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FCE
WRITING GUIDE Structure
Text type definitions
Writing useful phrases
Samples & activities
Assessment scale
Avoiding repetition
Formal & Informal Language
Punctuation rules
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21 | www.brays-ingles.com
FCE Paper 2 Writing How to pass the Cambridge
First Certificate Writing Section
6. Writing essays
Introduction and tips (Writing essays)
· ANSWER THE QUESTION· PLAN your essay
· REVISE your essay to correct mistakes.
· 4 or 5 PARAGRAPHS, with Introduction and Conclusion
· The first paragraph should be a general introduction to the subject
· Develop your arguments in the middle paragraphs
· Give reasons to support your argument
· Use a variety of discussive words and phrases
· Give examples where possible
·
Use formal language· Don't use contractions (we're, I've etc.)
· Sum up your argument in the final paragraph
· The final paragraph is the best place to express your opinion clearly.
Useful Phrases (Writing articles)
Presenting two advantages or disadvantages together:
· not only … but … also · not only … but also
Presenting two opposing views:
· on the one hand, on the other hand
Expressing Contrast:
· nevertheless · even so · even though · however · in spite of · despite · but · although
Writing essays
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22 | www.brays-ingles.com
FCE Paper 2 Writing How to pass the Cambridge
First Certificate Writing Section
Expressing results:
· because of this · therefore · thus ·
as a result · for this reason · consequently
Giving examples:
· such as · like · for example · for instance
Expressing the opinion of someone else:
· some people say · some people say that · many people say · many people say that · people often say · it is said · it is said that
· according to
Sample Questions (Writing articles)
1. You have done a project on transport in your English class. Your teacher hasasked you to write an essay giving your opinions on the following statement.
Because cars are so convenient public transport has no future.
Write your essay in 120-180 words in an appropriate style.
2. You have had a discussion on fashion in your English class. Your teacher hasasked you to write an essay, giving your opinions on the following statement.
Young people never want to dress the same as their parents
Write your essay in 120-180 words in an appropriate style.
Writing essays
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DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LETTER OF APPLICATION & COVER LETTER
Cover letter
Many employers will ask you to write to them or phone them for an application form and
further details when they advertise jobs. Sometimes you will be asked to send your CV or
resume.
Your CV or curriculum vitae lists your educational and career history and is a useful
summary for an employer of all your educational and employment achievements up to the
present time. You must always ensure that it is up to date.
A covering letter may then be very useful because you can enclose it with your CV or acompleted application form. In your covering letter you can draw attention to particular
information which you wish to highlight. Such a covering letter might look like this:
Dear Mr Sorefoot
ashion Shop Manager
Please find enclosed my completed application form for the above position.
As you will see from my form, I have ten years experience with Bates Retailas a Fashion Shop Manager.
I look forward to hearing from you and hope that you will be able to inviteme for an interview. I can be contacted at any time by phone, fax or emailat work or at home. I would very much welcome an opportunity to discussmy application in greater detail and convince you that I am the right person
for the job.
Yours sincerely
Frances Slimwaist
If you have filled in an application form you do not need to send a CV because all the relevantinformation should be on your form.
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Letter of application
If you are responding to a job advertisement you may be asked to write a letter of application.
This is the letter which lists all your work experience and qualifications and should also
explain why you want the job.
Structure:
Greeting
Dear .......... ,
Introduction
Begin your letter by telling the reader where you saw the advertisement:
I am writing to apply for the post of Fashion Shop Manager advertised inthe 'News Shopper' of 14 February 2002.
Main body
(2nd paragraph) You would then go on to list your experience and relevant qualifications:
I have worked in the retail industry for a total of ten years, first as a salesassistant in a department store and for the last three years as a SectionHead and Deputy Manager at Jones the Bootmaker.
(3rd
paragraph) You might then go on to mention the particular abilities and skills that you
have:
I believe I have all the skills, knowledge and expertise that you are looking for. I have lots of retail initiative, can schedule and prioritise tasks and canwork to strict deadlines. I also work particularly well with people and wouldenjoy leading the team and working with clients and customers.
(4th paragraph) Say why you are particularly interested in this job:
I am applying for this position as I am looking to progress from junior tosenior management. I have always been interested in the latest fashion
trends and developments and I believe your organisation is a well-runquality fashion business. I would very much like to work for your company.
Final paragraph
(Final line)You might then close the letter with the following formula.
I look forward to hearing from you and hope that you will be able to inviteme for an interview.
(Closing) Close the letter
Yours faithfullyYour sincerely
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/learnit/learnitv176.shtml
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7. Writing reportsWriting reports
Introduction and tips (Writing reports)
ANSWER THE QUESTION
PLAN your report.
Make sure you have at least 4 paragraphs.
Every paragraph should have a heading which explains what the paragraph is about.
You first paragraph heading will be INTRODUCTION and your last, CONCLUSION or RECOMMENDATIONS
Use formal language.
