracy: occasional slips are tolerated; systematic ones are not.
Genre conventions
A letter to the editor states the reason for writing and ends with a call to action. A report needs a title, headed sections and a recommendation. A review needs a verdict, not a plot summary. An article needs a hook and direct address to the reader.
Worked example
Prompt: write to your council arguing that a proposed town-centre car ban should be postponed, covering effects on traders and alternative measures. A weak answer narrates the writer's childhood in the town. The strong answer: paragraph 1 states purpose and position; paragraph 2 gives hedged evidence ("traders report that…"); paragraph 3 proposes alternatives ("the council could trial…"); the close requests a delay. Each paragraph maps to a function the reader expects, and none exists to fill space.
Traps
Ignoring the second content point; importing memorised introductions that answer no prompt; breaking register with slang in a formal complaint or Dear Sir/Madam in an article; overrunning the word range and losing relevance.