Every problem regarding âtheâ environment and pollution can be solved. Science is always working on new solutions , âandâ new suggestions for alternative means of production are frequently put on the table (good language) . The most difficult issue in this scenario is the interest s of different social groups in the world society (this is okay to mention here if it is your own idea and third point) .
The vision of profit gains must been align with environmental protecti on ve measures which is really challenging (good word) . First (why did you write âfirstâ – do you mean âThe firstâ) positive changes begin with this alignment, for example, hotels proposing to clients to use the same bath towe âlâ r while they stay s in. I t s is good for nature, and i t ( your spelling doesnât need to be perfect in the exam, but you will lose marks if bad spelling confuses the meaning of your sentence) good for the business men (you could expand on what you mean here) .
For all other matters, conciliate (I donât know this word. Perhaps you mean âfinding an effective relationship betweenâ) both aspects (does âboth aspectsâ refer to âthe environmentâ and âeconomicsâ) Â is not a simple task, more difficult than the most high tech science. Efforts for environmental purposes should focus on changing culture, values, business perspectives of profits in global society, otherwise there will ânotâ be not enough progress.
|
|
|
| 2 | Most of your content is relevant to the task. There is a strong introduction, however, not all the notes are addressed in the body of the essay. There are 47 extra words to use before reaching 190, so these could be used to talk about the other notes. There is also room to expand some of your points and explain why you made them, for example, in the first paragraph, how is it â â? |
| 3 | The overall argument is fairly easy to understand, but some of the phrases used are not specific enough, for example what does â â refer to in the final paragraph? The main paragraph about âprofitâ is developed quite well, it would be good if other paragraphs existed and were developed in the same way. |
| 2 | The organisation of this answer is not clear. There is a clear introduction, which is good, however, there are only two more paragraphs after this. Two of the ânotesâ are mentioned in the introduction but âsocial groupsâ is not mentioned again and âscienceâ is only mentioned in the concluding paragraph. It would be better if these two points had their own paragraphs. The conclusion could be shortened to allow this. |
| 4 | The language used is quite good. It is written in an appropriately formal style and there are some good words and phrases, for example: â. The writing would benefit from more linking words and phrases being used. Some effort has been made to use simple and complex grammatical structures, for example â â and while there are a few errors, these do not impede communication. |
This student got:
Communicative Achievement: 3
Organisation: 2
Language: 4
Total = 11/20
You need to get 24/40 in the Writing paper to pass at B2 level.
So if the student got 13/20 for their part 2 writing, they would pass this part of the exam.
You do not need to pass every exam paper but you need to have an average of 60% across all 5 exam papers to pass and get your B2 certificate.
If you want to find out more about how to calculate your scores, read page 4 of this document .
Try to remember the words and phrases below which you can use in B2 First essays. A good way to remember is to write them down on a separate sheet of paper. Add more words and phrases to your list and write them in the comments section at the bottom of this page! If you are unsure about what language to use in an essay, you can also ask me in the comments at the bottom of the page.
Introducing an argument or point of view
Some/Many/A few people think/feel/say that… Other people disagree/argue that…. One point of view is… The general belief is that… Most people believe that… Public opinion is divided on the topic of… It is sometimes/often said/thought/claimed that….
Giving opinions
In my opinion I am of the belief that… In contrast to …. I feel that… My personal opinion is that… It is my wholehearted/sincere opinion that…
Linking Words and Phrases
However Nevertheless In addition… Firstly…Secondly On the one hand…On the other hand… In contrast… Meanwhile Whereas
At school you have been talking about environmental issues. Your English teacher has asked you to write an essay on this topic.
Write an essay using all the notes and give reasons to support your view. (140-190 words)
The awareness of environmental problems has grown over the last few years. Do you think itâs possible for us to solve these problems?
Notes Write about: Plastic Transport âŠâŠâŠâŠâŠâŠ (your own idea)
You should complete this online plan in no longer than 5 minutes. This is how long I recommend you plan for in the exam.
Alternatively, download and add a third paragraph to this FCE Essay plan template.
The plan below is available for paid members only. Register here >>
Here is an answer to the question above which one of my students wrote.
FCE Essay – Download This Sample Answer and correct any mistakes you find.
If you have written down the mistakes above, you’re ready to complete the assessment scale below. If you want more help with this, check out my FCE writing marking criteria page .
Complete an online version of the template below here
Download, print and complete the template below here .
Compare the mistakes you found with the ones I have written below…
At school, during â science and geography â lesson s of science and geography , everyone studies how â theâ is made natural environment âis madeâ and how we can protect it. Despite âthe factâ we study the importance of environment , we don’t pay much attention to this âin realityâ . At the moment we are attending particular and extreme phenomena, so we are very scared and worried and we want to change. It may not be as easy as it sounds.Â
( I would start a new paragraph here) First ly , it is difficult to change â ourâ own lifestyle and habits. Change has an economic and personal cost. We don’t mind how much plastic we use every day. Plastic is everywhere: it wraps the (you donât need âtheâ here because weâre talking about âfoodâ in general) food, it is useful when we want to eat quickly, it is also in our clothes. The products , that don’t have plastic in their pack aging s , are more expensive ( this is a defining relative clause, not a non-defining relative clause) : . I think for example , when I buy drink s in the glass bottle s , they are very expensive. So , if I want to save money , I buy plastic bottles. Then I observe that (âAnother example that I have observed isâŠâ) in the supermarket I can find many small food packs, also for single doseâ s/âportionsâ of foodâ . I don’t waste food but I pollute more âbecause of thisâ . So we can find sustainable development (If you want to keep this sentence, you should explain in more detail what you mean) .Â
( I would start a new paragraph here) Another problem is about transport: we are all in favor that we have to use more public transport s . The problem is that too often we don’t have a good public transport service with a capillary distribution (this term is only used in specific fields of work and is not used in everyday English) . However we can âmake anâ effort to use â ourâ own car âsâ only if it is necessary.Â
âTheâ last thing it is about differentiated collection of waste: too few people do es it (You should remove this sentence . Donât introduce too many ideas without developing them into detailed arguments).
