HOW TO WRITE AN ARTICLE

When taking CPE, CAE, FCE, IELTS or any other international examination, you are often asked to write an
article (click to see a CPE sample 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.

Take a look at some examples of articles:

Task: " You are a student at an international college. Your tutor has asked you to write an article for the college
website on ways students can improve language skills outside the classroom. In your article, you should suggest ways
in which students can make contact with English-language speakers. You should also assess whether the most
effective way of improving language skills is to make friends with speakers of the language"

CPE Article: A fun way to learn English (give your article a title)

(State your main idea in the first paragraph)

In today's intercultural society, no one can deny the importance of learning a second language, especially
English. In our college we believe that major action should be taken to guarantee that all of us, the students, are
given the chance to practice this ability to communicate with for people from all over the world. This task will require
working with a holistic approach and will imply the participation of a very committed group of people willing to help
each other. So are you ready? (use a question to motivate readers)

(organise your text into paragraphs)

Our first idea is to use the Internet. For young people surfing the net is as easy as pie and we all have access to it.
We suggest getting in touch with other students from around the world. Some highly recommendable sites include a
wide range of social networks as Facebook and Twitter. It is also a good idea to encourage students to chat via Skype
with people from English speaking countries.

A second idea is to organise reading or conversation clubs, which can have monthly gatherings in different spots in
the city. Needless to say this will be a very effective way to learn while making friends and having a blast. There are
several attractive places in town such as parks, art galleries, cafés, and social artistic venues where students and
professionals can give a boost to their social and language skills.
A final idea is for the college to create a web page. With the support of this effective tool, our students can have
blogs with a variety of engaging tasks and games. We can have fun getting familiar with collocations and structures
that can be shared as part of an exercise on our creative website. It will definitely be highly engaging for students
regardless of their backgrounds and specializations, they will find an enjoyable site where they can put language into
practice, as they will be well-connected and comfortable with the cuttingedge technology.

CPE Article: Life and the city

Life and the city
It is said that love is blind and it must be so. I have got a soft spot for cities, polluted or heavily congested as they
might be. I would not like to live in the country at all !

There is something soothing about cobblestone roads and the reek of exhausted fumes. I can´t explain it, it just makes
me feel at home. It may have something to do with having been born and raised in a city. One gets used to the odours
and the noise, and the sight of the hoardings advertising beer and the queues at the bus stop.

It is not true what some anti-city people say, that they are difficult places to live in. On the contrary, more  and more
people are choosing to live in them, as they have so much to offer, both socially and culturally.  There is the theatre,
the malls, the 24/7 multiplex cinemas, the workshops, the concerts, and so on. In the city there is always somewhere
to go, someone to meet and something to think of.

That is not the case of the country. I recently travelled to the hills, in the outskirts, to visit some friends of mine. What a
nightmarish experience I had ! All that quiet and peace was nerve-racking. I was constantly, secretly, expecting
something seriously bad to happen, just to escape from that silence and hear some noise!
Needless to say, I did not like it at all. I got bored to the bones and arrived at the conclusion I never want to return.  So
never mind how heavily country dwellers criticise cities, don´t believe them. It is true that in the cities we have
muggers and hooligans, but... we also have music, and people, and cosmopolitan bars and  ginger ale! and God, don
´t we love ginger ale?

CPE ARTICLE A NOSTALGIC TRIP TO BA

I arrived in the nick of time and managed not to miss my flight connection to Buenos Aires, the city of tango. I got my
usual seat on the plane between the crying toddler and the overweight man, but I did not care, nothing was going to
spoil my trip. There I was on my way to my favourite destination in the whole world. I could already smell the
welcoming lunch with spit-roasted-pig and a bottle of fernet- the Argentinian´s national drink.

But no sooner had I landed that I started to feel nostalgic. Ezeiza airport had not changed a bit, everything was as I
remembered. I changed some dollars into pesos, the local currency, and headed for the bus stop to catch the
"colectivo", which is a kind of minivan that you can share with other travellers to save some money and enjoy a light-
hearted conversation in Spanish.
On the way to my 5-star rented flat in Recoleta, one of the most beckoning areas in town, I went through the city
centre, where the sight of the traditional buildings made me travel back in time. I was caught in a memory of me as a
teenager visiting BA for the first time, registering in a derelict old youth hostel, but eager to go out and enjoy the city
life.

As I got out of the van I was greeted by the friends I had not seen in years. I´m not the type of person who says that
men don´t cry, so I did shed a tear, maybe two. I hugged and was hugged by my missed ones. I had just arrived but I
was missing them already, and I promised not to leave for such a long time again.