The blog post: A blog post is a personal article published online for anyone to read. You share an experience or an opinion in a lively, friendly voice and you talk directly to your readers.
In Paper 1 you choose it when the task asks you to write a blog post / an entry for a website. It belongs to Unit 2: Text Types, so a lot of the marks come from getting its conventions and register right (Criterion C), not just the message.
- blog / blog post (entry)
- an article published online; one piece is a 'post' or 'entry'
- title / headline
- the eye-catching line at the top, often a question
- hook / intro
- the opening that grabs the reader and introduces the topic
- reader(s)
- the people who read the blog — a blog has many, not just one
- personal voice
- a lively, opinionated 'I' voice — how a blog sounds
- comments (section)
- where readers reply below the post
Spot it in the task: The task names the platform and the public. "Write a post for your blog…", "Write a text for the school website…" all point to a blog: written for many readers at once, in a personal but public voice. Read where it will be published and who will read it.
Informal but public: A blog is informal yet public: you address many readers at once ("you", "everyone") in a lively, personal voice full of opinion and energy. You can use exclamations, rhetorical questions and "I" to share your experience.
Consistency matters — slipping into a stiff, neutral or formal tone kills the lively blog voice and costs you Criterion C.
Blog — do this
- Hi everyone! Today I want to talk to you about…
- Honestly, I loved every minute of it.
- And what about you — what do you think?
Avoid here
- Dear Sir or Madam,
- The purpose of this text is to outline the following points.
- Readers are kindly requested to submit their comments.
Talk TO your readers: A blog isn't a private letter and it isn't an essay. Address the crowd directly with "you", keep the energy up, and let your personal opinion show from start to finish.
See how examiners mark answers
Access past paper questions with model answers. Learn exactly what earns marks and what doesn't.
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The five parts: Every blog post follows the same shape. Hit all five parts and you've covered the conventions the examiner is looking for.
Blog — 5 parts
1
Catchy title
A short, eye-catching headline — often a question to the reader. "Three days without a phone: could you do it?"
2
Hook / intro
Greet the readers and introduce your topic with energy. "Hi everyone! Today I want to talk to you about…"
3
Body
Tell your story or argue your opinion in a personal voice — the longest part. "At first it was really hard, but little by little…"
4
Question to readers
Turn the topic back to your audience to spark a reply. "And what about you — what do you think?"
5
Upbeat close
Sign off warmly and invite comments. "See you next time — and leave me your comments below!"
Title → Hook → Body → Question → Close
Don't skip the frame: Students lose easy Criterion C marks by forgetting the catchy title or the question to readers — the two features that make a text feel like a real blog. They take seconds and prove you know the text type — never leave them out.
A model, part by part: Here's a complete blog post built from the five parts above. Read it once for the message, then look at how each part does its job.
Model: the 5 parts in action
The blog post, part by part
- Three days without a phone: could you do it?
- Hi everyone! Today I want to talk to you about a slightly crazy challenge I set myself last week: spending a whole weekend without looking at my phone.
- At first it was really hard — every five minutes I reached for my phone without even realising. But little by little I started reading more, going out for walks and, above all, really talking with my family. Honestly, I slept better than ever.
- And what about you? Could you last a whole weekend without screens?
- I'd encourage you to try it: you might discover something, just like I did. See you next time, and leave me your comments below!
Why it scores: This short blog post earns marks on all three Paper 1 criteria — here's what earns each one:
A — Language /12
- Lively, accurate language addressed to "you"
- Connectors & variety: "at first", "little by little", "above all", "but"
- A range of tenses: "I want", "it was", "I started", "I slept"
B — Message /12
- Clear purpose: shares an experience AND a reflection
- Ideas developed (the challenge, then the results)
C — Conceptual /6
- Blog conventions: catchy title + question to readers
- Consistent informal-but-public register
- A lively, personal, opinionated voice
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A toolkit you can reuse: Learn a few ready-made phrases for each part. They make your blog sound natural and save time in the exam.
To open (hook)
- Hi everyone!
- Today I want to talk to you about…
- Have you ever wondered…?
For the body (opinion & story)
- Let me tell you about my experience…
- Honestly… / In my opinion…
- At first… but little by little…
To close (question + sign-off)
- And what about you — what do you think?
- I'd encourage you to try it.
- See you next time! Leave me your comments below.
Use one from each: One hook, one or two opinion phrases in the body, and a question + sign-off at the end is plenty — and instantly makes the text feel like the real blog text type.