I think that there are many âenvironmentalâ problems but we have to stop to think that âtheseâ are only an obstacle. It is â They are â also an opportunity. So it is important to change our mindâ setâ but we need also âneedâ of more education in every where place ( âinâ school s , within famil ies y , at cinema s , etc.) about good (âenvironmentally friendlyâ) behavior. Second ly, (I would only write this if Iâve written âfirstlyâ before it) , if the law and the penalties don’t work, probably we would change them in (âpeopleâs behaviourâ?) âthroughâ incentives. For example , if the condo (what is âthe condoâ?) applies perfectly the rules about differentiated collection of waste it would have a discount in the invoice (I donât understand this sentence) . Third ly , we need more investment â in â for transport and sustainable development.
|
|
|
| 1 | The writing is too long. If you write this much in the exam you will lose points because the examiners will regard the content as unimportant or irrelevant. In order to create more of a balanced argument, the introduction, conclusion and first body paragraph could all be shortened and more detail could be added to your own idea. |
| 3 | Some parts could be improved through using different expressions, for example, it would be better to say â âŠâ rather than â â in the second paragraph. Your main paragraphs have good structure, but sometimes the argument falls down slightly due to inappropriate word choices, e.g. â â. |
| 2 | The essay consists of two big paragraphs. It would be better to have 5 paragraphs in total. The overall structure within the two paragraphs is good, but some arguments should be shortened and others lengthened to create a greater balance. |
| 2 | The language is a little informal for an essay. The writing would benefit from fewer first person pronouns (‘ etc). There is attempt to use linking words, especially when developing points â â but it is difficult to know which arguments these are addressing in the main body paragraphs. Some complex vocabulary has been used, e.g. â The essay would benefit from a wider variety of grammar and different verb tenses. |
This student achieved:
Language: 2
Total = 8/20
So the student would need to get 16/20 for their part 2 writing in order to pass this part of the exam.
I can tell by reading this essay that the student has not prepared much for this part of the exam, so it is unlikely that they would get a much higher mark for their part 2 writing.
Wow….you’ve made it this far through the page….congratulations, you should now have a good idea how to write an FCE essay!
I hope I didn’t bore you zzzzzzzzzzz…here’s a random picture đ
Anyway, now it’s your turn to write an essay. You can answer the question above or answer a different question. Then you have 3 options:
I’ll leave the choice up to you.
Adios amigos…don’t forget to click the Next Page >> link below đ
Are you a teacher?
You can use my resources to help your students in class or set them homework activities.
If your students use computers in class, or you want to set them activities for homework, this is what I recommend.
Tell your students to:
If your students don’t have computers in class, this is what I recommend.
Leave a reply cancel reply.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .
B2 first: fce >>, c1 advanced: cae >>, linguaskill >>.
You need Gold membership to access this…
Can you beat the quickest time and register within 24 seconds?
Can you beat the quickest time and register within 52 seconds?
Can you beat the quickest time and register within 51 seconds?
Marketing Permissions: Please select all the ways you would like to hear from Student Languages. By checking the box below you also agree to our Terms and Privacy policy .
You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. For information about our privacy practices, please visit our website .
We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By clicking below to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp’s privacy practices here.
Which membership level do you want, free >>, pay monthly (ÂŁ14.53) >>, pay annually (ÂŁ84.47) >>.
Marketing Permissions
How would you like to receive your feedback and other useful English information? Please remember to check your junk/spam email! By checking the box below you also agree to our Terms and Privacy policy .
We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By clicking above to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp’s privacy practices here.
* indicates required.
Marketing Permissions: How would you like to receive your free e-book and other useful English information? Please remember to check your junk/spam email! By checking the box below you also agree to our Terms and Privacy policy .
START LEARNING LANGUAGES NOW
By Fabio 6 Comments
Hey friend, how is life? In this blog post I’m going to review some useful insights to ace the Writing part of the FCE exam , also known as Cambridge English: First but also as First Certificate in English.
So you know already one fundamental notion: Cambridge Assessment English exams have as many titles as Daenerys Targaryen . đ
This post looks in more depth at the Writing part but if you feel like having a broader vision of the FCE exam, here you have it –>Â First Certificate in English (FCE): How to Ace it
To pass the exam is no easy feat and the Writing is certainly one of the hardest. Language conventions, style, lexicon … đ In the Reading and Use of English at least you only have to fill empty spaces :-/ in here, you have to compose a text from scratch.
You are given a few guidelines and you’re left with a blank space to scrabble in. No wonder some of us find this part to be difficult .
Well, it does not have to be: with the right preparation and tools, you can pass the exam with flying colours, FCE Writing included.
â ïž WARNING: THIS POST IS NOT FOR THE FAINT-HEARTED â ïž
đ Downside: you’re reading a lengthy piece . I couldn’t make it exhaustive and short at the same time, sorry.
đ Upside: you do not need to look any further on the Internet. This <brag alert> is the most comprehensive guide available concerning the FCE Writing </brag alert>.
I invite you to put it in your Favourites in order to come back, every now and again, to explore the different parts and suggestions, as you happen to need them. đ
And now, let’s dive into the matter.
You’re given 80 minutes for two different tasks:
So, it makes forty minutes for each text. In reality, you can spend seventy minutes on one and ten on the other : it’s absolutely fine. In this time, you have to do it all:
Both texts have to be between 140 and 190 words long each.
You can either go for the paper-based exam or for the computer-based exam : one of the two major differences between them lies indeed in the FCE Writing section.
In the paper-based exam, you write on, surprise surprise , paper . đ That means you have to do it the good old way: basically, draft first then neat copy. Thus, you have to factor in the time to do this all and make a final check round before to deliver it.
In the computer-based exam, you write on… (drum roll) … a digital screen . đ»Â That means you don’t have to worry about initial draft and final draft : there won’t be crossing-outs, ink stains, bad handwriting. However, you still have white paper, pens and pencils in case you want to scribble some notes aside.
Also, if you go for the computer-based exam, you have some extra perks:
#1 You have a stopwatch right before your eyes, on top of the screen, flashing red when the time is about to end; â±ïž
#2 You also have a word counter , below the screen, so that you can keep your text length under control the whole time.
Are in essence the paper-based and the computer-based versions of the Writing the same? Absolutely the same . It’s just a different medium. If you feel like scrabbling ideas on paper , you can still do it: you are provided with blank paper and pens and pencils, whereas necessary, before the beginning of the exam.
So, should you go for the paper-based exam or the computer-based one? Whatever floats your boat. â” Surprisingly, many candidates prefer the paper-based one.
Want to know more about the two formats? Read: Paper or Computer: Choose your Cambridge English Exam Format .
Along these years in the field, I’ve seen many students underestimating this task. Why? Because they think they’re already able to write . Among the remarks I heard the most:
There are sooooo many misconceptions here. đ€
#1 Email is just one of the six options you may have in the FCE Writing section. Besides, you may be writing for a thousand years but doing it wrong.
#2 Texting and emailing informally a friend is NOT the same as to write an email with the required language and conventions to someone who’s not a friend. And again: email is just one of five options in the FCE writing; WhatsApp messages are not yet considered as a type of text from the Cambridge folks deserving to be introduced in any exam.
