IGCSE 0510 · Paper 1 Writing

Paper 1 Writing: How Exercises 5 and 6 Are Marked

Everything about the two writing tasks: the marks, the bands in plain English, how to lift your Language mark to 7–9, register, planning, timing and checking.

British & IGCSE › Cambridge IGCSE English as a Second Language (0510)

Half of the marks in Paper 1 come from just two pieces of writing. Each one is short — about 120 to 160 words — so every sentence counts. This page explains exactly how both writing exercises are marked, what separates a middle mark from a top mark, and a simple routine for planning, writing and checking under exam pressure. Read it first, then study the genre packs: the informal email for Exercise 5 and the article, report, review and essay packs for Exercise 6.

1. The two writing exercises at a glance

Paper 1 (Reading and Writing) lasts 2 hours and is worth 60 marks. You answer on the question paper and you may not use a dictionary. Exercises 1–4 test reading (30 marks). Exercises 5 and 6 test writing (30 marks). All questions are compulsory, so there is no choice of task.

	Exercise 5 (Question 16)	Exercise 6 (Question 17)
Text type	An informal email — always	An article, a report, an essay or a review
Typical reader	A friend or a relative	A teacher, the organiser of an event, or readers of a school magazine or website
Register	Informal: friendly and chatty, like talking to someone you know well	Formal or semi-formal, depending on the reader
What the task gives you	A short situation and three bullet points you must cover	A short situation stating the format, purpose and reader, plus prompts such as comments from other people (sometimes a picture). You use some of these ideas and add ideas of your own.
Length	About 120–160 words	About 120–160 words
Marks	15 = Content 6 + Language 9	15 = Content 6 + Language 9

Key facts to remember

Both exercises are marked with the same criteria: Content out of 6 and Language out of 9.
Language is worth more than Content (9 against 6), so the quality of your English matters most.
The word guide is 'about 120 to 160 words'. Aim for 140–160: enough to develop every idea, not so much that you lose control.
Exercise 5 is only ever an informal email. Exercise 6 can be any of four types, so you must prepare all four.

2. How the examiner marks your writing

The examiner reads your whole answer and gives two separate marks. First they decide which band (level) fits your work best, and then they choose a mark inside that band. This is called best-fit marking. Marks are given for what you do well. They are not taken away one by one for every mistake. That is good news: a few small slips will not drag you down, but a piece that is simple from start to finish cannot reach the top band however accurate it is.

Content (out of 6) asks two questions: Did you do the task (relevant ideas, every point covered, the right style for the reader and purpose)? And did you develop your ideas with enough detail?

Content band	What your answer looks like (paraphrased)
5–6	The task is completely done. Everything is relevant. The style suits the text type all the way through. You clearly know who you are writing to and why. Ideas are well developed with detail, reasons and examples.
3–4	The task is mostly done. Content is mostly relevant and the style is mostly suitable. You have a fair idea of the reader and purpose. Ideas are developed, but some are thin.
1–2	Only part of the task is done (for example, a bullet point is missing). Some content is off-topic. The style is wrong or keeps changing. Little sense of the reader. Ideas are listed rather than developed.
0	Nothing that can be credited.

Language (out of 9) looks at the range and accuracy of your vocabulary and grammar, and at how well your writing is organised and linked.

Language band	What your answer looks like (paraphrased)
7–9	The writing is skilful. You use a wide range of everyday and less common vocabulary and a wide range of simple and complex sentences. Accuracy is high: the odd error does not get in the way. Paragraphs are well ordered, and ideas are joined with a wide range of linking words and other cohesive devices.
4–6	The writing is clear. Vocabulary is mostly everyday, with some attempts at less common words. Sentences are mostly simple, with some attempts at complex ones. Accuracy is generally good and errors rarely block meaning. Organisation is generally good, with a reasonable range of linking words.
1–3	The reader can follow the message, but not easily. Only common words and simple sentences. Errors often make meaning unclear. Little organisation and very few linking words.
0	Nothing that can be credited.

