HOW TO WRITE AN ARTICLE

When taking CPE, CAE, FCE, IELTS or any other international examination, you are often asked to write an article. This can be either formal or
informal and on a wide variety of topics. There are a number of things you should take into consideration before you write, while you write and
after you´ve finished writing:

1. Before you write

Take a minute to read the task(instructions) carefully and decide what to write and in which style.

Ask yourself the following questions

What do I have to write about? (Content/ check task)

Who is the article for? A newspaper, a formal magazine/ a blog...? (To decide on style/check task)
How many paragraphs am I going to write? (Organisation)
What kind of language should I use? (Language/grammar I am expected to use/ check task)

2. While you write

Have into consideration that articles have two main purposes, to inform and to entertain/interest the reader. Ideally after going through
your text, your readers should have the feeling that they have learnt something or at least that they have had a good time.

It is always a good idea to start the article with an inviting title and a riveting introduction. Something that makes your public continue
reading. It could be a question (that they will only be able to answer after reading the text), or something intended to caputure the reader´s
imagination. You are free to be creative when choosing a title but make sure it reflects what the text is about.

As you write remember to stick to your plan, check that you are truly answering the task questions and that you have clear well-organised
coherent paragraphs (You shouldn´t start writing about A and end up writing about Z.)

At CAE and CPE level it is also of vital importance to include some advanced examples of the use of grammar as well as lexis (idioms,
collocations, sayings.) So instead of saying something like "I had a lot of fun although I don´t normally enjoy jazz concerts" say something like "
I had a whale of a time although jazz concerts are not my cup of tea" (idioms: have a whale of a time; not my cup of tea.)

3 After you write

Take your time to proofread and edit your text. Check for spelling mistakes and see if you have to make any corrections. Make sure that you
have used a wide variety of words and if you find one that has been used more than once, replace it for a synonym.

Avoid repetition: Don´t say "I like history programmes, I also like music programmes."
Say: "I´m into history programmes and I also like music Tv shows."

Ask yourself the following questions:

- Have I completed the task? (Content)
- Is my article well-organised? (Organisation)
- Have I used a wide range of vocabulary? (Language)
- Have I used different grammar tenses? (Language)
- Is all the article writen in the same style? (Style)
- Is the article interesting enough? (Reader)

Commonly asked questions:

1. How long should a piece of writing be?

It depends on the international examination. At CPE for example, it is between 250-350. It is important to read the instructions carefully, the
expected number of words must be there.

2 What is the difference between an article and an essay?

As I see it, an essay is more academic, usually written for a university/college class. An article is usually for a magazine or a blog, they can be
formal or informal, the topics can be serious or trivial, they are intented to inform and also to entertain.

HOW TO WRITE AN ESSAY

When taking CPE, CAE, FCE, IELTS or any other international examination, you are often asked to write an essay.

Essays are formal documents and therefore must be written in a formal style. They are based on discussions on very serious topics such as the
economy of a country or the environment.

In the Cambridge CPE writing exam you are given two pieces of text with information on a topic and then asked to write an essay summarising
the most important information in the texts.
 In the CAE exam you are given a task which is usually something like "you've had a class discussion on Global Warming (or any other serious
topic), write an essay giving your opinion on the following statement..."

There are a number of things you should take into consideration before you write, while you write and after you write an essay:

1. Types of essay

Take into consideration that there are two main types of

essays: Discursive essays and Opinions essays.

In a Discursive Essay you introduce the topic in the first

paragraph. Then present arguments for in the second

paragraph, arguments against in the third and a conclusion in

the forth.

In an Opinion Essay you give you opinion in the first

paragraph and in the paragraphs that follow you support that

opinion with ideas and examples.

"A discursive ( or for and against ) essay is different from an opinion essay. In an opinion essay, the writer starts out stating his/her opinion; in
a discursive essay, the writer gives a balanced view and in the conclusion can either state his/her opinion or give a summary of both sides of the
argument." Source: "Speak Out" by Eales Frances and Oakes S.

