Пример письма для экзамена pet

Summary

1. Mandatory task: yes
2. Word count: around 100 words
3. Main characteristics: Typical layout, functional language (agreeing/disagreeing, giving your opinion, offering to do something, explaining something)
4. Structure: opening formula & paragraph, topic paragraphs, closing paragraph & formula
5. Language: specific phrases to start/end an email, agreeing/disagreeing, giving your opinion, offering to do something, explaining something
6. Example

Dear Mrs Lake,

Thank you for your email. I think it’d be a great idea to have a party with the whole class.

I think we should have our party at the park because we’re in the classroom all the time so this would be a nice change.

At the park there are some ping pong tables and I can bring my football so why don’t we make teams and have a tournament of different sports?

In my opinion, we should have a barbecue. We can bring what we like, for example, meat and some drinks like Coca Cola and everyone will be happy.

Thanks again and see you in class.

Phill

Introduction

You always write an email in PET in response to an email or notice (ca. 100 words) you have received from someone else. Every situation is different and you have adapt your email to this. You also need to choose the correct language and tone (informal/neutral) for your text. You normally write to a friend, teacher or someone else you know.

The email task is the one text that you have to do in the PET exam. You can’t choose to do it or not so it is very important to know exactly what the requirements are.

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>>> Find out how to write an amazing story for PET here. <<<

>>> For great information on PET article writing click here. <<<

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What does a typical email task look like?

When you look at a writing task in the PET exam, there are always some questions that you have to ask yourself.

1. What is the situation?
2. What do I have to include in my email?
3. Who is going to read my email?

It is essential for you to think about these questions before you start to write your email because they give you a lot of useful information and make the task much easier. So, let’s look at a typical email writing task:

A typical email task looks like the one above. You read a short email (100-120 words) with four prompts which are connected to the text with lines. So, let’s have a look at our questions from earlier.

First of all, the situation is about organising an end-of-year party with your class and your teacher, Mrs Lake, is asking you for a few ideas.

You always have to include four main things in your emails. In this case, you (1) have to react to the news that there is a party, (2) explain if the party should be in the classroom or the park, (3) make a suggestion about possible games and activities and (4) tell Mrs Lake what kind of food you would like to eat at the party.

It is very important for you to know exactly what you have to include because you have to use specific language for each of the four points.

Last but not least, your teacher is going to read your email so you can’t use the same informal language you would use with a friend, but it also doesn’t have to be super formal. Somewhere in between the two (neutral) is probably the best option.

In neutral English you can use contractions like ‘I’m’ or ‘she’s’ or phrasal verbs, but no slang words or anything that is not in the dictionary.

How to organise you email

Emails can always be organised in the same way. If you follow my recommendations in this article, you will get good results every time you sit down to write an email.

In the last section you learned that in every task there are four main things that you have to include in your text.

1. React to the news that there is a party.
2. Explain if the party should be in the classroom or the park and why.
3. Make a suggestion about possible games and activities.
4. Tell your teacher what kind of food you would like to eat.

Because there are four main points it is a good idea to make four paragraphs in your email, one for each main point. In addition to that, we always have to include an opening and closing formula to start and finish our email the right way.

So, a typical PET email looks like this:

1. opening formula
2. four main topic paragraphs
3. closing formula

This works just fine so you don’t have to worry too much about the organisation of your emails any more.

Don’t forget to make a plan

Unfortunately, many students forget to plan their email before they start to write. As a result, they make mistakes with the organisation of their text and they often forget important details.

So, take 3-4 minutes at the beginning and think about what you want to put in which part of your writing task. I have already given you an idea how to organise your email so you just have to add some ideas and then you’re ready to go.

You will see that writing becomes a lot easier and you will feel calmer and more relaxed when you are in the exam.

The different parts of an email

In this part we are going to find out what the different `parts of an email look like. Remember, in an email for B1 Preliminary you can always follow the same structure so there are some things that you can do in every single email task.

Opening formula

In an email we always start by saying hello to the person we are writing to. There are different ways to do this, but generally, there are two main options.

1. Hi Phill,
2. Dear Mr Smith,

The first option is better for informal emails, for example to a friend or classmate. We use ‘hi’ as informal way to say hello and the first name of the person.

We use the second salutation in formal writing to a teacher, manager or someone similar to that. ‘Dear’ is a polite option to say hello and we use ‘Mr’ or ‘Ms’ plus the family name to be extra polite.

Always check in the task who is going to read your email because your salutation depends on formal or informal English.

Main paragraphs

In your main paragraphs there are two things you need to focus on. You want to talk about all the main topic points and use good language.