Use impersonal language: the 3rd person, “it” constructions and/or the passive voice:
Do not use contractions.
Try to make recommendations in the final paragraph.
REVISE your report to correct mistakes.
Useful phrases (Writing reports)
Headings - to include:
Introduction
Subject of each paragraph
Conclusion or recommendation(s)
Introductory Paragraph:
The aim of this report is to outline …and to make some recommendations on...
This report outlines (the issues, etc)
This report is intended to inform about….
Recommending:
You may wish to consider …… It is therefore recommended that…(present clause)
It needs… A conditional clause : (The museum, the club, etc) would have a brighter future if its (displays, facilities,etc)were improved or If the opening hours could be extended and the prices reduced slightly, the new café wouldundoubtly be more popular with students.
It is clear that…
Use of impersonal tone:
3rd person examples: (some examples have been taken from text act. 1 p. 44, a sample answer for act. 5 p. 45)
The lack of choice puts manystudents off using the café
There is nowhere to sitcomfortably...
The majority of the people claimed that...
The opening hours are toolimited...
The tables and chairs in the presentcafé are old and basic
These explanations are difficult to read...
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“It” constructions examples:
It could be argued that It appears that
It can be seen that It is clear that
It was found that It seems that
It is doubtful that It is widely accepted that
Passive voice examples
If possible, this needs to be reviewedVegetarians feel that theyare not being catered
for...
The (museum, the club, etc) would have abrighter future if its (displays, facilities,etc)were improved
The opening hours couldbe extended
.
25 | Adapted from: www.brays-ingles.com FCE Paper 2 Writing How to pass the Cambridge First Certificate Writing Section
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FCE & CAE- WritingCohesion and avoiding repetitionhttp://www.dcielts.com/ielts-writing/cohesion-and-avoiding-repetition/
This lesson shows you different ways you can improve the cohesion of your writing
and avoiding repetition – killing two birds with one stone. These are extremely
important skills to master and the good news is that much of the language you
need here is simple language. Simple is very often best.
See how it works
This paragraph is a model of how you should write your sentences and paragraphs
so that they are cohesive and avoid repetition. As you read it, you should see there
are different ways I link my sentences together. Most of techniques have something
in common in that I use a word in every sentence that links back to something that
has come earlier. What this means is that the readers finds it easier to follow my
argument, because as they read they can make the connections between my
sentences. This is cohesion. You might also notice that I tend not to repeat words
very often, but that I do choose words with a similar meaning which is also
something you should aim to do. There areseveral different ways I achieve this.
Perhaps the most important one is by the use of pronouns which are among the
most common words in English. Although you should also not forget about using
synonyms and different word forms – two more advanced language skills.Think about pronouns
Pronouns are words such as:
he/she/it
this/that/these/those
one
both
The way these words work is that they refer back to something already mentioned and
replace that word. So used well, they help you avoid repeating words and link your writing.
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Former/latter/respectively/suchThese words work in much the same way and are typical of more academic writing.
You should note:
former and latter are used with the
such is typically used with a word following it: e.g. “such a case”
There and then
Another way you can use this type of linking language is when you are writing
about times and places. The key words here are “there” and “then”, though you can
also use “at that time” and “in that country”
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Synonyms
This is a key technique. The idea is that you don’t repeat the word, you use another
similar word or phrase. Very often, you will need to use phrases and not individual
words to do this well.
Change of word form
Sometimes it is often enough to change the form of the word from a verb to a noun
or a noun to an adjective. By doing this, you are showing how you can use
language flexibly. You should note that when you are learning words, you should
learn the different forms of the words (see my academic word list exercises for
more on this).
Read more: Cohesion and avoiding repetition | http://www.dcielts.com/ielts-
writing/cohesion-and-avoiding-repetition/#ixzz428oE1UqcUnder Creative Commons License: Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives
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FCE & CAE WRITING
FORMAL & INFORMAL ENGLISH
http://www.engvid.com/english-resource/formal-informal-english/
Formal English: We use it when writing essays for school, cover letters to apply for jobs, or
emails and letters at work.
Informal English: We use it with friends, children, and relatives.
The following list will help you to recognize the informal and formal ways of saying the same
thing. The list is divided into sections of: verbs, transitions, emphasis words, abbreviations, and
slang.
