WRITING

How to write an Essay for First Writing part 1

“An essay is always written for the teacher. It should answer the question given by addressing both content points
and providing a 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.”
from: Cambridge English First Handbook for Teachers
An essay is an opinion writing with which we analyse a topic, a situation or an issue from different
points of view, providing different arguments and expressing our opinion about it. For this reason,
an essay must have the following features:

● Purpose: What we usually do with an essay is to analyse and assess a topic, situation or
issue which, in some way, is interesting or controversial. It is normally set as a writing task
after a class debate. In the exam, you have to imagine the debate, obviously.

● Tone and style: Given that you’re writing about a serious or controversial issue, an essay
is written in a formal style, so we must stick to an objective tone and style. Our language
must be formal, thus avoiding words that are simply too common or generic (E.g.: things, stuff,
get, etc.) and contractions (E.g.: can’t, don’t, won’t, etc.).

● Structure: Like every piece of writing, an essay must present a defined structure. For
starters, we can choose either to give it a title or not. Personally, I would say that it is more
appropriate to have an essay with title. Then, the body must be divided into introduction,
idea 1, idea 2, idea 3 and conclusion. This means that, in general, essays must have 5
paragraphs, although it is not entirely necessary.
● Opinion: There are countless ways of expressing your opinion in an essay, so you must
choose the one that suits you best. However, it is advisable to remain impartial throughout
your writing and give your opinion only in the last paragraph, as a conclusion. But, as I
say, it is optional. The most important thing is that you justify everything you say in your essay.

● Coherence: Coherence is essential in every type of writing, but especially in an essay. As it

tends to be an argumentative text, you must avoid writing incoherent paragraphs that have
nothing to do with one another. Your ideas must follow a logical order and be well
connected with appropriate linkers.

● Number of words: you are expected to write your article in 140 – 190 words, no more or less than
any other type of FCE Writing task.
 Instructions of an Essay

The essay has a title and 5 paragraphs

(introduction + idea 1 + idea 2 + idea 3 +
conclusion).
If we stop to read the essay more carefully, we’ll notice the following things:

● The paragraphs are visual and well defined, which is very important.

● The title summarises the topic of the essay. Another option is to use the question (What can
people do to help protect the environment?) as title. However, it usually tends to be too long,
so I prefer to summarise it into a shorter heading.

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.
● uses connectors to define the development of the essay: firstly, second, finally, etc.
● It doesn’t use many contractions or pet words.
● Among the useful expressions, we can highlight the following:
○ One of the things that
○ In the last few decades,
○ For this reason,
○ First, / Second, / Third,
○ Finally,
○ By doing so,
○ For example,
○ In conclusion,
How to Write an Article for First Writing Part 2

“An article is usually written for an English-language magazine or newsletter, and the reader is assumed to have
similar interests to the writer. The main purpose is to interest and engage the reader, so there should be some
opinion or comment.”

from: Cambridge English First Handbook for Teachers

Let’s take a look at the characteristics of an article for FCE Writing Part 2:

● Purpose of an article: The aim of an article is usually to talk about a topic that we like or that we are
familiar with. Besides, one of the features that articles have as opposed to other FCE Writing tasks is
that an article must entertain the reader and, almost always, recommend the thing we are talking
about.

● Language: In general, an article is more informal than an essay, although it will depend on where it is
supposed to be published (an international magazine, a teenage magazine, a college magazine, an
online blog, a newspaper, etc.). However, the most common case is that we must write a text in an
informal or colloquial style. For this reason, our tone must be relaxed, making use of contractions,
phrasal verbs and other colloquial expressions. Besides, it is recommended to use rhetorical questions
and exclamation marks to engage the reader. You should also address the reader directly in the second
person (you, your) and can make jokes if you think they are appropriate.
● Structure: Articles must always have a title. If possible, this must be catchy and witty so as to engage
the reader. Then, each paragraph must address a single idea, to which you must add the introduction
and the conclusion, where you are usually expected to make a recommendation. It is also a good idea
to end your article with a rhetorical question, especially if it is going to be an online article where people
could (in theory) leave a comment.

