cambridge english article writing

• How to Write a Great Article in the Cambridge B2 First Exam

• Posted on 11/12/2019
• Categories: Blog
• Tags: B2 First , Cambridge Exams , Writing

Writing in your only language can be a challenge, but writing in another language can be a complete nightmare ! Where do you even begin?

If you are taking your Cambridge B2 First exam you’ll have to write two texts in an 80-minute period. In part 1 you must write an essay but in part 2 you will be able to choose between a number of options. This could be could be an email, a letter, a report, a review or an article.

Read more about the format of the Cambridge B2 First exam .

In this writing guide, we’ll focus on how to write an article for the Cambridge B2 First Writing paper – part 2. We’ll also share with you some tricks and tips for passing this part of the exam. You’ll learn how to plan your article, structure it, use rhetorical questions , exclamation marks – and lots more. By the end, you’ll have the confidence to write an amazing article in English!

What is an article and how do you write one for the B2 First?

You’ll find lots of examples of articles in magazines, newspapers and internet blogs. In these texts, writers share information, guides and opinions on specific topics. The idea is to write in a way that grabs the reader’s attention and keeps them interested until the very end.

In the Cambridge B2 First Writing Paper – part 2, you could be asked to write about a variety of topics. However, it’s often something you’ve recently learned to do or know a lot about. For example, the question might be about a concert you’ve been to recently, you favourite hobby or your hometown.

Here’s an example of a B2 First article question.

Now let’s look at how to get started!

How to write an article in three simple steps

You’ve got the question in front of you, so now it’s time to start writing your article, right?

Wrong! If you do that, you’ve missed an essential stage: planning.

You can compare writing an article to preparing your favourite meal. No good tortilla de patatas was ever made without carefully preparing the ingredients first. It’s exactly the same with your writing – only, you’ll need fewer onions. Time management is also important. You only have about 40 minutes total so you need to plan your time carefully.

Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Make a plan (10 minutes)

Think about the question.

Really focus on the question. Decide who your role model is. Is he or she a sporting hero you really admire? Or someone closer to home? It could be a family member that you look up to or a person in the community who’s done something amazing. Think about why they inspire you and make some notes on your ideas.

Think about the tone

Consider the best blogs you read on the internet. Are they relaxed and friendly? Or do they sound like boring school essays? The truth is most articles are quite conversational. They are somewhere between semi-formal and informal. They are often informative, whilst entertaining and engaging the reader. You can also try to add some humour in too!

Think about the structure

Structuring your article is key and there’s normally more than one way to do it. Decide which structure makes sense for the question. Try to keep it logical and include different ideas in different paragraphs.

Here’s an example structure:

• Paragraph 1 Introduction Start with a catchy opening line to hook the readers. Then introduce your role model.
• Paragraph 2 – Describe what makes them special Giving examples and developing your answer.
• Paragraph 3 – Why you chose them as your role model This should be like a conclusion and give the reader a lasting comment or a question to think about.

Note: For many articles four paragraphs will be more appropriate – it depends on the question you are given.

Linkers are a fantastic way to organise your ideas. Experiment with some of these in your next article:

For a start…

Not to mention…

On top of that…

*Remember, you don’t need headings or titles in the article it should read as one continuous piece of work.

Think about vocabulary

Brainstorming vocabulary is a great way to get your ideas flowing . What are some great words related to the topic? List some adjectives for being a good role model. Pick out some verbs related to motivation or any good nouns or collocations you think would work. Throw some phrasal verbs and idioms in there too!

Here’s an example for the question above:

Think about ways to personalise your writing

Articles tend to have a personal touch. You can be a lot more familiar with the reader addressing them personally with pronouns like ‘you’ and ‘I’. Give your own opinion and also use contractions. Here are some more ways to sound personal:

Have you ever wondered…?

I’m sure you can imagine…

Can you believe…?

I will never forget…

There’s nothing more amazing than…

If you ask me…

Step Two: Write it (25 minutes)

An interesting introduction is the key to a first-rate article. You want to capture your audience’s attention whilst making it clear what it’s going to be about. Start with an opening line that sets the tone of the topic. Try to catch the attention from the first word. Here’s an example:

Firefighters and superheroes are obvious role models. But sometimes the person that inspires us the most is so much closer to home. I have never had a favourite singer or sports star but my father has always been an important inspiration for me.

