Scoring the writing test

Grammatical Range and Lexical Range &

Task Achievement Appropriacy Coherence Cohesion
Accuracy Accuracy
Task achieved at a high level
Intention: Entirely clear Structure:
Cohesive devices: Grammatical Structures: Complex
Instructions: Completely Style & Format: Ideas sequenced logically
A wide range of cohesive Spelling: Very good
followed Appropriate to genre, no and accurately Wide range of lexis to complete
devices used naturally, Word order: Correct
Effect: A positive effect on irrelevant information the task, some original lexical
efficiently and appropriately Punctuation: Used properly
the target reader Purpose: solutions
5 to link words, clauses, throughout
Outcome: Sure to achieve a Register: Clear
sentences and paragraphs Errors: Very few, none
successful outcome Good awareness of Lexis used appropriately with
of them impedes
Content: All relevant details register and formality level Information: isolated misuse
Reference: meaning,
included appropriate to genre Well organised into a
Skilled use message
Some original ideas coherent text
or presentation
4
Grammatical Structures: Simple
but mostly correct, some attempts
Euro B2 Net Set 1 - Writing - ANSWER KEY

Task achieved, some gaps Structure: at complex structures with some

Style & Format:
Intention: Clear in most areas Some confusion in logical Cohesive devices: mistakes that do not impede
Usually appropriate to
Instructions: All important ones and accurate sequencing Adequate amount of comprehension
genre with little or no Sufficient range of lexis to
followed devices used to link words, Spelling: Some mistakes
irrelevant information complete the task
Effect: A generally positive Purpose: clauses, sentences mostly that do not
3 effect on the reader Mostly clear appropriately impede
Register: Lexis used mostly appropriately
Outcome: Likely to achieve a comprehension
Limited exponents but with occasional misuse
successful outcome Information: Reference: Word order: Mostly correct
awareness of register is
Content: Many relevant Adequately organised into Limited use Punctuation: Mostly effective
shown
details included a mostly coherent text Errors: Some, but do
not significantly
impede meaning
2
Task unachieved Structure:
Intention: Very unclear Style & Format: Muddled Grammatical Structures: Very
Cohesive devices: Poor range of lexis to complete
Instructions: Many not followed Inappropriate to genre, or simple with frequent and serious
Minimal the task
Effect: Negative minimal evidence Purpose: mistakes
1 Outcome: Will not achieve a Unclear Spelling: Very poor
Reference: Lexis used inappropriately in
successful outcome Register: Word order: Often wrong
Simple / none most cases
Content: Omission, Minimal Information: Punctuation: Often wrong
irrelevance Very confused
Task unattempted / partially No meaning or the
Not enough language to No effective use of cohesive Little or no evidence of grammatical
attempted meaning conveyed is No relevant lexis organised into
0 make an assessment, or devices and reference, or knowledge of simple structures, or
Not enough language to make an irrelevant, or under 20 sentences, or under 20 words
under 20 words. under 20 words under 20 words
assessment, or under 20 words words
Page 1
Euro B2 Net Set 1 - Writing - ANSWER KEY Page 2

Model Answers
Task Two:

A Letter (213 words)

Dear Sir,
I have just had an opportunity to read Eric Porter’s article entitled
‘Meckham, Down on Its Luck’ in last Friday’s edition of your paper. Mr
Porter seems in my opinion to have seriously misrepresented our town. I
would like to take issue with him on two points.
First, he refers to our town as an ‘industrial wasteland’. It is indeed true
that the closure of the steel works and shoe factory marked the town.
However, Mr Porter totally fails to mention the regeneration of recent
years. Not only have several technology plants set up in the town, but
also the service industry has expanded. Today, in fact, unemployment in
Meckham is below the national average.
Second, Mr Porter describes our town as ‘a cultural desert.’ For a small
town of some 25 000 inhabitants Meckham in fact does rather well. We
have two cinemas and a theatre. The town’s brass band recently won the
national brass band award. Mr Porter also failed to mention that the
internationally published author, Miriam Pink, was born and grew up in
Meckham.
Mr Porter’s article shows such ignorance of our town that I wonder
whether he has ever visited it. I strongly believe that the readers of your
paper deserve better.
Yours faithfully,
Bridget Reninson
Euro B2 Net Set 1 - Writing - ANSWER KEY Page 3

A review (207 words)

New Group, Old Sound
December 12tth saw the group Fantasy Jazz playing in the Grenberg Palladium
for the first time. Not only was the venue new, but the group had reorganised
with the departure of George Smith (trumpet) and his replacement with Eric
Bren (saxophone).
Expectations were high; most thought that Eric and the new instrument would
launch the group on a new path, but it didn’t appear so. First of all the repertoire
remained the same, and Eric seems to be trying too hard to be George. He needs
to find his own identity in the group.
The technical organisation of the concert was superb. The lighting and acoustics
were of the highest professional standard. The auditorium was clean, the
group started playing on time, and there were well organised and well stocked
refreshment during the break. The concert lasted two and half hours.
One point of note was the increase in the ticket price. With the cheapest tickets
at EUR 45, the audience consisted largely of professional people. It’s worth
watching the group to see if they abandon their ‘jazz on the street’ image for a
more upmarket profile in the future.
Grenberg was pleased to have Fantasy Jazz in the town, and hope they will be
back soon.

An essay (206 words)

Times may change, but people remain the same’
Over time society changes, so the way in which people are socialised and behave
changes, too. Some aspects of socialisation, however, remain similar; and, of
course, the biology of the human being hardly changes. In this essay I want
to briefly consider two instances: social change with regard to social class and
gender differences.
Even a quick glance at life a couple of centuries ago will show that people were
forced by economic circumstances to live differently from now. Existence for most
people was poor and based on the land, while a small minority ruled through
their control of the land. Today urbanisation and technological development have
brought about massive changes in every aspect of life. Yet, as in former times,
huge inequalities exist between, for instance, the rich and the unemployed.
Time has also changed many aspects of women’s lives. In the early period of
industrialisation most women worked only in the home. Today, many women
have financial independence and a social position independent of men. However,
it is still the case that child care and home management disproportionately fall
on women.
In conclusion, many aspects of people’s lives do change, but there are features
and structures that remain the same.