FCE Writing Table Usually written for a teacher and generally asks your opinions about a statement.
Careful planning, organisation and a logical answer to the question is required.
Part 1 Compulsory
Present both sides of the argument or just one but but give examples that support the different points of view. Conclusion should round up what has been said in a concise way. Give your opinion in the final paragraph
Contrasting points
Giving opinions
Organising /linking
Conditional phrases
Ending
Many people feel that ...
On the other hand ...
I personally feel that ...
First of all, … Secondly, …
..provided that..
Finally, …
First and foremost, ...
Other people think ...
I find it hard to see why ...
..unless..
To summarise, …
It is widely believed that ...
An opposing argument is ...
I certainly don't believe that ...
It would be ideal if ...
However,..
It is difficult to believe that ...
Essay Brainstorm ideas for the third content point then write the intro and PLAN each paragraph Paraphrase the question in the opening paragraph. Use questions.
NO contractions If the question asks for experience, give examples.
Making points
Another argument in favour is ... It is clear from the facts that ...
Nevertheless, … Having said that,… Similarly,.. Even so,…
The benefits of ... outweigh the disadvantages .
In addition, … Moreover, … Furthermore,.
Despite (the fact that)..
So … As a result, …
In my opinion… I would like to begin by saying that….
In spite of…
Many people believe that…
While/ Whereas
On the whole, I think ... It could be argued that…
If…
In conclusion,.
Therefore, …
However, … I object to the cloning of animals.
..as long as..
On the one hand … on the other hand …
On the whole … While it is true to say … ..as well as… Not only (+inversion)… .but also….. In order to.. ..so as to..
I would like to conclude by saying that… To sum up,… On balance, I feel that…
Part 2 Informal Letter/ Email cont:
Giving Reasons
I’d like to/ I want to.. because I think it’ll be interesting/gr eat fun/enjoyable
Sorry, I’d love love to … but I’ve already arranged to../ been invited to…
I’m afraid I can’t because..
Endings/ Signing off Give my love/regards to … Say hello to … Hope to hear from you soon.
See you soon! Write soon. Once again, thank you for all your help.
Love, Lots of love, All the best, Best wishes,
Reason for writing
Part 2 Formal Letter/ Email
Dear Mr/Ms (surname) | Dear Sir/Madam | Dear Sir or Madam, Formal vocabulary, usually not using phrasal verbs (‘Tolerate’ instead of ‘put up with’) More complex sentence structure Punctuation using semicolons The library offers no facilities for borrowing videos; this is because of the high cost involved
+First name
NO contractions
I am writing to …
I am writing with regard to …
I am writing on behalf of …
Asking questions
I would be grateful if … I wonder if you could … Could you …? Could you tell me something about …? I would particularly like to know … I would be interested in having more details about …
Referring to thier letter
Complaining
Closing
As you stated in your letter, …
I am writing to complain about …
Regarding …
You said … but in fact what happened …
If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Concerning … With regard to..
We were supposed to stay with British families whereas we actually stayed in a guest house.
Knowing what a good reputation the restaurant has, I was disappointed with the service.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Please contact me if you have any further questions.
Signing off (If Dear surname) Yours sincerely, (If Dear Sir/Madam) Yours faithfully, First name + surname
First for Schools
Beginnings / Endings
Verb tenses 1
Verb tenses 2
Time links
A narrative needs an interesting beginning to catch the reader’s attention and encourage him or her to read on, and a clear ending to round the story off satisfactorily.
We use:
Present participles to show two actions which are linked:
before …. then … at first, … next … later … during … after that … afterwards … when … finally, …
Adding variety/ interest
Vary length to be effective
ONLY
Story: Plan your story with a beginning, middle and end.
Neutral style
A weak beginning or ending can spoil the effect of the story, so it’s worth spending time planning how to start and finish.
NEVER finish with: Then I woke up.
The simple past to describe the main events: I ran to answer the phone but it stopped ringing as I picked up the receiver. The past continuous to set the scene: It was raining heavily as we set off.
Noticing that she looked lost, I asked if I could help. Perfect participles to show that one action was complete before another started:
The past Having perfect to reported my describe events stolen which passport to happened the police, I before the returned main events: sadly to the hotel. When I got on the bus all the seats had been taken.
Compiled by Rita Nowicka International House, Barcelona, Spain
By the time… After a while… Just after that, … Some time later … as soon as … eventually, … immediately … in the end, … once … A few days earlier … Following the accident … Later on … Meanwhile, Suddenly,… Eventually,…
Try to use different adjectives to convey the atmosphere. For example, if you want to convey the idea of "fear", you could use frightened , terrified, scared.
Use direct speech occasionally for dramatic effect (remember to use inverted commas correctly: “No,” he yelled, “don’t touch that switch!”)