Next, think about the original question. What makes your role model special? Remember to keep it interesting and include some personal feelings. Use exclamation marks like this:

One of the things that makes my father so special is that he always does everything for his family, and he’s an excellent listener too. Whenever we have a problem he’s always there for us. Not to mention the fact that he’s also really fun-loving! If there’s a party, my dad is the first person on the dancefloor.

But only include one or two exclamation marks in the article or they’ll lose their impact.

Finally you want to tackle the last question. Why did you choose him as your role model? A great technique here would be to address your reader personally and even include a rhetorical question at the end. This gives them something to think about. A little bit like this:

I think my father is the best role model because he is the most hardworking person I know. He has a really difficult job as a doctor and is always saving lives. That’s so inspiring for me!

I really look up to him and he really pushes me to be the best I can be. Wouldn’t you want a role model like my dad?

Step Three: Check it (5 minutes)

Everything has come together and you’ve got your final article. Now you can sit back, relax and put your feet up until the examiner says stop. Wait, not quite!

You’re missing the last important step. Always check your writing. You’d hate for all your hard work to be wasted at the last moment. Here are some things to check for.

• You included everything in the question
• You’ve used a variety of sentence lengths
• The spelling is correct
• It’s personal and engaging
• You haven’t repeated the same vocabulary too often
• It’s not too formal

What are the examiners looking out for?

To get the very best results, you need to know what the examiners are looking out for when they are marking your writing.

These are the four most important things to consider:

Ask yourself these questions when checking your work and make any necessary changes before the time is up!

Any other advice for writing an article?

Read, read, read. Go online and search for blogs in English that interest you. If you love sports, look at the sports news. If you prefer fashion, find fashion articles. Whatever it is read real examples for real inspiration!

If you’re still not confident about writing in English, or you want some help preparing for the B2 First exam, take a look at our exam courses .

You can also check out our articles on how to write an Essay or a Review in the Cambridge B2 First.

Glossary for Language Learners

Find the following words in the article and then write down any new ones you didn’t know.

Nightmare (n): : a bad dream.

Rhetorical question (n): a question that doesn’t need to be answered, for dramatic effect.

Time management (n): the way to use your time effectively.

Look up to somebody (pv) : to admire someone.

Humour (n): something amusing or funny.

To hook (v): to attract and captivate your attention.

To flow (v): to move steadily and constantly.

First-rate (adj): excellent, top quality, well made or done.

An exclamation mark (n): this punctuation symbol: !.

To tackle (v): dealing with a challenge or something difficult.

To put your feet up (exp): to rest and relax.

pv = phrasal verb

adj = adjective

exp = expression

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How to Write an Article for FCE Writing

Luis @ kse academy.

• noviembre 7, 2019

As we have seen in previous posts, the Writing B2 First (FCE) paper consists of two different parts. In the first one, you must write an essay. In the seccond, you must choose among different options. One of these options can be to  write an article . For this reason, in today’s post I’m going to show you exactly  how to write an article for FCE Writing  (Part 2). Besides, we will go over an  example of an article for FCE and a complete FCE Writing guide , where you can find more examples of  articles and other types of  FCE Writing  tasks.

Sample answer

Useful expressions to write an article for fce writing.

Este articulo también está disponible en castellano.

How to Write an Article for FCE Writing Part 2

An article is a very common type of text nowadays. We can find all kinds of articles in newspapers, magazines, blogs, etc. For this reason, in order to know  how to write an article for FCE , we must bear in mind who will be reading our article. This, as we will see later on, we will find out from the instructions the FCE Writing paper provides us with. But before we move on to that, 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, almos 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 introdduction 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 throught 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.

FCE Writing Article Example

Now that we are familiar with the characteristics of an article , the best weay to know  how to write an article for FCE Writing is to take a look at an example of an article at First-B2 level . So let’s see an example of a task and a sample answer to that very same 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

And that’s exactly how we will organise our article, knowing exactly what to talk about in each paragraph.

Now that we have an example of an article task for FCE , let’s take a look at a sample article which answers the task above. Pay attention to the language as well as to the structure marked in red.

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.
• The introduction  presents the topic in a general way, but making clear what 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.
• 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! 

In this example of article for FCE Writing we can appreciate many of the typical characteristics of this type of activity. However, bear in mind that I have tried to simulate a strong B2 level without necessarily reaching C1.

