Article or Story

B1 Preliminary Part 2: choose an article or a story and write about 100 words. The article answers questions from a magazine or website; the story begins with a sentence you are given.

Where It Appears

Exam	Paper and part	Questions	Marks	Counts towards
B1 Preliminary	Writing, Part 2	Q2	20	Writing

What You See

Option	What you get	What it needs
Article	An announcement asking readers to write about a topic, with two or three questions	Answers to the questions, an engaging title and opening, your own opinion
Story	The first sentence of the story	Clear links to that first sentence, events in order, an ending

Both are marked on Content, Communicative Achievement, Organisation and Language, out of 20.

Worked Example

A complete article or story task at B1 Preliminary level. Work it with the answers closed, then open the key.

B1 Preliminary — An article or a story

B1 PreliminaryWriting, Part 2

Choose one of these questions. Write your answer in about 100 words.

Question 2

You see this notice on an English-language website.

Articles wanted!

A PLACE I LOVE

Is there a place in your town or city where you really like to spend time? What do you do there, and why is it special to you?

Write an article answering these questions and we will put the best ones on our website!

Write your article.

Write about 100 words.

Question 3

Your English teacher has asked you to write a story.

Your story must begin with this sentence.

When Ella opened the front door, she found a small box with her name on it.

Write your story.

Write about 100 words.

Model answers

Model answer — Question 2 (article) (116 words, 19/20 marks)

My favourite bridge If you ever visit my town, don’t miss the old stone bridge over the river. It isn’t famous and you won’t find it in any guidebook, but for me it’s the most special place in town. I usually go there on summer evenings. I sit on the wall with a cold drink and watch the boats go past. Sometimes I take a book, but I often end up just looking at the sunset. Why is it so special? When I was little, my grandfather used to take me there and tell me stories about the town. Now, whenever I feel stressed, the bridge helps me to feel calm again. Go and try it!

Subscale	Band
Content	5 / 5
Communicative Achievement	5 / 5
Organisation	4 / 5
Language	5 / 5

All the questions in the notice are answered fully: the place, what the writer does there and why it matters. The article speaks directly to readers (“If you ever visit…”, “Go and try it!”) and uses a title and a question to hold their attention. Paragraphing is clear, though the linking is mostly simple (but, when, now). Language includes a good range for the level, such as “end up just looking”, “used to take me” and “whenever I feel stressed”, with no errors.

Model answer — Question 3 (story) (110 words, 20/20 marks)

When Ella opened the front door, she found a small box with her name on it. There was no stamp and no address, so someone must have left it there that morning. She carried it into the kitchen and opened it carefully. Inside, there was an old key and a note that said: “Garden shed. Four o’clock.” Ella was nervous, but she was curious too. At exactly four, she walked down the garden and unlocked the shed. Suddenly the lights came on and all her friends shouted, “Happy birthday!” Ella couldn’t believe it. She had been so busy with her new job that she had completely forgotten her own birthday!

Subscale	Band
Content	5 / 5
Communicative Achievement	5 / 5
Organisation	5 / 5
Language	5 / 5

The story follows on clearly from the opening sentence, explains the box and reaches a satisfying ending, so the task is fully achieved. It builds a little suspense with the note and the locked shed before the surprise, which keeps the reader interested. Events are easy to follow thanks to time expressions (At exactly four, Suddenly). Past tenses are well controlled, including “must have left” and the past perfect “had been so busy” and “had completely forgotten”.

Strategy

Choose the option you can finish well, not the one that looks more interesting.
Article: answer every question in the announcement, address the reader directly and give examples from your own life.
Story: keep the names, place and tense of the first sentence, use past tenses and time linkers, and give it a real ending.
Plan in three parts before writing.

Common Mistakes

A story that ignores the sentence it was supposed to continue.
An article that answers only one of the questions.
A story with no ending, or an article with no opinion.
Choosing the story and changing tense halfway.

How to Practise

More practice at every level is on the Cambridge Writing samples page. The whole section in context is on the Cambridge Writing page, and how it is marked is on the scoring page.

Kirill O'Nayd, Cambridge English exams expert

Written by Kirill O'Nayd

English test expert and educator at TestSucceed. He has spent years preparing candidates for Cambridge English Qualifications from A2 Key to C2 Proficiency, and taking apart how each paper awards its marks. See all TestSucceed preparation materials.