WRITING TIPS

INTRODUCTION

You have 1 hour and 30 minutes to write two texts. The first text will always be
an essay and should be 220-260 words long. The second text can be an
informal email or letter, a formal email or letter, a review, a report or a proposal
and should have 220-260 words.

The examiners give you a grade based on 4 things:

 Content - Did you write what you were asked to write?

 Communicative achievement - Was your writing too formal, too
informal, or just right?
 Organisation - Did you link paragraphs and sentences? Is there a
logical flow from start to finish?
 Language - Did you show off your sparkling vocabulary or did you use
basic words? Did you make lots of grammar and spelling mistakes?

TIME MANAGEMENT

The two texts are worth equal points and have the same word lengths, so you
should spend equal time on them. That gives you 45 minutes per text. Spend
some of that time planning and some checking. For example:

 Planning - 5 minutes
 Writing - 25 minutes
 Checking - 5 minutes
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ESSAY
TARGET READER Academic tutor
OBJECTIVE A set of notes on the topic will be
provided, and will include three
bullet points. Select two of the
bullet points and base your essay
on those two points. Do not discuss
more than two of the points. Explain
which of the two points is more
important in a given respect, and
give reasons for your opinion.
You will be given three short
opinions related to the bullet
points. You may, if you wish, use
these to help develop your essay,
but do so in your own words, as far
as possible.
ORGANISATION 1. Introduction
(summarize the subject clearly,
say why it is important and why
people have different opinions
about it)
2. Point 1 development +
reason(s)/example(s)
3. Point 2 development +
reason(s)/example(s)
4. Conclusion (explain which of the
two points are more important)
PROPOSAL REPORT
English-language magazine or Superior (e.g. a teacher) or a peer group (e.g. members of an English club).
newsletter, and the reader is
assumed to have similar interests to
the writer
It is very similar to a report, but in a Give some factual information and make suggestions or recommendations.
proposal you give more importance It is very similar to a proposal, but in a report you give more importance to
to recommendations for future the current situation. A report should be clearly organised and may include
actions. headings.
1. Introduction (state the aim of 1. Introduction (state aim of the report) – You may use invented statistics.
your proposal) 2. Heading for each section
2. Heading 2 + situation + 3. Conclusion: summing up the information and making recommendations
recommendation if necessary. Include a sentence summarising your opinion at the
3. Heading 3 + situation + beginning of the final section of your report.
recommendation
4. Heading 4 + situation +
recommendation
5. Conclusion / Recommendations –
make recommendations. Include
a final sentence summarizing
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your opinion