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:

• Have you ever…?
• Do you ever wonder…?
• What do you think about…?
• Are you a… like me?
• Are you one of those people who…?
• What would you say if I told you that…?
• In the rst place,
• To begin with,
• The coolest thing about 
• What attracts me most 
• One thing to consider is
• Another consideration is
• Also, 
• In addition,
• In addition to that,
• In conclusion,
• On the whole,
• To conclude,
• All in all, 
• … you will not regret it!

Frequently Asked Questions: What if I write more than 190 words?

As I already explained in previous posts, Cambridge Assessment English does not count how many words you’ve written in order to penalise you. But remember the following: if you have written a lot more words than necessary, you have probably included irrelevant information . In the same way,  if you write less than 140, you are probably lacking essential information . For this reason, I always recommend writing only 10 or 20 words over the limit. In this way, we make sure we don’t lose points for something so silly.

FCE Writing with Examples (pdf)

If you’re still looking for more examples of writing, check out  KSE Academy’s official FCE Writing Guide . In this guide you have the following:

• How to write an essay  and 3 examples
• How to write an article  and 3 examples
• How to write a review  and 3 examples
• How to write a report and 3 examples
• How to write an email or letter  and 3 examples
• Over 300 useful expressions for FCE Writing tasks

Would you like to see a sample first? Here you are !

Did you like this post? Please  share it with other students and English teachers . Subscribe to our newsletter and don’t forget to follow us on  Facebook   Twitter ,  Pinterest ,  Instagram ,&  YouTube . 🙂

16 comentarios en “How to Write an Article for FCE Writing”

Hi Luis, I’m teaching First students in Italy and still learning the writing requirements myself, and just wanted to thank you for sharing your knowledge and tips – very helpful! 🙂

Hi Ingrid! Thank you very much for your kind words! I’m glad my site can be of help. Take care and good luck with your FCE students!

Hi Luis, I’m preparing a handout for my students about writing an article and I found your web really helpful. Thanks a lot!

Hi, Ángeles! Thank you very much for your comment. I’m glad to be of some help! 🙂

THANK YOU LUIS, GREAT PIECE OF WORK!

Thank you very much for your comment, Alexis! Take care! 🙂

Thank u luis you’ve been rilly helpful

Thank you, Molly! Take care!

Thank you so much, Luis! I am going to take the FCE Exam in July and hopefully I will pass it due to your sample answers and instructions!!!

Hi Iris! Thank you very much for your comment! Take care!

Hey Luis, thank you so much! this is gold and it explains very well how they should do it!

Hi Roxy! Thank you for your feedback. Take care!

thank you so much Jurate

Extremely useful in my FCE preparation course for Peruvian teens!! Thank you!

Dear Luis, just wanted to thank you for these amazing tips, which are very useful. You should definetly work for Cambridge! Best wishes!

Thank you! 🙂

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How to write an article? | B1 Preliminary (PET)

An article that you’ll have to write is for publication in a magazine or website .  So, like most articles in magazines it must be entertaining and informative,   therefore , you need to keep your reader engaged and interested from start to finish!

There will also be some kind of questions for you to answer.  Below you can see a sample exam task:

Check our Writing Guide below – to see how to write an article in detail.

B1 Preliminary (PET) Article: Structure

Any article in the B1 Preliminary (PET) exam can be broken up into four parts:

FCE, CAE, PET

Practice, write & improve, b1 preliminary (pet) article: writing guide.

We will use this example exam task :

You see this notice on an English-language website

Write your article .

Step 1: Analyse your task quickly

Task analysis is very simple. All you have to do is two things:

Firstly , find the questions you have to answer in your task.

Secondly , find the topic of the article (which in this example is Films & Cinema)

So, now you need to brainstorm all the vocabulary that you can think of related to films. 

For example: animated, romantic films, a big fan, drama, adventure movies, popcorn, screen, Netflix 

If you prepare some words in advance, it will be much easier for you to write an article!

Step 2: Add a Title

Every excellent article starts with a good title ,   don’t worry though it doesn’t have to be super special or super interesting. It is okay if your title is simple and just gives a general idea of what the article is about.

Here you can see three examples of a title

Home cinema or the big screen?

How to best watch the films you love?

Home or cinema — How do you watch your favourite films? 

