Write Email is the only writing task that is purely writing, and its scoring is fully described in Pearson's materials. This lesson goes through each of the seven traits and ends with a checklist you can use on your own emails.
How the task works
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Items per test | 2–3 (per Pearson's PTE Core Score Guide; check the latest official guide) |
| Length | 50–120 words for full Form marks; Pearson's Test Tips suggest about 100 words |
| Time | 9 minutes, timed separately |
| Counts toward | Writing only |
Unlike dictation, this task does not depend on listening. The full-mark description for every trait is published, which makes it the most predictable task in the writing part.
It is worth being precise about what that means. Four traits (email conventions, form, organization and spelling) can be secured reliably with rules and a careful check: they come down to whether you did something. Is there a greeting? Is the length in range? Are there paragraphs? How many words are misspelled?
The other three cannot be memorized. Content at its top band "Addresses the requirements of the task sufficiently and appropriately", which means responding to each point in this particular prompt; an outline cannot supply that. Vocabulary at its top band requires "Good command of lexis appropriate to the context", and memorized all-purpose phrases often do not fit an unfamiliar situation. Grammar at its top band requires "Generally consistent grammatical control with only occasional errors", which reflects your real grammar. So: structure and rules keep you from dropping bands; content, vocabulary and grammar decide how high you go.
The seven traits
The Score Guide sets the order: content is judged first, then form. Only if both pass are the other five traits scored.
| Trait | What full marks look like |
|---|---|
| Content | Responds fully to every specific point in the prompt (usually 2–3). Stays on topic. Generic courtesy phrases or a memorized block of text do not count; a response built from them can score zero for content even with perfect grammar. |
| Email conventions | Both a greeting and a sign-off, at a consistent level of formality. Pearson's Test Tips list four greetings (Dear (name), To (name), Greetings, To whom it may concern) and four sign-offs (Kind regards, Best wishes, Thank you, Sincerely). "Dear + job title" is not on the list, so avoid "Dear Manager". If the prompt gives a name, use Dear or Hi plus the name; if not, use To whom it may concern. |
| Form | 50–120 words |
| Organization | Clear paragraphs, effective linking words |
| Vocabulary | Words that suit the situation |
| Grammar | Almost no grammar errors |
| Spelling | At most 2 spelling or typing errors |
The official CLB 4 sample loses marks on email conventions for exactly this reason: no greeting, and neither the manager's name nor the writer's name.
Form bands and the three zero cases
| Word count | Form score |
|---|---|
| 50–120 words | 2 (full marks) |
| 30–49 words | 1 |
| 121–140 words | 1 |
| Under 30 or over 140 words | 0 |
The upper limit matters as much as the lower one: over 140 words scores zero, just like under 30.
The Score Guide gives three examples of responses that earn no score, and names the trait each belongs to:
- An email on a completely different topic from the prompt (content).
- Fewer than 30 words (form, not content).
- Large amounts of pre-prepared or memorized material that do not really respond to the prompt (content).
The third is the easiest trap to fall into. If you bring a fixed email and paste it in, the scoring can tell it has nothing to do with the situation in the prompt. If either Content or Form scores 0, the rest of the email is not scored. The next lesson is about adapting outlines so this does not happen.
A basic structure and linking words
| Part | Purpose | Common openers |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | State why you are writing | I am writing to... / I am reaching out to... |
| Body (2–3 points) | One point from the prompt per paragraph | To begin with... / Moreover... / Furthermore... / Additionally... |
| Closing | Polite close and what you would like next | I look forward to your response. / Please let me know if... |
| Softening line (optional) | A polite transition; never a replacement for a real point | I hope this email finds you well. / Thank you for your time and consideration. |
The structure itself is not scored, but it decides whether Organization gets full marks. If the prompt gives three points, write three body paragraphs. Leaving one out makes the content incomplete.
Pearson's Test Tips stress two more things for writing: use punctuation properly (full stops, capitals, commas, never all capitals) and stay strictly within the word limits. Check singular and plural, tense, and subject-verb agreement too. These fall under spelling, form and grammar, and they are the easiest points to recover during your final check.
Two versions of the same email
Prompt: you and your friends had dinner at a restaurant yesterday, and you think you left your bag there. Write to the restaurant manager covering (1) what happened (who you were with, where you sat), (2) what the bag looks like and what is in it, and (3) how to contact you.
Full-marks version (107 words including greeting and sign-off):
To whom it may concern,
I am writing to ask whether I may have left my bag at your restaurant yesterday evening.
My friends and I had dinner there from 5:00 to 7:00 PM, and we were seated at the table by the window near the entrance.
The bag is a black backpack with a large pink logo on the front, and it contains a notebook, an umbrella and a yellow jacket.
If you or a member of your staff finds it, I would be grateful if you could contact me at 123456 at your earliest convenience. Thank you very much for your help.
