WRITING

FCE ESSAY

You have to write an essay, so this is the first thing you should learn to write. Essays are about giving information and your opinions,
comparing and contrasting.

Title: Use a title at the top of your essay. The title should be interesting so that someone would want to read the article. Imagine two
friends share a link on Facebook. Which are you more likely to click on?

1.Why Pollution is Bad

2.Climate Change is Fake, and Here's Why
Most people would click on the second one! You don't have to be so provocative in your essay, but do try to make it interesting.
Structure: Use the task as the structure. In the example from question 4, you could have these paragraphs:

 Introduction
 The Transport Pollution Problem
 Pollution in Rivers and Seas
 Pollution at Home
 Conclusion

- Try to connect the title you have chosen with the conclusion. If you call your essay 'Climate Change is Fake!' you should end by
saying 'and that's why climate change is not real.'

First things first - what do I have to write and who is going to read it?

I have to write an essay, which means giving my opinion on the topic. My English teacher will read it, so I should write in a neutral tone.
I'm going to mention transport, rivers and seas, and think of a third point, and the whole theme is pollution and damaging the
environment..
 Pollution: 3 Simple Solutions
People in every country think that putting an end to pollution must be extremely hard. But is it? I believe there are 3 simple things we
can do that will have a big effect.

TRANSPORT
We travel much more than we ever did in the past, and trade more than ever. That means a non-stop stream of planes, trains, and
automobiles. Almost 100% of these are powered by petrol or diesel engines, which means adding tons of carbon dioxide into the
atmosphere. One improvement would be to switch to electric cars, and there has been progress in that direction.
RIVERS AND SEAS
Seas are turning to acid, cities don't have clean drinking water, and fish get caught in old bits of plastic. The solution? Better controls in
factories and fines for anyone who fails to recycle plastic.
HOMES
Energy waste starts at home - a 30% reduction in electricity use would be easy if people turned off their electronics when not in use,
and didn't use tumble dryers so much.
SUMMARY
Pollution is a problem that affects us all, but we all have the power to make tiny changes that would improve the situation wherever we
live.
(200 words)

FCE REPORT
Often, you'll be able to choose to write a report in part 2. The reader will usually be your teacher or a group you belong to. You have to
give facts and make recommendations.
Example:
A group of English students is coming to your college. Your English teacher has asked you to write a report on one local
tourist attraction. In your report you should

describe the attraction

 say what you can do there
 explain why you think students would enjoy visiting it

If I were writing that, I'd use this structure:

(Title:) Report on Old Trafford Football Stadium
Introduction
The aim of this report is to describe Old Trafford and to say why it's the best destination for students who visit our college.
Old Trafford
(a description of the stadium, its history)
Activities
(what you can do there - the stadium tour, the gift shop, touch the magical grass)
Why It's Perfect for Visitors
(the tour is given in English so it's good practice, football is universally popular, it's great for taking photos)
Conclusion
For the reasons I have mentioned, I highly recommend visiting Old Trafford with the visiting students. I'm sure they will all have a great
time
____________________________________________________________
 FCE REVIEW
The main skills you need are: describing things, explaining, and giving your opinions.

IMPORTANT - You are allowed to lie in the exam! I personally hate the movie Titanic, but I remember quite a lot about it. If I had the
task of reviewing a movie I love, maybe I would choose Titanic. The story is clear in my head, I remember the names of the actors, the
director and the theme song... I can pretend to like it if it helps me pass the exam...

- Like in the essay task, I encourage my students to use an interesting title. 'Titanic - Their Hearts Will Go On'.
- Use the question to help you structure your review.
The Surprising Truth about The Remains of the Day

The Remains of the Day seems to be a very simple story. An elderly English butler borrows a car and drives to the coast to meet an old
colleague. But is that all there is to it?

In fact, the story is as complicated as its main character. Mr Stevens is the perfect butler - obedient, skillful, and reserved. He is also
secretly in love with the housekeeper, Miss Kenton. However, he is so bound by duty that he never tells her - never even gives her the
slightest hint.

The key moment in the book comes when their employer becomes fascinated by the Nazi ideology and tells Mr Stevens to fire two
young Jewish servants. Miss Kenton cries, while Mr Stevens carries out his task with no emotion. The writing at this point in the book is
sublime - when you know that Stevens is in love with Kenton, his behaviour is mystifying. Why doesn't he at least tell her that he agrees
with her?

Working out the answer to that question is one of the most rewarding quests in literature, and that's why I strongly recommend you
read this book as soon as possible.

FCE ARTICLE

You read this announcement in a magazine: what’s the best surprise you’ve ever had? Why was it a surprise? How did you
feel when it happened? Send us your answers. We’ll publish the best ones.

Write your article in 140-190 words.

The Best Surprise I’ve Ever Had

Three years ago, something great happened to me. That thing was the best surprise I’ve ever had: it was the moment my grandma
survived her mastectomy.

During that day, my whole family was anxious about the state of my granny. I was full of doubt and sadness, and these bad thoughts
kept coming to my mind: “And if it doesn’t work? What would happen if she dies?” This left me in a state that cannot be described, and
there is something very special about that memory.

That morning I had gone to the perfume shop to buy the jasmine perfume that she loved so much. While I was in the waiting room I
was wishing with all my heart that she would stay alive so I could give her the perfume, though I was sure I would never have the
chance.

Suddenly, the doctor came out and announced that the surgery worked and my gran was completely cured. I was the happiest person
on earth at that moment. She died 6 months later, but the smell of jasmine always makes me think of the day she surprised us by
surviving her surgery.