Essay writing (Part 1)

CPE ESSAY (Paper 2, Part 1)

WRITING STEPS:

1. Identify and underline the key points in both input texts. Make sure to include that when you write your essay.

2. Summarise the key points in your own words.

3. Use an academic writing style (formal or neutral register), a wide range of vocabulary with precision and varied grammatical structures (include inversion of order and impersonal constructions now and then). Show all that you know!

4. You must organise your ideas well, using an introduction, paragraphing and appropriate linking devices.

5. You need to draw conclusions based on the information given throughout the whole of your answer and give your opinion by signaling it clearly and explicitly.

Oraganisation and useful language:

*Introduction:

The overarching/ overall/common/general theme of both texts is...

The texts under analysis present complementary/ contrasting views on the issue of...

Both authors agree on the fact/notion that....

....although they probe into/ analyse it from slightly different points view/ angles/ standpoints and provide/offer different/diverse examples to illustrate their points/ideas.

While one author argues that...., the other seems to favour the idea that....

One author states that .... whereas the other one argues that...

On the one hand, the author of the first text/the former claims that..., while on the other hand, the author of the second text/the latter expresses that...

While the first text adopts a more abstract/ theoretical// viewpoint/ standpoint on the subject, discussing different approaches/ alternatives/ problems/ drawbacks/aspects concerning ....the second text appears to be more practical/descriptive/detached/liberal in its approach.

The first considers the fact that…/ adopts a more… viewpoint on... the second text focuses mainly on... rendering a rather... exposition of the subject matter.

*Body of the essay:

First paragraph: Summarize in your own words the key points of input text one. Give your opinion.

Second paragraph: Summarize in your own words the key points of input text two.Give your opinion.

*Useful connectors for the body of your essay:

*Adding ideas:

In the first place / Secondly/ Moreover/Furthermore/ What is more/In addition/ Additionally/ On top of that/ Yet another point worth noting/mentioning.../ Another factor to consider/take into consideration/Lastly/Finally/ Last but not least...

*Contrasting views:

On the one hand / on the other hand/ However, /Nevertheless,/Still,/Yet, ...

*Justifying

One reason why...

There are many advantages to…

It cannot be denied that...

Another positive/negative aspect// advantage/disadvantage/drawback of …is....

*Giving your opinion on the writers’ views:

In my opinion,/ To my mind,/ The way I see it,/ I am of the opinion that/ I believe/ I find...

*Conclusion: Restate your previous arguments, sum up and relate to a broader context.

All in all/ To sum up/ To conclude/ In conclusion.../All things considered/ Taking all of the above into account.../In view of the above, it can be concluded that.../As stated above, ....

How is your paper graded?

CONTENT:

All the content has to be relevant to the task.The target reader has to be informed.

COMMUNICATIVE ACHIEVEMENT:

They writer has to evaluate the key point and express his or her own ideas clearly and in an easy-to-follow way. The register has to be formal or neutral all the way through the essay.

ORGANIZATION:

The ideas in the text have to be well organised to make it a coherent whole.The ideas need to be arranged in a logical sequence through the use of cohesive devices.

LANGUAGE: The writer has to use a wide range of sophisticated vocabulary and grammatical structures with accuracy and flexibility.

Article writing

Five Things You Need to Know about Writing Articles

In Cambridge Proficiency, you might be asked to write an article. But do you know what makes an article different from other types of writing?

1 The reader is identified

An article is like a direct conversation with the reader. The exam question might tell you who your readers are. For example, the students at a school, or the people living in a town or people who are interested in sports. Everything you write must speak to that reader and engage their interest right from the first sentence.

2 It has to get attention

If you're anywhere on the internet these days, you'll be bombarded with articles with headlines that pull the reader in. It's called "click baiting" and all the writer is trying to do is make you open the page to read their article.You need to think like a journalist when you're writing your article.

Look at the heading and the first line of this article. How did I get your attention?*

3 It has to be interesting

For an article to work, it has to be engaging enough to read all the way through. Remember how bored the examiner must be after reading fifty exam papers. Make it easier for them to get a good impression about your writing by entertaining them. Add humour, real life or made up examples, or make up quotes.

4 It has to be easy to read

Use subheadings to break up the text and make clear paragraphs. Write in a semi-informal, conversational style.  And make sure there is organisation to your ideas. The planning stage is vital for this.  Spend 5-10 minutes brainstorming ideas and choose the best three or four. Think what your subheadings might be and then write a short introduction that lets the reader know what to expect.

Keep in mind that you want the reader to keep reading, so don't tell them exactly what they will read. This is not an essay! In an essay you usually restate the question, explain how you will answer it and maybe say why it's important. In an article, that will kill the reader's interest.

5 Write a good ending
In an essay you sum up the points that have gone before and draw a conclusion from that. But in an article, it's better to give the reader something to think about, perhaps by asking them another question or giving them a call to action. Often, the best endings link back to the starting point in some way.
Here are two endings I could use for this article:

• Look at your internet browsing history from the last day. Which articles got your attention? Can you see how they did it?
• So, now you know how to write an article, why don't you write one giving advice on something you know about?

Common mistakes students make in articles

• The language is too formal and more suited to essays. Avoid words like: to sum up, some people say, nevertheless, on one hand etc.
• They don't use quotes or examples
• They either use not enough, or too many, questions. The questions, called rhetorical questions because they don't require an answer, shouldn't be more than one per paragraph. Good examples are:
• Have you ever ……..?
• What do you think about ……..?
• Are you one of those people who thinks that ……?
• What would life be like if ……?
• Will the future bring us ….. ?

* A title which makes the subject immediately clear. For some reason, people like reading lists! And a direct, rhetorical question in the first paragraph to make readers want to find out the answer.