ESSAY PROPOSAL REPORT

STYLE FORMAL or NEUTRAL language. NO
contractions, colloquial expressions
or a ‘chatty’ style
GRAMMAR Difficult grammar and more complex
sentences:
- Conditionals
- Passive voices
- Modals
LINKING WORDS  To express personal opinions: In
AND my opinion, I believe (that) / I
PHRASES feel (that) / it seems to me / in
my view /as I see it / I think /
personally
 To show purpose: to / in order
to / so as to / so that
 To list ideas: Take, for
example… /Firstly / First of all
/secondly / finally / In the first
place / Lastly
 To contrast ideas: However /
although / in contrast /
whereas / but / nevertheless / in
spite of / despite
 To describe a cause: Because /
since / as / due to
Impersonal, semi-formal style. IMPERSONAL and FORMAL
Use headings Use headings
Use bullet points, but not too many
1. Avoid expressing personal opinions or feelings, except, perhaps, in the
conclusion.
Instead of I think that … or I found that… use the impersonal “It”
construction and a passive, eg It seems that… It was found that …
2. Avoid making very definite statements unless you’re absolutely sure
they’re true.
3. Instead of saying It is, use  It could/may/might be /  It seems to be or It
tends to be.
 Stating the purpose: The  Introduction: the aim of this report is to.. / It is based on…/ This report is
aim/purpose of this proposal is intended to.. / It draws on / This report looks at / describes..    / It uses..
to … / this proposal relates to … /  Reporting an observation:  It seems/appears that.. /It was found that../
This proposal describes / outlines The majority / minority of …     /It was felt that ../ I conducted a survey
… of / I conducted interviews with local council officers ... / ... responded
 Background information: to an online questionnaire. / I visited three of the most popular ... /...
comments made at the end of were invited to attend a focus group...
the questionnaires suggest... /  Quoting/reporting results:   According to … /  As X said…  / In the words
Following a survey of … / Most of those responding to the survey stated that/expressed
among families of young the opinion that ... / A large/considerable/significant/ proportion of
children... / Concerned members respondents/informants/those surveyed said that .../ Nearly three
of the local community were quarters of the ...
invited to attend... / A number of  Speculating:  It may / could / might (well) be that
concerns with regard to the most  Presenting a list :
recent street party were o The arguments against ... are the following:
expressed by locals...
 Suggestions and 1. ...
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 Justifying opinions: the reason I
think this is because… /… and
that is why I believe … / and for
that reason I think
 To show a sequence: to start
with, / then / after that /
eventually / in the end / finally
 To add information: In addition /
moreover / what is more /
besides / too / furthermore /
and
 To describe a consequence:
Consequently / as a result /
therefore / so / thus / for this
reason / that is why
 To prioritize / compare: I believe
X should be our top priority / It
is my opinion that X should take
second place / It seems to me
that X must come first.
 To conclude the topic: In
conclusion / to sum up / in short
/ all in all
2. ...
recommendations: I
recommend / propose / o The following were the main reasons given for supporting ...:
suggest / I believe that we should firstly, ..., secondly, ...
… / We could also …/ There
should be … o Points our informants mentioned in favour of/against ... were:
 Conclusion and final 1. ...
recommendations: To sum up, I 2. ...
believe that … / In conclusion, I o There are several ways in which ... might be ... :
would say that … / On balance, 1. ...
we are of the opinion that … / 2. ...
The results of the
survey/questionnaire suggest  Generalising:  In general / On the whole  / In the main
that the introduction of heavier  Commenting: Interestingly  /Curiously
fines would seem to be the best Oddly   / Strangely  / Surprisingly   / Predictably /   As might be (have
option/choice/solution … / If been) expected /  It is interesting that
these recommendations are  Making a recommendation:  It is recommended that .. / (Perhaps) it
implemented, the situation is would be advisable for X to (do) / (Perhaps) X might /should consider  /
bound to improve … / Unless It would be a good idea (for somebody) + infinitive
these suggestions are  Summing up:  To sum up / To summarise / On balance   /   In short / I
implemented, it is unlikely have no hesitation in recommending …
that there will be any
improvement in the short term.
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INFORMAL EMAIL / LETTER FORMAL EMAIL / LETTER REVIEW

TARGET READER Friend An institution, a company, person in authority, etc An English-language magazine,
newspaper or website.
OBJECTIVE In addition to giving news, they are often used to request  Apply for part-time or vacation work (application letter) Describe and express a personal
information, congratulate people, give advice and ask  apply for study or scholarship opportunity (application opinion about something which
questions. There are a lot of similarities between letter) the writer has experienced (e.g.
informal letters and conversation. Informal letters ask a  complain about something (complaint letter) a film, a holiday, a product, a
lot of questions, show interest and enthusiasm, and  make suggestions about something website etc.) and give the
imagine a lot of shared information.  request information (enquiry letter) reader a clear impression of
what the item discussed is like.
ORGANISATION 1.Salutation or Greeting 1.Salutation or Greeting 1. Catchy title
2. Introduction (say what you
2. Body 2. Body are reviewing and get the
reader's interest. Include
3. Closing 3. Closing
the main characteristics, it
4. Final salutation should be relaxed and
friendly)
3. Paragraph 2 (Make a
description and opinion of
the first point if there are
two; or positive aspects)
4. Paragraph 3 (Make a
description and opinion of
the first point if there are
two; or negative aspects)
5. Conclusion (Summarise
your view and include a
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recommendation, choose
one point over the other
one.)

