Fce Wr Writing Guide

8/19/2019 Fce Wr Writing Guide

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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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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

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Fce Wr Writing Guide