#3 Reading is the compulsory starting point if you want to write đ, but then, there’s more work to do.
The truth of the matter is the following, beautifully articulated by Benjamin Franklin:
By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.
For the great majority of us, real life just does not provide the type of preparation you need to pass the exam . Who do you send an essay to? What do you write a report for? OK, I think I made myself clear on this point. Now, an interesting question.
Is there any book you’d recommend to improve specifically the Writing section of the FCE exam? Yes, there is FCE Writing Masterclass by Marc Roche . I’d rather say it’s a must-study.
Be VERY mindful of an irrefutable fact: if you know how to write, speaking will follow .
This is an all too often overlooked concept: a horde of learners presume talking well in a given language is all about pronouncing right and training amply the talking itself. Wrong!
First, you need to get your linguistic act together: having something to say, being able to tell it in an articulated matter ; pronunciation, prosody, rhetoric come later. Writing is to speaking as walking is to running.
Want to know more about the Speaking part? Read: FCE Certificate: A Recipe for Success in FCE Speaking .
Now, let’s dig into the kinds of Writing you will encounter in the B2 First exam, one by one.
The Essay is the only component of Part 1 of the Writing. It’s compulsory . In it, you have to talk about a topic, mentioning two points you’re provided plus a point of your own. đïžÂ In other words, in an essay you give info, you explain your viewpoint, you compare and contrast.
The consumption of dietary supplements has been growing exponentially and various voices call for a more stringent regulation about them. What do you think?
Write about:
So, in less than 200 words you have to talk about the two points offered plus a point of your making.
What are some basic principles you should follow?
What do I mean in point 3 ? Making use of:
You got me.
How would I organize my time ? Ideally, I would:
A word of advise (or two) (maybe three):
#1 Keep your words under control.
The maximum limit of words is quite tight: if you don’t pay attention, you’ll end up writing twice as much in order to cover all the points.
#2 Keep your brainstorming skills sharp.
Far from the exam, is a good thing to do the following exercise. Open up a newspaper, pick an article: what topic is it? Nuclear wastes? Climate change? Online banking security breaches? đ
Perfect! Pick them, write them on paper then brainstorm for a few minutes what words and structures to use in the essay .
#3 Save some time for the end.
It is useful to allow, at the very end of your 80 minutes, some spare 3-4 minutes to come back to the essay , to read it again in search for mistakes again and incongruences. Why?
Because after forty minutes of being on top of the essay, you may not be able any more to spot such undesired intruders. The distance given by half an hour and attention on something else, gives a useful semi-fresh perspective on it .
What is that I shouldn’t say but it is better for me to say?
#1 Keep it simple : don’t play Alain de Botton if your name is Pedro Antuñéz or Giovanni Rossi. Better something less sophisticated but correct than something amazingly conceived but poorly rendered on paper.
#2 Care your GSP (Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation) : there is no point in being Malcolm Gladwell đŠ± if you have a first grader’s GSP.
#3 Never forget that you’re not being evaluated on the originality of your ideas.
If the essay is about recycling, you don’t have to quote a pioneering study from the University of Petropavlovsk concerning the reuse of coffee pods in subarctic oceanic aquaculture.
What you have to do, in your FCE Writing, is to show that you have a B2 English , not a PhD in the subject of the essay.
And now, it’s time for you to get stained with some ink. Read the assignment below –> do it yourself –> check how I would have done it. âïž
Consider the following assignment.
More needs to be done to encourage children to spend time healthily outdoors. Do you agree? (140-190 words)
Write about: 1# Benefits and disadvantages of children’s outdoor activities 2# Recommendations for parents and teachers 3# Your own ideas
đŹ Done? Very well. So, there are MANY ways to write this essay, but a decent one is the following:
Children spending time healthily outdoor
First of all, I wholeheartedly agree with the statement, but I will try to describe all the pros and cons related to the matter, before coming to conclusions.
To begin with, it’s easy to come up with several reasons why our kids ought to spend some daily hours in places such as parks, gardens or in the countryside. Physical activity is paramount to a person’s wellness, even more at a young age; besides, it would prevent obesity and subtle manipulation from TV and the internet.
That doesn’t mean there are no downsides. It’s difficult to be outdoorsy if you dwell in a 50 sqm-flat downtown or if you reside in a bad dodgy neighbourhood. In that case, we may want these children to stay indoors, watching the TV and being looked after.
However, the most crucial element in this regard is, in my opinion, parenting style. We’ve been breeding a generation of âhelicopter parentsâ, hovering constantly over their offspring in search for hidden threats. Media play a big role in this, as they blow everything out of proportion: there’s rather plenty of evidence that such fears are irrational.
To sum up, I do admit there are pros and cons in letting the kids stay less indoor, but I firmly believe there’s a lot more to gain than to lose.
đŹ And here it is. Too hard? Too long? If you prepare well, you’re going to nail it.
Actually, you know what? Most prep books for the FCE exam focus enough on the Essay. Why? Because it’s the only Writing exercise you’re obliged to do, hence their emphasis.
Any of the books suggested in the main post about FCE are as good as a lemon sorbet in a summer heat wave. đŠ You may find them here:
First Certificate in English (FCE): How to Ace it
You shall find plenty of instructions and examples there. Nevertheless, whatever your strategy, it is neeeeeeeeever a bad idea to review and strengthen your grammar . This can be an excellent ally of yours:
English Grammar in Use with Answers : I have a hard time taking grammar books in my hands, but this is well done.
The Article is one of the options you’re given in the Part 2 of the FCE Writing: whether to go for this one or not, is your choice.
In the Article, you have to write an engaging text for a website, a magazine, a newsletter. âïž I n other words, in an article you describe, provide examples and articulate your opinion , in a way that you readers feel compelled to read it all.
In your opinion, what would be the upsides and downsides of learning programming languages? Is it something you would invite all young people to do?
The best article will be published next month.
General suggestions:
#1 Keep it simple : if you can’t put on paper a Fareed Zakaria’s prose , don’t try. A couple of ideas, linear clauses, appropriate nouns and adjectives, good connectors: that’s all.
# 2 Care your GSP (Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation) : no point in writing the best article ever if you drop a wheater you leik it or not . đ±
#3 Never forget that you’re being evaluated for your English , which has to be B2. Not for your originality in terms of content or style: just for your English . Cambridge does not deliver Pulitzer prizes anyway.
đŹ Now it’s your turn again: read the assignment below –> write it yourself –> check my version of it. âïž
In your opinion, is learning programming languages necessary in today’s world? Is it something you would invite all young people to do?