● Giving your opinion: An article is almost exclusively about giving your opinion, so feel free to do so
through the whole piece of writing. As you are normally asked to write about something you like or
enjoy, opinions are expected to be generally positive. Any article for FCE is usually a very personal
piece of writing, so you can speak in the first person as much as you like.

● Common topics: You may be asked to write articles on a variety of topics: the Internet, health and
fitness, music, plays, hobbies, etc.

● Number of words: you are expected to write your article in 140 – 190 words, no more or less than
any other type of FCE Writing task.
 Instructions of an Article for the FCE Writing Paper

It is extremely important to read the instructions

carefully, as you are supposed to obtain all the
information you need to write the article. In this case
we can see the following:

● Where our article will be published: a

local magazine
● Topic: their favourite things about the
Internet
● Main ideas: things you do with the
internet, recommend a website
If we take a close look at this sample article for FCE, we can see the following features:

● It is visually appealing: The structure is clear, leaving space between paragraphs and defining a
clear introduction and conclusion.
● Each paragraph has a clear objective, as my comments in red indicate.
○ The introduction presents the topic in a general way, but making clear what the article is
about: the Internet.
○ The second paragraph talks about why I like the Internet and one of the things that I like
about it.
○ The third paragraph makes a recommendation of a website, explaining why I like it so
much.
○ The conclusion is a summary of sorts and asks the reader for some feedback on their own
preferences regarding the use of the Internet.

● The language is informal:

○ Phrasal verbs: put you up, check out.
○ Contractions: Isn’t that fantastic?
○ Colloquial phrases: one of the cool things, I totally recommend it, etc.
○ We address the reader directly: What about you?
○ Exclamation marks: …find the answer!
If you want to know how to write an article for FCE, it is very important to have a repository of useful expressions
ready to use. So here are some which can come in handy:

● Rhetorical questions: ● Introducing new ideas:

○ Have you ever…? ○ Firstly,
○ Do you ever wonder…? ○ First,
○ What do you think about…? ○ In the rst place,
○ Are you a… like me? ○ To begin with,
○ Are you one of those people who…? ○ The coolest thing about
○ What would you say if I told you that…? ○ What attracts me most
○ One thing to consider is
○ Another consideration is
● Concluding the ○ Secondly,
article: ○ As for
○ In conclusion, ○ As to
○ On the whole, ○ Also,
○ To sum up, ○ As regards
○ To conclude, ○ In addition,
○ All in all, ○ In addition to that,
○ … you will not ○ Moreover,
regret it!
How to write a Report for First Writing part 2

“A report is usually written for a superior (e.g. a teacher) or a peer group (e.g. members of an English club). Candidates are expected to give some
factual information and make suggestions or recommendations. A report should be clearly organised and may include headings.”
from: Cambridge English First Handbook for Teachers
Let’s take a look at the characteristics of an article for FCE Writing Part 2:

● Purpose of a report: the purpose of a report is to inform about something, especially an event or an experience
that has taken place in the past. In addition, a report analyzes a topic point by point and, in general, highlights
those relevant positive and negative aspects, and offers recommendations to improve the negative aspects.

● Tone and linguistic register: A report should always be formal. Usually, it is a text that we are going to write for a
superior: a teacher, a boss, a director, etc. Therefore, the tone and register should always be formal. Although at
B2 level it is not necessary to use very advanced formal English formulas, it is convenient to carry out basic
measures of formal English such as avoiding contractions, not using very generic words such as “good” or “thing”,
writing from a point of view. neutral view, etc.

● Opinions: In general, a report does not include opinions in the form of personal reflection. That is, we will have to
analyze something from our point of view, but being as objective as possible. For this reason, and also to make it
more formal, we tend to avoid expressing our personal opinion as we would in an article or in a review. Although
this, as in almost all Writing, will always depend on the context, the theme and the way the report is approached.