What 'developed' really means

A point is developed when you add at least one more layer to it: a reason (because…), an example (for instance…), a detail (who, where, when, how many), a result (so…, which meant that…) or a feeling (I was so relieved that…). 'The trip was fun.' is a bare point. 'The trip was great fun, especially the boat ride along the Nile, which none of us had ever done before.' is a developed point.

3. Full marks in Content: the checklist

Cover every required point. In Exercise 5, all three bullets. In Exercise 6, the purpose stated in the task (for example, give your views, describe the event and suggest improvements).
Develop each point with two or three sentences of detail. Never answer a bullet in one short sentence.
Stay relevant. Every sentence must connect to the situation in the task. No memorised paragraphs about another topic.
Use the correct format: a greeting and a sign-off for an email, a headline for an article, a clear title and an introduction stating the purpose for a report, an essay that introduces the topic and ends with a clear conclusion.
Keep the right register from the first line to the last. Do not start friendly and end stiff, or the other way round.
Show awareness of the reader: speak to your friend directly in an email, engage magazine readers with questions in an article, be polite and clear for a head teacher in a report.
In Exercise 6, add ideas of your own. Using only the prompts given on the paper usually limits how well you can develop the task.

4. Moving from 4–6 to 7–9 in Language

Most students who write clearly are stuck in the 4–6 band. The descriptors tell you exactly what lifts you higher. There are four levers. Pull all four in every piece of writing.

Lever	Band 4–6 (clear)	Band 7–9 (skilful)	What to do
Vocabulary	Common words: good, bad, very big, happy, a lot of	Common + less common: outstanding, disappointing, enormous, thrilled, a wide variety of	Replace 4–5 flat words with precise ones. Add topic words (e.g. stall, volunteers, raise funds).
Structures	Mostly simple sentences joined with and, but, because	Relative clauses, conditionals, passives, participle phrases, -ing openers, inversions	Plan at least five different complex structures (see the upgrade table below).
Cohesion	First, then, also, but, so	What is more, Even so, As a result, Having said that, This meant that…	Use different linking words, refer back with this/that/such/these (This decision…).
Accuracy	Errors are noticeable but meaning is clear	Occasional slips only	Write sentences you can control, then check tenses, agreement, articles and spelling.

5. The upgrade table: same idea, higher band

Each row shows a typical Band 4–6 sentence and a Band 7–9 version of the same idea. Learn the structure in the last column: you can reuse it in any task.

Band 4–6 sentence	Band 7–9 upgrade	Structure used
The concert was very good.	The concert was absolutely outstanding.	Stronger, less common adjective with an intensifier
I met my cousin. He lives in Alexandria.	I met my cousin, who lives in Alexandria.	Non-defining relative clause (who/which)
It rained, so we stayed inside.	Because of the heavy rain, we had no choice but to stay indoors.	Prepositional phrase + fixed expression
I finished my homework. Then I went out.	Having finished my homework, I went out to meet my friends.	Perfect participle opener
If you come, it will be fun.	If you had come, you would have loved it.	Third conditional (imagined past)
The school built a new library.	A new library has recently been built by the school.	Passive voice — good for formal reports
I was very tired, but I continued.	Exhausted as I was, I kept going until the very end.	Adjective + as + subject + verb (concession)
I have never seen such a big crowd.	Never have I seen such an enormous crowd.	Negative inversion for emphasis
The students want more clubs.	What the students really want is a wider range of clubs.	Cleft sentence (What … is …)
The trip was cheap and it was also useful.	Not only was the trip affordable, but it was also extremely useful.	Not only … but also (with inversion)
We waited for a long time.	We had been waiting for over an hour when the bus finally arrived.	Past perfect continuous + when
You should try it.	It is well worth trying, so make sure you don't miss it.	Fixed phrase (well worth + -ing) + imperative
Phones are bad for students.	Phones can be a serious distraction, particularly during lessons.	Modal verb (can) to soften + precise noun + adverb
I was happy when I won.	I was over the moon when they announced my name.	Idiom used correctly (informal tasks only)

Do not overdo it

A wide range does not mean filling every line with rare words and idioms. Examiners want language that is natural and correct. An idiom used wrongly, or a long sentence that collapses into errors, lowers the impression of accuracy. Aim for a mixture: some short, punchy sentences and some longer complex ones — all under control.

