B2 First for Schools Writing Part 1 - An opinion essay

Sep 30, 2026

B2 First for Schools Writing Part 1 training material focused on writing an opinion essay for the exam. It explains the Part 1 task requirements, including using the given title and two ideas plus adding one own idea, stating an opinion with supported reasons, and writing 140–190 words. The guide covers four assessment criteria (content, communicative achievement, organisation, language), time management, and practical planning, vocabulary review, grouping opinion phrases, and generating/organising ideas.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

Review: Writing Part 1

Task overview and required elements

Assessment criteria and focus

Time management

Prepare to write 1: Review useful language

Functions in an opinion essay

Prepare to write 2: Generate and organise ideas

Task example and idea development

Planning structure for paragraphs

Evaluation task 1: Two sample essays

Identify strengths and weaknesses

B2 First for Schools Writing Part 1 (An opinion essay) Summary • Review the format and focus of Part 1 of the Writing paper. • Revise useful vocabulary for writing an opinion essay. • Learn useful techniques for planning your own essay. • Evaluate two examples of a Writing Part 1 essay. • Practise and evaluate your own answer to a Writing Part 1 task. Review: Writing Part 1 The B2 First for Schools Writing paper has two parts. Part 1 has only one task, which you must answer. You will: 􀀹 be given the essay title. 􀀹 be given two ideas to write about. 􀀹 need to add one more idea of your own. 􀀹 need to give an opinion and support it with reasons. 􀀹 need to write between 140 and 190 words. Tip! You don’t have to be an expert, but you still have to answer the question! The topic will be something of general interest, so you won’t need any specialist knowledge. However, it is very important that you write approximately the right number of words. This shows that you can select relevant information, organise it well, avoid repetition and keep the reader interested. Your essay will be assessed according to these four criteria: 1. Content 2. Communicative Achievement 3. Organisation 4. Language Focuses on how well you have completed the task, in other words, if you have answered the question. Focuses on how appropriate the writing is for the task and whether you have used formal or informal style appropriately. For example, is the style right for a magazine article? Focuses on the way you put together the piece of writing. Are the ideas logical and ordered? Have you used paragraphs and linking words? Focuses on vocabulary and grammar. This includes demonstrating the range of language that you know, as well as how accurate it is. Tip! Manage your time. Try to spend no more than 40 minutes on Writing Part 1. The Writing Paper has two parts and you will have 80 minutes in total. Part 1 and Part 2 are both worth the same number of marks, so you should spend approximately the same amount of time (about 40 minutes) on each part. Prepare to write 1: Review useful language In Writing Part 1, you need to show that you can use language appropriately to do things such as: • Agreeing or disagreeing • Giving opinions • Giving information or explanations • Giving reasons • Giving examples • Comparing and contrasting ideas and opinions • Drawing conclusions You should also use a range of suitable expressions to organise your essay and help your reader understand the connections between your ideas. Look at the following phrases. Can you put them in the correct groups according to their function in an opinion essay? (The first one has been done for you as an example. ) ~~•~~ ~~ In my opinion / view~~… • However, • I partly / fully agree that • Although… • In addition to this, • Firstly / Secondly / Thirdly … • Moreover, • Finally… • Consequently • In conclusion • Furthermore, • Another reason why… • To sum up • I firmly believe that… • What is more, • As a result • I personally feel that… • First / Second of all… | Giving your own opinion | Structuring and sequencing your ideas | Adding ideas | Contrasting two ideas / examples / statements | Explaining | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Example:
In my opinion / view… | | | | | Prepare to write 2: Generate and organise ideas 1. Imagine that you have been given the following essay task: ‘Teenagers are too young to teach other people about anything.’ Do you agree? Notes Write about: [1. technology](1. technology) 2. the environment 3 (your own idea) How could you develop these first two ideas? Take notes in your notebook using a mind map like this: Technology • This generation grew up online • • The environment • Changes in waste and recycling since the year 2000 • • Tip! Read the task carefully. In Writing Part 1, you must use all

FAQs

What do you have to do in Writing Part 1 for B2 First for Schools?

You answer one task based on the essay title, use two provided ideas, add one more idea of your own, and write an opinion supported with reasons.

How many words should the Writing Part 1 essay contain?

The essay should be between 140 and 190 words, focusing on selecting relevant information, organising well, and avoiding repetition.

How much time should you spend on Writing Part 1?

You should spend no more than 40 minutes on Writing Part 1, keeping a balanced allocation because both Part 1 and Part 2 are worth the same marks.

Sep 30, 2026

Upload by 4398046744996