Writing: 23-Word Picnic Message
A1 Writing, Part 2. The candidate must write a text message of 25–35 words to a friend, Alex. The three content points are: where the birthday picnic is, what day and time it is, and what to bring. The candidate writes: 'hi alex come to my birthday picnic in the park on saturday at 2pm bring a drink and a cake. see you there'. The candidate has 10 minutes and no dictionary. The test rubric gives marks for content (all three points), grammar, and spelling/punctuation. The message must be a text message, not a formal letter; no address is needed. The candidate's draft has 23 words. The candidate is worried about the word limit and asks whether to add 'Dear Alex' and 'Best wishes'.
1. Count the draft and say whether it meets the 25–35 word limit. What should the candidate do?
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The draft has 23 words: hi(1) alex(2) come(3) to(4) my(5) birthday(6) picnic(7) in(8) the(9) park(10) on(11) saturday(12) at(13) 2pm(14) bring(15) a(16) drink(17) and(18) a(19) cake(20) see(21) you(22) there(23). It is two words under the minimum. The candidate should add content, not formal phrases. 'Dear Alex' and 'Best wishes' would add words but are too formal for a text message. A better addition is 'I hope you can come' (5 words) or 'It's in Green Park' (4 words) if the park has a name. The candidate must keep all three points and stay within 35 words.
2. Identify two language errors in the draft and rewrite the message correctly within 25–35 words.
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The main errors are missing capital letters and missing punctuation. 'hi', 'alex', and 'saturday' need capitals; there is no full stop after 'cake', and 'see' needs a capital if it starts a new sentence. A corrected version is: 'Hi Alex, come to my birthday picnic in the park on Saturday at 2pm. Please bring a drink and a cake. I hope you can come. See you there!' Count: Hi1 Alex2 come3 to4 my5 birthday6 picnic7 in8 the9 park10 on11 Saturday12 at13 2pm14 Please15 bring16 a17 drink18 and19 a20 cake21 I22 hope23 you24 can25 come26 See27 you28 there29. That is 29 words, inside the limit. All three content points are present.
3. The rubric rewards content. Which content point is easiest to miss, and how can the candidate check it in the last minute?
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The easiest point to miss is 'what to bring', because a candidate may spend words on where and when and then forget the third bullet. In the last minute, the candidate should tick each prompt point: place? day and time? bring? The draft does include all three, so the main risks are the word count and punctuation. If a point is missing, add a short phrase such as 'Bring a drink' (3 words) rather than a long explanation. At A1, one clear item is enough; 'a drink and a cake' is fine but not required. The candidate should also count words after adding anything.