6. Worked example: upgrading a paragraph

Here is a paragraph from an informal email about a school sports day. It is clear and correct, but it would sit in the middle of the 4–6 band for Language.

Before (Band 4–6): "The sports day was good. I ran in the 400 metres race. I was nervous before the race. I started well but I was tired at the end. I came second. My team was happy and my parents were happy too."

After (Band 7–9): "Sports day turned out to be fantastic! I'd been chosen for the 400 metres, so I was a bag of nerves on the starting line. Although I got off to a flying start, my legs felt like jelly by the final bend. Even so, I managed to hold on and finish second, which delighted my whole team, not to mention my parents, who cheered louder than anyone."

Vocabulary: good → fantastic, nervous → a bag of nerves, tired → my legs felt like jelly, happy → delighted.
Structures: past perfect passive (I'd been chosen), although-clause, relative clauses (which delighted…, who cheered…), comparative (louder than anyone).
Cohesion: so, Although, Even so, not to mention — four different linkers instead of 'and' and 'but'.
Same facts, same length roughly — the upgrade comes from the language, not from adding new ideas.

Word / phrase	Meaning / use
very good → outstanding / superb / impressive	praising events, places, performances
bad → disappointing / poorly organised / frustrating	criticising politely in reviews and reports
a lot of → a wide range of / plenty of / numerous	quantity in formal and informal writing
important → essential / vital / crucial	persuading the reader in articles and essays
happy → thrilled / delighted / over the moon (informal)	describing feelings
sad → disappointed / heartbroken / gutted (informal)	describing feelings
think → believe / am convinced that / would argue that	giving opinions in Exercise 6
problem → issue / drawback / challenge	discussing disadvantages
help → support / assist / benefit	explaining advantages
get better → improve / make progress / raise your game	advice and suggestions
big → enormous / huge / vast	describing size or crowds
interesting → fascinating / eye-opening / gripping	describing experiences, books, films

7. Register: informal, semi-formal, formal

Register means how formal your language is. Content marks depend on choosing the right register for the reader and keeping it consistently. Exercise 5 is always informal. Exercise 6 is formal or semi-formal: a report to your head teacher is formal, an article for teenage magazine readers is semi-formal (polite, but lively and engaging).

Feature	Informal (email to a friend)	Semi-formal (article, review, magazine essay)	Formal (report to a head teacher or organiser)
Contractions	Yes: I'm, can't, you'll	Some are fine	Avoid: I am, cannot, it is
Phrasal verbs and idioms	Yes, used naturally: catch up, over the moon	A few, carefully chosen	Very few, prefer one-word verbs: improve, postpone
Addressing the reader	You, directly and warmly	You / we / rhetorical questions	No direct chat, polite recommendations
Exclamation marks	A few are fine	One at most	None
Linking words	Anyway, By the way, Guess what…	What is more, On the other hand, After all	Furthermore, However, In addition, Overall
Openings	Hi Omar, How are you?	A headline + hook (question, surprising fact)	Title + 'The purpose of this report is to…'
Endings	Write back soon! Take care,	A strong final thought or question	A clear recommendation

Quick register test

Read your first and last sentences together. Could the same person have written both to the same reader? If your email opens with 'Hey, guess what!' and ends with 'I look forward to your reply. Yours sincerely,', the register has slipped — and so has your Content mark.

8. Planning in 3 minutes

Three minutes of planning saves you from the two most expensive mistakes: missing a point and writing ideas in a random order. Plan in the blank space on the question paper. The plan is not marked.