INFORMAL EMAIL / LETTER FORMAL EMAIL / LETTER REVIEW

STYLE Informal Formal Personal, neutral style
GRAMMAR Phrasal verbs No contractions Description and explanation.
Contractions Complex structures Use plenty of ADJECTIVES
Question tags Formal connectors
Simple structures
Informal connectors
LINKING WORDS EMAIL: Salutation or Greeting: EMAIL: Salutation or Greeting: What I liked
AND PHRASES Dear/ Hello / Hi + name (if you know the person’s name) What I liked most was …..
Dear Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms/ + Name The thing I liked most was ….
LETTER: Salutation or Greeting: (if you don’t know the person’s name) I was pleasantly surprised by …..
Dear + name, Dear Sir/Madam, ….. would appeal to …..
If you get a chance to ….
Body: Body: It offers good value for money
 Acknowledge the letter to which you are PARAGRAPH 1 It is reasonably priced
replying: How are you? / How have the family State the reason(s) for writing and what you are responding Its facilities are impressive /
been? / I hope you are well. / thank you / Many to (an advert, a prospectus...). stylish
thanks for your (recent/last) letter / postcard. / It It will appeal to …
was good / nice / great to hear from you again. / I APPLY ING FOR A SCHOLARSHIP: I would like to apply for one
was so surprised to hear that... / I’m sorry I of the scholarships I saw advertised in your prospectus. What I disliked
haven’t written / haven't been in touch for such a (applying for a scholarship) What I disliked most was …..
long time. / It’s ages since I’ve heard from you. I I was disappointed by/with ……
hope you're well / you and your family are well. / APPLY ING FOR A JOB: I am looking for an outdoor work Disappointingly / Unfortunately,
How are things? / How are you? / How’s it going? during the summer holidays and I would like to apply for the the menu is limited
 News: Great news about … Glad to hear that … position of hotel lifeguard assistant which I saw advertised in
Sorry to hear about … my university's student newspaper. (applying for a job) / I Criticism
 Giving news: Listen, did I tell you about …? You’ll have seen your advertisement for the post / vacancy / job The script seemed rather
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never believe what …/ Oh, and another thing …
This is just to let you know that …/ I thought you
might be interested to hear about / know that
…/By the way, have you heard about / did you
know that …?
 Apologies: I’m writing to apologise for missing
your party but I’m afraid I was with flu. / I’m
really sorry that I forgot to send you a birthday
card but I was busy with my new job.
 Invitations: I’m / We’re having a party on Friday
19th and I / we hope you’ll be able to come. /
Would you like to come / go to see ‘Room With a
View’ with me at the weekend? / I was
wondering if you’d like to go to the theatre /
come on holiday with us. / Could you let me / us
know if you can come / you’d like to join us /
Thank you very much for your invitation. I’d love
to come. / Thank you for asking / inviting me to …
but I’m afraid I won’t be able to …
 Requests: I’m writing to ask for your help / you
(if you could do me) a favour. / I wonder if / I was
wondering if you could help me / do me a favour.
/ I hope you don’t mind me asking but could you
(possibly) …? /I’d be very / really / terribly
grateful if you could …
 Thank you / Congratulations / Good Luck: I’m
writing to thank you for your hospitality / the
wonderful present. /It was so kind of you to
invite me to stay with you. /I really appreciated
all your help / advice. / Congratulations on
passing your exams / your excellent exam results!
of… advertised in the local newspaper on 16 June. I am conventional/predictable to me.
writing because I would like to apply for the job.  (applying It is not up to standard
for a job) The plot struck me as
completely
I am looking for a job to work in a holiday club and I would bizarre/absurd/incomprehensibl
like to apply for the position of an English speaker for e
children between 4 and 8 years which I saw advertised in my The characters are appealing
