CAE email and letter writing (with examples)
The CAE email or letter is a Writing Part 2 option written to a specific reader, such as an editor, a manager or a friend, for a specific purpose. The register has to suit that reader throughout, and the task usually asks you to do more than tell a story: to reassure, correct a misunderstanding or justify a view.
- Part
- 2, optional
- Words
- 220–260
- Reader
- Editor, manager or peer
- Marks
- 20
What a CAE email or letter task asks for
Part 2 of the C1 Writing paper offers three tasks, drawn from four genres: email or letter, proposal, report and review. Like the others, an email or letter is 220–260 words and marked out of 20.
Who you write to, and why
The reader can be an editor of a magazine or newspaper, the director of a company, a college principal or a peer, such as a friend or a colleague. The register follows from the reader: formal for an editor or director, semi-formal or neutral for a colleague or someone you know. What matters most is that it is consistently appropriate from the greeting to the sign-off.
A C1 letter or email has to do more than tell a story. Typical purposes include responding to an article and putting forward your view, complaining and asking for action, correcting a misunderstanding, justifying a decision, giving advice, or persuading the reader to do something. The task usually lists two or three points to cover, and the best answers also show an awareness of the reader: what they already know, what they want, and how they are likely to react.
How a CAE email or letter is marked
- Content: every point in the task covered, with enough detail for the reader to act on.
- Communicative Achievement: the right register and tone for this reader, held throughout, and a clear purpose. A letter to an editor should sound like one; an email to a friend should not.
- Organisation: an appropriate opening and closing, one main point per paragraph, and linking that suits the register.
- Language: a range of vocabulary and structures that fit the register: formal phrasing for a formal letter, natural idiomatic English for a semi-formal email.
An email and a letter are the same task type at C1. The difference is mainly the layout and how you open and close.
CAE letter example: task and model answer
An original exam-style task, a formal letter to an editor, followed by a model answer of about 235 words.
Part 2 · Letter · 220–260 words
A news website recently published an article claiming that young people today are much less interested in reading than previous generations. Write a letter to the editor responding to the article. In your letter, you should say whether you agree with the article's claims, explain how young people's reading habits have changed, and suggest how schools could encourage reading.
Write your letter.
Model answer
Dear Editor,
I am writing in response to your article "The last generation of readers?", which claimed that young people have lost interest in reading. While I accept some of the points it made, I believe the article presents a misleading picture.
It is certainly true that fewer teenagers read printed novels for pleasure than was the case twenty years ago. However, to conclude from this that they read less is to misunderstand how their habits have changed. Many of my friends read extensively, but they do so on their phones: long-form journalism, online fiction and fan-written stories, some of which run to hundreds of thousands of words. Reading has not disappeared; it has simply moved to formats that older generations may not recognise.
That said, the article was right to raise one concern. Much of what young people read online is fragmented, and sustained concentration on a single long text is becoming a rarer skill. This is where schools have an important role to play. Rather than treating reading purely as a test of comprehension, they could set aside time each week for students to read whatever they choose, in print or on screen, and then recommend it to classmates. In my experience, a recommendation from a friend is far more persuasive than one from a teacher.
I hope that future articles on this subject will take a more balanced view of how young people actually read.
Yours faithfully,
Daniel Kowalski
Show the answer and explanation
Why this CAE letter example would score well
- Content. All three points are covered: the writer partly agrees and partly disagrees with the article (paragraphs 1 and 3), explains how reading habits have changed (paragraph 2) and suggests what schools could do (paragraph 3). Each point is developed with reasons and examples.
- Communicative Achievement. The register is formal and consistent, as you would expect in a letter to an editor, but not stiff. The writer disagrees firmly and politely, concedes a fair point (That said, the article was right to…), and closes with a measured request. The purpose is clear from the first sentence.
- Organisation. A standard formal opening and closing (Dear Editor with Yours faithfully), an introduction that states the writer's position, one paragraph per main idea and a one-sentence conclusion. Linking includes While, However, That said, This is where and Rather than.
- Language. Advanced structures used naturally: to conclude from this that… is to misunderstand…, some of which run to…, Rather than treating…. Precise vocabulary: misleading, long-form journalism, fragmented, sustained concentration, persuasive.
- Length. About 235 words, not counting the greeting and sign-off.
