4.1 Writing Part 6: Guided Short Messages & Emails
Key Takeaways
Writing Part 6 requires candidates to write a short functional email or note of at least 25 words addressing three mandatory bullet points.
Full Content marks require all three points; in Cambridge's sample marking, an email that left out the meeting time scored 3 out of 5 for Content.
Core communicative functions include extending invitations, proposing plans, apologizing, suggesting times and locations, and asking for specific details.
Proper informal conventions—including friendly greetings (Hi Alex,), logical sentence organization, and clear sign-offs (See you soon,)—maximize Organization marks.
Cambridge advises aiming for roughly the required length; about 30–40 words usually gives room for all three points without irrelevant extra detail.
4.1 Writing Part 6: Guided Short Messages & Emails
The Cambridge A2 Key for Schools Reading and Writing paper concludes with two productive communication tasks. Writing Part 6 requires candidates to write a functional message or email of 25 words or more based on three bullet prompts. This task assesses a candidate's ability to communicate everyday practical information to a friend, classmate, or teacher. OpenExamPrep provides this independent study resource for Cambridge A2 Key for Schools to help candidates build reliable writing routines.
Part 6 carries 15 marks, representing half of the total Writing component (30 marks total). Success requires clear functional language, appropriate tone, and complete task completion.
The Anatomy of Writing Part 6
Candidates encounter a short scenario followed by three bullet prompts:
You want to invite your English friend, Sam, to play basketball with you this weekend.
Write an email to Sam.
In your email:
- invite Sam to play basketball
- say where and when you want to meet
- tell Sam what to bring.
Write 25 words or more.
This prompt defines three essential requirements:
- Audience & Register: An informal message to a peer (Sam).
- Communicative Purpose: An invitation paired with planning details and equipment instructions.
- Mandatory Content Points: Three explicit prompts that must each be answered.
Deconstructing the Three Bullet Prompts
The defining rule of Part 6 is mandatory prompt coverage. Cambridge evaluates task fulfillment through the Content criterion:
- All Three Prompts Covered: Band 5 describes a message where all content is relevant and the target reader is fully informed, so all three points must be clearly there.
- One Prompt Omitted: The reader is only "on the whole informed", the Band 3 description. In Cambridge's own sample marking, an email that forgot to say what time to meet scored 3 for Content.
- Two Prompts Omitted: The reader is at best "minimally informed", the Band 1 description.
Candidates do not need complex sentences to score full Content marks. One direct clause per prompt is entirely sufficient.
Essential Functional Formulas
At CEFR Level A2, candidates must demonstrate control over routine functional formulas:
1. Salutations and Closings
Messages to friends require informal opening and closing conventions:
- Greetings: Hi Sam,, Hello Alex,, or Dear Maria, (avoid formal corporate openings like Dear Sir/Madam).
- Sign-offs: See you soon,, Write back soon,, or Best,, followed by the writer's first name on a new line.
2. Extending Invitations & Proposing Plans
- Would you like to play basketball with me this Saturday?
- Do you want to come to my house after school?
- Why don't we meet outside the sports centre at three o'clock?
- How about going to the park tomorrow afternoon?
3. Apologizing and Giving Reasons
- I am very sorry, but I cannot come to your party.
- I am sorry I missed practice because I had a bad cold.
- I cannot meet you tomorrow because I have a piano lesson.
4. Making Requests & Specifying Items
- Please remember to bring your new basketball.
- Could you bring some snacks and drinks for the picnic?
- Don't forget to bring your maths notebook.
