B1 Preliminary Writing Part 1: how to answer an email with four notes

What the task looks like

You get an email, usually from an English-speaking friend or a teacher, with four notes next to it, such as “Great!”, “Describe” or “Suggest”. Each note asks you to do one thing. Everyone writes this email; Part 2 is a choice of article or story.

Here’s a practice task we wrote. The email is from Alex, a student at your partner school abroad, after your first video call. Each line is followed by its note:

• “Great to meet you all on the call! Did you enjoy it?” → “Yes! Say what you liked best”
• “Tell me about your town.” → “Describe”
• “What do you like doing in your free time?” → “Tell Alex”
• “When shall we talk again?” → “Suggest”

Plan one paragraph for each note

Spend two minutes planning. Next to each note, jot down two or three words of your answer. This stops you forgetting a note, and the examiner first checks whether the reader gets everything they asked for.

Useful ways to start each paragraph:

• Note 1 (what you liked best): “I loved it too, especially …”
• Note 2 (where you live): “I live in …, a small / big … town / city.”
• Note 3 (about you): “I’m … and I’ve … since / for …”
• Note 4 (suggest): “Why don’t we …?” or “How about …?”

A model reply, part by part

This reply is about 100 words; next to each part is the job it does. Write about your own town, not ours.

• “Hi Alex, Thanks for your email!” → greeting
• “I loved the call too, especially when your class showed us your school garden.” → note 1: what you liked best, with a detail
• “I live in a small town by the sea. It’s quiet in winter, but in summer it’s full of tourists. I’ve lived here since I was five, and my favourite place is the beach.” → note 2: describes the town
• “I’m fourteen and I’ve played the guitar for three years. I also love drawing comics, especially funny ones.” → note 3: what you like doing
• “Why don’t we have the next call on Friday after school? Let me know if that works for you and your class.” → note 4: a clear suggestion with a day
• “Write soon,” and your name → friendly ending

Sound friendly and get the time words right

Write the way you’d talk to a friend your age, with short forms like “I’m” and “don’t”. Don’t write “Dear Sir” or “I am writing to inform you”: that’s for formal letters.

For how long something has been true, use the present perfect with “since” (a starting point) or “for” (a length of time): “I’ve lived here since I was five.” For things happening around now, use the present continuous; for habits, the present simple. Spot both in this recording:

Typical mistakes and how to fix them

Look for these when you finish (mistake on the left, fix on the right):

• “I live here since five years.” → “I’ve lived here for five years.”
• “Is very beautiful.” → “It’s very beautiful.” English sentences need a subject.
• “Why don’t we to meet on Friday?” → “Why don’t we meet on Friday?”
• A one-word answer: “Yes!” → “Yes, I loved it, especially …”
• Copying the note: “I want to describe my town.” → just describe it.

A 20-minute practice routine

Twice a week is enough. One round goes like this:

• 2 minutes: read the email and jot down two or three words next to each note.
• 12 minutes: write the reply, one paragraph per note.
• 3 minutes: check every note has a sentence, plus a greeting, an ending and about 100 words.
• 3 minutes: improve one thing: a more specific detail, a “since” or “for” sentence, or a linker like “so” or “because”.

Now write your own

Try this email from Sam in 15 minutes, then check it with the routine above:

• “We’re making a video about weekends. What do you usually do on Saturdays?” → “Tell Sam”
• “Where’s a good place to meet friends in your town?” → “Describe”
• “Have you ever made a video?” → “Yes / No, explain”
• “Could your class send us something?” → “Suggest”

Your next step

When four-note emails feel easy, move on to Part 2: an article or a story of about 100 words (links below).