Linguaskill General - Writing
Linguaskill General Writing lasts 45 minutes and has two tasks. Part 1 asks for a short email of about 50 words; Part 2 asks for an email or letter of about 180 words, usually after reading a short text. The contexts are everyday work and social situations. You are assessed on task achievement, organisation and language, so covering every content point matters as much as using advanced grammar.
Core rules
- Before writing, identify the reader, purpose and register. A message to a manager needs a neutral-polite tone; a note to a friend can be informal.
- In Part 1, answer each bullet in one clear sentence. Do not add a long introduction.
- In Part 2, use paragraphs: greeting/opening, body with reasons or examples, closing. Link ideas with “however”, “as a result”, “in addition”.
- Keep within the word limit. Under-length answers lose marks; very long answers waste time and increase errors.
- Check subject–verb agreement, articles and spelling after you finish.
Worked example
Prompt: You are attending a training day next week. Email your manager, Ms Chen: explain why you will be late on Tuesday; ask for the afternoon off; say how you will catch up. Sample: “Dear Ms Chen, I am writing to let you know that I will be late on Tuesday because my train arrives at 10.15. Could I take the afternoon off to attend a medical appointment? I will finish the monthly report on Wednesday morning to catch up. Best regards, Alex.” Reasoning: the sample covers all three points in about 50 words. It uses a neutral-polite register (“Could I…?”), a clear subject line and a closing. Each sentence does one job, so the reader does not have to infer missing information.
Traps
- Missing one bullet, which caps task achievement.
- Using contractions and slang in a formal email.
- Copying the prompt instead of developing it.
- Writing one long paragraph with no signposting.