2. Useful language for essays

Here there are some useful phrases you can use:

Sentence openers :
- The first text suggests that…..
-
The second text raises the issue of …..
- The writer is of the opinion that….
- Additionally, it is argued that…..
- The two texts contrast differing views of…..
- According to the first passage…….
- Personaly, i …………….
- The second text put forward……
- I believe that………
- In conclusuon , it is my opinion that……

Linking points and arguments

- As opposed to
- In the sense that…..
- For this reason……..

Making generalisations :

- On the whole….
- In general…..
- For the most part….
- As a rule……
- It is often that….
- It is usually the case that…..
- People to regard…..
- The reality is that…..

Being specific:
- With respect to...
- In the case of...
- As regards...
- In terms of….
- With the exception of…..
- From the ….. point of view….
- They are seen as…..
- As far as ……are / is concerned……

Raising an argument:
- Considering…..
- On the question of….
- No one would dispute…….

Giving one side:

- One argument in favour of this is ….
- In support of…..
- It is true that……

Giving the other side:

- At the same time….
- In actual fact…..
- On the other hand….
- In contrast to….
- Set/ weighed against this is…..

Attitude :
- Personally...
- Unfortunately...
- Obviously...
- Evidently...
- Presumably...
- Naturally...
- fortunately..

Quantity:
- a great deal of...
- to some / a large extent...
- a large number of….

3 F.A.Q: What´s the difference between an article and an essay?

We asked 6 CPEs (people who have successfully passed the Cambridge Proficiency in English exam) and this is what they said to us:

CPE1: "An article is a piece of writing where a topic, either serious or light-hearted, is tackled from a personal point of view, including personal
experience or arguments. Its purpose is generally to both inform and entertain. On the other hand, an essay is a piece of writing tending towards
the academic: the topic in discussion is of a more serious nature and the writer is expected to provide an idea plus the arguments that discuss it. In
doing so, they will have to refer to specific points about the issue in question and will generally have to use more precise language."

CPE2: "Article, informative, based on facts. Essay, develops an argument, involves opinions (so does a for an against article, oops!)."

CPE3: "As far as I´m concerned essays are more academic, you need to analyse both sides of the topic, and provide arguments to back you up,
whereas articles are somehow more flexible and can have a more neutral tone."
CPE4: "I think an essay develops arguments and has always your opinion. An article gives information, although sometimes you can write your
opinion."

CPE5: "As far as I know, an article is a piece of writing in which the writer chooses a topic and develops it giving his/her own opinion throughout
the text. The language used can be fun and eye-catching as usually an article is meant to get as many readers as possible. An essay, on the other
hand, is a rather formal piece of writing with a usually 4-5 paragraph structure, where usually the last paragraph carries the writer´s opinion."

CPE6: "Well, I think an essay is normally more academic and analytical, when the writer supports his views usually has to make reference to
factual information and other people's or authors' views and findings. An article is basically aimed to inform or entertain the reader, it can be
formal or informal depending on the topic and publication it appears whereas an essay is rarely informal. An article is published mainly in
magazines or newspapers, for example a school´s newspaper, while an essay is normally a university assignment. Some essays might be of more
than three pages, but for international exams we have to keep them short. The tone of an essay is generally serious, compared to the one of an
article which might sound more relaxed and include some humour. I hope I have contributed with something."

HOW TO WRITE A REPORT

In some of the University of Cambridge ESOL examinations (FCE, CAE, CPE) you are asked to write a Report.

A report is a formal document which you write to a figure of authority to describe an experience such as attending a conference or taking part in
a project.

1. The organisation of a Report

A report should have a title and subtitles (or subheadings) and be divided into clear sections. There is usually an introduction and a conclusion.

2. Useful language / Phrases to use in a Report.

In the introduction
- The aim of this report is to...
- The purpose of this report is to outline...
- This report will also provide some recommendations on...

In the conclusion
- I strongly recommend...ing
- It would be highly advisable to...
- I would no doubt suggest...ing
- I also believe we should...

3. The use of formal language in a Report

Avoid using contractions in reports as they are too informal.

Write "I would like to recommend..." instead of "I´d like to recommend..."
Another thing to avoid is using idioms and phrasal verbs as they tend to be spoken and informal.