MET Writing Task 1, short responses to three questions: what to write and how long

Task 1 looks like the gentle warm-up of MET Writing: three questions about your life, a few sentences each. That is the risk. A one-line answer feels like an answer, and Michigan's own sample commentary describes responses like that as very short and simple. This guide shows how to give each question a complete, developed answer in a few minutes, and keep time for the essay.

What does MET Writing Task 1 ask you to do?

Writing is the first section of MET. Michigan's Writing Resource Pack describes Task 1 as writing short responses to three related questions about personal experiences, habits or preferences. The Test Taker Handbook calls the same thing "Part 1: Short responses to three questions". There is no word limit for either task, and you have 45 minutes for the entire section, which you can divide between the two tasks however you like.

Michigan's two example question sets share a pattern worth knowing. The first question is a plain fact or habit, the second asks what you like or why, and the third asks you to tell about something, such as the last time you did it. Some questions contain two questions in one, for example "Where do you live? How long have you lived there?". Answer both parts.

For the second task and how the 45 minutes fit together, see Task 2, the essay and MET Writing, two tasks in 45 minutes.

Checked 15 and 16 October 2026 against Michigan's Writing Resource Pack, June 2026 and Test Taker Handbook. ScoreFluent is an independent practice platform and is not affiliated with Michigan Language Assessment.

What are raters looking for in the short responses?

Trained raters score MET Writing on five criteria, each rated 0 to 4. The criteria names are Michigan's. How they show up in this task is our reading of the Writing Resource Pack. Michigan also says test takers are not evaluated on their opinions themselves, but on how ideas are communicated.

• Task Completion. Michigan's Task 1 advice is to answer each question in detail, going beyond a simple answer, with examples, personal experiences and reasons where the question asks for them. It also says to stay on the topic of each question.
• Grammatical Accuracy. Match the tense to the question: "usually" calls for the present simple, "the last time" for the past simple. Michigan notes that mixing tenses can confuse the reader.
• Vocabulary. Michigan suggests using synonyms for words in the prompt, to show you understand it and have range. Do not copy the question word for word in your answer.
• Mechanics. Sentence boundaries, punctuation and spelling. Short answers make each error easy to see.
• Cohesion and Organization. Ideas should connect, with connectors, not bullet points. Michigan also suggests re-reading all three answers together to check that they build on each other.

For how the ratings become a 0 to 80 section score, see how MET is scored.

How do you answer each question in two to four sentences?

Michigan suggests making the first sentence of each response clearly answer the question, then adding sentences with more detail. Here is a recipe built on that advice. The three steps are ScoreFluent's technique, not an exam rule.

1. Answer. One direct sentence that uses different words from the question.
2. Why or how. A reason, a detail or a description.
3. Example. A specific moment, person or place. Michigan suggests examples and personal experience.

Not every answer needs all three. For "Have you ever worked in a team?", a yes plus one example may be enough. For "What makes a good team member?", you need the reason and the example. Michigan's improved example answers for Task 1 run from one long sentence to four sentences each, roughly 20 to 90 words. That is a useful range to aim at.

Three habits help every answer:

• Check for a second question. If the prompt has two question marks, the answer needs two parts.
• Refer back. Later questions often say "that place" or "this activity". Use "it", "there" and "that" in your answer to link the three responses.
• Do not repeat yourself. Michigan advises using different words or adding new information if you return to something you already said.

Worked example

Question set from the ScoreFluent bank: 1. Have you ever worked as part of a team? 2. What makes a good team member? Explain your ideas. 3. Tell us about a team project that went well or badly.

Here is a thin set of answers, followed by a developed one. Both were written by ScoreFluent to show the difference. They are not Michigan samples and have not been rated.

Thin

1. Yes I have worked in a team
2. A good team member is helpful and listens
3. We did a project and it was good

Developed

1. Yes, I have worked in a team several times. The most recent time was at a summer job, where four of us ran a small café together.
2. A good team member listens before speaking and does their share without being asked. For example, when a colleague was busy with a customer, I cleaned the tables so that she did not fall behind.
3. Last year my class built a model of a bridge, and it went well. At first we argued about the design, but we agreed to test two versions, and the stronger one held more weight than we expected.

What changed: every answer now starts with a direct sentence, adds a reason or a detail, and gives an example. The tenses match the questions (present perfect, present simple, past simple). Each sentence starts with a capital letter and ends with a full stop, and the third answer connects its sentences with "but" and "so".

What mistakes cost marks in Task 1?

• One-line answers. The thin set above answers each question and develops none. Michigan's commentary calls a response like this very short and simple.
• Skipping the second question. If a prompt asks two things, leaving one unanswered leaves part of the task incomplete.
• Run-on sentences and missing full stops. Michigan lists missing capital letters or periods and run-on sentences as common sentence-boundary errors, and says proofreading is essential.
• Bullet points and notes. Michigan says to connect your ideas instead of listing them, so write full sentences.
• Wrong tense for the question. "The last time" needs a past tense. This is the most common slip in the third answer.
• Repeating the same detail three times. If question 3 returns to something from question 1, add new information or use different words.
• Spending too long here. Task 1 is short, and the essay needs most of your time. Michigan gives no split, so choose one in advance.

What practice sets can you try for Task 1?

Practice items from the ScoreFluent bank (not real exam questions). Each set has three related questions.

Set A

1. What do you usually do on weekends?
2. Do you prefer relaxing or being active on your days off? Why?
3. Tell us about a particularly enjoyable weekend you have had.

Set B

1. How do you usually travel to work or school?
2. Do you think public transportation is better than driving? Why?
3. Describe one memorable trip you took on a bus or train.

Set C

1. Have you ever worked as part of a team?
2. What makes a good team member? Explain your ideas.
3. Tell us about a team project that went well or badly.

Set D

1. What is your favourite way to spend a free afternoon?
2. Why do you enjoy this activity?
3. Describe a specific time you did this recently.

Set E

1. What is your favorite holiday or festival?
2. Why is this celebration important to you?
3. Describe a year when you celebrated it in a special way.

The bank has no model answers for these sets, so the worked example above is ours. Sets D and E show the "refer back" pattern clearly: question 2 says "this activity" or "this celebration". Our blog set MET Writing practice prompts has two different sets, about your neighbourhood and about learning.

How do you practise Task 1 on your own?

Michigan recommends five stages: read and analyse sample answers, plan, write, edit and revise, then get feedback. It also says to practise without a timer at first, then add one, and to leave a first draft for a day or more before editing it with fresh eyes. For Task 1, it suggests re-reading all three answers together to check they connect.

Add these ScoreFluent practice activities:

• Thin to developed. Write the one-line answer first, then rewrite it as answer, reason, example.
• Tense match. Underline the verb in each question and check that your answer's tense fits it.
• Ten-minute set. Time yourself on one full set, including a final read-through for capitals and full stops. If it takes 20 minutes, the essay will suffer.
• Boundary check. Read each answer aloud and add a full stop wherever you take a breath. Any sentence you cannot say in one breath may be a run-on.

A checklist helps, but it is hard to rate your own writing. Start practising MET free and you get 40 free credits. Credits never expire and there is no subscription. Writing answers get an examiner report, paid with credits. Results are practice estimates, not official MET scores. See pricing.

Next: Task 2, the essay. Back to the Michigan English Test overview or the full list of MET task guides.