Writing the Perfect Email for Cambridge English:

Preliminary (PET)
The Writing paper for Cambridge English: Preliminary (PET), at B1 level, comprises 3 parts:

 Part 1: Sentence transformation

 Part 2: Short message (35 – 45 words)
 Part 3: Email/Letter or story (about 100 words)

What do you have to do in Writing Part 3?

In this part of the test, you are given an extract of a letter or email from an English friend or relative,
and you are asked to respond to it in about 100 words. The topics are usually not very difficult, as you’re
expected to write at an intermediate level, about topics you are familiar with: sports, hobbies, TV
programmes, the weather, your town/city, etc. Here’s an example taken from Cambridge English sample
papers:

Email/Letter structure
The first thing you need to know is the different parts of an email:

 Greetings: we greet the other person (i.e. say “hi” or “hello”).

 Opening paragraph: we react to the other person’s news and ask them how they are
feeling and whatever else you feel is appropriate.
 Main paragraph 1: in this paragraph we deal with the first important point, which we
can identify in the instructions.
 Main paragraph 2: if there is a different point to deal with, this paragraph will do so.
 Closing paragraph: in this paragraph we “start” to say goodbye by wishing the other
person well and asking them to reply to your letter.
 Goodbye: we use a short expression to say goodbye.
 Signature: we sign the letter with our name.
Now that we know the different parts of a letter or email, we should see an example.

Cambridge English: Preliminary (PET) – Writing Part 3: Email

or Letter
Let’s take a look at the following example of a Preliminary (PET) task answer for
Writing Part 3, where we can see an answer to the sample task we saw above:

In the example above, you can see the different parts of a letter or email well defined. It’s important
that your writing is visually appealing, apart from having good grammar and vocabulary. This means
that the paragraphs should be well defined, with a space in between, and that you should know when to
break lines. This is specially important after greetings, after opening and closing paragraphs, and after
saying goodbye. This will make your text visually appealing, as it will look like a real letter or email.
Expressions to use in your email/letter
In this section, we are going to focus on different expressions you can use in the different
parts of the letter. While the main paragraphs will vary completely depending on the topic
of your writing, most of the other parts in the letter can be practised and memorised almost
completely. Let’s take a look:

1. Greetings
In order to start your email or letter in Writing Part 3 for Cambridge English:
Preliminary (PET), you can use different expressions, which are really typical and easy to
remember. We have 3 basic ways to greet in this kind of letter, which is usually for a friend
or family member:

 Hi John,
 Hello John,
 Dear John,

Notice how “hi” is less formal than “hello” or “dear”. Also, don’t forget to write a comma
(,) right after greeting your friend or relative. After greeting the addressee (i.e. the person
who will read the letter), you must start the opening paragraph in a new line.

2. Opening paragraph
The opening paragraph is the place to react to your friend’s or relative’s letter. In order to
do so, you can use a number of different expressions. Here we have some examples:

 It’s nice / great / good to hear from you.

 It’s nice / great / good to read your letter.
 I’m glad to hear your news.
 I’m excited about… (your news.)
 It’s great to hear that…
 I’m sorry to hear that…
 I’m really sorry to read your news.
 Thanks a lot for writing!
 It was good to receive your letter.
 Thank you very much for your letter.

And many more. Also, it’s a good idea to ask your friend or relative how they are feeling,
which you can do like this:

 Hope you are doing well.

 How’s it going?
 How are you (doing)?
 How are things (going)?
You can also add some information that you think is relevant or necessary, but don’t expand
this paragraph very much, because the important information must go in the main
paragraphs.

3. Main paragraphs
For the main paragraphs, there aren’t any fixed expressions which you must use, as it
depends mostly on what you have to write about. However, you should try to make use of
connectors and appropriate punctuation. So let’s take a look at common useful
connectors and the punctuation we use them with:

 … and… : to connect two similar things or ideas.

I love reading and listening to music.
My favourite meal is fish and chips.
 …, but… : to connect two contrasting ideas.
I love watching Tv, but I don’t have a favourite show.
I am reading a book, but I don’t remember the title.
 . However, … : to connect contrasting ideas.
Last month, I went to the cinema. However, I didn’t enjoy the movie.
I am a very big fan of this author. However, I haven’t read his last novel.

 Moreover, … : to add more information about something.

 … because… : to justify an opinion or idea.
My mum is the perfect cook because she knows a lot of recipes and has plenty of
experience. Moreover, she experiments with different ingredients all the time.
 . Because of that, … : to justify an opinion, fact or idea.
My mum likes to cook using new ingredients all the time. Because of that, she
creates original dishes every month.
 . As for…/ Regarding… : to switch to a new topic. For instance, you can use this
connector to start the second main paragraph.
As for/Regarding why I like this cookery show, I think it’s because it’s a great way to
see new recipes.
 Time linkers: then, after that, yesterday, this morning, last summer, etc.
Last night, I watched a very good action film.

With many connectors, we typically use a comma (,) after it when we start a sentence
(e.g.: However, Last night, Moreover, etc.).