Kind regards,
Lan
Generic version:
Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing this email to express my sincere apology for the inconvenience I have caused. I hope you can understand my situation and forgive me. Thank you for your time and consideration. I am looking forward to your prompt reply. Best regards, Lan
| Trait | Full-marks version | Generic version |
|---|---|---|
| Content | All three points answered with specific time, colors and contact details | No specific information and nothing about a lost bag; it could be pasted into any apology. Content scores zero. |
| Vocabulary | "ask whether I may have left", "at your earliest convenience" are precise | "sincere apology", "prompt reply" say nothing |
| Overall | Answers every detail of the prompt | A set of courtesy phrases that fits any prompt |
A second model: poor stairway lighting
Prompt: you live on the second floor of a building with no elevator. There is one dim light at the entrance and no light on the stairs. Write about the problem, covering (1) more lights are needed, (2) brighter lights are needed, (3) a suggestion to use motion sensor lights.
Full-marks version (107 words including greeting and sign-off):
To whom it may concern,
I am writing to raise a concern about the lighting in my building, where I live on the second floor.
Firstly, more lights need to be installed, as there is only one weak bulb at the entrance and no light by the stairs.
Moreover, the existing bulb should be replaced with a brighter one, because I feel nervous every time I walk along the hallway after dark.
Furthermore, I would suggest motion sensor lights, as they would save energy and improve safety for all residents.
Please let me know what can be done. I look forward to your reply.
Kind regards,
Lan
| Trait | Why this version gets full marks |
|---|---|
| Content | All three points covered, each with a specific reason rather than a slogan |
| Email conventions | No name given, so it opens with To whom it may concern and closes with Kind regards and a name |
| Form | 107 words, inside 50–120. The greeting and sign-off count, just as they do in the official samples. |
| Organization | Purpose, points, request; one point per paragraph, linked with Firstly / Moreover / Furthermore |
| Vocabulary | "motion sensor lights", "improve safety": specific and suited to the situation |
| Grammar | Tense, number and agreement all correct |
| Spelling | No errors |
Compare the two models. The frame is the same: greeting, purpose, one point per paragraph, request, sign-off. The linking words are not forced, though. The lighting points are parallel suggestions, so Firstly / Moreover / Furthermore fit. The lost-bag points (what happened, the bag, how to contact you) are already clear from the paragraphs, and forcing in "Furthermore" would read oddly. Keep the frame; adapt the content and the links to the prompt.
Score your own email
Model emails show you what good looks like. They do not tell you where your own email falls short. This checklist turns the official band descriptions into something you can apply yourself. The total is 15 (content 0–3, each other trait 0–2).
| Trait | Max | Official top band | How to judge it yourself |
|---|---|---|---|
| Content | 3 | Addresses the requirements of the task sufficiently and appropriately | Number the prompt's points and find the sentence answering each. Every point has a specific sentence that only fits this prompt = 3. All points touched but vague = 2. Only some answered = 1. Delete the outline sentences and what is left cannot answer the prompt = 0. |
| Form | 2 | Contains 50–120 words | Count words, including greeting and sign-off. 50–120 = 2. |
| Email conventions | 2 | Email conventions are obvious, appropriate and used correctly | Greeting and sign-off both present, both from the official lists, a name after the sign-off, consistent formality = 2. One missing, or "Dear Manager" style = 1. |
| Organization | 2 | Organizational structure is clear and easy to follow | Each point in its own paragraph, linking words matching the real relationship (Moreover for adding, However for contrast) = 2. One block of text, or forced links = 1. |
| Vocabulary | 2 | Good command of lexis appropriate to the context | List your nouns and verbs. How many would only appear in this prompt (motion sensor lights, annual leave, projector)? Three or more = 2. All general words like problem, thing, good, help = 1. |
| Grammar | 2 | Generally consistent grammatical control with only occasional errors | Check every sentence for agreement, number, tense and articles. At most 1 error = 2; 2–3 errors = 1. |
| Spelling | 2 | Contains a maximum of two spelling/typing errors | Count wrong words, not letters. 2 or fewer = 2; 3–4 = 1. |
The right-hand column is our own self-check guide based on the official descriptions, not official wording. When in doubt, go by the official text.
Five steps after every email:
- Count the words first. Content and form are the gates; if either is zero, the rest does not matter.
- Score each trait and add them up.
- Find the row that is not full marks. Look at the row, not the total.
- Rewrite only that part. Weak vocabulary: replace three general nouns with specific ones. Weak organization: redo the paragraphs. Do not start over; you would just repeat the same mistake.
- Count the words again. Edits often push the count out of range.
Three traits people score too generously:
- Content: it looks like an answer, but every sentence could be moved to another prompt unchanged.
- Vocabulary: "I would be grateful if you could" is an outline sentence, not situation-specific vocabulary.
- Grammar: you rarely see your own errors. Read your email backwards, one sentence at a time, so the meaning stops carrying you along.
Self-check: within 9 minutes, write an email of 80–110 words (a buffer inside the official 50–120) that answers every point in the prompt, with a greeting and sign-off, and scores 15/15 on the checklist. Aim to do this three times in a row. Before scoring your own work, score the two model emails above; both should come out at 15/15. If they do not, adjust how you are reading the checklist first. If you lose the same trait every time, that is your real weak spot: repeated content or vocabulary losses mean practicing how to read the prompt and pick out its points; repeated grammar losses mean going back to grammar basics.
To see the checklist applied to real drafts, work through three draft-to-revision examples. For the outline sentences, see Write Email frames. Then Practice Write Email questions.