● Recommendations: One of the basic parts of any report are recommendations or suggestions. As it is a text in
which we analyze different points of an event or past experience, we will always have to offer some
recommendation for improvement. In fact, the statement always usually mentions the need to offer some
recommendation.
● Common themes: Although it is difficult to find a typical theme for reports, it is true that themes such as
excursions or tourist visits, exchange programs, things that a visitor to your city can do or find, etc. are often
repeated.

● Number of words: Like all B2 Writings, the report should be between 140-190 words approximately.
 ● A report will have the main title and a heading for each section or paragraph. Each of these headings is
simply limited to describing the subject of the paragraph or section it introduces.

● The first and last paragraphs can always be Introduction and Recommendations / Conclusion, although this
is obviously not required.

Let’s take a look at a typical structure of a FCE report:

● Title: This is an objective and descriptive title of the content of the report.
● Introduction: Here the objective of the report is briefly explained (what it is about) and what points are going to
be analyzed.
● Point 1: First aspect to analyze.
● Point 2: Second aspect to analyze.
● Point 3: Third aspect to analyze. We will not always have 3 points, as it depends on the content and instructions
of the task.
● Recommendations or conclusion
 ● Recommendations or conclusion: This last point can be raised in two ways:

1) As recommendations: offering ideas to improve the deficiencies expressed in points 1-3. In this case, each point
has only talked about the good or bad things about the topic we are analyzing, without offering any recommendation or
suggestion.

2) In conclusion: offering a summary of everything expressed in points 1-3. That is, if in points 1-3 we have not made
recommendations for improvement, it is necessary that the last section be about recommendations. On the other hand,
if each point already offers a recommendation, it is not necessary to repeat it at the end, so we can make a summary
as a conclusion.
 Instructions of a report

If we read the instructions carefully, we can deduce the following:

Writing Type: report

Target reader: your teacher
Theme: transport facilities in your area
Points:
Point 1: describe existing transport facilities
Point 2: what’s good
Point 3: what’s bad
Recommendations: suggest how they could be improved
If you look at the previous Report, we can see the following:

● Clear visual presentation: I always put a lot of emphasis on this aspect, and it is that I consider it fundamental.
Obviously, in the exam you will not present it in table form or in bold as I have done. I have done this so you can see
exactly how I have followed the structure. But you should use headings, paragraphs and spaces correctly so that, at
a first glance, the proofreader knows how your text is organized. In fact, since you will not be able to use bold in the
exam, you can use capital letters for the title and headings. This is how the division will be clearly seen. And
remember, no endless blocks of words without paragraphs or spaces!

● Purpose of each paragraph / section: Each section is introduced by its title and this perfectly summarizes the
content that we are going to read. This is essential since it offers a logical organization to the text and facilitates its
reading and, above all, its understanding.

● Tone: This is a formal or standard record. Note that there are no contractions, no informal terms. Also, I only
explicitly include myself in the text in the recommendations, when I say “I recommend…”. Finally, it should be noted
that the lexicon of the text, in general, is quite standard and the tone is very aseptic, without any emotion
Useful expressions for a report

● Expressions for introduction:

The aim of this report is to present… / to analyze…
The purpose of this report is to outline… / to talk about…
In this report, we will go over… / we will see how…
● Expressions for purpose,
● Expressions to list points: reason and consequence:
Firstly, / Secondly, Therefore,
In the first place, For this / that reason,
As regards…, / Regarding…, As it turned out,
Finally, As a consequence,
In order to…,
● Expressions for contrast:
However,
On the other hand,
In contrast,
How to write an Email/Letter for First Writing part 2

“An email/a letter is written in response to the situation outlined in the question. Letters and emails in the B2 First Writing paper will require a response which is
consistently appropriate in register and tone for the specified target reader. Candidates can expect to be asked to write letters or emails to, for example, an
English-speaking friend or colleague, a potential employer, a college principal or a magazine editor.”

from: Cambridge English First Handbook for Teachers

An email is an example of an interactive writing, which means that we are writing to someone rather
than just for someone to read.

