Part 4WritingSection 1 of 8
4.1What the task is
You are given a situation in three or four lines, followed by three bullet points. You write a letter of at least 150 words covering all three bullet points. You have 20 minutes. Task 1 is worth one third of your Writing band, and Task 2 is worth two thirds, so do not spend more than 20 minutes here.
What you are marked on
| Criterion | What the examiner is looking for |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement | All three bullet points covered, the right tone for the reader, at least 150 words |
| Coherence and Cohesion | Clear paragraphs, one idea per paragraph, logical order, linking that is not forced |
| Lexical Resource | A range of appropriate words, spelled correctly, in the right register |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | A mix of simple and complex sentences, with control of tense and punctuation |
The cheapest marks in the whole test
Writing fewer than 150 words is penalised automatically. Missing one of the three bullet points is penalised automatically. Both are entirely within your control and cost you nothing to fix. Count your words once, in week one of your practice, and learn what 150 words looks like in your own handwriting. After that you will never need to count again.