4. Closing paragraph
As we mentioned earlier, a closing paragraph in this Writing part 3 is used to start saying
goodbye to the addressee and to ask for a response to your letter. So we can use the
following expressions:

 Well, it’s time to say goodbye.

  Anyway, I have to go now.
 Well, it’s time to go.
 Anyway, gotta go.
 I really hope to hear from you soon.
 I’m looking forward to hearing from you.
 I hope you write back soon.
 Make sure you write back soon.

Also, if you still have to write more words, you can add a question for a subsequent letter
or email. This question should be related to the topic of your piece of writing.

5. Saying goodbye
There are many ways in English to close an informal letter or email. The most frequently
used ones are the following:

 Best wishes,
 Best,
 Sincerely,
 Take care,
 All my love,
 Love,
 Lots of love,
 See you soon,
 Regards,

Notice how there is a comma (,) after each of the phrases. Also, after writing any of these
sentences, make sure you write your name on a different line. And write your name
without a full stop!
Another example of Preliminary (PET): Writing Part 3
Now that we know what expressions we should be using in our writing, we are going to take
a look at another task and a sample answer:

Notice how the expressions in bold are used. Whenever you write an email, you should think
about this type of expressions and make sure you use them appropriately.
Top 5 Tips for Preliminary (PET) Writing Part 3
(Emails/Letters)
1. Learn and memorise a set of expressions. Make sure you already know a set of
expressions to use in your greetings, opening and closing paragraphs, and to say
goodbye. This will save you a lot of time while doing a task, and you will avoid
making silly mistakes as you will already know the expressions by heart.
2. Write a well-structured and visually-appealing email or letter. One of the things
Cambridge English examiners pay attention to is the organisation of your piece
writing, so make sure not to write a messy email. Also, remember that punctuation
matters, so be sure to separate your sentences with stops and commas and don’t write
excessively long sentences.
3. Brainstorm, write, read and edit. Before starting to write your email, brainstorm a
couple of things and write down some ideas. This can include vocabulary related to
the topic. For example, if you have to write about TV shows, you can write down
thinks like “contestants”, “cookery show”, “prize”, etc. Then, write out your email.
After that, read it and look for possible mistakes or opportunities for improvement
(e.g.: adding descriptive adjectives, rephrasing sentences, etc.).
4. Read carefully and identify the task. Don’t start writing right away. Make sure you
read the task carefully and that you identify exactly what you are being asked.
Sometimes, we don’t pay attention to the instructions and we end up writing about
something different. This will mean losing points, in a very silly way, I must say.
5. Experiment at home, be conservative in the exam. Homework is the best chance to
be creative and experiment different ways to express yourself. So make sure you try
your hardest to keep improving when you write at home. On the other hand, when
you’re doing an exam, don’t risk trying out new words or expressions, as you may be
making a terrible mistake. So be safe in your exam and stick to what you already
know works.
 ARTICLE

The examiners are looking at the following criteria:

1. Content
All of the content in the writing should be aimed at answering the
question. It should be easy to understand and also take into account who
is reading it. E.g. if it is a letter to a friends, it must be informal and
familiar.

2. Organisation
The organisation aspect of the evaluation refers to how clearly you
present your ideas. If it is a letter, it must resemble a letter. You need to
do it with paragraphs, the paragraphs must not be too short and they
need to be set into separate topics. If you write a story it can be all in one
paragraph but it needs to include a beginning, middle and end.

3. Language
This part of the assessment focuses on the use of vocabulary and
grammar. You need to show flexibility in their use and also include
cohesive devices (X5) such as because, as, but, however, for example,
like, and, in addition etc. To get a good grade in this part your grammar
and vocabulary need to be accurate, appropriate and easy to understand.

4. Communicative achievement
They are looking at communication of ideas; it must be clear, relevant to
the question and the target reader, use good simple language with some
complex grammar.
Structure of an article:

Separate each part in to a separate paragraph.

Beginning:

Engage the reader and make them want to read more, you can begin with
a question or a general opinion

Middle:

State your main points and relate them to personal experiences and
opinions

Ending:

Summarize your main points but make an overall point to make the
reader think they have learned something from reading the article

Suggested grammar structures:

Impersonal passive: It is said that HBO make the best movies in the
world.
Modal verbs: It might be a good idea to take your time.
Conditionals: If I were you, I would watch it at the cinema.
Relative clauses: I know someone who lives in that area.
Wish: I wish I could eat chocolate every day.

Example of a question:
You see this post on an English language website

What types of books do you most enjoy?

Do you prefer reading or watching Tv and what is the best way to take
advantage of your free time?

Write an article about these questions. The best articles will be published
on the site.
Example answer:

The most interesting way to spend your free time

Have you ever thought about the best way to spend your free time? If you
want to know the key to making the most of your leisure time, this article
is a must read.

Instead of turning on the TV every time you get home, why not try picking
up a book. Reading is a great way to relax and it is also a fantastic way to
open your mind. There is nothing like looking forward to getting home and
reading a book that you are into. It helps you unwind, improve your
imagination and it can even help you to learn a foreign language.

I have no doubt that reading will improve your life. If I were you,I would
choose a new book today!