Functional Scenarios Breakdown
The table below outlines common exam scenarios and their typical language patterns:
| Communicative Scenario | Common Exam Prompts | Core Verbs & Modals | Model Formulaic Sentences |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekend Invitation | • Invite friend to an activity; • Specify day and time; • State where to meet | invite, would like, meet, want | • Would you like to go swimming on Saturday?; • Let's meet at the sports centre at 2:00 PM. |
| Apologizing & Rescheduling | • Apologize for missing event; • Explain the reason; • Suggest another time | sorry, cannot, because, how about | • I am sorry I missed your party because I had the flu.; • How about going to the cafe next Sunday instead? |
| Borrowing Equipment | • Ask to borrow an item; • Explain why it is needed; • Say when it will be returned | borrow, can you, need, return | • Can I borrow your tennis racket for Friday's match?; • I will give it back to you on Monday morning. |
| Arranging Travel | • Ask about bus times; • Suggest where to buy tickets; • Tell friend what clothes to wear | what time, should, buy, wear | • What time does our bus leave tomorrow morning?; • Wear warm clothes because it will be cold outside. |
Model Answer Comparative Analysis
Evaluating sample responses demonstrates how examiners award marks across criteria:
Full-Mark Model Response (Score: 15/15 — Bands 5, 5, 5)
Hi Sam,
Would you like to play basketball with me on Saturday afternoon? We can meet at the park court near my house at three o'clock. Don't forget to bring your new ball and a bottle of water.
See you soon,
Alex
(42 words)
Examiner Analysis:
- Content (Band 5): All three prompts are fully addressed (Prompt 1: play basketball; Prompt 2: park court at 3:00 PM; Prompt 3: bring ball and water). The reader is fully informed.
- Organization (Band 5): Employs standard email layout (Hi Sam,, See you soon,), a logical order (invitation, then place and time, then what to bring), and simple linking (and).
- Language (Band 5): Uses everyday A2 vocabulary accurately (park court, bottle of water). Grammatical structures (Would you like to..., We can meet...) are fully controlled without errors.
Under-Length & Incomplete Response (Likely 3/15 — Bands 1, 1, 1)
Hi Sam. Play basketball Saturday. Meet park. Alex
(8 words)
Examiner Analysis:
- Content (Band 1): Only fragments of Prompts 1 and 2 appear, and Prompt 3 (what to bring) is missing, so Sam is minimally informed.
- Organization (Band 1): Isolated fragments with no linking words; only punctuation separates the ideas.
- Language (Band 1): Isolated words and phrases with almost no grammar (no subjects or full verb forms).
Length is not a separate criterion, but at 8 words a message cannot cover three points or show enough language for the higher bands.
Step-by-Step Writing Protocol
Allocate about 8 minutes for Part 6 (Cambridge suggests about 20 minutes for both writing tasks) using this routine:
- Deconstruct the Rubric (1 minute): Identify the recipient and underline the three prompts.
- Draft Opening Salutation (30 seconds): Write Hi [Name], on the top line.
- Draft Three Content Sentences (5 minutes): Write one complete sentence per prompt. Expand each sentence with one detail (time, location, or reason).
- Draft Closing Sign-off (30 seconds): Write See you soon, followed by your first name.
- Proofread and Edit (1 minute): Verify that all three prompts are answered, confirm you have 25 words or more, and check capitalization and full stops.
In Writing Part 6, a candidate writes a grammatically accurate 35-word email that includes a friendly greeting, an apology, and a suggestion for a new meeting time, but fails to answer the prompt asking what homework to bring. What is the impact on their Content score?
It falls below the top band, because the reader is only partly informed; Cambridge's sample marking gave 3 out of 5 for an email missing one point.
The candidate automatically scores zero marks for the entire writing task because all prompts must be answered to get any marks.
The candidate still receives a Band 5 for Content because the overall word count and grammatical accuracy compensate for the omitted prompt.
The examiner substitutes the missing bullet point with a half-mark deduction from the Language criterion instead.
Which pair of salutations and sign-offs is most appropriate when writing an informal Part 6 email to a friend or classmate?
'Dear Sir or Madam,' and 'Yours faithfully,'
'Hi Sam,' and 'See you soon,'
'To Whom It May Concern,' and 'Respectfully yours,'
'Attention: Sam,' and 'Yours sincerely,'
Part 6 asks for a message of 25 words or more. What does Cambridge's handbook advise about length?
Write exactly 25 words, because every extra word increases the risk of mistakes.
Write over 80 words, because longer emails always receive higher marks on the Language scale.
Aim for roughly the required length, so that all three points are covered clearly without irrelevant information.
Write under 20 words, provided each bullet point gets a one-word answer.
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.