The best article will be published next month in our college magazine.
đŹ Again, COUNTLESS are the ways to write this. I’m just putting down one of them here below.
Human languages are the present: programming languages the future
In modern-day society, a good curriculum has no real appeal if not completed with the mastery of one or two foreign languages. But… Do you think it will always be this way? I don’t think so.
Sooner or later, human languages will be translated and interpreted by machines that will run on an entirely different set of languages: that of computers. Programming languages, we call them.
That’s the future. It will take ten years, perhaps twenty: but in that moment, these tools will be as popular and embedded into our daily life and professions, that ignoring Python, C+ or Java will be just as prejudicial as is nowadays not knowing English or French.
Hence, I strongly recommend our youth to start exploring the subject. It’s no more difficult than learning any other discipline: a bit of patience, some guidance, good materials.
So, guys: read about it, try coding, come to our so-called “Hackatons”, attend courses and hone your programming skills. Before you know it, it will be impossible to live without.
đŹ And here we are. Nothing otherwordly, don’t you think?
Of course. It is possible to accomplish this task even without this book, to be honest. On the other hand, if you want to learn how to write an article in an excellent way, you shouldn’t miss:
The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person’s Guide to Writing in the 21st Century , by Steven Pinker . Good for FCE, CAE, CPE and for being a human being.
The Email is also one of the options you’re given in the Part 2 of this section, so it is not compulsory .
In this, you have to write in response to a certain situation , formal or informal, being careful to include everything you’re told according to the conventions of an email. đ§
You see this ad on an English-language literary magazine website.
Writing Contest
Ready to share your novel or poem with the world? Whether youâre a newbie or more established writer, youâre welcome to take part in our Fiction or Poetry contests.
Submit by sending us an email briefly introducing yourself, as a person and an author, beside a few words on your creation. Don’t forget to attach your work!
So now, what’s the purpose of the email?
Informal or formal? Kind of in between here, don’t you concur? It’s a writing contest, granted, but the phrasing used in the announcement is not Victorian literary English . đ
The cues are:
Again, it’s a useful exercise to take a few minutes to think of the words, idioms and expressions you may use, plus to draw a simple outline of how you’re going to unfold the email, paragraph after paragraph.
Points I want you to be aware of:
#1 The Email writing is more difficult than what it looks like.
Why? Because in life you may read a lot of essays, articles or reports so that you will have an idea of how to draft them even if you do not specifically train yourself for them. But emails? Not really.
That’s when textbooks and prep books come in very handy: they contain this stuff, so you should rely on them. đ©
#2 A maximum of 190 words is less than what you imagine.
Don’t get carried away or you’ll still be talking about yourself by word nÂș 220 and you still haven’t even glossed over your writing genius and your manuscript.
#3 Don’t warp your English in an effort to make it superduper cultured.Â
It’s unlikely that this email will end up in a posthumous collection such as The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien. At a B2 you know enough English to communicate richly, but to be Virginia Woolf-like, a great deal remains to be done.
đŹ Time for you to test your skills: read the assignment below –> do it yourself –> check how I would have done it. âïž
ScholarshipsÂ
Every year, two scholarships are offered to candidates from overseas who can show how our one-year course in English studies would help their career.
Scholarships cover fees, accommodation and food but not transport or personal spending money.
To apply, write an email explaining why you think you deserve a scholarship.
đŹ I hope you really did it, rather than scrolling down endlessly đ€š Anyway, this is what I’d write.
Dear Sir/Madam, I hope this email finds you well.
I am writing to your attention about the ad on your website, concerning the two scholarships for overseas students. I believe it would make a huge difference for me: allow me here to explain why.
As you know, Italy is a tourism-based country. Thus, I have been pursuing an education in Hotel Management and Sustainable Tourism. Unfortunately, in my country English teaching is not cutting-edge: neither within the education system, nor in the general society. As a result, undergraduates like me are forced to take matters into their own hands.
I have carefully read your one-year English studies program: I believe it would be very formative for me, beside being a boost for my employability.
This email would not be complete if I failed to mention either my excellent academic results (I hereby attach my curriculum) or, particularly, my limited budget. Hence, a financial aid in the form of a scholarship would be most welcome.
I look forward to hearing from you and please do not hesitate to contact me for any queries you may have.
Yours sincerely, Tyrion Lannister
đŹÂ And here it is. As long as you study well, the Email does not constitute any danger.
Yes, there’s one which is as good as a granita siciliana while laying on a beach in Favignana in August. đŠ It’s this one:
Writing That Works, 3rd Edition: How to Communicate Effectively in Business Paperback by Kenneth Roman and Joel Raphaelson : a phenomenal textbook on how to write emails the proper way.
The Review is one of the options you’re given in Part 2: again, it is not compulsory .
The Review assesses how well you can describe and motivate your opinion about something you have first-hand knowledge of (the like of an electronic gadget, a theatre play, a holiday package, etc.), with a final suggestion to the reader. đ In other words, in a review you have to describe, detail and give your opinion.
A review may be published on different media: daily newspaper, online magazine, nationwide printed cultural journal. Hence, different styles for different outlets.
The Best Tablet of the Year
On our lifestyle webzine, we’ve been gathering reviews from our readership concerning the best tablet of the year. If you have recently purchased or used one, write us your opinion including brand, model, features and other data you deem relevant.
We will then publish a chart based on the devices which have received the most praises!
So, the assignment couldn’t be clearer. You have to include in your review (I am totally making stuff up here below between parenthesis):
#1 Choose a title that is alluring and at the same time gives the readers an idea of what to expect from your review. đŻ
#2 It’s a good thing to read reviews profusely in preparation of the exam.
A brief summary of your go-to resources:
– Gizmos: Techradar – Restaurants & Hotels: Tripadvisor – Books: Goodreads – Movies: BBC Film Reviews
It’s good to remark that most of the reviews you’ll find over the Internet are user-generated but not reviewed by a proofreader : nevertheless, at a B2 level you should be proficient enough to tell the bad from the good.
#3 Don’t get lost in the analysis that you forget to include your final recommendation .
đŹ Your turn: read carefully the assignment –> do it –> have a look at my attempt. âïž
The following announcement has been published in your English-language university website magazine.
Film reviews wanted!
Have you recently watched a film in which you particularly liked the main character?
Write us a review of the film explaining what the main actor did and why in your opinion he deserves praise. Tell us also to whom you would recommend this film to other viewers.
We will publish the best review in our magazine.
đŹ Not an easy one. Still, we need to be prepared. Here’s my piece.
