Module 4 · Collaboration, Gapped Text & Mock 1 · Lesson 15
Writing the Email
One email. One reader. One purpose. Train the FCE email frame: greeting, opening line, body matching the prompt notes, closing and sign-off — all in the correct register.
Get talking · Section 1
5 minCompare: 'Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing in response to your email of 12 May…' vs 'Hi Sam! Loved hearing from you — guess what?' Same task, different reader. Discuss: what tells you instantly?
Imagine writing about your weekend to (a) a close friend, (b) a teacher you respect, (c) a hotel manager. In pairs, give one opening line for each.
Why do these jar? 'Yo, Sir.' 'Hi Sir/Madam.' 'I would furthermore like to say that this rocked.' Identify the clash.
Grammar focus · Section 2
8–10 minThe FCE email frame — 5 parts, register first
Every B2 First email has FIVE structural parts.
- 1GREETINGmatches the reader ('Dear Mr Stone' / 'Hi Sam').
- 2OPENING LINEreacts to their message ('Thanks for your email — great to hear from you.' / 'I am writing in response to…').
- 3BODYanswers EVERY note in the prompt (usually 3 bullet points).
- 4CLOSING LINEinvites a reply ('Let me know what you think.' / 'I look forward to hearing from you.').
- 5SIGN-OFFmatches register ('All the best, Maria' / 'Yours sincerely, Maria Lopez'). Register is decided by the RELATIONSHIP, not the topic. Get the register wrong and you cap at band 3, no matter how good the grammar.
Examples
→ Informal greeting: 'Hi Sam,' / 'Hey Anna,' — only when the prompt names a friend.
→ Semi-formal greeting: 'Dear Ms Patel,' — for someone known but professional (a tutor, a course coordinator, a colleague).
→ Formal greeting: 'Dear Mr Stone,' / 'Dear Sir/Madam,' — strangers, businesses, complaints.
→ Informal sign-off: 'All the best, / Take care, / Love,' + first name.
→ Semi-formal sign-off: 'Best wishes, / Kind regards,' + first and last name.
→ Formal sign-off: 'Yours sincerely,' (if you named them) / 'Yours faithfully,' (if 'Sir/Madam') + full name.
Question 1.How long should the FCE email be?
Question 2.If the prompt names a friend, the correct register is…
Question 3.Which sign-off matches a formal email to 'Dear Sir/Madam'?
Question 4.How many prompt notes must your email cover?
Question 5.Mixing 'Hi mate!' with 'I would be most grateful if…' is…
Quick check 1.Where is the FCE email task located?
Quick check 2.How many minutes should you spend on Writing Part 2?
Quick check 3.If you write 250 words instead of 190, the examiner will…
Vocabulary · Section 3
5–7 minWords & phrases to own
register
the level of formality — informal, semi-formal or formal.
Finish this out loud: "For me, register is …" — then give one reason.
tone
the writer's attitude — friendly, neutral, polite, frustrated.
Finish this out loud: "For me, tone is …" — then give one reason.
purpose
why you're writing — to thank, to apologise, to invite, to complain, to request.
Finish this out loud: "For me, purpose is …" — then give one reason.
greeting
the opening line — 'Dear Mr Stone' / 'Hi Sam'.
Finish this out loud: "For me, greeting is …" — then give one reason.
sign-off
the closing line — 'Best wishes' / 'Take care' / 'Yours sincerely'.
Finish this out loud: "For me, sign-off is …" — then give one reason.
to react (to their message)
to acknowledge what the reader said before you respond.
Say one true sentence about your own life using "to react".
to acknowledge
to recognise / refer to something the reader mentioned.
Say one true sentence about your own life using "to acknowledge".
concise
short and clear — emails are not essays.
Finish this out loud: "For me, concise is …" — then give one reason.
to clash
to mix incompatible registers in one email.
Say one true sentence about your own life using "to clash".
boilerplate
stock phrase ('I am writing in response to…') — useful but don't overuse.
Finish this out loud: "For me, boilerplate is …" — then give one reason.
Tap an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.
Pronunciation · Section 4
3–4 minReading your own email aloud — the register test
Say it aloud
- • Read this aloud as a friend would receive it: 'I am writing in response to your kind invitation of 14th June…' — sounds wrong. Fix: 'Thanks so much for the invite — sounds amazing!'
- • Read this aloud as a hotel manager would receive it: 'Hey! Loved your place but the wifi sucked.' — sounds wrong. Fix: 'I am writing to provide feedback on my recent stay…'
- • Drill connected speech in your inner voice: 'Thanks for your message' / 'Thank you for your email' — feel the rhythm difference.
