Cambridge English B1 Preliminary(PET) · B1 · Writing Unit3 · B1P-U03-E02
Connect ideas in a friendly email
Learn · make the reply easy to follow
Outcome: answer all the notes in a friendly email of about 100 words, grouping related ideas and using reasons and results accurately.
First list the requested points. Put connected answers together: availability and its reason; arrangements; your offer. Paragraphs help the reader find information. A fixed number of paragraphs is not an examination rule.
Use because to explain why and so to show a result. Use but for a contrast and and for another related idea. Choose the link for its meaning; do not add a connector to every sentence.
| Idea | Worked sentence | Reason for the choice |
|---|---|---|
| Explain availability | Friday is better because I have a quiz on Thursday. | The quiz explains the choice. |
| Show the result | I have a quiz on Thursday, so Friday is better. | The second clause gives the result. |
| Add a contrast | I can bring fruit, but I cannot bring sandwiches. | The second point limits the first. |
| Add a related detail | The food is easy to share, and we will not need plates. | Both details explain why this food is practical. |
| Repair a fragment | Friday is better because I have a quiz. | “Because I have a quiz” alone does not complete this answer. You can also write “Because I have a quiz, Friday is better.” |
| Replace a vague reason | A word game would be useful if it rains. | This explains the purpose more clearly than “It is good.” |
Read as a writer
“I can bring a game. I have a quiz. We can eat fruit. Friday is better.” includes useful ideas, but the arrangement makes the reader connect them. Put Friday beside the quiz reason, then group food and meeting details. Keep the full meaning.
Guided practice · explain the connection
1. Choose and explain: “I have a quiz on Thursday, because / so Friday is better.”
2. Repair this incomplete reply: “Because it is easy to share.” Give a clear food choice and its reason.
3. Group these notes into a sensible email plan: bring a game; Thursday quiz; fruit and sandwiches; meet at four; Friday is better.
4. Compare “I cannot bring sandwiches, but I can bring fruit instead” with “I cannot bring sandwiches, so I will bring fruit instead.” Explain the different relationships. Can both be logical?
Original EWS writing task
Mia asks: “Would Thursday or Friday be better for a picnic? What food should we take? Where and when can we meet? Can you bring something to do?”
Your four notes: choose Friday because you have a quiz on Thursday; suggest fruit and sandwiches; meet at the bus stop at four; offer to bring a word game. Write about 100 words to your friend. Keep all the notes and add only relevant detail.
Words:
Check separate explained answers after trying