B1 Preliminary Writing Part 2: how to write a balanced article about screens

What the article task looks like

Part 2 offers an article or a story. The article task is a magazine or website notice with a topic and two or three questions; answer them all. Here’s a practice notice we wrote:

• “Articles wanted! Phones, tablets, laptops: do screens make teenagers’ lives better or worse?”
• “What do you use screens for? What problems have they caused for you? Tell us in your article.”

Plan four short paragraphs

Spend three minutes planning. Underline each question, then give each paragraph one job:

• Opening: a question to the reader and a fact about you: “Have you ever counted …?”
• Good side with an example: “One good thing is that …”, “For example, …”
• Problems with an example: “However, …”, “On the other hand, …”
• Opinion: “In my opinion, … because …”, then “What about you?”

A model article, paragraph by paragraph

About 100 words without the title; each part’s job follows the arrow.

• “Screens: helper or time thief?” → title
• “Have you ever checked your screen time? I checked mine last month, and I was shocked: almost four hours a day!” → question + a fact with a number
• “Of course, screens help me a lot. I’ve learned to edit videos from online lessons, and every Sunday I video-call my grandmother, who lives in another city.” → good side + examples
• “However, they can also cause problems. Last winter I played one game until midnight almost every night, and I was always tired at school. In the end, I deleted it.” → problems: a past simple story
• “In my opinion, screens are great helpers but bad bosses. Since January, my phone has stayed in the kitchen after ten, and I sleep much better. What about you?” → opinion + closing question

Present perfect or past simple?

Use the present perfect (have / has + past participle) for experience up to now, with no finished time: “I’ve learned to edit videos.” Words that go with it: ever, never, just, already, yet, since, for.

Once you say when, switch to the past simple: “I deleted the game last night.” Ask with one, answer with the other: “Have you ever counted your hours? I counted mine last week.”

Hear already, just, since and never as students react to a survey:

Give both sides, then decide

Balanced doesn’t mean having no opinion. Give each side one reason and one real example, then say clearly where you stand.

Here, a friend defends late-night screen time, and a teacher gives the advice every two-sided article needs:

Words that lift your article to B1

These show more range than “good”, “bad” and “use”:

• “habit”, “limit”, “reduce”: “I want to reduce my screen time.”
• “on average”, “survey”, “data”: “On average, I spend three hours a day online.”
• “install”, “delete”, “sign up for”: “I signed up for an app, then deleted it.”
• “switch off”, “hang out”, “keen on” + -ing: “I’m keen on making videos.”

Typical mistakes and how to fix them

Look for these when you finish:

• “I have deleted the game last night.” → “I deleted the game last night.” Finished time, past simple.
• “I use my phone since two years.” → “I’ve used my phone for two years.”
• “I’m keen on make videos.” → “I’m keen on making videos.”
• A question in the notice with no answer → tick each one as you answer it.

A 20-minute exam routine

Twice a week is enough. Start with this notice: “Articles wanted! Online games: a waste of time or a great hobby? Tell us what you think.”

• 3 minutes: underline the questions; note one example per side.
• 12 minutes: write about 100 words in four paragraphs.
• 5 minutes: check every question is answered, your opinion is clear and the tenses match the time words.

Your next step

When articles feel easy, try a Part 2 story with a given opening, or practise opinions out loud in a Speaking task where you decide together (links below).