The Call of the Wild review: a light-hearted, comforting story
The latest adaptation of Jack London’s most famous novel, directed by Chris Sanders, won’t satisfy the sophisticated appetite of our most salacious critics, but it does have an appeal, in my opinion.
Starring Harrison Ford as gruff Thornton and a CGI imposing dog as Buck, the film will likely become a young adult’s classic. Unfolding in the northern wilderness, the story is about two losers, harshly beaten by life, that come to recognize one another and team up.
I found that Ford’s acting is convincing, not entirely so that of the computer-generated Collie-St. Bernard mongrel: at times it falls short of nowadays’ FX standards, besides conferring the dog an incomprehensible, semi-supernatural ability to understand the English language.
The other characters’ performances are not subpar, nor are they Oscar-winning. There are no cliffhangers or unexpected plot twists, as it’s easy to imagine.
All in all, in my opinion is worth seeing, for those that are in search of an eighty minute-long solace, an unadventurous film evolving among the jaw-dropping Alaskan landscapes. One to relax, rather than reflect.
đŹ This is one of the hundred reviews one may jot down. The genre has its own peculiar traits, but it entirely doable, as you can see.
Not really, which is a pity. However, you may want to dissect the book below.
It is not specifically for this type of text, but considering the insane variety of reviews there can be, it’s a terrific idea to review your vocabulary (no pun intended):
English Vocabulary in Use Upper-Intermediate by Michael McCarthy and Felicity O’Dell : the authors are two established names in the field of Teaching English as a Second Language.
The Letter is an option you’re given in Part 2, among others. Thus, it is not compulsory .
In the Letter, you have to write a written communication to a friend, a relative, an editor in chief, a head hunter, etc. âïž
A pet to care for
Two English-speaking friends have accepted to take care of your turtle while you’re abroad for three months, but they’d like to know more in detail what it entails. You thank and inform them through a letter.
So, it isn’t so complicated, is it?
What are some basic principles you should follow in this part of the FCE Writing?
#1 The example I brought up above is that of an informal letter, but some – such as job applications – are so not informal. You need to be equally prepared for both styles .
#2 Just as other types of writing, you may hardly have in your daily life the chance to send and receive letters of any kind . It seems so from the Eighties now. đšÂ A couple of good textbooks and prep books are what you need for this.
#3 No exception to the GSP rule (care your Grammar, Spelling, Punctuation): it’s friends you’re writing to but neither you are allowed to misspell nor to use abomination like b4 for “before”, 2 for “to” or bcz for “because”.
đŹ Time to practice the Letter! As usual: read the assignment as carefully as you can –> write your composition –> compare it with mine below. âïž
You met an old ex colleague at a trade fair, when he informed you his current company has been looking for an experienced account manager in the publishing business.
You write a cover letter to the head of Human Resources that will have your CV attached. In the letter, you briefly introduce yourself, mention a few highlights of your profile and ask for an interview.
đŹ A cover letter, an evergreen. Here’s how I’d do it.
Dear Mr Gladstone,
I’m writing under the suggestion of my former coworker, Mr Mormont, whom I have recently met at the press trade show in Zurich: there, he made me aware that your company is in need of an accomplished salesperson: I’d like to be included in the recruitment process.
I know your company to be one of the top-five providers of marketing services to publishing enterprises: ambition and commitment seems to be in the DNA of your firm, so they are of mine.
As you can see in the hereby attached curriculum, I’m a young yet experienced key clients administrator in the same field, with a proven track record. My educational background is in International Relations, which comes extremely useful when dealing with firms from all over the world. The fluent knowledge of French and Spanish complete my profile.
I’d be honoured to have an interview with you at a mutually convenient time. In the meantime, in case of further questions, please do not hesitate to ask.
I look forward to speaking with you about this opportunity and thank you for the time taken to read this.
Sincerely, Alys Karstarck
đŹ No need to write about insanely overqualified profiles, as long as your English is correct and appropriate.
Yes and no. There are tonns of decent books about it, but once you have the one I mentioned above about business communication, it’d be sufficient.
The Report is one of the options you’re given in the Part 2 of the FCE Writing: again, it is not compulsory . In the Report, you have to explain facts and express a recommendation.
After a class discussion, your English teacher has asked students to write a report on the role of pets in modern families. You have to include positive but also negative outcomes, making a recommendation on how to curb these latter.
#1 Choose a report if you’re knowledgeable about the topic.
All reports follow a similar scheme, therefore there’s a lot that you can learn and use in each of them, whatever the topic is.
However… do not choose the report just for this reason. Neither should you be up for it because you like the topic. You have to consider, first and foremost, how much you know about the theme . đ§
To follow up on the example given above, you may love pets, have two dozens of them at your place and want to discuss it: whatever! The question is: are you able to write authoritatively about it? Passion about the topic does not help: mastery of it does.
#2 Spend time planning carefully to save time writing.
That’s it. Four to five minutes spent outlining your report are going to save you many minutes later when you do the actual writing.
It does not have to be rocket science. A very primitive plan could be:
For each of these four parts, jot down ideas ; then, sentences, vocabulary, phrasal verbs and idioms you may use.đ Then, attack the task and start writing. Why is it effective? Because without a plan, most of us get lost in the meanders of our brain.
You might spend twenty minutes writing only to realize afterwards that:
#3 Headings may come to your rescue.
A report is one of these kinds of text in which headings help to define a clearer structure of the text. You certainly do not put them in a letter or email.
You know what? If for whatever reason you haven’t got plenty to say, you may want to include headings to increase your word count . đ
It has to be wisely done, of course: if they’re just paraphrasing what’s below them and as long as the paragraphs they’re on top of, hmmmm, not a good thing.
đŹ Time for you to practice the Report: read the assignment –> do it –> check my own below. âïž
Y ou see this announcement on your city council website.
We are conducting research about how to save water in our town. We would like to hear our citizen’s feedback and ideas on the matter: what are we doing well? Which area of improvements do you see? What would you propose?
đŹ Water management: one of the most common topics. You can’t be caught off guard.
The aim of this report is to assess the current situation in our town regarding the usage of water and how to reduce it. What follows is the result of my own investigations: recommendations are given to the best of my knowledge.
In our city, this matter is particularly relevant as it lays on a basin characterised by the scarcity of water resources. Frankly, I haven’t seen any environment-minded policies so far, that’s why I welcome such forms of citizen participation.
I am told that our Urban Cleaning Services use non-potable water to clean streets and waste containers: that’s an excellent approach, but it’s far from being enough.
