What the task actually asks for
The email or letter appears among the Writing Part 2 choices, and it is the only Part 2 task that always replies to something: a friend’s email printed in the prompt, an advertisement, an announcement. That input is a gift — it hands you the points to cover. The friend asked three questions? Your reply answers all three, or Content marks walk away. Underline every question and request in the prompt before you plan.
Reading the register from the prompt
| The task says… | Register | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| “an email from your English-speaking friend Alex” | Informal | Great to hear from you! Can't wait to show you around. |
| “you saw this announcement in your college” | Neutral to semi-formal | I am writing about the exchange programme announced last week. |
| “write to the magazine's editor” / “to the organiser” | Formal | I am writing with regard to… · I would be grateful if you could… |
Mixing registers is the classic mark-loser here — a formal letter that signs off “See you!”, or a friendly email that opens “Dear Sir or Madam”. Pick one voice and hold it from greeting to sign-off.
Try it nowReply to a real email taskPrompts with the reader named — pick the register, answer every question, get marked.WriteOpenings and closings that match
| Informal email | Formal letter | |
|---|---|---|
| Greeting | Hi Alex, · Dear Sam, | Dear Mr Dawson, · Dear Sir or Madam, |
| First line | Thanks for your email — great news about the trip! | I am writing in response to your advertisement… |
| Asking | Could you let me know…? · Any chance you could…? | I would be grateful if you could confirm… |
| Closing line | Write back soon! · Say hi to everyone. | I look forward to hearing from you. |
| Sign-off | Best wishes, · Take care, · Cheers, | Yours sincerely, (named) · Yours faithfully, (Sir/Madam) |
The sincerely / faithfully rule is a free mark waiting to be collected: sincerely when you addressed a named person, faithfully after “Dear Sir or Madam”.
A structure that fits the word count
- Opening (1–2 sentences): react to what you received — thank, congratulate, refer back. Never start with your first bullet point cold.
- One short paragraph per point in the prompt — usually two or three. Answer, add a detail, move on.
- Closing (1–2 sentences): a forward look — a question back, an offer, an invitation — plus the sign-off.
- under 140 · ideas left undeveloped — the Content scale drops first
- 140–190 · the band Cambridge sets for the task
- over 190 · time you needed for checking, spent on words that earn nothing extra
A full sample answer
Task: “Your English-speaking friend Emma is coming to your town for a week and asks: what should I pack, what can we do together, and is it easy to get around? Write your email (140–190 words).” A strong reply (172 words):
Hi Emma,
Great news — I can’t believe you’ll finally see my town! I’ve been telling everyone you’re coming.
About packing: bring comfortable shoes and a light jacket. It’s warm during the day, but evenings by the river get surprisingly chilly, and trust me, we’ll be outside a lot.
As for plans, I’ve got the whole week mapped out. There’s a food festival on the main square on Saturday, and on Sunday we could rent bikes and follow the river path — it’s twelve kilometres of not a single hill, I promise. If it rains, the new science museum is actually brilliant.
Getting around is easy: buses run every ten minutes and your ticket works on all of them. Honestly, though, the centre is so small we’ll walk almost everywhere.
Can’t wait to see you — send me your arrival time!
Take care, Lucy
What earns the marks: all three questions answered in order, one concrete detail each (twelve kilometres, buses every ten minutes — specifics beat adjectives), consistent informal register with natural contractions, an opening that reacts and a closing that looks forward.
The pitfalls specific to emails and letters
- Ignoring a question from the prompt — the most common Content deduction in this task type.
- Register drift — starting formal and relaxing into chat by paragraph three.
- No reaction, no forward look — a reply that reads like a list of answers, not a message between people.
- Copying the friend’s wording — paraphrase, as everywhere in this exam; lifted phrases earn no Language credit.
Write one against the clock
The B2 email & letter tasks give you real prompts with the reader named, and Felix, the AI examiner, marks your reply on the four Cambridge scales — register slips quoted back in your own words. Both come with the Exam Prep pass — €12 for three months, nothing renews.
The rest of the Part 2 menu: the review, the report and the article — and the compulsory Part 1 essay. The traps they all share are catalogued in 10 common FCE writing mistakes; the whole exam lives in the complete B2 First preparation guide.