As you can see two titles started with  how …  – how – to articles are just very popular so it is good idea to use that form for your title.

Practice Tests Online

Step 3: introduction.

The role of the introduction is mainly to catch the reader’s attention , it can be done in the simplest way by asking a question. Why this way is good? Because at the same time, you will show the examiners that you can use the  p resent perfect tense.

Here you can see example  introduction

Have you ever screamed (present perfect) during a horror film? Or have you watched (present perfect) a comedy and laughed until you cry?

Step 4: Body (answering the questions)

Here you answer the main questions that we identified in Step 1.

• What kind of films do you enjoy?
• Do you prefer watching them at the cinema or at home? Why?

Remember these paragraphs should be the longest in your text and they should contain most of the information.

Also, we use the vocabulary that we prepared earlier in Step 1.

animated, romantic films, a big fan, drama, adventure movies, popcorn, screen, Netflix 

See the example answer below, with additional annotations you may find useful:

I know many people who love animated or romantic films , but for me, there is nothing better than an amazing drama or adventure movie (answer 1) like ‘Indiana Jones’ because I’m a big fan of stories with fascinating plot. 

In my opinion, watching a film at home isn’t the same a s going to the cinema (answer 2) to enjoy a great movie on a huge screen with popcorn and cola . (answer 2) If it wasn’t so expensive, I would go every week.

                  – vocabulary related to topic of films/cinema

                   – interesting grammar

Step 5: Final sentence

Finish your article with a nice final sentence. It doesn’t have to be anything special you can simply summarize your article or you can also try to be a little bit funny or end in a more surprising way.

Everybody loves films, I think you can enjoy them anywhere, even if not at the cinema, it’s still Netflix!

Remember: the more interesting your article is the higher your marks might get!

Get Your (B1) Article Checked!

See full article…, full article.

Have you ever cried at the cinema? Or have you watched a comedy and laughed until you cry?

I know many people who love animated or romantic films, but for me, there is nothing better than an amazing drama or adventure movie like ‘Indiana Jones’ because I’m a big fan of stories with fascinating plot.

In my opinion, watching a film at home isn’t the same as going to the cinema to enjoy a great movie on a huge screen with popcorn and cola. If it wasn’t so expensive, I would go every week.

B1 Preliminary (PET) Article: Example Answers

Pet article sample 2 (grade: 4-5/5), student’s  answer:.

There are many types of films, most adults like to watch romance films and most children likes to watch cartoons but for me, I like to watch romance and musical films.

I prefer watching them at the cinema because of the sound effects and the screens are so much bigger than our house one, sometimes the film even look so real. When you are going to an outting with your friends, you can buy the food and the drinks there but I don’t like to eat the popcorn there.

However, when my parents don’t want to go to the cinema, I have no choice but to watch it at home.

Grade: 4-5/5

Content:  5 Communicative Achievement: 4 Organisation: 4 Language: 4

Get Your (PET B1) Article Checked!

Pet article sample 1 (grade: 3/5).

Hi, my name is Antem. I likes watch films, but there are little cinemas in our city.

I prefer watch fantastic films at the cinema in 3D, because they realise and interesting. My favourite filmes are ‘star wars’, ‘hobbit’ and, Harry Potter and the half-blood prince’

I prefer watch films at the cinema park in Alatir. If you ask: Why do you like watch film at the cinema park? I answer, that I like eat pop-corn and ice-cream. Else, I like go to the cinema with my family. It’s very funny! We go to the cinema one time a month, and two times a week on holiday

Content:  5 Communicative Achievement: 2 Organisation: 2 Language: 2

B1 Preliminary (PET) Article: Exam Questions

Example exam question 1.

You have seen this advertisement in the school magazine.

Write your article in about 100 words.

Example Exam Question 2

Example exam question 3, b1 preliminary (pet) article: things to focus on.

The examiners are looking at the following criteria:

B1 Preliminary (PET) Article: Writing Checklist

After writing your e-mail, you can check it yourself using the writing checklist below.

How to do that? Simply check your text/email by answering the questions one by one:

• Is the article about the topic stated in the task?
• Does it answer the question(s) in the task?
• Does it include all relevant information in about 100 words?

Communicative Achievement

• Does the text use the conventions of an article (addressing the reader directly, expressing an opinion, sharing personal information)?
• Is it written in a style suitable for the magazine stated in the task (often for a school, club or website and therefore informal)?
• Is the purpose of the writing clear?