Minute 1 — Read and underline. Underline the text type, the reader, the purpose and each bullet or prompt. Ask: who am I writing to, and why?
Minute 2 — Map the paragraphs. Write one line per paragraph: opening, one paragraph per bullet or main idea, closing. Next to each, jot two details (a reason, an example, a feeling, a number).
Minute 3 — Choose your language. Write down three less common words and three complex structures you will use (e.g. a relative clause, a conditional, 'Having + past participle'). Pick two linking words for each new paragraph.

A 3-minute plan in note form (Exercise 5, email about a school trip): Para 1: hi + how are you + sorry, exams. Para 2 (bullet 1, where/why): Fayoum, science club, fossils at Wadi El Hitan. Para 3 (bullet 2, what happened): sandstorm → stuck in the bus 2 hrs → sang songs. Para 4 (bullet 3, best part): whale skeleton, 'jaw-dropping'. Para 5: come next time? write back. Language: jaw-dropping, Having waited…, which meant that…, If you'd been there…

9. Timing within the 2-hour paper

Nothing in the exam tells you how long to spend on each exercise, so you need your own plan. The table below is a suggested split that leaves about 50 minutes for writing. Practise with it and adjust it to your own speed.

Stage	Suggested time	Notes
Exercises 1–4 (reading, 30 marks)	about 65 minutes	Do not let one difficult question eat your writing time — move on and come back.
Exercise 5 (informal email)	about 22 minutes	3 plan + 16 write + 3 check
Exercise 6 (article, report, essay or review)	about 25 minutes	3 plan + 18 write + 4 check — this genre needs more care with register
Final check of the whole paper	about 8 minutes	Blank answers, spelling of copied reading answers, missing bullets

Strategy: when should I write?

Some students prefer to do the two writing tasks first while their minds are fresh, then do the reading. That is allowed: answer the exercises in any order you like. Try both orders in your practice papers and keep the one that gives you higher marks.

10. The 3-minute checking routine

Task check: Tick each bullet or prompt in the question. Is every one answered and developed?
Format check: Email — greeting and sign-off on their own lines. Article — headline. Report — title and purpose. Essay — introduction and conclusion. Review — what is being reviewed and a recommendation.
Verb check: Read only the verbs. Is the tense right? Does every verb agree with its subject (he goes, they go, there were)?
Small-word check: Look for missing articles (a/an/the) and prepositions (on Monday, in July, at night, interested in).
Spelling and punctuation check: Capital letters for names and 'I', full stops between sentences (no comma splices), apostrophes (it's = it is, its = belonging to it).
Length check: Roughly 10–12 words per handwritten line. Count lines rather than individual words.

11. Mistakes that cost marks in both exercises

Mistake	Why it costs marks	How to fix it
Missing or barely touching a bullet/prompt	The task is only partly fulfilled, which pulls Content down sharply	Tick bullets in the plan and again when checking, give each its own paragraph
Wrong register (formal email to a friend, chatty report)	Style is not appropriate for the text type — Content falls	Decide the register before you write, use the register table above
Memorised paragraphs that do not fit	Not relevant to this task, examiners recognise them	Memorise structures and phrases, never whole paragraphs
Listing ideas without detail	Content is not developed	Add a reason, example or result to every point
Only simple sentences	Language cannot go above the middle band	Plan five complex structures before writing
Long sentences that collapse into errors	Accuracy drops, meaning becomes unclear	Write complex sentences you can control, split very long ones
Comma splices: 'It was late, we went home.'	A common accuracy error at this level	Use a full stop, a semicolon, or a linker: 'It was late, so we went home.'
Same linker again and again (and, but, then)	Limited range of cohesive devices	Use a different linker in each paragraph
Writing far over 160 words	More time used, more errors, and often irrelevant content	Stop when the plan is covered, aim for 140–160
Writing well under 120 words	Points cannot be developed fully	Two to three sentences per main paragraph
Copying the prompt comments word for word	Shows less of your own language	Rephrase the ideas in your own words and add your own

