PET / B1 Preliminary Writing Part 1 — Email Check

Word count: 105 words — appropriate for the instruction to write about 100 words.
Estimated Cambridge score: 19/20

Marked email

Dear Mrs Lake,

Thanks for your email. That's a wonderful idea. I'm really excited about the party.

As for the place, I'd prefer to go to the park, because we could have a picnic, walk and take good photos, what [k4: incorrect relative pronoun] which we couldn't do at classroom [k4: wrong preposition + k4: wrong zero article] in the classroom [k5: punctuation — full stop needed].

It might be a good idea to play board games, maybe memo or monopoly [k3: inaccurate game name + k5: capitalization] a memory game or Monopoly, and also we could play hide and seek [k5: spelling — hyphens needed in the compound noun] hide-and-seek. I think everyone would enjoy it [k4: unclear/inaccurate pronoun reference] them because it's [k4: wrong subject–verb agreement] they are really popular and interesting games.

We could play board games, such as a memory game or Monopoly, and also play hide-and-seek.

When it comes to food, my choice would be pizza and some snacks, for example [k5: syntax — comma needed after the introductory phrase] for example, potato chips, fried chicken and fruits [k4: incorrect number form in this context] fruit.

See you soon, Eliza [k1: email convention — put the sender's name on a new line] ,
Eliza

Cambridge B1 Preliminary assessment

Criterion Score Examiner-style comment
Content 5/5 All four notes are addressed: You react positively, choose and explain the place, suggest activities, and recommend food. All content is relevant, so the target reader is fully informed.
Communicative Achievement 5/5 The response uses suitable email conventions and an appropriately friendly but respectful tone for writing to a teacher. Straightforward ideas are communicated effectively.
Organisation 5/5 The email is generally well organised and coherent. Clear paragraphing and a useful variety of linking expressions are used, including As for, because, also, When it comes to, and for example.
Language 4/5 There is a good range of everyday vocabulary and several successful complex forms, such as I'd prefer, we could, and It might be a good idea to. Errors with a relative pronoun, a preposition/article, pronoun reference, agreement, capitalization and noun number are noticeable, but they do not impede communication. The performance shares features of Bands 3 and 5.
Total 19/20 Strong B1 performance. The arithmetic equivalent is 95%

Main improvement target

Check pronoun reference and agreement after writing. Here, games is plural, so the related forms should also be plural: enjoy them because they are…

English variety: potato chips is an American English term; the usual British English equivalent is crisps. It is not penalised here because Cambridge accepts varieties of English and the response does not show a conflicting spelling pair. You should nevertheless keep one variety consistent throughout each answer.

Corrected version

Dear Mrs Lake,

Thanks for your email. That's a wonderful idea. I'm really excited about the party.

As for the place, I'd prefer to go to the park because we could have a picnic, walk and take some good photos, which we couldn't do in the classroom.

It might be a good idea to play board games, maybe a memory game or Monopoly, and we could also play hide-and-seek. I think everyone would enjoy them because they are really popular and interesting games.

When it comes to food, my choice would be pizza and some snacks, for example, potato chips, fried chicken and fruit.

See you soon,
Eliza

Potentially missed or debatable issues

  • Memo may be acceptable if it is the official title of a particular game; in that case, it still needs a capital letter. As a generic English term, a memory game is clearer.
  • Fruits can refer to several kinds of fruit, but uncountable fruit is more idiomatic in this party-food list.
  • Take good photos is acceptable. Take some good photos is slightly more natural here, so it appears in the corrected version as an improvement rather than as a marked error.
  • The comma before because in I'd prefer to go to the park, because… is unnecessary in this short sentence, but it does not obstruct meaning and has not been penalised.

Scored on the official Cambridge B1 Preliminary four-subscale scale (0–5 for each criterion; 20 marks maximum for the email task): Cambridge B1 Preliminary for Schools Handbook for Teachers.