● Purpose of an informal email: The purpose of an informal email will depend on each
task. Some tasks ask you to provide your friend with some important information, while
others might ask you to ask for some advice. It is common for a friend or relative to ask you
something about the place where you live, while saying that they will be visiting soon.

● Language: Given that we are writing to a friend or close relative, our language will be
relaxed and friendly. We could call it informal language if you want. So we will be making
use of contracted forms, common phrasal verbs, colloquial expressions and even flexible
punctuation (E.g.: using em dashes “–”)

● Structure: One of the cool things about emails is that they always follow the same
structure. In general terms, we always need an opening and a closing formula; an
introductory and closing paragragh; and the body, which will consist of as many
paragraphs as ideas you are asked to discuss.
● Common topics: Many informal emails to friends and relatives deal with giving advice on a
certain subject, such as visiting your hometown, keeping fit, advice on which cities to
visit in your country, organising a party for a mutual friend, etc. Sometimes, these topics
may appear in combination.

● Number of words: like all FCE Writing tasks, informal emails should be written in 140 – 190
words.
 Instructions of an informal email

It is extremely important to pay careful attention to

these instructions, because it is here where we
have to find out what to talk about in our email.

● The addressee: an English friend of

yours
● The context: is visiting your city next
summer
● The main ideas/paragraphs: tell him
about the places he should visit / and
the clothes / invite him to stay with you
If we take a quick look at the email above, we can see the following features:

● The email layout is extremely clear. This is easily achieved by using opening and closing
formulas and paragraphs, a signature, and allowing some space between all the
semi-independent paragraphs.

Each paragraph has a clear purpose, which in this case is marked in red.

● The opening and closing formulas are used to say “hi” and “goodbye” in a polite way.

● The introductory paragraph is typically used to react to news (It’s great to hear from you… /
I’m so excited about...) and to introduce the topic of our email.

● The main body deals with each of the sub tasks, which in this case are: what to visit, what to
wear and invite him.

● In the closing paragraph we start saying goodbye and we can ask for a reply to our email.
The language is informal

● Contractions: It’s great, I’m, you’ll have, etc.

● Common phrasal verbs: put you up, check out.
● Colloquial language: How are you doing?, you should totally, you can’t miss,
drop me a line, etc.
● Writing as we think: Oh, By the way, Anyway,
● Flexible punctuation: …viewpoint – you’ll have the best…

Useful Expressions for an Informal Email for FCE Writing

● Introductory paragraph:
○ How’s it going?
○ How are you doing?
○ How are things?
○ How are things going?
○ It’s great to hear from you!
○ Long time, no see!
○ Sorry I haven’t written for ages, but
○ I’m really sorry it’s taken me so long to get back to you.
 Useful Expressions for an Informal Email for FCE Writing

● Greetings: ● Reacting to good news:

● Dear Sarah, ● I’m glad to hear that
● Hello Sara, ● I’m so happy that
● Hi Sara, ● Great news about your
● I’m very happy to hear about
● Introductory paragraph: ● It’s so great that
● How’s it going?
● How are you doing? ● Reacting to bad news:
● How are things? ● I’m so sorry to hear about
● How are things going? ● Sorry to read about
● It’s great to hear from you! ● I can’t tell you how sad I am that
● Long time, no see! ● I’m extremely sorry to hear about
● Sorry I haven’t written for ages, but ● It’s just awful to hear that
● I’m really sorry it’s taken me so long to
get back to you.
● Introducing paragraphs:
○ Oh, by the way,
○ Hey, did you hear about…?
○ One more thing,
○ As for Closing the email or letter:
● All my love,
○ By the way, tell me about
● Love,
● Lots of love,
● All the best,
● Ending the email or letter:
● Take care,
○ Well, I gotta go now.
● Best wishes,
○ Anyway, I should get going.
● Best,
○ I’ve got to leave you now.
● Regards,
○ I’d better get going.
● Kind regards,
○ Well, it’s time to go
○ Make sure you write soon
○ Don’t forget to drop me a line soon.
○ Look after yourself.
○ Take care of yourself.