Verbs – Informal & Formal
Informal Formal
say sorry apologize, apologise
go up increase
go down decrease
set up establish
look at examine
blow up explode
find out discover
bring about cause
put off postpone, delay
rack up accumulate
make up fabricate
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Informal Formal
stand for represent
find out discover, ascertain
leave out omit
point out indicate
go against oppose
get in touch with contact
It’s about It concerns, It’s in regards to
need to required
think about consider
get obtain
put up tolerate
deal with handle
seem appear
show demonstrate, illustrate, portray
start commence
keep retain
free release
get on someone’s nerves bother
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Informal Formal
ring up call
show up arrive
let permit
fill in substitute, inform
block undermine
give the go ahead, greenlight authorize, authorise
Transitions – Informal & Formal
Informal Formal
Anyways Nevertheless
Plus/Also Moreover/ Furthermore
But However
So Therefore/Thus
Also In addition, Additionally
ASAPas soon as possible/at your earliest
convenience
Okay, OK acceptable
In the meantime In the interim
I think In my opinion,
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Informal Formal
In the end, Finally
To sum up In conclusion,
In a nutshell/Basically To summarize,
Anyway, Notwithstanding
All right Acceptable
Well,
To top it all off,
On top of it all,
In order to
Emphasis Words – Informal & Formal
Informal Formal
lots of/ a lot of much, many
tons of, heaps of large quantities of, a number of
totally completely, strongly
really, very definitely
Letter Expressions – Informal & Formal
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Informal Formal
Hi Robert, Dear Sir or Madam
Just wanted to let you know… I am writing to inform you…
Love, Yours sincerely, Yours faithfully,
Cheers,
Yours Truly, Best regards, kind regards
Hope to hear from you soon I look forward to hearing from you
You can call me if you need anything Please do not hesitate to contact me
Abbreviations – Informal & Formal
Informal Formal
ASAP as soon as possible
T.V. television
photo photograph
cell cell phone
net Internet
Slang – Informal & Formal
Informal Formal
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Informal Formal
kids children
bad negative
good positive
really big considerable
right correct
wrong incorrect
smart intelligent
cheap inexpensive
loaded rich
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PUNCTUATION RULES
1. Use capital letters:a) At the beginning of every sentence.
b) For proper nouns, abbreviations of proper nouns, names of languages and nationalities,
days, months and the pronoun “I”.Don’t use capital letters for other words.
Example:On Monday and Wednesday Juan and I go to our English class at the University of Seville. Our
first exam is going to be in February.
2. Use a period/full stop, question mark or exclamation point/mark at the end of everysentence (only one per sentence). Don’t put a question mark or exclamation point/mark at
the beginning of the sentence. Don’t join sentences with commas.
Examples:Incorrect:- ¿Where did you go on holiday?!!!
- We went to Kenya, the weather was good, we went on a safari, we took photographs of the
wild animals. ¡It was very exciting!
Correct:- Where did you go on holiday?
- We went to Kenya. The weather was good. We went on a safari and took photographs of
the wild animals. It was very exciting!
3. Don’t end a list of words or a sentence with suspension points.
Examples:Incorrect:I saw the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower,Versailles. . . when I was in Paris.
I had dinner with my parents, my grandparents, my brother . . .
On the flight you can drink coffee, tea, Coke . . .
Correct:I saw the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower and Versailles when I was in Paris.
I saw the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Versailles and other interesting places when I was in Paris.
I had dinner with my parents, my grandparents and my brother.
I had dinner with my parents, my grandparents and other relatives.
On the flight you can drink coffee, tea or Coke.
4. Don’t put a comma after “so” or “but” in sentences like these:
Examples:Incorrect:I was hungry so, I ate a hamburger.
I wanted a hamburger but, I didn’t have any money.
Correct:I was hungry, so I ate a hamburger.
I wanted a hamburger, but I didn’t have any money.
5. Put a comma when a) making lists
ExampleI like playing tennis, listening to music and watching TV.
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b) To separate adjectives when there are a number of adjectives before the noun
ExampleHe’s an enthusiastic, hard-working student.
6. Put a comma after “for example”, “however”, “moreover”, “nevertheless”, “in fact”, “as a
result”, “later”, “therefore”, “all in all”, “generally”, “finally”, “in my opinion”, etc. and after a
time phrase at the beginning of a sentence. Put a comma after “Also” and “Besides” if they
are at the beginning of a sentence.
Examples:He was tired. However, he couldn’t sleep.
He likes lots of sports. For example, he plays football, basketball and tennis and goes
swimming every week.
He was hungry. Also, he was very tired.
He was hungry. Besides, he was very tired.
In 2014, he left school and went to university.
7. Put a comma before and after a non-defining relative clause. Don’t put a comma before
defining clauses:
Examples: My friend John, who went to the same school as me, has just written a best-selling novel (non-defining)
He gave me the letter which/that was in a blue envelope (defining)
8. When you put the subordinator at the beginning of a clause to introduce the main clause,
you need to put a comma between the two clauses. When you put a subordinator betweentwo clauses to connect them, you should not use any punctuation
Examples:
Before he turned on the TV, he did his homework.He did his homework before he turned on the TV.
When everyone in a family helps with the housework, they have a better relationship.
They have a better relationships when everyone in a family helps with the housework.
Sources: - http://institucional.us.es/aiidi/ Área de inglés (IDI)- Compiled by author