Writing Part 2
Writing a Formal Letter

B2 First Exam

Formal Letter

It’s very common to have the option to write a letter or an email in part 2 of the B2 First Exam.

Emails and letters are essentially the same thing, except that one is digital and the other is on paper. 

We use the same techniques for both styles.

Time Management

Both texts are the same amount of words, and worth the same amount of points. Spend 40 minutes per text. Give time to both plan and check your work:

Length: 140-190 words 

Most people want to skip planning and start writing immediately. However, this often leads to disorganized essays. Since you’re being marked on organization, you should plan. You’ll have fewer problems while writing and your work will be easier to read.

Planning

Here's an example question:

You see this advertisement in your local newspaper:

Helpers wanted

We are looking for people to work in a holiday club for English-speaking children (aged 4–8).

Write a letter to Mr Nick Jones, the club organizer, giving details of:

Write your letter in 140-190 words in an appropriate style. 

What to write about

Know your Audience

In the example above, it clearly states that we are applying for a job. We have to address the letter to Mr. Nick Jones, and because we have not spoken to him before, we will use a formal tone.

Know the Topic

The ad clearly states what we must talk about. We can dedicate one paragraph per bullet point.

Outline

Since this is a formal letter about a job, we are going to use a formal greeting and sign-off. Here’s the format that I use:

Format:

Dear Sir/Madam,

Yours faithfully,

[Your Full Name]

Here are many ways you could organize your paragraphs. I suggest this way:

Each supporting paragraph should have:

Remember, we need to use logical paragraphs to make sure we get good marks for organization.

190 words actually aren’t a lot. You will not be able to write about too many things for each point. Use this to your advantage, because writing less actually means less chance for mistakes.

Plan your Paragraphs

I take the three points and quickly brainstorm. I actually personally don’t like working with kids, and I don’t have a lot of experience with them, so I’m going to imagine what others might do. 

Experience working with children

Knowledge of English

Why would be suitable for the job

Then, I narrow down what I’ll talk about. It’s always best to pick 1 thing, expand on it, and then give a reason or an example. This will help us create a well-organized letter. Having too many ideas per paragraph is bad and risks confusing the examiner.

Experience working with children

Knowledge of English

Why would be suitable for the job

Writing the Letter

Here's the question again for reference:

You see this advertisement in your local newspaper:

Helpers wanted

We are looking for people to work in a holiday club for English-speaking children (aged 4–8).

Write a letter to Mr Nick Jones, the club organizer, giving details of:

Write your letter in 140-190 words in an appropriate style. 

Opening Paragraph

The best way to write an opening paragraph is by making reference to the original letter. In this case, I’ll be addressing it to Mr. Jones, and I’ll mention both the newspaper and the advertisement. Remember, it's a formal letter so we won't use any contractions.

Dear Mr. Jones,

I am writing in regards to the advertisement recently published in the Daily Chronicle seeking people to work at a holiday club for English-speaking children.

You can see I haven’t added any other details. The details will come in the body of the letter. 

Body Paragraphs

The easiest way to organize the letter is by dedicating one paragraph per point. Remember to not go off topic or you will lose points.

Since I have never worked much with children, I simply thought of what other people might do.

Experience with children

I have extensive experience working for children, and for the past 3 years I worked as a camp counselor at McRandy Summer Camp here in our state. Last year, I was even promoted to head of the youth counselors at our camp.

Level of English

My English is also at a high level, as I have been studying it since primary school. I am currently top of my class, and last year I even won an English writing contest hosted by our school district. Right now I am studying for my B2 level exam which I will take in February.

Why a good fit

I think I would be perfect for this job, both because of my experience working in the camp, and also because of my English level.  Thanks to my experience as head counselor, I know lots of games that are perfect for the children at the holiday camp. I also know that my level of English is good enough to help the younger children. I will be able to teach them lots of great phrases and help them improve. 

Conclusion

We don’t need to add much for a conclusion. It’s usually easiest to just thank them for reading, say you are available to answer questions, and that you look forward to hearing from them.

Thanks so much for your consideration. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. I look forward to talking to you further about how I can assist you at the camp.

We’ve gone over the word limit. However, remember that that’s okay. You will never lose points for writing too much as long as what you say is on topic and relevant. You will lose marks if you add too many unimportant details. Also, writing more increases the chances for mistakes so try to stay near the word count.

Example

Let’s put it all together with some sequencing words and some editing:

Dear Mr. Jones,

I am writing in regards to the advertisement recently published in the Daily Chronicle seeking people to work at a holiday club for English-speaking children.

I have extensive experience working with children, and for the past 3 years I have worked as a camp counselor at a summer camp here in our state. Last year, I was even promoted to head of the youth counselors at the camp.

My English is also at a high level, and I am at the top of my class in school. Right now I am also studying for my B2 level exam which I will take in February.

I will be perfect for this job, both because of my experience working in the camp, and because of my English level. Thanks to my experience as a counselor, I know lots of games that children enjoy. I also know that my level of English is good and I will be able to teach the younger kids lots of great phrases and help them improve. 

Thank you for your consideration. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. I look forward to talking to you further about how I can assist you at the camp.

Best regards,

- Axl

[word count: 205]