Paper 1's writing section sets a shorter guided task and a longer extended task. Each uses a form and register you are told to use. Draft each task below in the form named.
Keep within the word range the paper sets, not a number we have invented. Then reveal our plan and checklist. If register is where your child slips, a paid trial can focus there.
1Guided task. Your school is starting a lunchtime reading club and has asked students to help shape it. Write an email to the teacher in charge using all three notes below.
Say which day would suit most students, suggest one type of book to start with, and raise one practical problem to solve. Use a polite, semi-formal register and keep within the word range the paper sets.
Show plan, model opening & checklist
Plan: A guided task is marked on covering every given point clearly and matching the register, not on length. Open and close as an email should. Give one developed sentence per note (day, book type, problem).
Keep the tone polite and semi-formal, and avoid both slang and over-formal phrases. Cover all three points or you lose content marks.
Model opening: Dear Ms Lee, I am writing about the new lunchtime reading club, which several of us are keen to help set up.
Checklist:
- All three notes covered
- Email opening and sign-off present
- Semi-formal, polite register held throughout
- Each point developed with a reason, not just listed
- Within the word range the paper sets
2Extended task. Write an article for your school magazine with the title 'The one change that would improve our school day'.
Choose a single change, explain why it matters, and answer one likely objection. Use a lively but appropriate register for student readers, organise it in clear paragraphs, and stay within the word range the paper sets.
Show plan, model opening & checklist
Plan: An extended article rewards a clear line of thought and controlled, varied language. Pick one change so the argument stays focused. Give it a short engaging opening and develop two or three reasons in separate paragraphs.
Meet one objection, and end with a memorable line. Vary sentence length and check accuracy, since spelling, punctuation and grammar are assessed here.
Model opening: Ask anyone what drags on the school day and you hear the same answer: the rush between lessons. A slightly longer gap would change more than you might think.
Checklist:
- One clear change, not several
- Paragraphed, under the given title
- An objection answered
- Register suits a student magazine
- Accuracy checked (spelling, punctuation, grammar)
3Guided task. A local bus company has cut the evening service that students use. Write a formal letter to the company using the three points given.
Explain who is affected and how, describe one specific problem the cut has caused, and propose one reasonable solution. Use a formal register, set the letter out correctly, and keep within the word range the paper sets.
A trial lesson can start from your child's attempt at Writing tasks (ESL) practice for Pearson Edexcel 4ES1, with feedback from an experienced teacher.
Show plan, model opening & checklist
Plan: This tests whether you can hold a fully formal register and letter layout while covering set points. Use a formal salutation and sign-off, one clear paragraph per point, and measured, courteous language even while complaining. Make the solution specific and reasonable so the letter reads as a genuine request.
Model opening: Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing on behalf of students at Bukit Aman Secondary who rely on the evening service you have recently withdrawn.
Checklist:
- Formal salutation and sign-off
- All three points covered in order
- Fully formal register (no contractions or slang)
- A specific, reasonable solution offered
- Within the word range the paper sets
4Extended task. Write a review of a place you know well (a café, a park, a library or a shop) for readers deciding whether to visit. Give a balanced impression with at least one strength and one weakness.
Use description that helps readers picture the place, and end with a clear recommendation. Match the register to a general readership and stay within the word range the paper sets.
Show plan, model opening & checklist
Plan: A review needs opinion supported by specific detail, not a list of features. Set the scene briefly and develop two or three impressions with concrete examples.
Be honest about one weakness so it reads as fair, and finish with who the place suits. Vary your vocabulary and keep the tone warm but controlled.
Model opening: Tucked behind the wet market, Kopi Lane looks like nothing from the street, which is exactly why the regulars like it.
Checklist:
- Balanced: a strength and a weakness
- Concrete detail, not a feature list
- A clear recommendation at the end
- Register suits general readers
- Sentence variety and accuracy
5Guided task. Write a short notice for the school noticeboard announcing that the science fair has been moved to a new date and hall.
Include the new date, the new place, and one instruction for students bringing projects. Use a clear, direct register suited to a public notice and keep it brief, within the word range the paper sets.
Show plan, model opening & checklist
Plan: A notice must be instantly clear: a heading, the essential facts, and one instruction, with no wasted words. Front-load the change (new date, new place), give the instruction plainly, and keep the register neutral and direct. A notice is not a letter, so no greeting or sign-off is needed.
Model opening: SCIENCE FAIR: NEW DATE AND HALL. The fair will now take place on Friday 12 June in the Main Hall, not the Science Block.
Checklist:
- Heading present
- New date and new place both clear
- One instruction included
- Direct, neutral notice register
- Brief, with no letter-style greeting
See the method and an annotated model on the writing tasks (ESL) page for Pearson Edexcel 4ES1, or the technique in our writing tasks (ESL) skills guide.