Question 2: Letters and Emails (How to Get 12/12)

British & IGCSE › Oxford International GCSE English as a Second Language

Question 2 asks you to write a letter of 50-70 words that includes three compulsory points. It is worth 12 marks: 6 for Content and Communication and 6 for Language. This pack shows you how to get 12/12: when to be formal and when to be informal, how to open and close, how to cover every point quickly, and how to show the variety of language examiners reward. It also covers the email, which can appear as the form for Question 3 (longer, with more marks), so you know exactly what changes.

What the task is and where it sits

The marks and what each band needs (Q2)

For an email set as Question 3, each grid has four levels (1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8). To reach 7-8 for content you need an excellent, fully relevant answer with a wide range of detail and clear, coherent communication. To reach 7-8 for language you need accurate spelling and punctuation and a wide variety of effective vocabulary and structures. The blog and diary pack explains these bands in full.

How to get 12/12: checklist

• Underline the reader. Parents, head teacher, officials = formal. Friend, cousin, family member = informal.
• Number the three points in the question and tick each one as you write it.
• Start the first point in your first or second sentence. No long "How are you?" chat.
• Give a reason or example for the last point. It is usually a "why" point and it is where examiners look for detail.
• Use at least 3 complex sentences (because, which, when, if, although, so that).
• Use at least 2 tenses where they fit (e.g. present perfect + future, or past + present).
• Vary your vocabulary. Do not repeat "good", "nice", "very" or "fun".
• Keep one register from start to end: no slang in a formal letter, no stiff formal phrases to a friend.
• Use a greeting and a sign-off that match the register (they earn no marks, but the wrong one weakens your sense of audience).
• Stay within about 50-70 words. Around 60-68 gives room for detail without extra errors.
• Check: capital letters, full stops, no comma splices, verb endings, spelling of the words from the question.

Formal or informal? The register table

Greetings and sign-offs

Structure: paragraph by paragraph

Examiners have no single structure in mind, and you may combine points if that is more natural. But a clear order makes your letter easy to follow, which helps your content mark. Use this plan.

The tick strategy: covering every point

1. Read the task and draw a box around the reader and the form (letter / email).
2. Number the bullets ①②③ (④ in Q3).
3. Next to each bullet, write 2-4 words of detail: a name, a time, a place, a reason.
4. Find the "why" or opinion bullet. Plan a reason AND an example or result for it.
5. Write, then put a small tick next to each bullet in the question as you finish it.
6. Before you move on, check: are there ③ ticks (or ④ in Q3)? If one is missing, add one sentence now.

Get to the point quickly

How to start

How to end

Useful phrases for common letter purposes

Common mistakes

Timing

Model answers

Word counts below include the greeting, the sign-off and the name, because examiners read and credit every word you write. Each body paragraph is shown separately.

Why these models score full marks: the pattern

• Point 1 is answered within the first two sentences.
• Every point has at least one specific detail (a name, a number, a time, an example).
• The "why" or opinion point has a reason AND a result.
• There are at least three different complex structures (because, which, so that, since, whether).
• There are at least two different tenses, each used correctly.
• The tone fits the reader from the first word to the last.
• There is no social chat and no memorised filler.

Practice

1. Practice task 1 (Q2, formal): Your school needs volunteers for its sports day. Write a letter to parents asking for their help. You must include: • what jobs the volunteers will do • when and where parents should arrive • why their help is important. 50-70 words. Make a plan.

   Show answer

   Register: formal (parents). Plan: ① serve water, keep scores, help younger pupils find their races ② 8 a.m. on Thursday 20 April, at the main gate, for a short briefing ③ teachers cannot run twelve events alone. Parents' help keeps the day safe and on time. Opening: "We are looking for parent volunteers to help at our Sports Day on Thursday 20 April." Closing: "Thank you in advance for your support." Then "Yours sincerely," on one line and your full name on the next.

2. Practice task 2 (Q2, informal): Write a letter to your cousin advising him how to settle into a new school. You must include: • how to make new friends • what to do if lessons are difficult • why it will get easier. 50-70 words. Make a plan.

   Show answer

   Register: informal. Plan: ① join a club (football, chess). Sit with different people at break ② ask the teacher after class, study with a classmate ③ everyone feels lost at first. After a month you will know the routines and people. Useful structures: "If I were you, I would...", "Why don't you...?", "Once you..., you will...". Sign-off: "Best wishes," then your first name on the next line.

3. Practice task 3 (Q3 email): Write an email to a friend about a new phone app you have started using. You must include: • the name of the app • how you found out about it • what you use it for • why you would recommend it. 70-90 words. Make a plan.

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   Plan: ① WordWise (an invented vocabulary app) ② my English teacher showed it in class last month ③ I learn ten new words every morning on the bus. Quizzes and a daily streak ④ free, takes only ten minutes, my reading test mark went up from 14 to 18 → recommend. Include a past tense, present habit, present perfect ("I have learned over 300 words"), a relative clause and a question to your friend.

4. Which sign-off goes with "Dear Sir or Madam,"?

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   Yours faithfully, followed by your full name.

5. Rewrite in a formal register: "Hey parents! U should totally come to our play, it's gonna be awesome."

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   Dear Parents, We would like to invite you to our school play. We are sure that you will enjoy it.

6. A student covers all three points but writes: "Come to the event. It is good. It is fun. It is nice." What will hold the mark down?

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   Content: the reasons have no detail, so it may not reach 5-6. Language: vocabulary and structures are limited and repetitive (Level 1-2). Fix it with specific reasons and complex sentences: "You should come because the money we raise will buy books for a village school."

7. If Q2 asked for an email instead of a letter, what would change?

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   Almost nothing: still 50-70 words, 3 compulsory points, 12 marks. You may use a more email-style greeting and sign-off, but layout earns no marks.