The 155-Word Invitation
Jonas, 19, writes a 155-word informal email for a task that asks for 80 words: invite a friend to a weekend visit and suggest two activities. Both content points are present, but the invitation appears only in the final sentence, after a 70-word anecdote about a delayed bus. His grammar is strong, with natural contractions and phrasal verbs. He spends 25 of the 45 writing minutes on this first task, leaving 20 minutes for the second, longer task, which is worth more marks. He asks whether writing more will 'show range' and improve his score. His handwriting is clear; he does not plan before writing. In the last two mocks he left the second task half-finished. He believes more words equal more marks.
1. Is the 155-word length the main problem? Decide, using the task and the score weighting.
Read the worked answer
No - length is a symptom, and the bigger problem is task achievement and time economics. The task asks for an invitation and two suggested activities in about 80 words. Both points are present, but the invitation is buried in the final sentence after a 70-word bus anecdote, so a reader may finish most of the email without knowing what it is for. That is an organisation and content-focus issue, not a word-count issue.
The time cost is more serious: 25 of 45 minutes on a shorter, lower-value task leaves 20 minutes for the longer task, and he has already left the second task half-finished in two mocks. Writing more to 'show range' is therefore likely to lower the total score by damaging the second task.
2. What should be the first feedback priority, and what exact instruction would you give for the opening two sentences?
Read the worked answer
First priority: make the purpose visible immediately and organise by function. Give one concrete instruction: 'Sentence 1 must contain the invitation and the time; sentence 2 must name the first activity; sentence 3 the second.' For example: 'Would you like to come to my place this weekend? On Saturday we could... and on Sunday...'
The bus anecdote can survive as one clause, not 70 words, and only if it serves the invitation. This teaches paragraph function rather than simply 'write less'. Do not replace it with a formula such as 'I am writing to invite you' followed by a long delay; B1 rewards clear achievement of the communicative purpose and coherent linking. Keep his natural contractions and phrasal verbs - they are a strength, not a problem.
3. Propose a 45-minute time plan and explain how it protects the second task.
Read the worked answer
Task 1: 15–18 minutes; Task 2: 25–28 minutes; 2 minutes to check. Because Task 2 carries more marks, it must not be squeezed.
In Task 1, he should spend 2 minutes planning three bullets (invitation, activity 1, activity 2), 10–12 minutes writing, and 2 minutes checking that both content points are explicit. Use a timer in practice for three sessions and stop him at 18 minutes even if unfinished, so he experiences the consequence in a low-stakes setting. In Task 2, the same plan-first routine applies. If he finishes Task 1 early, he moves on rather than expanding the anecdote. The plan protects the higher-value task and makes length a decision, not a habit.