Useful language: Use these key phrases to answer the questions in the
task

Involving the reader

 Have you ever thought about…?
 How would you feel if …?
 What would you think of…?
 Are you one of those people who …?
 If the answer is …, you should….
 What do you reckon to …?
 What would live be like if…
 Just think for a moment…
 Just imagine…

Try to use extreme adjectives instead of intensifiers

 Very good = awesome, excellent, fantastic
 Very bad = awful, terrible, disturbing
Making the article lively and interesting (use adverbs)
 importantly
 surprisingly
 worryingly
 the most amazing
 absolutely
 suddenly
 amazingly
 fantastically
 frighteningly

Developing your points

 Another advantage of …
 On top of all that…
 What is more, …
 Above all,,,
 The reason I think this is…
 The reason I feel this way is…
 On top of that, …
 Let’s start with …

Giving your own opinion

 In my opinion, …
 In my eyes, …
 To my mind, …
 As far as I am concerned, …
 Speaking personally, …
 From my point of view, …
 As for me / As to me, …
 My view / opinion / belief / impression / conviction is that …
 I hold the view that …
 I would say that …
 It seems to me that …
 I am of the opinion that …
 My impression is that …
 I am under the impression that …
 It is my impression that …
  I have the feeling that …
 My own feeling on the subject is that …
 I have no doubt that …
 I am sure / I am certain that …
 I think / consider / find / feel / believe / suppose / presume / assume /
reckon that …
 I hold the opinion that …
 I dare say that …
 I guess that …
 I bet that ….
 I gather that …
 It goes without saying that …

Justifying opinions
To begin, you can use these basic (B1) phrases to justify an opinion in
English:
 because…
 the reason is…
 the reason I believe that is…
 the facts suggest…
 the evidence shows…
 taking into account what I have seen…

EXAMPLE QUESTIONS: (TITLES PROVIDED)

 LANGUAGES: THE BEST LANGUAGE TO LEARN

 PLACES: THE BEST PLACE I HAVE EVER VISITED

 ADVICE: THE MOST USEFUL BIT OF ADVICE I HAVE EVER
RECEIVED
 TV SERIES: THE MOST EXCITING SERIES I HAVE SEEN THIS
YEAR
 RESTAURANT: THE BEST RESTAURANT I HAVE EATEN IN
 STORY

 Organize your text in a simple way. Use a clear start, middle and
end. A TITLE IS OPTIONAL UNLESS STATED IN THE
INSTRUCTIONS

Ways to start your story

 Once upon a time
 One day
 At the beginning
 When it all began
 When it al started

Time Phrases (for the middle of the story)

 Firstly, secondly, thirdly
 in due time
 as long as
 as soon as
 just in time
 at the moment
 in good time
 in the meantime
 in a moment
 in ages
 whenever
 now that
 instantly
 without delay
 Suddenly
 all of a sudden
 at the present time
 from time to time
 sooner or later
 at the same time
 as soon as
Ways of ending the story
 In the end
 finally
 When it all ended
 After all of that
 After everything that had happened
 Once and for all
 At the end of the day

Complex grammar
 Passive
 reported/direct speech
 Conditionals
 Wish/ if only
 Past perfect
 Modal verbs
 relative clauses
Cohesive devices
The use of connectors is essential in the organisation of stories. Use
them to sequence the story and make it easy to follow.

ADDING INFORMATION CONTRAST

However, but, although, on the other hand,

And, also, as well, in addition, despite, in spite of, even though, though,
besides, above all whereas

GIVING EXAMPLES SIMILARITY

Such as, for example, like, for

instance, as follows: Similarly, equally, likewise, in the same way

REINFORCEMENT RESULT

Also, furthermore, moreover, above So, therefore, as a result, because of this,

all, not only… but also consequently, thus, hence, in that case

DEDUCTION SUMMARY

Otherwise, in other words, then, in In conclusion,, in brief, to sum up, therefore,

that case to summarise

SEQUENCE STATING THE OBVIOUS

Firstly, secondly, thirdly, lastly, Obviously, clearly, naturally, of course,

next, after, to start with, to finish, naturally, surely, after all
WRITE THE STORY IN THE PAST UNLESS THE INSTRUCTION
OBLIGATES YOU TO USE THE FUTURE. THIS WAY THE GRAMMAR
STRUCTURES ARE SIMPLE AND IT IS EASIER TO WRITE, YOU
ONLY NEED A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF 3 GRAMMAR
STRUCTURES:
 Past simple
 Past continuous
 Past perfect
For a better grade include WISH + PAST PERFECT or 3RD
CONDITIONAL

Example of a story

Start the story with…

As soon as I woke up, I realised that it was the most important day of my
life.

As soon as I woke up, I realised that it was the most important day
of my life. I had been preparing for this day for as long as I can
remember. We had studied all year for our final exam and we knew that
when it was over, we would be qualified doctors.
I couldn´t wait because it had been my dream since I was a kid. My
parents would be so proud and they were planning a party for when I got
my results.
As I had studies so hard I knew I would pass without a problem. My plan
was to finish the exam and then go clubbing with some friends. It was
going to be a night to remember.

Organisation:.A start and a clear ending are essential in the writing of a

good story at B1 level