- • Listen for STRESS shifts: informal stresses the EMOTION word ('LOVED hearing from you'); formal stresses the FORMAL nouns ('your RESPONSE').
- • If you wouldn't SAY it to that person face-to-face, don't write it to them in an email.
Reading · Section 5
8–10 minWhy register decides your email band
Read the passageTap to openTap to hide
Cambridge examiners marking Writing Part 2 emails work to four scales: Content, Communicative Achievement, Organisation and Language. Most candidates assume that Language — grammar and vocabulary range — does most of the work. It doesn't. The scale that most often pushes an email below band 4 is Communicative Achievement, and the single biggest reason is REGISTER.
The FCE email prompt always names a specific reader: 'an English-speaking friend called Sam', 'your course coordinator', 'the manager of a sports centre you visited'. That name sets the register. A friend asks for warmth and chat. A coordinator or colleague asks for politeness with a personal touch. A manager asks for formality with a specific request or complaint. Candidates who write the same neutral email regardless of reader miss the task. They may be grammatically accurate, but they have not communicated.
The second register trap is mixing. A candidate writes 'Hi Sam!' at the top and 'I would be most grateful if you could…' four lines later. The examiner does not need to mark down two separate problems — the entire mark for Communicative Achievement drops because the writer has no consistent voice. The reader has no idea who they are.
The third move is reading the email aloud before submitting. If you read your message in your friend's voice and it sounds like a legal letter, fix it. If you read your complaint in the manager's voice and it sounds like a text to a sibling, fix it. The ear catches register breaks faster than the eye.
The practical drill is mechanical. Underline the relationship in the prompt before writing. Pick the register. Pick the greeting and sign-off that match it. Then write the body in the same voice from start to finish. A 160-word email in consistent register at B2 grammar scores band 4–5 routinely. A 160-word email with brilliant vocabulary in mixed register scores band 3.
For questions 1–5, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.
1According to the writer, which scale most often pushes an FCE email below band 4?
2What's the FIRST thing the writer says to do BEFORE writing?
3Mixing 'Hi Sam!' with 'I would be most grateful if…' causes…
4Why read your email aloud before submitting?
5An email in consistent register at B2 grammar scores roughly…
Sentences have been removed from the text. Choose from the sentences A–E the one which fits each gap (1–4). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.
Exam conditions: keep “Read the passage” closed while you do this task.
Listening · Section 6
8–10 minTeacher commentary — diagnosing a candidate's mixed-register email
Listening audio
Tap play to listen. Drag the timeline to jump anywhere.
Show transcript
Teacher:Let's look at this candidate's email. The prompt named 'an English friend, Sam'. Listen to the first three lines: 'Dear Sam, I am writing in response to your kind email of last week.
Thank you for inviting me to your party.'
Teacher:Spot the problem? 'Dear' is fine for a friend, just about — but 'I am writing in response to' is straight from a complaint letter. A friend never writes that.
The register has already broken before line three.
Teacher:Then the candidate switches: 'Sounds like an absolute blast! I'm so up for it. Can't wait to see everyone.'
Now we're in informal-friend register — but the gear-change is jarring. Two voices in one email.
Teacher:And the sign-off: 'Yours sincerely, Maria Lopez.' That's the legal-letter ending. For a friend, you'd write 'Take care, Maria' or 'See you soon, Maria'.
The full surname signals formality the friendship doesn't have.
Teacher:Diagnosis: Language could be band 4 — the grammar's fine. Communicative Achievement drops to band 2 because the candidate has no consistent voice. The fix is brutal but cheap: pick ONE register before writing, then read the email aloud in the friend's voice and edit anything that sounds wrong.
Question 1.What was the prompt's reader?
Question 2.Why is 'I am writing in response to your kind email' wrong here?
Question 3.Why is 'Yours sincerely, Maria Lopez' wrong here?
Question 4.Which scale drops most on this email?
Exam skills · Section 7
5 minWriting Part 2 — Email
🎯 Writing — Email
140–190 words · ~40 min · register matches reader · covers ALL notes.
- Identify the RELATIONSHIP → pick the register
- Open by reacting to their message
- Cover EVERY note in the prompt (usually 3)
- Close with an invitation to reply + matching sign-off
Open the FCE Exam Practice block below for a full task with model answer.