إزاي تجيب الدرجة النهائية في الكتابة؟

الدرجة من 15: المحتوى 6 واللغة 9 — يعني اللغة أهم، فاهتم بالكلمات والجمل المركبة والروابط.
اكتب حوالي 140 إلى 160 كلمة. لو كتبت أكثر بكثير هتغلط أكثر وتضيع وقت.
غطِّ كل النقاط المطلوبة، وكل نقطة في فقرة لوحدها فيها سبب أو مثال أو تفاصيل.
استخدم 5 تراكيب مختلفة على الأقل: who/which، if، Having + V3، Not only… but also، المبني للمجهول.
متحفظش موضوع كامل وتكتبه في أي سؤال. احفظ التراكيب والعبارات بس.

أكبر الأخطاء

إيميل لصديق بأسلوب رسمي (Yours sincerely / I am writing to inform you) — ده أسلوب غلط.
تقرير أو مقال بأسلوب عامي (Hey guys / gonna / !!!).
نسيان نقطة من النقاط الثلاث في الإيميل — ده بيخسرك كتير في المحتوى.
راجع الأفعال: الزمن الصحيح والفعل مع الفاعل (he goes / they go).

Full-mark checklist for both exercises

Right text type and layout
Right register, kept the same from start to finish
Every bullet or prompt covered and developed (Exercise 6: plus your own ideas)
Clear paragraphs in a logical order
At least 5 less common words or phrases used naturally
At least 5 different complex structures
A different linking word in each paragraph
About 140–160 words
3 minutes left to check verbs, small words, spelling and punctuation

12. Practice

Which register would you use for each? (a) A report for your head teacher about the school canteen. (b) An email to your cousin about your new school. (c) An article for a student website about the best way to revise.
Show answer
(a) Formal — no contractions or slang, clear headings and polite recommendations. (b) Informal — contractions, friendly questions, phrasal verbs. (c) Semi-formal — polite but lively, speaking to the reader with 'you' and rhetorical questions.
Upgrade this to Band 7–9: 'The park is big. It has a lot of trees. People like it.'
Show answer
Possible answer: 'Covering an enormous area, the park is home to hundreds of shady trees, which is why it has become so popular with local families.' (participle opener, less common vocabulary, relative clause with 'which is why').
Upgrade with negative inversion: 'I have never felt so proud.'
Show answer
'Never have I felt so proud.'
Join with a relative clause: 'My coach trained me every morning. He used to play for the national team.'
Show answer
'My coach, who used to play for the national team, trained me every morning.'
A student's email covers bullets 1 and 2 in detail but gives bullet 3 one short sentence. Which Content band is it likely to be in, and why?
Show answer
Probably 3–4. The task is generally but not fully fulfilled, and one point is not developed. Adding two or three sentences of detail to bullet 3 could move it to 5–6.
Correct the comma splice in two different ways: 'The tickets sold out, we were very disappointed.'
Show answer
(1) 'The tickets sold out, so we were very disappointed.' (2) 'The tickets had sold out, which left us bitterly disappointed.' (A full stop or a semicolon between the two clauses is also correct.)
You have 50 minutes left and have not started either writing exercise. How would you divide your time?
Show answer
About 22–23 minutes for Exercise 5 and 25 for Exercise 6 (each with about 3 minutes planning and 3–4 minutes checking), leaving a couple of minutes for a final look at the whole paper.
Why is Language worth more than Content, and what does that mean for how you write?
Show answer
Language is 9 of the 15 marks. Once all the points are covered and developed, the biggest gains come from range (vocabulary and complex structures), accuracy and linking — so plan your language as carefully as your ideas.

All pages in this course

Start here: the exam

Paper 1 · Reading (Exercises 1-4)

Paper 1 · Writing (Exercises 5-6)

Paper 2 · Listening

Speaking

The Speaking Test