local newspaper, and true to life
The dancers were quite
REQUESTING INFORMATION: I am the secretary of my brilliant/amateurish
college Science Club. I saw your advertisement for the
exhibition "The Next 100 Years" and I am interested in Comparing and contrasting
organising a group visit. I was wondering if I could ask you (pros and cons)
some questions about it. While … , sadly …
Taking into account …, I suggest
COMPLAINT: I am writing (in order) to complain about the …
advertisement for your new game. Having just played the Either of these would be a good
game, I realise that the advertisement is misleading. choice, but …
(complaint letter)
Recommendations
I am writing with regard to ... I am writing with reference Judging from this CD / show ...
to... I am writing in response to... Overall, if you like ..., you'll
Thank you for /your letter of 9 May... /for your letter love / you should ...
regarding... Although some of ... he/she/it's
In reply for your letter of 8 May, ... still a great...
You really must/should
The rest of the body will be organized in paragraphs: buy/see/read/visit ...
 Asking politely: Could you tell me... ? /I would be I would definitely recommend
grateful if you could ... /I would be interested in seeing/visiting/reading/having a
having more details about... /I would like to know look at ...
if/when/when/... Go early !
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/I wish you good luck / Good luck in / with your
exams / your driving test / your interview. /Don’t
worry, I’m sure you’ll do well / pass. /Do be on
time, won’t you, and don’t forget to …
 Making suggestions and recommendations: Why
don’t you …? / Maybe you could …? / How about
…? / You can’t leave New York without (...doing
sth) /I’m sure you will enjoy (...doing sth). If you
like, we can … /Do visit ... / Don’t forget to ...
Closing
 Give a reason why you're ending the letter:
Anyway, I must go and get on with my work! / I
guess it's time I got on with that studying I've
been avoiding.
 Send greetings and/or make reference for future
contact: Give my love / regards to... / Say hello
to... / I hope my suggestions help you / Best of
luck with / Keep in touch / Anyway, don't forget
to let me know the dates of the party. / I'll try
and phone you at the weekend to check the
times. / We must try and meet up soon. / I can't
wait to hear from you / Look forward to seeing
you again / Hope to hear from you soon / See
you soon / Write soon
 Closing statement:
EMAIL: Best wishes, / All the best,
LETTER: Best wishes (neutral), / Love , / With love,
(informal) / Regards (neutral)
 Signing off: Your first name then follows on
I would like information / on... / Do you know if...? It is probably best to go early.
 Complaining: I would like to complain about + noun If you would rather …, I
or –ing /... is not what I expected / was expecting / I recommend that you …
am not satisfied with... /I would be grateful if my
money was refunded / if you could give me a refund
 Making suggestions: The issue I suggest we focus on
is … / this is because … / I propose we begin with … /
the reason for this is that … / My first suggestion
would be to … / Let me explain why.
Closing
I hope my application will meet with your approval / I hope I
have shown that / I hope you will find this information of use
/ I trust you will look into this matter fully / I hope you
understand my concern about this matter / I would be very
grateful for your help in this matter / I look forward to
hearing from you soon / I look forward to receiving your
reply
I look forward to receiving a full refund (in a complaint
letter)
I would like to know what you are going to do about this
situation  (in a complaint letter)
I would like to thank you in advance for this information (in
an enquiry letter -requesting information)
If you require/Should you need further information, please
do not hesitate to contact me/feel free to contact me.
Final salutation
(If you know the person’s name)
Yours sincerely,
(if you don’t know the person’s name)
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another new line. Yours faithfully,