There is a battery of measures that could be implemented, among which:
To sum up, some proposals do need a minimum budget to be implemented: perhaps, we can start from the cheapest, most cost-effective ones, to grow in ambition according to what the municipal funds allow.
đŹ Here it goes. No need to solve world’s water issues: just to deliver a fair text, with a few ideas woven in clear sentences and paragraphs.
I know a few about improving the way we write reports in general : How to Write Reports and Proposals by Patrick Forsyth is arguably among the best, though it does not focus on the FCE.
We have come to the end of this post about the FCE Writing section. I hope to have clarified one main point: no need to stress in the FCE writing task .
Unlike the other sections, here you have a degree of freedom to include structures you know and language you are proficient in. If you follow the advice listed here, your FCE Writing task will be marvellous.
Have you missed the main guide about the FCE exam? Here you have it âŹïž
Having said that…
Wash your hands, sneeze into your elbow, keep learning English and write a lot. I wish you the best. đ
Your personal language exam trainer, Fabio
Reader interactions.
24th November 2020 at 3:02 pm
24th November 2020 at 7:28 pm
26th November 2020 at 2:22 pm
I have browsed a lot of websites about this and I have NEVER found such a complete review of FCE Writing. Sir, I’d like to hire your services. I need to take FCE soon. Thank you.
26th November 2020 at 8:27 pm
Thank you Haldor! I’m sending you a PM đ
23rd August 2022 at 5:59 pm
Absolutely loved this. Thank you sir, very appreciated.
24th August 2022 at 10:14 pm
Responsable » TurboLangs (servidor) Finalidad » gestionar los comentarios. LegitimaciĂłn » tu consentimiento. Destinatarios » los datos que me facilitas estarĂĄn ubicados en los servidores de SiteGround (proveedor de hosting de TurboLangs) dentro de la UE. Ver polĂtica de privacidad de SiteGround. (https://www.siteground.es/aviso-legal.htm). Derechos » podrĂĄs ejercer tus derechos, entre otros, a acceder, rectificar, limitar y suprimir tus datos.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Usando este formulario, aceptas la PolĂtica de Privacidad *
TIRED OF WASTING TIME AND MONEY ON USELESS LANGUAGE COURSES?
Here on TurboLangs I tell you how to learn a language, fast and efficiently!
Weekly FCE Writing tasks, video lessons and quizzes to help you with Paper 2
Weekly update.
Get advice from exam writing experts Peter and Fiona with our weekly FCE writing task. See corrected answers submitted by students in our 'Makeover' page. Plus: vocabulary and grammar exercises to help you develop your writing skills!
Get a weekly reminder of the new Writing task by signing up to Flo-Joe's FREE "FCE EXAM SUCCESS Newsletter". You'll also receive a selection of the words that were tested in the Word Bank each week, tips on how to tackle the examination and promotional information about Flo-Joe products and services. Simply fill in your email below.
First name:
Fce resources to buy, model answers.
Find out more about Flo-Joe's "FCE Exam Success Plus!" for a modal answer to our Writing tasks.
Looking for feedback on your writing? Find out more about Flo-Joe's "FCE Writing Critique and Correction" service.
"This site really helped me to improve my written English, my reading skills and my vocabulary. I hope that it will also help me take my exam. Sigarteu Ioana-Cornelia, FCE student Romania
Helping you all the way.
You will find basically 4 types of essays in the B2 FIRST writing paper :
1) Issues in modern society : Obesity, smoking, pollution, etc.
2) Giving opinions and suggestions about the title : Learning a foreign language, Animals in zoos, etc.
3) Agree or disagree with the title (see table below)
4) Two options / Advantages/Disadvantages. (see table below)
FREE - DOWNLOAD this sheet in PDF format by clicking on the PDF icon below
Size : 97.371 Kb Type : pdf | |
b2 first, c1 advanced, writing test, essay topics, how to write an essay, How to Write an Essay for B2 First , how to structure your b2 first essay, essay structure, FCE essay, B2 First essay, CAE essay, c1 advanced essay, example essay, essay examples, b2 first essay common topics, essay topics, Common B2 First Essay Topics, writing an essay, structure of an essay, learn how to write an essay for B2 first, Cambridge English essay
Make a free website with Yola
B2 first exam format.
B2 First is a test of all areas of language ability.
The exam is made up of four papers developed to test your English language skills. You can see exactly whatâs in each paper below.
The Speaking test is taken face to face, with two candidates and two examiners. This creates a more realistic and reliable measure of your ability to use English to communicate.
The formats below are the same for both the digital and paper-based exams.
Paper | Content | Purpose |
---|---|---|
(1 hour 15 minutes) | parts/ questions | Shows you can deal confidently with different types of text, such as fiction, newspapers and magazines. Tests your use of English with tasks that show how well you can control your grammar and vocabulary. |
(1 hour 20 minutes) | parts | Requires you to be able to produce two different pieces of writing, such as letters, reports, reviews and essays. |
(about 40 minutes) | parts/ questions | Requires you to be able to follow and understand a range of spoken materials, such as news programmes, presentations and everyday conversations. |
| parts | Shows how good your spoken English is as you take part in conversation by asking/answering questions and discussing topics. Your Speaking test will be face to face with one or two other candidates and two examiners. One of the examiners (who could be online, examining remotely) talks to you and the other examiner listens. This makes your test more realistic and more reliable. Examiners may use their mobile phones for entering marks using an app. |
The B2 First Reading and Use of English paper is in seven parts and has a mix of text types and questions.
For Parts 1 to 4 , you read a range of texts and do grammar and vocabulary tasks.
For Parts 5 to 7 , you read a series of texts and answer questions that test your reading ability and show that you can deal with a variety of different types of texts.