Remember what the four topic points are:

1. React to the news that there is a party.
2. Explain if the party should be in the classroom or the park and why.
3. Make a suggestion about possible games and activities.
4. Tell your teacher what kind of food you would like to eat.

You can make one short paragraph for each idea because that’s what Mrs Lake did in her email to you.

Now, you only have to think about what good language you can use to say what you should say in each of these paragraphs. In this part I will only give you an example of a paragraph, but if you keep reading, you will find useful examples for all the different types of language you might have to use in email writing task.

An example paragraph could look like this:

Dear Mrs Lake,

Thank you for your email. I think it’d be a great idea to have a party with the whole class.

You can see that you don’t have to write a lot to react to good news. First of all, I thanked Mrs Lake for writing and then reacted to the good news. If you do something similar with the other main topic points, you will pass the email task easily.

Closing formula

Finishing an email is just as easy as starting it. There are some expressions that we can always use. Just be careful because you need to check who you are writing to so your closing formula is not too personal or informal. Here, is a possible closing formula for our example task:

Thanks again and see you in class.

Phill

Again, you don’t have to write a lot in your closing formula. Keep it simple and you’ll be fine.

Useful language for emails

In a PET email writing task you can use a lot of good language to get high marks. You have to think about an opening and closing formula as well as expressions to talk about the main topic points.

Most of the time you have to do some of these things:

1. React to a piece of news
2. Agree / Disagree
3. Explain something
4. Offer to do something
5. Give your opinion
6. Apologise for something
7. Make a suggestion
8. Make a recommendation

This seems to be a lot, but with a little bit of practice it will become much easier. So, let’s have a look at some useful expressions.

Opening formula	Hi [name], Hello [name], Dear [name],
Closing formula	Talk to you soon. All the best, Take care, Best regards, Warm regards, Love, Lots of love,
Reacting to a piece of news	It’s good/great/sad to hear that … I’m glad/happy/sorry to hear that … Thanks (a lot) for letting me know that … What great/fantastic/brilliant/wonderful news! That’s awful / a pity / unfortunate!
Agreeing / Disagreeing	I agree / disagree (with you). I couldn’t agree more. I (don’t) think so. I think you’re right. That’s so true! Yes, but … I’m not sure about that.
Explaining something	because (of) That’s why … This means … for example / such as / like
Offering to do something	I/We could … If you want, I/we could … Shall I/we … Do you want me/us to …?
Giving your opinion	In my opinion, … I think … For me, …
Apologising for something	I’m sorry for (+-ing) I apologise for (+-ing) I (really) didn’t mean to …
Making a suggestion	Let’s … I suggest (+-ing) How about (+-ing) Why don’t you/we …? Don’t you think …?
Making a recommendation	(I think) you/we should … Don’t miss … I (highly) recommend (+-ing)

Time to practise

The best way to get better at writing is to practise. Don’t be afraid. If you work hard, you can become very good quickly. I hope my article will help you and if you like it or have some ideas for me, please leave a comment.

Lots of love,

Teacher Phill

Примеры заданий для экзамена PET Sample papers (Preliminary English Test) или PET for Schools Sample papers можно найти ниже Current papers (version 2020):

PET (Preliminary English Test)

Reading and Writing

Preliminary 2020 Sample test Reading — Answers

Preliminary 2020 Sample test Reading — Question paper

Preliminary 2020 Sample test Writing — Question paper

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Speaking

Preliminary 2020 Sample tests Speaking — Question paper

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Listening

Preliminary 2020 Sample test Listening — Question paper

Preliminary 2020 Sample test Listening — Script

Preliminary 2020 Sample test Listening — Answers

Listening introduction to the test and all 4 parts together

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PET for Schools

Reading and Writing

PET 2020 Sample test Reading — Answers

PET 2020 Sample test Reading — Question Paper

PET 2020 Sample test Writing — Question Paper

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Speaking

PET 2020 Sample test — Speaking

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Listening

PET 2020 Sample test Listening — Answers

PET 2020 Sample test Listening — Question Paper

PET 2020 Sample test Listening — Script

Listening introduction to the test and all 4 parts together

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Past papers (up to 2020)

Reading and Writing

PET Sample paper 2 Reading and Writing

PET Sample paper 2 Reading and Writing answer key

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Speaking

PET Sample paper Speaking part 1

PET Sample paper Speaking part 2

PET Sample paper Speaking candidate’s booklet

PET Sample paper Speaking part 3-4

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Listening

PET Sample paper 2 Listening

PET Sample paper 2 Listening tapescript

PET Sample paper 2 Listening answer key

Listening introduction to the test and all 4 parts together

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

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Past papers:

