8th Grade English Exam: How to Write the Perfect E-mail or Blog?
Written expression is the last task in the sheet for the 8th grade English exam. Although it seems stressful for many students, it is actually one of the most predictable tasks. The CKE examiners do not expect complicated words worthy of Shakespeare – they want to see if you can effectively and clearly convey basic information. In this article, you will learn how to write a text step by step that will guarantee you the maximum (i.e., 10) points.
What to Expect? Format and Word Limit
In the 8th grade exam, you will usually encounter one of two formats: an informal e-mail to a friend or a post on a blog/forum. The most important thing to remember is the word limit: from 50 to 120 words. This is not much at all! Exceeding the limit is not strictly penalized, but writing below 50 words will cause you to lose valuable points for form and content.
Critical rule „Three Dots”: Refer and expand!
Each command on the exam consists of a short introduction (e.g. You are organizing a birthday party…) and three subpoints (dots) that you must address in your text. The key to success is to refer to each of these points and expand on them.
| Subpoint from the command | Only reference (Error!) | Reference + Expansion (Success!) |
|---|---|---|
| Describe the place where the party will take place. | The party is in the park. (Too short, lacks details). | The party is in the new park in the city centre. It’s a beautiful and quiet place. (There is additional information!). |
| Explain why you couldn’t come to the meeting. | I couldn’t come because I was sick. (Lacks details). | I couldn’t come because I was sick. I had a terrible headache and I had to stay in bed. (The reason was given and explained). |
Useful phrases – Email and Blog Post
Using appropriate, ready-made phrases (so-called chunks) not only facilitates writing but also guarantees points for so-called coherence and logic of the statement.
Email to a friend:
- Greeting: Hi [Name], / Hello [Name], / Dear [Name],
- Introduction: How are you? / Thanks for your last email. / Guess what! I have some great news.
- Transitions (Conjunctions): And, But, Because, So, Also.
- Conclusion and farewell: Write back soon. / I must go now. / Bye for now! / Love, / Take care,
Blog post:
- Greeting readers: Hi everyone! / Hello readers!
- Introduction: Today I want to tell you about… / You won’t believe what happened to me yesterday!
- Conclusion: Leave a comment below! / What do you think? Let me know!
Most common traps – what causes you to lose points on E8?
- Omission of one of the „dots”: If you forget to describe even one of the three subpoints, you irretrievably lose points for content. Always check off completed dots in your rough draft.
- Lack of elaboration (only one sentence): Remember that each subpoint from the prompt requires a minimum of 2-3 sentences. One sentence is always just a „reference”.
- Writing „in Polish”: Too complicated sentences that the student translates word for word from Polish (language calques) lead to serious grammatical errors. Write simply: Subject + Predicate + Rest of the sentence. (I bought a new bike.)
- Inconsistency of form: Starting an email with the words „Dear Sir” (Dear Sir/Madam) instead of „Hi Tom” (Hi Tom) is a style error – in the eighth-grade exam, responses are always informal!
Summary: Plan before writing!
Don’t rush into writing cleanly. Spend 3 minutes to roughly write down two short, simple sentences for each of the three dots from the prompt. Choose a simple greeting and farewell to go with it. Then count the words. Simple language and sticking to the prompt is your key to maximum score on the eighth-grade English exam!
Practice writing regularly! The short form requires brevity and precision. Good luck on the exam!
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