Time allowed: | 1 hour 15 minutes |
---|---|
Number of parts: | 7 |
Number of questions: | 52 |
Marks: | 40% of total |
Length of texts: | About 2,200 words to read in total. |
Texts may be from: | Newspapers and magazines, journals, books (fiction and non-fiction), promotional and informational material. |
Part 1 (Multiple-choice cloze)
What's in Part 1? | A text with some multiple-choice questions. Each question has four options (A, B, C or D) â you have to decide which is the correct answer. |
---|---|
What do I have to practise? | Vocabulary â idioms, collocations, shades of meaning, phrasal verbs, fixed phrases etc. |
How many questions are there? | 8 |
How many marks are there? | 1 mark for each correct answer. |
Part 2 (Open cloze)
What's in Part 2? | A text in which there are some gaps, each of which represents one missing word. You have to think of the correct word for each gap. |
---|---|
What do I have to practise? | Grammar and vocabulary. |
How many questions are there? | 8 |
How many marks are there? | 1 mark for each correct answer. |
Part 3 (Word formation)
What's in Part 3? | A text containing eight gaps. Each gap represents a word. At the end of the line is a âpromptâ word which you have to change in some way to complete the sentence correctly. |
---|---|
What do I have to practise? | Vocabulary. |
How many questions are there? | 8 |
How many marks are there? | 1 mark for each correct answer. |
Part 4 (Key word transformations)
What's in Part 4? | Each question consists of a sentence followed by a âkeyâ word and a second sentence with a gap in the middle. You have to use this key word to complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence. |
---|---|
What do I have to practise? | Grammar and vocabulary. |
How many questions are there? | 6 |
How many marks are there? | Up to 2 marks for each correct answer. |
Part 5 (Multiple choice)
What's in Part 5? | A text with some multiple-choice questions. For each question, there are four options and you have to choose A, B, C or D. |
---|---|
What do I have to practise? | Reading for detail, opinion, tone, purpose, main idea, implication, attitude. |
How many questions are there? | 6 |
How many marks are there? | 2 marks for each correct answer. |
Part 6 (Gapped text)
What's in Part 6? | A single page of text with some numbered gaps which represent missing sentences. After the text there are some sentences which are not in the right order. You have to read the text and the sentences and decide which sentence best fits each gap. |
---|---|
What do I have to practise? | How to understand the structure and development of a text. |
How many questions are there? | 6 |
How many marks are there? | 2 marks for each correct answer. |
Part 7 (Multiple matching)
What's in Part 7? | A series of statements followed by a text divided into sections or several short texts. You have to match each statement to the section or text in which you can find the information. |
---|---|
What do I have to practise? | Reading for specific information, detail, opinion and attitude. |
How many questions are there? | 10 |
How many marks are there? | 1 mark for each correct answer. |
In the two parts of the B2 First Writing paper, you have to show that you can write different types of text in English.
Time allowed: | 1 hour 20 minutes |
---|---|
Number of parts: | 2 |
Number of questions: | Part 1: one compulsory question, Part 2: one question from a choice of three |
Types of task: | Articles, email, essay, letter, report, review. |
Part 1 (Compulsory question)
What's in Part 1? | Youâre given an essay title and two ideas clearly linked to the title. You write an essay giving your opinions about the title, using the ideas given. You must also add a third, different idea of your own linked to the title. The title will be a subject of general interest â you wonât need any specialised knowledge. |
---|---|
What do I have to practise? | Using language functions, such as evaluating, expressing opinions, hypothesising, justifying, persuading. |
How many questions are there? | One compulsory question. |
How much do I have to write? | 140â190 words |
Part 2 (Situationally based writing task)
What's in Part 2? | You write a text from a choice of text types â article, email/letter, report or review. To guide your writing, youâll be given information about context, topic purpose and target reader. |
---|---|
What do I have to practise? | Writing different types of text that could be included in the exam. |
How many questions are there? | One task to be selected from a choice of three. |
How much do I have to write? | 140â190 words |
The B2 First Listening paper has four parts. For each part you have to listen to a recorded text or texts and answer some questions. You hear each recording twice.
Time allowed: | About 40 minutes |
---|---|
Number of parts: | 4 |
Number of questions: | 30 |
Marks: | 20% total |
Recordings may be from: | Monologues: answer phone messages, radio broadcasts and features, news, public announcements, stories and anecdotes, lectures and talks; or interacting speakers: conversations, interviews, discussions, radio plays. |
Part 1 (Multiple choice)
What's in Part 1? | Eight short extracts from monologues or conversations between interacting speakers. There is one multiple-choice question for each extract, and you have to choose A, B or C. |
---|---|
What do I have to practise? | Listening for feeling, attitude, opinion, purpose, function, agreement, gist and detail. |
How many questions are there? | 8 |
How many marks are there? | 1 mark for each correct answer. |
Part 2 (Sentence completion)
What's in Part 2? | A monologue (which may be introduced by a presenter) lasting approximately 3 minutes. You have to complete the sentences on the question paper with the missing information which you hear on the recording. |
---|---|
What do I have to practise? | Listening for specific information, stated opinion. |
How many questions are there? | 10 |
How many marks are there? | 1 mark for each correct answer. |
Part 3 (Multiple matching)
What's in Part 3? | A series of five themed monologues of approximately 30 seconds each. On the question paper, you have to select five correct options from a list of eight possible answers. |
---|---|
What do I have to practise? | Listening for gist, attitude, opinion, purpose, feeling, main points and detail. |
How many questions are there? | 5 |
How many marks are there? | 1 mark for each correct answer. |
Part 4 (Multiple choice)
What's in Part 4? | A conversation between two or more speakers of approximately 3â4 minutes. You have to answer some multiple-choice questions by choosing the correct answer from three options (A, B or C). |
---|---|
What do I have to practise? | Listening for attitude, opinion, detail, gist, main idea and specific information. |
How many questions are there? | 7 |
How many marks are there? | 1 mark for each correct answer. |
The B2 First Speaking test has four parts and you take it together with another candidate.
There are two examiners. One of the examiners asks you questions and gives you the booklet with things to talk about. The other examiner listens to what you say.
Time allowed: | 14 minutes per pair of candidates |
---|---|
Number of parts: | 4 |
Marks: | 20% total |
You have to talk: | with the examiner with the other candidate on your own |
Part 1 (Interview)
What's in Part 1? | Conversation with the examiner. The examiner asks questions and you may have to give information about your interests, studies, career, etc. |
---|---|
What do I have to practise? | Giving information about yourself and expressing your opinion about various topics. |
How long do I have to speak? | 2 minutes |
Part 2 (Long turn)
What's in Part 2? | The examiner gives you two photographs and asks you to talk about them. You have to speak for 1 minute without interruption and the interlocutor then asks the other candidate to comment on your photographs for about 30 seconds. The other candidate receives a different set of photographs and you have to listen and comment when they have finished speaking. The question you have to answer about your photographs is written at the top of the page to remind you what you should talk about. |
---|---|
What do I have to practise? | Talking on your own about something: comparing, describing, expressing opinions, speculating. |
How long do I have to speak? | 1 minute per candidate |
Part 3 (Collaborative task)
What's in Part 3? | Conversation with the other candidate. The examiner gives you some material and a task to do. You have to talk with the other candidate and make a decision. |
---|---|
What do I have to practise? | Exchanging ideas, expressing and justifying opinions, agreeing and/or disagreeing, suggesting, speculating, evaluating, reaching a decision through negotiation, etc. |
How long do we have to speak? | 3 minutes (a 2-minute discussion followed by a 1-minute decision-making task) |
Part 4 (Discussion)
What's in Part 4? | Further discussion with the other candidate, guided by questions from the examiner, about the topics or issues raised in the task in Part 3. |
---|---|
What do I have to practise? | Expressing and justifying opinions, agreeing and/or disagreeing. |
How long do we have to speak? | 4 minutes |
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
Article navigation: B2 First (FCE) Essay: Example Topics / Questions B2 First (FCE) Essay: Download (PDF) An essay is a piece of writing in which you are asked to discuss a topic that might be controversial or relevant somehow. It usually follows a class discussion. The language of an English essay should be formal.Also, make sure that you justify all your ideas and that you use appropriate ...