Reading and Writing

PET Sample paper 1 Reading and Writing

PET Sample paper 1 Reading and Writing Answers

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Speaking

PET Sample paper 1 Speaking Part 1

PET Sample paper 1 Speaking Part 2

PET Sample paper 1 Speaking Part 3

PET Sample paper 1 Speaking Candidate booklet

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Listening

PET Sample paper 1 Listening

PET Sample paper 1 Listening Answers

PET Sample paper 1 Listening tapescript

Listening introduction to the test and all 4 parts together

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

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Дополнительные вопросы к части Listening на проверку понимания устной речи:

Part 1

1. • How old is Nick? Did he get many presents? How many guests were there at the party? Did they have a cake? Was it a present? What did Nick get from his parents?

1. • Are the boys in the picture twins? Is there the woman in the picture too? Is one boy taller than the other? What is the only difference between the boys?

1. • What was the teacher’s question about? When was the chirch completed? When was the museum built? When was the bridge built? How much time did the teacher give the students to count?

1. • What is Jake’s hobby? What did he break? What was wrong with his arm? Did Nick like the nurses in the hospital?

1. • What did one of the girls want to try out? Why didn’t they want to play outside? What was wrong with the weather? Where did they decide to go? What time did they agree to meet?

1. • Which costume was too casual? Which one was too smart? Did Sally take her friend’s advice?

1. • Was the family going to visit an island? Is that possible to get to the island by car? What was the original plan? Why did they change their mind? Did the family like their holiday?

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Practice for your speaking exam

PET SPEAKING PART 2 SAMPLE CARDS/КАРТОЧКИ #1

PET SPEAKING PART 2 SAMPLE CARDS/КАРТОЧКИ #2

PET SPEAKING PART 2 SAMPLE CARDS/КАРТОЧКИ #3

PET SPEAKING PART 3 SAMPLE CARDS/КАРТОЧКИ #1

PET SPEAKING PART 3 SAMPLE CARDS/КАРТОЧКИ #2

PET SPEAKING PART 3 SAMPLE CARDS/КАРТОЧКИ #3

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You might also like:

PET Books/Книги для подготовки

PET Word list/Список слов

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You can get more information from the official website

As we’ve already seen in the B1 Writing Guide (in Spanish), updated for the 2020 changes, the Writing component consists of 2 parts. The first one is an email whereas the second one is a story or an article, as you can choose which to do. For this reason, in this post I’m going to teach you how to write an email at B1 level for your Preliminary (PET) exam.

How to Write an Email for B1 Preliminary (PET)

In order to know the steps to write an email for this B1 exam, the first thing we need to do is to find out what the instructions are like and know what you’re expected to do. And even though we saw this in the B1 Writing guide (in Spanish), we will now go over it again and dive in even deeper.

Instructions for Writing B1 Preliminary Part 1: Email

In this part of the test, you are given an email from an English friend or relative, and you are asked to respond to it in about 100 words. This email contains annotations which help you identify exactly what you need to respond to.

As regards the topics, they’re 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:

As you can see in the example above, taken from Cambridge’s official website, we have received an email from a person so-called Sandy, who is a friend of ours. In addition, we have made some annotations, which are the points we need to address in your email:

• Me too!
• Say which I prefer
• No, because…
• Ask Sandy…

In this sense, Cambridge is making this task easier, as we definitely won’t go blank and they are pointing out the structure that our email should have, which we will see in the following section.

Email structure

The first thing you need to know is the different parts of an email, and these are:

• 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.
• (We might have more main paragraphs, depending on the task.)
• Closing paragraph: in this paragraph we «start» to say goodbye by wishing the other person well and asking them to reply to your email.
• Goodbye: we use a short expression to say goodbye.
• Signature: we sign the email with our name.

In general, all emails must follow the same structure, and also, I recommend you following these two pieces of advice::

• Don’t write From: y To:, as it is completely unnecessary and Cambridge won’t penalise you. Also, you’re saving words which you can use in the body of your email.
• Don’t write a subject, for the same reason as before.

Now that we know the different parts of an email, we should see an example.

Example Email for PET Writing Part 1

Let’s take a look at the following example of a Preliminary (PET) task answer for Writing Part 1, where we can see an answer to the sample task we saw above:

In the example above, you can see the different parts of an 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 email.

Expressions to use in your email

In this section, we are going to focus on different expressions you can use in the different parts of the email. While the main paragraphs will vary completely depending on the topic of your writing, most of the other parts in the email can be practised and memorised almost completely. Let’s take a look:

Greetings

In order to start your email in Writing Part 1 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 writing, 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 email), you must start the opening paragraph in a new line.

