B1 Preliminary article example, marked
The same article written twice: first an answer that would get about 10 out of 20 (just below a pass), then the same answer improved to about 18 out of 20. Every problem and every improvement is marked and explained, criterion by criterion.
The task
You see this announcement on an English-language website for teenagers.
ARTICLES WANTED! A hobby I love
What hobby do you enjoy? How did you start it? Why would you recommend it to other people?
Write an article answering these questions. The best articles will appear on our website.
Write your article.
Write your article in 90–120 words.
Answer 1
about 10 / 20My hobby1
My hobby is photography. I like it a lot. I start photography when I have twelve years.2 My uncle give me3 an old camera for my birthday. My uncle is a photographer.
Every weekend I go out with my camera. I take photos of animals, flowers and my friends. I take photos in the park and in the beach4.
Photography is very good. It is very interesting and it is very good.5
That's all about my hobby.6
79 words
What goes wrong
- A title, but it doesn’t make the reader curious.
- Two errors: “I started… when I was twelve”.
- Past simple: “gave”.
- “on the beach”.
- “Very good” twice and “very” three times: the reader learns nothing new.
- The article never says why other people should try it – the third question.
The marks
The first two questions are answered, but not why others should try it.
A list of facts: there is nothing to interest the reader.
Short paragraphs, but the sentences are not linked.
Simple and repetitive, with some errors (I start, when I have twelve years, give).
Answer 2: the same ideas, improved
about 18 / 20The world through my lens1
Have you ever noticed how beautiful an ordinary street looks early in the morning?2 I have, thanks to my favourite hobby: photography.
I started when I was twelve, after my uncle gave me his old camera for my birthday3. Since then, I’ve taken photos of everything from animals and flowers to my friends on the beach.
What I love most is that photography makes you look more carefully.4 You start to notice colours, shapes and light that you never saw before.
If you’re looking for a new hobby, give it a try!5 You don’t need an expensive camera – your phone is enough to start.
110 words
What makes it better
- A title that catches the reader’s attention.
- A question to the reader – a good way to start an article.
- Past simple used correctly, with a clear link.
- Explains why the writer enjoys it, not just what they do.
- Answers the third question and speaks to the reader.
The marks
All three questions are answered fully.
Lively, with questions and advice for the reader – just right for a website article.
Each paragraph answers one question, in a clear order.
A good range for B1 (Have you ever…?, Since then, What I love most is…) used accurately.
What made the difference
- Content: The last paragraph tells readers why they should try it.
- Communicative achievement: An interesting title and a question to start: it talks to the reader.
- Organisation: One question per paragraph, joined with since then and so.
- Language: “Very good” is replaced by real reasons, and the past simple is correct.
Use the questions in the announcement as your plan: one paragraph for each. Then add a title and a first sentence that make people want to read.
Now write your own
Practise with real exam tasks and model answers, and get AI feedback on your article: an estimated mark for each criterion, your mistakes corrected and tips to improve.
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The marks are Levoop’s estimate using the four criteria Cambridge uses for Writing (0–5 each). Only Cambridge English can give an official mark. The texts were written for Levoop.