FCE Essays - Sample/model answers and examiner comments. An essay is always written for the teacher. It should answer the question given by addressing both content points and providinga new content point of the writer's own. The essay should be well organised, with an introduction and an appropriate conclusion,and should be written in an appropriate register and tone
Your essay isn't going to change the world, so don't go overboard. Once you've got a structure that works, rinse and repeat with different topics until you can consistently produce a well-polished text. The materials. Here are three First (FCE) essay questions. They have been designed using typical FCE essay topics for B2 level.
Part 1 of the writing test - there are 2 parts total. 140-190 word limit. You have about 40 minutes to plan and write your essay. You must answer a question using two notes and your own idea. The topic requires general knowledge only. The essay is always formal because it is written "for your teacher".
B2 First (FCE) Essay: Tips. Plan your essay before you write. Make sure you know how to comment on all the points that are asked. Invent information if you don't have any ideas. Divide the essay into paragraphs - put one answer in one paragraph. Use advanced vocabulary when you can and formal language.
These three paragraphs are called the body of the essay. However, an essay wouldn't be an essay without an introduction at the beginning and a conclusion at the end. All together that's five paragraphs and we could structure it like this: With an introduction, body and conclusion every essay has three main parts.
EXAM PART: First (FCE) Writing Part 1 - Essay. EXAM SKILLS: Improving content and communicative achievement in essay writing. TOPIC: Lifestyle (living in the city vs living in the countryside) TIME: 30 minutes + 45 minutes writing (in-class or for homework) PREPARATION: One copy of the worksheet per student.
Yes, we have. The first sentence of the essay tells you what the entire essay will be about. Then, each paragraph's topic sentence contains a key word from our plan. We have 'taxes,' 'opportunities' and 'economy'. Also, the topic sentences and paragraphs all reference the idea of 'education', either directly or indirectly.
Each paragraph has a clear purpose: Introduction: it introduces the topic in a general way and it leads to the second paragraph (first idea). Paragraph 2: it deals with idea 1. Paragraph 3: it deals with idea 2. Paragraph 4: it deals with idea 3. Conclusion: we express our opinion to conclude and summarise the essay.
Cambridge First (FCE) Writing part 1 (essay) Difficulty level: B2 /Upper Intermediate. Write 140-190 words in an appropriate style. In your English class you have been talking about old people in society. Now your English teacher has asked you to write an essay.
The test has two sections and takes about 80 minutes: Part 1 - write an essay based on prompts. Part 2 - write one from a choice of 3 questions: an article, an essay, a letter, a report, a review, a story. Scoring. Each of the two writing parts are marked out of 20. There are five marks for each of the following: Content, Communicative ...
Cambridge B2 First (FCE) - Writing. The B2 First Writing test has a duration of 1 hour 20 minutes and consists of two parts, and it accounts for 20% of the total score.. The first part has one compulsory question. In the second part, there are three questions, and you must choose one.. Candidates are required to write an essay of about 140-190 words in each part.
Test 1 / 25. Answer the question below. Write 140 - 190 words in an appropriate style. Your teacher has asked you to write an essay on the dangers of social media, and how people can protect themselves. Do you think social media can be dangerous? Write your essay using all the notes.
FCE Essay Question 1. Part 1 - You must answer this question. Write your answer in 140-190 words in an appropriate style. You have been discussing environmental topics in a university lecture. Your professor has asked you to write an essay. Write an essay using the notes below and give reasons to support your ideas.
FCE Writing: Essay. The Essay is the only component of Part 1 of the Writing. It's compulsory. In it, you have to talk about a topic, mentioning two points you're provided plus a point of your own. đïž In other words, in an essay you give info, you explain your viewpoint, you compare and contrast. Example:
Get advice from exam writing experts Peter and Fiona with our weekly FCE writing task. See corrected answers submitted by students in our 'Makeover' page. Plus: vocabulary and grammar exercises to help you develop your writing skills! This week's FCE writing task; Writing makeovers; Linking words; Formal expressions for letter writing; Proofreading
ideas for different topics will be very useful practice for this. If any of the three essay prompts is missed out, then the target reader will not be fully informed and the candidate will be penalised. For more tips download Cambridge English: First (FCE) from 2015 Teaching Tips. How do you prepare your students for writing essays? Send us your ...
B2 First (FCE) Article: Writing Topics (PDF) The goal of an article is usually to talk about a topic you like or in which you are an expert. Also, your article should aim to keep the reader engaged and, in some cases, recommend whatever it is you are talking about. Articles are usually expected to be less formal than essays. Because they are ...
B2 FIRST ESSAY - COMMON TOPICS. Helping you all the way. You will find basically 4 types of essays in the B2 FIRST writing paper : 1) Issues in modern society : Obesity, smoking, pollution, etc. 2) Giving opinions and suggestions about the title : Learning a foreign language, Animals in zoos, etc. 3) Agree or disagree with the title (see table ...
Cambridge B2 First (FCE) Exam Topics. Sport. Sport is a popular topic in the B2 First exam, particularly in the speaking paper where candidates will often have... view lessons. Environment. The environment is a popular topic in the B2 First exam where you will be expected to express your opinion... view lessons.
The B2 First Reading and Use of English paper is in seven parts and has a mix of text types and questions. For Parts 1 to 4, you read a range of texts and do grammar and vocabulary tasks. For Parts 5 to 7, you read a series of texts and answer questions that test your reading ability and show that you can deal with a variety of different types ...
B2 First (FCE) Report: Writing Topics (PDF) A report is usually written for a superior (e.g. a teacher) or a peer group (e.g. members of an English club). You need to give some factual information and make suggestions or recommendations. A report should be clearly organised and include a title and headings. Use an impersonal and semi-formal style.
The goal of an article is usually to talk about a topic you like or in which you are an expert. Also, your article should aim to keep the reader engaged and, in some cases, recommend whatever it is you are talking about. âą Language. Articles are usually expected to be less formal than essays.