Opening paragraph

The opening paragraph is the place to react to your friend’s or relative’s email. 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 email. 
• 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 email. 
• Thank you very much for your email. 

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.

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.).

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 email. 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 email. This question should be related to the topic of your piece of writing.

Saying goodbye

There are many ways in English to close an informal 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 an email at B1 level

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. In this case, this is an example of an old task, but the email follows the same rules. Pay close attention to how it’s structured and how its paragraphs are well defined and separated:

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 writing an Email for B1 Preliminary (PET)

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. 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.

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Oh, and don’t forget to keep smiling!

Writing can be a scary thing for B1 learners, but with some training the Preliminary (PET) writing doesn’t have to make you run and hide. The important thing at B1 is to be clear, consistent and organised. You don’t need to write the next Charles Dickens novel, you just have to complete the task with good basic grammar, vocabulary, organisation and a little touch of style.

Here we’ve got some top tips for the Preliminary (PET) writing paper and two sample tests for you to use as practice at home or in the classroom. Each one could be used for PET for schools or for the regular adult exam.

Top tips for Preliminary (PET) writing

These tips will help you maximise opportunity for points in the Cambridge writing criteria. Each writing is given a mark out of 5 in Content, Communicative Achievement, Organisation and Language.

1. Answer the question (Content) – You wouldn’t believe how many people don’t include all the necessary content in their answers. Part 1 is very controlled and has four notes along the side of each input text. In order to score points in the Content mark, you must clearly include answers to all four notes. For example, if the note say “suggest”, pointing at a comment about what restaurant you’d like to go to, suggest a restaurant. It seems obvious, but it’s the easiest way to both lose and gain points. In Part 2, you’ll have a couple of content points in the article and less in the story, but you still need to stick to the topic. For example, if the story is about a day at the beach, don’t write about a birthday party.
2. Use paragraphs (Organisation) – Another easy fix, but one that can seriously affect the Organisation mark. Even though the text is only 100 words, there should generally be 2-3 paragraphs, clearly separated using a line gap or indentation.
3. Write the correct writing (Content, Communicative Achievement) – If it’s an email, it needs to look like an email with a simple “Hi” and “See you soon!” at the beginning and end. If it’s an article, it should have a title. If it’s a story, it should have a beginning, middle and end. The tone and style of each writing is slightly different too. Look at examples and consider what style is used.
4. Punctuate (Organisation, Language) – Sometimes something as seemingly insignificant as a comma can completely change a writing. Be careful with sentences that are long, confusing and connected together with commas. Make sure you are finishing sentences when they are grammatically complete and not using incorrect punctuation.
5. Use the past (Language) – To show you know B1 grammar, it’s important to use the past. In almost every writing, you will have the opportunity to use the past to talk about something that happened to you. Don’t forget to study the irregular verbs!
6. Use some modal verbs (Language) – Another area of B1 language is modal verbs. Make a recommendation with “should” or talk about possibility with “can” or “can’t”. It’s not advanced language, but it’s something that shows you know B1 level English.
7. Use a relative clause (Language) – If you want to score top points in Language, you have to attempt some complex grammar. Using subordinate clauses like relative clauses is a good way to do this. A sentence like “My brother, who lives in Miami, is going to visit me in Spain this summer” is a great way to include more complex grammar in your writing.
8. Use basic linking words (Organisation, Language) – At B1, you don’t need to use a huge variety of linking words, but you should use “and”, “so”, “but”, “because” and possibly a few other more advanced ones like “however”, “although” and “also”. These should be used throughout all the writings.
9. Make it interesting (Communicative Achievement) – You don’t need to be an expert writer to write an interesting text. For example, there’s a big difference between a story where the school closes because of a flood (interesting) and a day you went to school and did an exam (not interesting). The same applies to articles, if you write an article about travel and you talk about going on an adventure in Hawaii, it’s more interesting than going to the local swimming pool every day.
10. Keep it simple (Everything) – Remember that it’s a B1 writing and in order to pass or even get high marks, you don’t need to make it complicated. Use the language you know to write the best possible writing within the expectations of the task. Don’t be afraid to attempt some complex things, but also make sure you do the basics well.

The materials

Here are two full Preliminary (PET) writing sample tests. These have been designed in the same format as official exams to practise and improve in preparation for the B1 writing exam.

Download

Preliminary (PET) Writing Sample Test A

Preliminary (PET) Writing Sample Test B

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