Organisation

• Does the text use paragraphs appropriately to organise the ideas?
• Does the text use other organisational features of an article (for example, a title, introduction of the topic)?
• Are the ideas presented in a logical order? Is the text easy to follow?
• Does the text use a variety of linking words or cohesive devices (such as although, and, but, because, first of all, finally, as a result etc., and referencing language)?
• Is punctuation used correctly?
• Does the text use a range of vocabulary?
• Does the text use a range of simple grammar accurately (such as basic tenses and simple clauses)?
• Does it use some complex grammatical structures (such as relative clauses, passives, modal forms and tense contrasts)?
• Is the spelling accurate enough for the meaning to be clear?

B1 Preliminary (PET) Article: Useful Phrases & Expressions 

Engaging the reader:

Have you ever thought about…? How would you feel if …? What would you think of…? Are you one of those people who …? If the answer is …, you should…. What do you reckon to …? What would live be like if… Just think for a moment… Just imagine…

Making the article lively and interesting (use adverbs):

importantly surprisingly worryingly the most amazing absolutely suddenly amazingly fantastically frighteningly

Developing your points:

Another advantage of … On top of all that… What is more, … Above all,,, The reason I think this is… The reason I feel this way is… On top of that, … Let’s start with …

Giving your own opinion:

In my opinion, … In my eyes, … To my mind, … As far as I am concerned, … Speaking personally, … From my point of view, … As for me / As to me, … My view / opinion / belief / impression / conviction is that … I hold the view that … I would say that … It seems to me that … I am of the opinion that … My impression is that … I am under the impression that … It is my impression that … I have the feeling that … My own feeling on the subject is that … I have no doubt that … I am sure / I am certain that … I think / consider / find / feel / believe / suppose / presume / assume / reckon that … I hold the opinion that … I dare say that … I guess that … I bet that …. I gather that … It goes without saying that ….

Justifying opinions

because… the reason is… the reason I believe that is… the facts suggest… the evidence shows… taking into account what I have seen…

Making recommendations and suggestions:

It would be a good idea to… Wouldn’t it be better to…? Why don’t we…? What about… ? How about… ? Shouldn’t we… ? Let’s consider… Why not… ?

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• 4 B2 Business Vantage: Writing: Part 1
• 5 B2 Business Vantage: Listening: Part 1
• 6 B2 Business Vantage: Speaking: Part 2

B2 Business Vantage: Writing: Part 1

By Russell Whitehead

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An article by Russell Whitehead about the Cambridge English B2 Business Vantage (formerly BEC Vantage) exam Writing component Part 1 (the concise correspondence task) with tips for preparing candidates and a sample task and explanation.

The task type

A description of a business situation is given. Candidates have to write a 40– 50 word internal company comnmunication (a text written by one member of a company or organization's staff to one or more other staff members) using the information provided. The channel of communication to be used (writing a message/memo/email giving instructions/explaining a development/asking for comments/requesting information/agreeing to requests, etc.) will be given in the instructions. Ten marks are available for this task.

Standards of appropriacy: Although the exam task does not directly specify details of the style the writer should use, candidates are expected to show they know how to write to their colleagues in a suitable way. For example, a notice that began with ‘Hi!’ and contained a lot of slang would not be appropriate for the normal office environment.

The tasks are designed to be realistic reflections of the kinds of communicative tasks that people working in a variety of occupations and contexts are required to perform. Of course, the actual specifics of a particular task will vary. However, the language involved is expected to be typical. For example, tasks usually require candidates to identify some things, or to explain the reasons for something, or to apologise for something, and these are functions that people with a broad range of jobs are often required to do.

The candidate’s text will be assessed principally according to whether it communicates what it is supposed to. 

The Business English Certificate Vantage assesses English used in the context of business at Level B2 of the CEFR (Common European Framework). Three pass levels are available for this exam:

• Grade A (CEFR Level C1) – 180– 190 marks
• Grade B (CEFR Level B2) – 173– 179 marks
• Grade C (also CEFR Level B2) – 160– 172 marks

Candidates receive a separate score for each skill area (reading, writing, speaking and listening) and their overall score and grade is the average of these individual scores

Candidates who gain 140– 159 marks receive a certificate stating that they have demonstrated ability at CEFR Level B1.

