Writing
Writing in Skills for English B2 is computer-based and has two tasks: a functional text such as an email or letter, and a longer discursive piece such as an essay. Marks come from task achievement, coherence and cohesion, lexical resource, and grammatical range and accuracy. The reader is looking for a clear purpose, organised paragraphs and language you control.
Register follows purpose
A formal email to a school or employer needs a subject line, a direct opening ('I am writing to...'), polite indirect questions ('I would be grateful if you could tell me...') and no contractions. An informal message to a friend can use contractions and shorter sentences, but still needs a reason for writing and a clear ending.
Plan two paragraphs before you type
For an essay, state a position in the introduction, give two developed reasons with examples, and add one concession. Each paragraph needs a topic sentence; linkers should show the relationship, not decorate.
Worked example
Task: email a language school to change your course start date. Sentence: 'I am writing to ask whether it would be possible to defer my enrolment from 6 May to 3 June.' Reasoning: 'defer' is the precise verb; 'whether it would be possible' is a polite indirect question, not a demand; both dates are stated, so the reader can act. A weaker version - 'I want change my date' - has the wrong verb pattern and no new date.
Traps that cost marks
- Copying the prompt instead of answering it.
- Writing under the word limit, which limits what can be credited.
- Mixing registers: 'Hi' and 'Cheers' in a formal email.
- Using linkers you cannot control ('Despite of', 'Nevertheless' in the wrong position).
- No paragraph breaks, so the reader cannot follow the structure.