Extended writing on the 0510 paper asks for a response in a set form - an email, an article, a report or a review. It must suit the right reader in the right register.
Attempt each task within the word limit the syllabus sets, then reveal the plan to compare your structure and tone. In a lesson, our teachers give feedback on content, register and accuracy.
1Write an informal email to a friend who could not come on a recent day trip with your class. Tell them what happened and why they should come next time.
Use a friendly register throughout, and keep to the word limit the paper sets. Invent the details of the trip yourself - where you went and what you did.
Show plan, model opening & checklist
Plan: Open with a warm greeting and a line that shows you missed them. Choose two or three lively moments rather than listing everything, and use relaxed, contracted language.
Close by urging them to come next time and sign off informally. A consistent friendly tone and a clear sense of a real friend as reader are rewarded.
Model opening: Hi Sam, you really picked the wrong day to be ill - the science museum trip turned out to be brilliant, and I kept thinking you'd have loved it.
Checklist:
- My greeting and sign-off suit a friend, not a stranger
- The register stays friendly and relaxed throughout
- I chose a few good moments instead of listing everything
- I ended by encouraging my friend to come next time
- I stayed within the word limit the syllabus sets
2Write a formal email to the manager of a local sports centre, offering to help as a volunteer during the school holidays. Explain what you can offer and ask about the next steps.
Keep the register polite and formal, and stay within the word limit. Invent your relevant experience and availability.
Show plan, model opening & checklist
Plan: Use a formal opening and state your purpose in the first line. Give your offer clearly and in an organised way, with your availability and any relevant experience. Ask a specific question about how to apply.
Close formally so the greeting and sign-off match. Avoid slang and contractions; formal register carries marks here.
Model opening: Dear Ms Alvi, I am writing to offer my help as a volunteer at the Riverside Sports Centre during the coming school holidays.
Checklist:
- My greeting and closing follow formal convention and match
- I stated my purpose in the opening line
- I avoided slang and contractions
- I asked a clear question about the next steps
- I organised my offer instead of rambling
3Write an article for your school magazine arguing for or against making the lunch break longer. Give the reader your opinion and support it with reasons, in a lively but organised way. Keep to the word limit, and decide your position before you start.
A trial lesson can start from your child's attempt at Extended writing practice for Cambridge International 0510, with feedback from an experienced teacher.
Show plan, model opening & checklist
Plan: An article needs a title, an opening that draws the reader in, and a clear line of argument with two or three developed reasons. Address the reader directly at times and let your voice show, but keep the paragraphs organised.
End with a memorable closing thought. Unlike a report, an article may argue a case and carry personality.
Model opening: Twenty-five minutes. That is how long we get to eat, catch up with friends and clear our heads before the afternoon - and it is nowhere near enough.
Checklist:
- I gave the article a title
- My opening draws the reader in
- My opinion is clear and supported by developed reasons
- The tone is lively but the paragraphs stay organised
- I closed with a strong final thought and kept to the limit
4Write a report for your head teacher on the state of the school canteen, based on what students have said, and recommend improvements. Keep the tone neutral and organised, end with a clear recommendation, and stay within the word limit. Invent the findings yourself.
Show plan, model opening & checklist
Plan: A report informs a specific reader so they can decide. State the purpose up front. Organise the findings in a logical order or under headings such as food choice, queues and seating.
Report neutrally without arguing. Lead to a recommendation that follows from the findings. Strip out the personality an article would use; clarity earns the marks.
Model opening: This report sets out students' views on the school canteen and recommends changes the school might consider.
Checklist:
- I stated the report's purpose at the start
- The tone stays neutral and organised
- I reported findings before giving the recommendation
- My recommendation follows from the findings
- I kept within the word limit
5Write a review of a cafe, museum or park you have visited, for a travel website that publishes readers' reviews. Give your readers a clear sense of the place and end by saying whether you would recommend it. Keep to the word limit, and invent the place and your visit.
Show plan, model opening & checklist
Plan: A review both describes and evaluates. Give enough concrete detail for the reader to picture the place. Then judge it fairly: what was good and what was not.
Keep the reader, who is deciding whether to go, in mind, and end with a clear recommendation. Balance is convincing; pure praise or pure complaint is not.
Model opening: Tucked behind the market, the Blue Door Cafe is easy to miss - which is a shame, because inside it is one of the friendliest places I have eaten all year.
Checklist:
- I gave concrete detail so the reader can picture the place
- I evaluated fairly, noting good and less good points
- I kept the website reader in mind throughout
- I ended with a clear recommendation
- I stayed within the word limit
See the method and an annotated model on the extended writing (email, article, report) page for Cambridge International 0510, or the technique in our extended writing (email, article, report) skills guide.