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: (1) GREETING — matches the reader ('Dear Mr Stone' / 'Hi Sam'). (2) OPENING LINE — reacts to their message ('Thanks for your email — great to hear from you.' / 'I am writing in response to…'). (3) BODY — answers EVERY note in the prompt (usually 3 bullet points). (4) CLOSING LINE — invites a reply ('Let me know what you think.' / 'I look forward to hearing from you.'). (5) SIGN-OFF — matches 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 teacher, a host family).
→ 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.
tone
the writer's attitude — friendly, neutral, polite, frustrated.
purpose
why you're writing — to thank, to apologise, to invite, to complain, to request.
greeting
the opening line — 'Dear Mr Stone' / 'Hi Sam'.
sign-off
the closing line — 'Best wishes' / 'Take care' / 'Yours sincerely'.
to react (to their message)
to acknowledge what the reader said before you respond.
to acknowledge
to recognise / refer to something the reader mentioned.
concise
short and clear — emails are not essays.
to clash
to mix incompatible registers in one email.
boilerplate
stock phrase ('I am writing in response to…') — useful but don't overuse.
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 friend called Sam', 'your host family', 'the manager of a sports centre you visited'. That name sets the register. A friend asks for warmth and chat. A host family 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.
Question 1.According to the writer, which scale most often pushes an FCE email below band 4?
Question 2.What's the FIRST thing the writer says to do BEFORE writing?
Question 3.Mixing 'Hi Sam!' with 'I would be most grateful if…' causes…
Question 4.Why read your email aloud before submitting?
Question 5.An email in consistent register at B2 grammar scores roughly…
Q1.Grammar accuracy alone guarantees a high band.
Q2.Register is decided by the RELATIONSHIP with the reader.
Q3.Reading the email aloud is a good register check.
Q4.Writing 230 words instead of 180 earns bonus marks.
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 teacher / host family' = 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
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 host family has asked when you'd like to visit again'). 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 Mrs Brown, the head of the English-speaking host family you stayed with last summer: 'Dear [your name], We were so pleased to hear you'd like to visit us again next August. Before we plan anything, could you let us know: • which two weeks in August you'd prefer, • whether you'd like to do any short trips while you're here, • if there's anything special you'd like us to organise for your visit. We're really looking forward to seeing you again. With very best wishes, Mrs Brown' Write your email in reply (140–190 words).
- Which two weeks in August you'd prefer
- Whether you'd like to do any short trips while you're there
- Anything special you'd like organised for your visit
Planning template
- Underline the reader (Mrs Brown — host family) → semi-formal register.
- Pick greeting: 'Dear Mrs Brown,'.
- Plan one short paragraph per note (3 paragraphs in the body).
- Plan a warm 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, trips, special 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 Mrs Brown, Thanks so much for getting back to me — I can't wait to come and see you all again in August. The two weeks that would work best for me would be from the 9th to the 23rd of August, as my exams finish at the end of July and I'd have plenty of time to plan the trip. While I'm there, I'd love to do a couple of short trips if possible. The Lake District was something we talked about last time but never managed, so even one day there would be amazing. A quick visit to York would also be lovely if it's easy to arrange. There's nothing big I need organised, but if you could help me sign up for a few hours at the local tennis club, that would be brilliant. I've been playing a lot this year and I'd really like to keep practising while I'm with you. Thanks again for the invitation — it means a lot. Best wishes, Maria
Examiner commentary
This response sits comfortably at band 4–5. CONTENT: all three notes are fully addressed (specific dates, two concrete trip ideas, one specific special request). COMMUNICATIVE ACHIEVEMENT: register is consistently semi-formal — warm enough for a host family ('thanks so much', 'amazing', 'brilliant') but never slangy, and the closing matches. ORGANISATION: clear greeting, warm opening line, one paragraph per note, polite closing, matching sign-off. LANGUAGE: confident B2 range — 'that would work best', 'something we talked about last time but never managed', 'if you could help me sign up' — 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.
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 each: identify (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.