PET Article Check: “What Makes You Laugh?”

Checked article

[k2: organisation—an article title is recommended]

In this article, I will look at how laughter affects me, [k5: syntax—incorrect coordination] and my sense of humor [k5: no spelling consistency—use either British or American spelling throughout] humour and my favourite people yo laugh with [k5: syntax—faulty parallel structure + k4: misuse of a verbal + k5: wrong spelling] , who I enjoy laughing with, the reason why i think [k5: syntax—faulty parallel structure + k5: capitalization error + k3: wordiness] and why I think laughing a lot is beneficial. Have you ever thought about what makes us laugh and why laughter matters? In this article, I will describe what I find funny, who I enjoy laughing with and why laughing a lot can be beneficial.

Often, I like [k3: unnatural phrasing] I enjoy witty jokes, sarcasm, comedy and I also find funny [k4: incorrect pronoun] find it funny when someone tells stories in a very dramatic way. I usually share these moments with school friends, [k5: syntax—run-on sentence; separate the independent clauses] . one [k5: capitalization error] One experience that comes to mind is when we were horsing around, this [k5: syntax—run-on sentence + k2: unclear reference] . Remembering this always makes me smile. I usually share these funny moments with my school friends. One memory that always makes me smile is the time we were horsing around together.

As for laugh [k4: misuse of a verbal] laughing a lot, i [k5: capitalization error] I believe this is generally positive because you spent [k4: wrong tense] spend time good [k4: adverb needed instead of an adjective] well and have unforgettable memories. I believe laughing a lot is generally positive because you have a good time and create unforgettable memories. In everyday life, it often helps people to forget about their problems [k5: syntax—missing full stop].

To sum up, I believe that laughter is important part [k4: wrong zero article] an important part of my life and everyone needs to find things or people who make them laugh and laugh a lot [k5: syntax—ambiguous coordination + k3: repetition] . Everyone should enjoy laughter as often as possible.

English variety: humor is American spelling, while favourite is British spelling. Use either humour/favourite or humor/favorite consistently. British spelling has been used in the corrections.

Cambridge B1 Preliminary score

Criterion Score Assessment
Content 5/5 All three task points are answered: what the writer finds funny, who they laugh with, and whether laughing a lot is good. The target reader is fully informed.
Communicative Achievement 3/5 The personal example, opinion and generally suitable tone communicate straightforward ideas. However, there is no title or direct address to the reader, and the opening sounds mechanical rather than engaging.
Organisation 3/5 The answer has clear paragraphs and a logical progression from preferences to an example, benefits and a conclusion. Basic linking is present, but the faulty opening structure, two comma splices and repetitive ending weaken cohesion.
Language 2/5 There is some good B1 vocabulary, including witty jokes, sarcasm, dramatic, horsing around, beneficial and unforgettable memories. Nevertheless, frequent errors in basic grammar, sentence structure, capitalization, spelling, punctuation and collocation prevent a good degree of control. The meaning remains understandable.
Total 13/20 65% — this is the score for this individual writing task, not a complete PET Writing-paper result.

Word count

139 words. Cambridge asks for about 100 words. This does not trigger an automatic zero or a fixed deduction, but the answer is noticeably over the suggested length. Here, the extra length contributes to a wordy opening and a repetitive ending, so it affects concision under Communicative Achievement and Organisation.

Corrected and improved version (101 words)

What Makes Me Laugh?

Have you ever noticed how much better you feel after a good laugh? Witty jokes, sarcasm and comedy always make me smile. I also find it funny when someone tells an ordinary story in a very dramatic way.

I usually share these moments with my school friends. One memory that always makes me laugh is the time we were horsing around after class.

I believe laughing a lot is good for us because it helps us relax, forget our problems and create unforgettable memories. Laughter is an important part of my life, and everyone needs people who can make them smile.

Assessment basis: Cambridge B1 Preliminary for Schools Writing checklist.