Quick Tip
Underline the reader in the prompt FIRST. 'A friend' = informal. 'A manager / a hotel' = formal. 'A tutor / a coordinator' = semi-formal. Decide before you write.
Exam Hack
Memorise 3 ready-to-use openings (one per register) and 3 sign-offs. Half the email decision is done before the exam starts.
Common Mistake
Don't 'show off' formal vocabulary in an email to a friend. 'I would be most grateful' to Sam is funny — and band-killing.
Your task
Write a 140–190 word email matching the prompt below. Cover every note. Read aloud in the reader's voice before stopping.
Example
Prompt names 'your English friend Sam' → informal. Greeting: 'Hi Sam,'. Opening: 'Great to hear from you!'. Three short paragraphs, one per note. Closing: 'Let me know what you reckon.' Sign-off: 'All the best, Maria.' Read aloud — no 'I am writing to' anywhere.
Practice · Section 8
8–10 minFill in the blank
Word bank — no clues, retrieve it
Question 1.FCE email word count: ___ words.
Question 2.Time to spend on Writing Part 2 (out of 80 min): about ___ min.
Question 3.Formal sign-off after 'Dear Sir/Madam' is 'Yours ___'.
Question 4.Formal sign-off after 'Dear Mr Stone' is 'Yours ___'.
Question 5.If the prompt names a friend, the register is ___.
Question 6.You must cover ___ the prompt notes.
Q1.Formal opening line starting with 'I am writing in ___ to…'
Q2.Informal opening reacting to a friend's message: '___ to hear from you!'
Q3.Informal sign-off (3 words): 'All the ___'
Writing · Section 9
5 minPut it in writing
Your task
Write a 60-word reply in TWO versions: first to a close friend, then to a hotel manager. Same situation: they sent you photos from your trip.
Show model answer
TO A FRIEND (Hi Sam): 'Hi Sam, Thanks SO much for the photos — they're brilliant! The one of us by the lake is going straight on my wall. Honestly, that trip was one of the best weeks I've had in ages. Let's do it again next summer — same crew, same lake? Talk soon, Maria' TO THE HOTEL MANAGER (Dear Mr Stone): 'Dear Mr Stone, Thank you for sending through the photographs from our stay last month. They are a lovely reminder of our weekend, and the team appreciated the thoughtful gesture. We enjoyed our stay very much and would be happy to return next year. I look forward to hearing from you. Yours sincerely, Maria Lopez' Same event, two registers. The greetings, openings, vocabulary and sign-offs all shift. Drill this until it's automatic.
Speaking · Section 10
10–15 minMake it a real conversation
Roleplay
1:1 online task. Teacher reads a prompt aloud (e.g. 'Your English-speaking course coordinator has asked when you'd like to return'). Student must IDENTIFY the register, then SPEAK the opening line, ONE body sentence, the closing line, and the sign-off — all aloud, in 90 seconds. Speaking the email out first prevents register clashes when the student writes it.
Useful phrases
- • The reader is… so the register is…
- • I'd open with: '…'
- • The first note asks about…, so I'd write: '…'
- • I'd close by inviting a reply: '…'
- • I'd sign off with: '…' — matching the register.
Teacher notes
Optional · Teacher-led
Teacher Activities
Two short drills that train register switching. Both work 1:1 online. ~14 min total
FCE Exam Practice · Section 11
20–30 minReal FCE tasks
Cambridge B2 First · Writing · Part 2 · Email. Read the task carefully, identify the reader and register, then write 140–190 words covering ALL the notes. Teacher Mode reveals a band-5 model, examiner commentary and a checklist.
Exam task
You have received this email from Helen Brooks, the coordinator of the professional English programme you attended in Manchester last year: 'Dear [your name], I was delighted to hear you'd like to join us again next autumn. Before I confirm anything, could you let me know: • which two weeks in October would suit your work schedule, • whether you'd like to add any optional workshops to your programme, • if there is anything specific you would like us to arrange for your stay. It would be a pleasure to work with you again. Best regards, Helen Brooks' Write your email in reply (140–190 words).
- Which two weeks in October would suit your work schedule
- Whether you'd like to add any optional workshops
- Anything specific you'd like arranged for your stay
Planning template
- Underline the reader (Helen Brooks — programme coordinator you know) → semi-formal register.
- Pick greeting: 'Dear Helen,' or 'Dear Ms Brooks,'.
- Plan one short paragraph per note (3 paragraphs in the body).
- Plan a warm but professional opening line that reacts to her message.
- Plan a polite closing line + sign-off ('Best wishes,' + first name).