Sign your name and then print your name clearly

underneath on another new line.
WRITING TIPS

ESSAY
TASK: Your class has attended a panel discussion on what methods governments should use
to discourage the use of private cars in the centre of the city. You have made the notes
below.

Methods governments could use to discourage the use of private cars in the city centre

• investment

• education ✔

• taxes ✔

Some opinions expressed in the discussion

'Make businesses pay parking levies for their employees and they'll move out of the city
centre.'

'Improve the public transport system, then people won't need their cars.'

'If people understood how much better pedestrianised ciyt centres are, they wouldn't want
to bring their cars in.'

Write an essay for your tutor, discussing two of the methods in your notes. You should
explain which method you think is more important for governments to consider, giving
reasons to support your opinion.

You may, if you wish, make use of the opinions expressed in the discussion but you should
use your own words as far as possible. Write your essay in 220-260 words in an appropriate
style.

Too much traffic is a major headache for everyone in the city due to the noise, pollution and,
of course, terrible delays during the rush hour. How can the government reduce traffic and
dissuade people from driving their cars into the centre every day? In this essay, I will discuss
two possible approaches to this pressing yet complex issue.

The first option to consider is an education campaign which could comprise of visual and radio
advertising, presentations to businesses and special designated days such as 'Wall to Work
day'. Compared to the high cost of significantly upgrading our public transport system,
advertising is relatively low-cost and straightforward to implement. On the other hand, it is
difficult to gauge the effectiveness of such campaign in advance because it relies on individuals
changing their ingrained habits.

A second alternative would be to levy a tax on parking in the city. This could be applied both to
businesses and directly to consumers. While it is true that this would have immediate gains in
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revenue and change behaviour, taxes are unpopular and could also place unfair pressure on
small businesses and individuals who do not have other transport options for work.

In my view, a multi-faceted education campaign would be the most effective starting point. In
the future, a tax could be a possible option but it would be tolerated better once citizens are
educated about the benefits of fewer cars and a more pedestrianised centre.
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PROPOSAL
TASK: Your college currently doesn't provide enough support for students planning to spend
time studying in another country. You see this notice in the library.

The college is planning to introduce a special course for students planning to spend time
studying in another country. The college principal invites students to send a proposal
outlining any problems students may face when studying abroad and suggesting ways in
which the course could address these problems. A decision can then be made about what to
include on the course.

Write your proposal in 220-260 words in an appropriate style.

Introduction

This proposal is intended to outline common issues students have when studying abroad, and
suggest ways that a course could help them to deal with these. The final section makes
recommendations about what should be included in the course curriculum.

Problems when studying abroad

Interviews were conducted with 20 students who have recently completed a student exchange
programme. The majority of students were of the opinion that overcoming the language
barrier in their new country was the biggest challenge and nearly half also said that they
experienced culture shock. Other problems cited included unrealistic expectations, loneliness
and packing the wrong things - particularly being unprepared for a different climate.

Ways a course could address these

A course could prepare students for culture shock by raising awareness of the phenomenon
and describing cultural differences that students may encounter in their host country. To aid
participants with language, a course could include some useful phrases for the first days after
arrival, in addition to some resources for language learning. The course could also include a
discussion about combating isolation and adjusting expectations.

Recommendations

I would like to make the following recommendations:

 Invite students who have previously studied abroad to share aspects of the culture
they found surprising and give advice on what to take.
 Provide a list of useful phrases, together with suggestions of useful resources for
language learning such as websites, blogs or e-books.
 Facilitate a discussion about engaging with people to avoid loneliness and isolation.
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If these recommendations are implemented, young people are bound to feel more prepared
for their experience.

REPORT
TASK: An international development agency has been looking into attitudes to aging around
the world. The research director has asked you to conduct a survey and write a report. Your
report should discuss how young people where you live feel about older people in the
community and the prospect of growing older themselves. You have also been asked to
make recommendations about how attitudes could be changed.

Write your report in 220-260 words in an appropriate style.

Introduction

The main objectives of this report are to describe how young people in Gava feel about elderly
people in their area and aging themselves. I will present results of a survey I conducted with a
random selection of 200 young people at a local high school and in the final section I will
include recommendations as to how attitudes could be improved.

Attitudes to older people

According to my survey, a significant proportion of young people never or hardly never spend
time with someone aged 65. Reasons that respondents gave for this included: they have
nothing in common, the elderly don't like teenagers and lack of time. More promisingly, nearly
three quarters of those surveyed (74 percent) agreed that they could probably 'learn
something' from older people.

Attitudes to aging

Those responding to the survey were almost equally split between preferring to think about it
as little as possible and those who never thought about it. For those who did think about it, the
prime concerns were loneliness, poor health and boredom.

Recommendations

Clearly more could be done to bridge the gap between young and old in our community. I
would make the following recommendations:

 Set up volunteer tutoring opportunities for elderly citizens to help younger people at
the high school with academic work or practical skills.
 Invite young people to tutor old people in technology use, e.g. how to text/send emails
in return for a donation to be used for social events.

Hopefully, increased contact between the groups will lead to greater understanding and more
positive attitudes.
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INFORMAL EMAIL / LETTER

TASK: Read part of an email from a friend who is planning to come and live in your country.

Of course, I'd really need to learn the language. I know you've been learning English for
years, so you've had loads of experience. Are there any tricks of the trade that might help
me pick up your language a bit more quickly?

