Study guide
MET Writing
Three short answers, then a multi-paragraph essay with an opinion.
- 45 minutes
- 2 tasks
Overview
You have 45 minutes for both tasks and you manage the time yourself. Task 1 is three related questions about your experiences, habits or preferences: usually one about a habit or preference, one asking your opinion and why, and one asking you to say more or tell about a time something happened. Task 2 is a multi-paragraph essay where you take a position and support it with reasons and examples. Raters look at how you express your ideas, not at which opinion you choose.
For Task 2, write several paragraphs. There is no word limit, but higher-level essays typically have at least 250 words. Very short essays lose marks, but length alone does not earn a high score.
Task 1 Three short answers
Practise this task →Three short questions on one everyday topic: describe a habit, experience or preference; give your opinion and why; then add more detail or tell about a time it happened. Each answer can be a few sentences.
How to approach it
- Answer the question directly in your first sentence, then add a reason or a detail. One-word answers are too short.
- Use the right tense for each question: present simple for habits, past tenses for the story.
- Add something specific — a name, a place, a time, a feeling — so the answer does not sound general.
- Spend about a third of the time here at most, then move to the essay.
Task 2 Essay
Practise this task →A short situation with two sides, followed by a question asking what you think. You must give reasons and examples.
How to approach it
- Take 5 minutes to plan: your position, two or three reasons, and one example for each.
- State your opinion clearly in the introduction, then give each reason its own paragraph.
- Mention the other side briefly and explain why you still disagree — it makes the argument stronger.
- Keep 3–5 minutes at the end to reread for missing words, verb endings, spelling and punctuation.
What raters look for
Each response is rated on these areas. Here is what they mean in practice and how to push your score up.
Task Completion
You answer every part of the question, stay on topic and support your ideas with reasons and examples.
To improve: Plan before you write and check that every paragraph links back to the question.
Grammatical Accuracy
Your sentences are correct and you can use longer, complex sentences without errors getting in the way.
To improve: Mix simple sentences with ones that use because, although, which and if — and check them carefully.
Vocabulary
You choose precise, varied words that suit the topic instead of repeating the same few.
To improve: Keep topic word lists (education, work, technology, environment) and learn useful phrases, not just single words.
Mechanics
Spelling, capital letters, punctuation and clear sentence boundaries.
To improve: Watch for run-on sentences: two complete ideas need a full stop or a linking word between them.
Cohesion & Organization
Ideas are in a logical order, grouped into paragraphs and connected smoothly.
To improve: Use linking words for their real job — however for contrast, as a result for consequence — not to decorate.
Common mistakes
- Writing about the topic in general instead of answering the exact question.
- Listing reasons without explaining them or giving an example.
- One long paragraph with no clear structure.
- Run-on sentences and missing full stops.
- Learning a memorised introduction that does not fit the question — raters notice.
A study routine that works
- Write one Task 1 set and one essay plan every day; write a full essay two or three times a week.
- Start without a timer to focus on planning, then move to the full time limit.
- Compare your essay with the model answers on this site: what does the stronger answer do that yours does not?
- Use the AI feedback on your practice essays and rewrite one paragraph using the suggestions.