Candidates whose scores are below 139 do not receive a result, CEFR level or certificate.

When awarding marks, examiners consider the following:

Task achievement: This is about whether the content points are included and are dealt with effectively. Remember that the required points are made very clear in the task – in a bulleted list – and the identities of relevant people involved are too. This real-purpose-driven approach is intrinsic to Business Vantage, and candidates need to be aware of it.

Accuracy: This is about the number and nature of errors present in the text. The key issue here is whether the errors block understanding. If they do, then communication is reduced. However, a number of errors may be made by candidates without it becoming difficult for the reader to know what the text is about.

Range of structure and vocabulary: This about the different sentence structures, verb tenses, functional devices, variety of lexis and so on, that the candidate demonstrates in the text. It can be easy for candidates to forget that examiners can only assess what they see; it is important to indicate the sorts of language that has been successfully learnt.

Organisation and cohesion: This is about how well the information contained in the text is organised and linked together. Although the texts are short, a paragraph division may be relevant. Sentences should be linked to each other in a meaningful order. Where an explanation follows a statement of fact, it should be clear that this is the relationship between the two sentences.

Register and format: This is about how suitably the candidate addresses the reader or readers. It is likely that a neutral or semi-formal register will be appropriate for many of the tasks set. Many tasks will need to be topped and tailed with suitable openings and closings, and generally follow the conventions of business communication.

Spelling is not directly assessed in its own right as a separate category. However, it is likely to have an impact in the categories of Accuracy and Range of structure and vocabulary .

Note: the most important factor is the effect on the reader. Will the reader of the email, memo, etc. understand and know what to do or think?

Useful strategies

It is fundamentally important that candidates grasp the situation for the task. They need to be able to clearly see who is required to write to whom, about what, and why or when and where an outcome is supposed to happen.

The bullet points below act as a kind of plan of content. However, candidates need to provide suitable language to achieve the communication needed. They need to able to convert cues such as suggest … into suitable forms, for example it might be a good idea to …

Paraphrasing is an important aspect of the task. If a candidate simply copies parts of the instructions into his or her text, then the examiner cannot know whether these have been correctly understood or not. There is no demonstration of what language the candidate knows.

Above all, writers should always remember they are writing to readers. What matters most is that the reader gets the right message.

Tips for preparing candidates

Practice is, of course, very important. However, simply getting students to do lots of practice tasks will not in itself make anything any better. A good variety of process-driven writing activities should be conducted with students. Try the following:

• Get students to discuss tasks in detail in pairs and groups before looking at the task and writing straight away.
• Get students to compare notes with other groups.
• Have one of a pair of students try dictating live to the other to create a first draft, then pass drafts round the class for peer correction.
• Give ‘prizes’ to students for the best ranges of vocabulary or structure shown.
• Write good and bad examples yourself and get students to evaluate and assess them.
• Give out jumbled up texts to re-assemble.
• Give out texts with the linkers gapped.
• Give out texts with nonsense words that students have to substitute with suitable vocabulary.
• Give out texts that are inappropriate – too informal, say – and get students to improve them and say why they are inappropriate.
• Give students texts that are too short, and get them to increase them.
• Give out texts that are too long, and get students to edit them down.

You are the manager of the customer services department in your company. A new assistant manager has been appointed to start work next month.

Write an email to all the staff in your department: -  introducing the new assistant manager -  describing the experience of the new assistant manager -  explaining why a new assistant manager is needed in the department.

• Write 40-50 words.

To:  All customer services staff

Subject:  New assistant manager

Sample answer

Look at this sample answer. Use the five categories in Assessment section above to decide how effectively this answer fulfils the task overall. Then look at the Comments provided below.

Sample answer:

Task achievement : All points are reasonably dealt with.

Accuracy:  There are some errors – announce isn’t fitted into the sentence correctly; joining needs as not for;  it should be a strong background , etc. – but they do not make it difficult for the reader to understand.

Range of structure and vocabulary:  A good range of vocabulary and structure is used. Different tenses are correctly employed, results are introduced with so and as , etc. Topical lexis is evident.

Organisation and cohesion:  Paragraphs are used and the information is presented in a logical order.

Register and format:  These are suitable.

Note: a top-scoring answer would not be substantially different to this one. However, there would perhaps be even fewer errors, another item or two of relevant vocabulary might be present, one or two linkers might be used, etc.

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