Reply to the email message offering your friend some advice. Write your email in 220-260
words in an appropriate style.

Dear Emma,

Thanks so much for your email. It was so good to hear from you. I'm really sorry not to have
been in touch earlier but I've been up to my eyes preparing for my exams.What great news
that you're finally coming to France - I can't wait to catch up in person! And you're going to
learn French too - fantastic!

I've been learning English since I was a kid as you know, and by far the most useful experience
was going to that language school in Brighton for three months last summer. If I were you, I'd
definitely enroll in a course like that to keep you focused. I'd also suggest reading as widely as
possible, online newspapers, blogs, books, the back of a cereal packet - anything, really! Don't
be tempted to buy one of those 'Learn French in a weekend' courses though - a waste of time
if you ask me. Learning a language takes time and effort.

What seems to work for a lot of people is learning songs. My brother reckons that he has
learnt more English from the Top 40 than he has at school. And you know my friend Lucie? She
raved about her fortnight with a host family, so that's worth a try too. Of course, you could
also get a French boyfriend or girlfriend to speed up your progress!

Anyway, I hope that's helped give you a few ideas. Do write back as soon as you can - I'd love
to hear all the details of your plans.

Lots of love,

Sandrine
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FORMAL EMAIL LETTER

TASK: You have seen the following announcement on the ‘Young World’ website:

Wanted: Tv presenter

We are an international Tv company planning to make a series of programmes, in English,

about issues of interest to young people around the world. Could you help to present the
show? If you think you are the right person for the job, write to me, John Finch, giving
reasons for this. You should also explain which issue you think we should highlight in our
first programme, and why.

Dear Sir or Madam,

I have seen your announcement on the ‘Young World’ website and am writing to apply for the
post of presenter for your forthcoming series.

I am twenty years old and, as you will see, I have a great deal of appropriate experience. First, I
am a trainee journalist and have been taking care of the ‘Young People Today’ section of my
local newspaper for the past few months. In this role, I spend a lot of time interviewing young
people on issues they find important, which ties in well with the post you are offering.
Secondly, I belong to an amateur drama group. Having played many acting roles, I would be
very much at ease in front of an audience. Last but not least, I am well able to present the
series in English since my mother comes from the United Kingdom and I am bilingual.

The issue I suggest we focus on, given the age of our target audience, is emotional
relationships. Young people have many difficulties in this area, whether it be in forming new
friendship, boy-girl relationships, dealing with break-ups or coping with family upheavals. A
programme that illustrated typical problems and offered advice on dealing with each of these
would, I am sure, be seen as extremely helpful and could even become essential viewing.

I hope I have shown that I would be an ideal presenter and that you like my ideas for the
programmes.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully

Miranda McCain
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REVIEW
TASK: The editor of a local newspaper has asked you to write a review of two quite different
places were young people can meet up for a drink or a meal in your town.

Write your review in 220-260 words in an appropriate style.

Up for a drink?

There are many places for young people to eat together and socialize in our town, but two
have become very popular. Keen to discover whether they live up to their reputations, I went
along this week to sample what was on offer.

The first on my list was Hollywood Rock. Step inside this restaurant and you feel as if you’ve
been transported into the past. The interior is a series of small rooms, each dedicated to
legendary rock performers like Elvis or the Beatles. The walls are decorated with rock guitars
and record covers and other memorabilia. As you eat, rock music booms out around you. The
menu is predictable – the usual choice of pizzas, burgers and fries – but it offers good value for
money.

My second visit was to Gigi’s, a riverside café in the student quarter. This is a very
cosmopolitan venue, attracting students from all over the world. In good weather, customers
can eat outside and enjoy the marvelous river views. The menu is limited, with an emphasis on
seafood, but it is reasonably priced and the quality is good. There is live music at weekends,
but noise levels are kept low.

So which of the two restaurants should you choose? While Hollywood Rock is original and still
appeal to certain music fans, it is noisy, which makes conversation difficult. If you prefer to
socialize outdoors or in a slightly quieter setting, I suggest you try Gigi’s. But go early – tables
fill up quickly, especially at weekends.