B1 Preliminary Part 2: Article About Your Free Time
Write an article for an English-language magazine answering the questions in the notice, as in B1 Preliminary Part 2.
- Time
- 25 min
- Length
- 90-120 words
Writadia · B1 · Articles
NameClassDate
The situation
You see this notice in an English-language magazine.
Articles wanted! How do you spend your free time? What do you enjoy doing when you're not studying or working? Is there anything new you'd like to try? Why? Write an article answering these questions. We will publish the most interesting articles in our magazine.
Your task
Write your article in about 100 words.
Writing toolkit
Open these only when you need them. Try the first draft on your own.
Plan it in steps
- Write a title.
- Start with a question or interesting sentence to the reader.
- Answer: what do you enjoy, and why?
- Answer: something new you'd like to try, and why.
- Finish with a short sentence to the reader.
Useful phrases
Openings
Enjoyment
Something new
Endings
Tap a phrase to add it to your text. Gaps (…) are selected so you can type over them.
Vocabulary
- be into
- like very much (informal)I'm really into photography.
- relaxing
- making you feel calmGardening is very relaxing.
- give it a try
- try something newWhy not give it a try?
- challenge
- something difficult that tests youClimbing is a real challenge.
Model answer (104 words)
Read it after you’ve written your own version. Notice the highlighted parts. The numbers explain why they work.
My Weekend Escape
What do you do when you finally have a free afternoon?1 For me, the answer is easy: I go cycling.
I'm really into cycling because it makes me feel free. What I love about it is leaving the noisy city behind and riding along the river, where the only sounds are birds and my wheels.2 Sometimes I go with friends, but I also enjoy going alone.
One thing I'd love to try is rock climbing. It looks like a real challenge, and I think it would make me braver.3
What about you? Maybe your free time could be an adventure too!
- Question to the reader: a typical article opening.
- Reason with descriptive detail.
- Answers the second question with a reason.
Teacher notes
Exam format: Part 2 is a choice between an article and a story, about 100 words.
Tip: articles score well when they "talk" to the reader. Count the direct questions or imperatives in the model (there are two).
Extra challenge
Write the story option instead: a story beginning "I opened the door and couldn't believe my eyes."
Lesson plan
- 5 minWarm-up
Show the situation on the classroom screen and ask: “What would you write in this situation?” Take two or three quick answers.
- 10 minWord pool
Open “Word pool” on the classroom screen. Students make one sentence each with: be into, relaxing, give it a try, challenge.
- 12 minModel text
Reveal the model sentence by sentence in “Model text” mode. At each sentence ask: “What job does this sentence do?” Write these phrases on the board: “What do you do when you finally have a free afternoon?”, “For me, free time means ...”, “I'm really into ...”.
- 38 minWriting
Start the timer. Students write their own text; anyone stuck can use the plan in the toolkit. (90-120 words)
- 10 minPeer review
Students swap texts and fill in the peer-review sheet.
- 5 minWrap-up
Set the extra challenge as homework.
The task’s own teacher notes give extra ideas for the warm-up and focus.
Assessment rubric
| Criterion | 5 | 3–4 | 1–2 | 0 | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Content | All content relevant; reader fully informed. | Minor omissions or irrelevances. | Important omissions; reader partly informed. | Content irrelevant. | |
| Communicative Achievement | Genre and register fully suit the reader; holds attention. | Register mostly appropriate; ideas clear. | Inconsistent register; message sometimes unclear. | Not suited to the reader. | |
| Organisation | Well organised; varied cohesive devices. | Generally connected; limited linking. | Disjointed; basic linkers only. | No organisation. | |
| Language | Good range of vocabulary and grammar; errors do not impede. | Everyday vocabulary and structures used adequately; some errors. | Basic vocabulary and forms; errors affect meaning. | Not understandable. | |
| Total | / 20 | ||||
The four subscales are Cambridge’s official subscales, each marked 0–5 (total 20). Descriptors are classroom summaries.
Task checklist
- My article has a title.
- I answered all the questions in the notice.
- I wrote about 100 words.
Teacher comment
Peer-review sheet
Students swap texts and give each other feedback with this sheet.
Before you finish
Before you finish
- My article has a title.
- I answered all the questions in the notice.
- I wrote about 100 words.
Writadia · B1 · Articles
Assessment rubric: B1 Preliminary Part 2: Article About Your Free Time
| Criterion | 5 | 3–4 | 1–2 | 0 | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Content | All content relevant; reader fully informed. | Minor omissions or irrelevances. | Important omissions; reader partly informed. | Content irrelevant. | |
| Communicative Achievement | Genre and register fully suit the reader; holds attention. | Register mostly appropriate; ideas clear. | Inconsistent register; message sometimes unclear. | Not suited to the reader. | |
| Organisation | Well organised; varied cohesive devices. | Generally connected; limited linking. | Disjointed; basic linkers only. | No organisation. | |
| Language | Good range of vocabulary and grammar; errors do not impede. | Everyday vocabulary and structures used adequately; some errors. | Basic vocabulary and forms; errors affect meaning. | Not understandable. | |
| Total | / 20 | ||||
The four subscales are Cambridge’s official subscales, each marked 0–5 (total 20). Descriptors are classroom summaries.
Task checklist
- My article has a title.
- I answered all the questions in the notice.
- I wrote about 100 words.
Teacher comment
Writadia · B1 · Articles
Peer-review sheet: B1 Preliminary Part 2: Article About Your Free Time
WriterReviewer
Read your partner’s text carefully. Be kind and specific: say why, not just “good”.
Task checklist
| Yes | Partly | No | |
|---|---|---|---|
| My article has a title. | |||
| I answered all the questions in the notice. | |||
| I wrote about 100 words. |
Questions
- Does the text cover every point in the task?
- Are there paragraphs? What is each one about?
- Write two linking words the writer used.
- Is there a sentence you had to read twice?
Two stars and a wish
★ Something I liked
★ Another thing I liked
→ One suggestion
Writadia · B1 · Articles
Lesson plan: B1 Preliminary Part 2: Article About Your Free Time
- 5 minWarm-up
Show the situation on the classroom screen and ask: “What would you write in this situation?” Take two or three quick answers.
- 10 minWord pool
Open “Word pool” on the classroom screen. Students make one sentence each with: be into, relaxing, give it a try, challenge.
- 12 minModel text
Reveal the model sentence by sentence in “Model text” mode. At each sentence ask: “What job does this sentence do?” Write these phrases on the board: “What do you do when you finally have a free afternoon?”, “For me, free time means ...”, “I'm really into ...”.
- 38 minWriting
Start the timer. Students write their own text; anyone stuck can use the plan in the toolkit. (90-120 words)
- 10 minPeer review
Students swap texts and fill in the peer-review sheet.
- 5 minWrap-up
Set the extra challenge as homework.
The task’s own teacher notes give extra ideas for the warm-up and focus.
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