- Word count budget: 30 + 40 + 40 + 40 + 20 = 170 words.
Success criteria (Cambridge band descriptors)
- Content: All three notes are clearly answered: weeks chosen, optional workshops, specific request.
- Communicative achievement: Consistent semi-formal register — warm but polite. No slang, no legal phrases.
- Organisation: Greeting · opening · three body paragraphs · closing · sign-off. Linkers between paragraphs.
- Language: B2 range: would like to / I was wondering if / it would be lovely. Modal politeness. Few or no grammar errors.
0 words · saved automatically
Show upper-band model answer
Dear Helen, Thank you for getting back to me so quickly — I'm really looking forward to returning to Manchester in the autumn. The two weeks that would suit me best are the 5th to the 19th of October, as our busiest reporting period finishes at the end of September and I could take leave without any problems. I would also like to add a couple of optional workshops if there are places available. The presentation skills session was mentioned last year but I couldn't attend, so that would be my first choice, and the negotiation workshop would be extremely useful for my current role. There is nothing complicated I need arranged, but if you could recommend accommodation within walking distance of the centre, that would be a great help. I lost a lot of time commuting last year. Thanks again for the invitation — I appreciate it. Best wishes, Marta
Examiner commentary
This response sits comfortably at band 4–5. CONTENT: all three notes are fully addressed (specific dates with a work-based reason, two concrete workshop choices, one specific request). COMMUNICATIVE ACHIEVEMENT: register is consistently semi-formal — warm and professional ('thank you for getting back to me', 'that would be a great help') but never stiff or slangy, and the closing matches. ORGANISATION: clear greeting, warm opening line, one paragraph per note, polite closing, matching sign-off. LANGUAGE: confident B2 range — 'the two weeks that would suit me best', 'if there are places available', 'if you could recommend' — with modal politeness throughout. Word count ≈ 175 — comfortably inside the 140–190 band. The only safe improvement would be one or two more linkers between paragraphs ('Also,' / 'Lastly,') to push Organisation to a clean band 5.
Homework · Section 12
Take-homeTake it home
Two emails, same trip
Write TWO 160-word emails: one to a friend, one to a hotel manager.
Imagine you returned last week from a hotel stay that had ONE good thing and ONE problem. Write (a) to a friend describing both informally, (b) to the hotel manager describing both formally. Use the FULL frame: greeting + opening + body + closing + sign-off. Aim for zero register breaks.
Three openings, three sign-offs
Memorise 3 openings and 3 sign-offs (one per register).
Drill until you can write each without thinking. Six phrases that solve the structural problem of every FCE email.
- INFORMAL opening — 'Great to hear from you!' / 'Thanks for your message.'
- SEMI-FORMAL opening — 'Thank you for getting in touch.' / 'I hope you're well.'
- FORMAL opening — 'I am writing in response to your email of [date].'
- INFORMAL sign-off — 'All the best, [first name]' / 'Take care, [first name]'
- SEMI-FORMAL sign-off — 'Best wishes, [first + last]' / 'Kind regards, [first + last]'
- FORMAL sign-off — 'Yours sincerely, [full name]' (named) / 'Yours faithfully, [full name]' (Sir/Madam)
Register audit — your own inbox
Open your real inbox. Audit 5 recent emails.
For eachidentify (a) sender's relationship to you, (b) register used, (c) one phrase that signalled the register. Notice how native / advanced writers signal register in 1–2 phrases. Steal those phrases for your FCE bank.
- Email 1 — relationship: ___ · register: ___ · phrase: ___
- Email 2 — relationship: ___ · register: ___ · phrase: ___
- Email 3 — relationship: ___ · register: ___ · phrase: ___
- Email 4 — relationship: ___ · register: ___ · phrase: ___
- Email 5 — relationship: ___ · register: ___ · phrase: ___
Recap · Section 13
2–3 minWhat you've learned
- FCE Email = Writing Part 2, 140–190 words, ~40 min.
- Register is decided by the RELATIONSHIP with the reader, not the topic.
- Five parts: GREETING · OPENING · BODY (one paragraph per note) · CLOSING · SIGN-OFF.
- Cover ALL the prompt notes — usually 3. Missing one drops Content.
- Mixing registers ('Hi Sam!' + 'I would be most grateful') caps Communicative Achievement at band 3.
- Read aloud before submitting — the ear catches register breaks faster than the eye.
Lesson progress
This lesson completes automatically once you finish every activity, or when you continue to the next lesson.