How to write a CAE email or letter, step by step
- 01
Identify the reader and your relationship with them. This decides the register, the greeting, the sign-off and much of your vocabulary. Write it at the top of your plan: "editor, formal" or "colleague, semi-formal".
- 02
Identify the purpose. Are you complaining, persuading, correcting, advising or responding to an opinion? State that purpose clearly in your first paragraph.
- 03
Plan one paragraph for each task point, plus a short opening and closing. Put your strongest argument or most important request where the reader cannot miss it.
- 04
Write with the reader in mind. Anticipate their reaction: concede a fair point before disagreeing, or acknowledge a problem before asking for something.
- 05
Close appropriately and check the register. Make sure the final paragraph says what you want to happen next, and remove anything that does not match your register, such as a stray contraction in a formal letter or a stiff phrase in a friendly email.
Mistakes that cost marks
Mixing registers. I am writing to express my dissatisfaction… Anyway, it was a total disaster! is a frequent problem in C1 letters.
Telling a story instead of doing the task. A complaint letter that spends 150 words narrating what went wrong and one sentence on what you want done has missed the purpose.
Wrong greetings and sign-offs. In formal British English, Dear Sir or Madam goes with Yours faithfully, and Dear Ms Patel with Yours sincerely.
Being rude instead of firm. At C1, disagreement and complaint should be direct but polite. Sarcasm or aggression lowers the Communicative Achievement mark.
Formal or semi-formal? Choosing the register
| Reader | Register | Opening | Closing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Editor, director, unknown official | Formal | Dear Editor / Dear Sir or Madam | Yours faithfully |
| Named person in a formal role | Formal | Dear Mr Lee / Dear Dr Okafor | Yours sincerely |
| Colleague, teacher you know | Semi-formal or neutral | Dear Anna / Hello Anna | Best wishes / Kind regards |
| Friend | Semi-formal or informal | Hi Tom | All the best / Speak soon |
The same idea in two registers: formal I would be grateful if you could let me know whether the course is still available. Semi-formal Could you let me know if there are still places on the course? Both are correct; using the wrong one for the reader is the mistake.
Useful phrases for a CAE email or letter
- Opening (formal): I am writing in response to… · I am writing with regard to… · I am writing to express my concern about…
- Opening (semi-formal): Thanks for your email about… · It was great to hear that… · I'm writing to let you know…
- Agreeing and disagreeing politely: While I accept that…, I believe… · I would question the claim that… · There is some truth in…; however,…
- Complaining and requesting action: I was disappointed to find that… · I would therefore ask you to… · I trust that you will…
- Advising (semi-formal): If I were you, I'd… · It might be worth… · Have you thought about…?
- Closing: I look forward to hearing from you. · I hope that future articles will… · Let me know what you decide.
Practise the email or letter in full CAE Writing tests
Three of our six CAE Writing tests include an email or letter among the three Part 2 tasks. Each paper is timed at 90 minutes, and your text gets an expert evaluation on the four Cambridge criteria.
- Test 2 (letter): The organiser of a public lecture series has invited suggestions for next year’s programme.
- Test 4 (letter): You recently attended a networking event for people beginning careers in your area of work or…
- Test 5 (letter): You have recently returned from a residential learning programme combining morning classes…
CAE email and letter: questions
Should a CAE email be formal or informal?
It depends on the reader in the task. A letter to an editor or a company director should be formal; an email to a colleague or friend can be semi-formal. What matters most is that the register suits the reader and stays consistent.
How do I start and end a CAE formal letter?
Use "Dear Sir or Madam" or "Dear Editor" with "Yours faithfully" when you do not know the reader's name, and "Dear Ms Patel" with "Yours sincerely" when you do.
Is a CAE email different from a CAE letter?
They are the same task type and are marked the same way. The differences are mainly in layout and in how you open and close; the register is decided by the reader, not by whether it is an email or a letter.
What kinds of letter and email tasks come up in CAE?
Common tasks include a letter to an editor responding to an article, a letter to a company or a principal making a complaint or a request, and an email to a peer giving advice or explaining a decision.
Sources
- C1 Advanced Handbook for Teachers (Cambridge University Press & Assessment), pages 28–35
- C1 Advanced exam format (cambridgeenglish.org)
- Assessing writing for C1 Advanced: a guide for teachers
CambridgeMock is independent and not affiliated with Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Facts on this page are checked against the official documents above; the practice items and advice are our own.
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