club
media club
member
new
editorHow this email appears in the exam
In the A2 Key Reading and Writing paper, you get a short situation or a message from a friend, with three points under it. You write an email or note of 25 words or more that covers all three. The task is the same in A2 Key for Schools.
The task below is our own example in the same style; we answer it together in this guide.
- “Your school has a new photo club. Write an email to Sam, the club leader.”
- “Say who you are.”
- “Say why you want to join.”
- “Ask Sam a question about the club.”
- “Write 25 words or more.”
Plan one sentence for each point
Before you write, note the three points in the margin with a word or two next to each. This one-minute plan stops you forgetting one. The marking checks whether all three points reach the reader clearly; if one is missing, you cannot get a high mark, however good your grammar is.
Useful patterns:
- Say who you are: “My name is …”, “I’m thirteen.”, “I’m in class 8B.”
- Say why you want to join: “I want to join the … club because …”, “I love …”, “I’m good at …”
- Ask a question: “When does the club meet?”, “Where do you meet?”, “Do I need to bring anything?”, “How much does it cost?”
A model email, line by line
Each line is shown with the job it does. With the greeting and ending it is about 40 words: above the minimum, but no longer than it needs to be.
- “Hi Sam,” → greeting: the name and a comma.
- “My name is Deniz and I’m thirteen. I’m in class 8B.” → point 1: who you are.
- “I want to join the photo club because I love taking pictures of animals.” → point 2: “because” and a real reason.
- “When does the club meet? Can I use my phone?” → point 3: a question about the club; one is enough.
- “See you soon, Deniz” → ending and your name.
Greetings and endings: check who you are writing to
To a friend or someone your age, write “Hi” or “Hello” and their name: “Hi Sam,”. To a teacher, use “Dear” and their surname: “Dear Ms Lee,”. End with “See you soon,” to a friend or “Best wishes,” to a teacher, then always add your name.
“How are you?” is natural but covers none of the three points; add it if you like, but not instead of a point.
Typical mistakes and how to fix them
Some come from translating word for word. Look for them when you finish (mistake before the arrow, fix after it):
- “I have 13 years.” → “I’m thirteen.” or “I’m thirteen years old.”
- “I want join the club.” → “I want to join the club.”
- “When the club meets?” → “When does the club meet?”
- A vague reason like “because it is good” → “because I love taking pictures of animals.”
- Copying the task: “I want to say who I am.” does not cover the point; say who you are.
- Forgetting the ending or your name.
The same details when you speak
When you join a club in person, you hear similar questions. In this short conversation, the new member is asked their age and languages (Twi is spoken in Ghana).
They also ask about a word they don’t know: keep the pattern “Sorry, what does … mean?”
Club member How old are you?
New member I'm twelve. Sorry, what does "editor" mean?
Club member What languages do you speak?
New member English and Twi.
Now write your own
Write this task in 10 minutes, then go through the checklist.
- “There is a new English club at your school. Write an email to your teacher, Ms Lee. Say what you like doing in English, say which day is good for you and ask what you need to bring. Write 25 words or more.”
- Check 1: Is there at least one sentence for each point?
- Check 2: Is there a greeting, an ending and your name? Did you start with “Dear Ms Lee,”?
- Check 3: Are there 25 words or more? Does your question use “do” or “does”?