How to Write a CAE Essay

Cambridge C1 Advanced
Exam Basics

● You must write an essay. (In part 2 you get a choice, but the essay is
always mandatory.)
● You have about 45 minutes.
● The tasks always look the same.
● Don’t ‘lift’ too much from the question - use your own words.
Preparing
● Do lots of mock exams.
● Start early (mistakes in your writing take longest to fix). Months, not days!
● Computer based - write on computer. Paper based, paper.
● The more you practise the less you’ll need to worry about word count.
What is an essay?
It’s a text where you present an argument (and support it with reasons).

Thesis: Smartphones are bad for society

Intro (smartphones are supposed to bring people together, but actually they
push people apart)
Bringing us together (Whatsapp, Social Media, Maps)
Pushing up apart (Psychological damage caused by all the above)
Conclusion
CAE Essays
● Your goal is to persuade someone.
● It should be neutral/formal.
● Have a title that grabs the attention.
● You are allowed to lie. No-one will fact check your essay. Write: In a recent
survey, 80% of Scottish residents said prisoners should be given kittens to
take care of.
● One positive point, one negative point, will allow you to use a greater range
of vocabulary. (On the other hand/However/Nevertheless/In
contrast/whereas etc)
● Read the task, then start planning.
(So let’s look at a task.)
1

3 7

6
Understanding the Task
Questions from Ready for Advanced

1. Who is your target reader?

2. How many of the listed methods do you need to write about?
3. What else do you have to do in your essay?
4. Whose opinions are quoted?
5. What is the connection between the listed methods and the three
opinions?
6. Is it necessary to refer to the three opinions?
7. What do you need to persuade the target reader about?
Planning
Don’t just start writing. Spend at least 5 minutes planning.

Where are you going to use inversions, conditionals, other complex structures?

What reasons will you give?

How can you keep the reader interested?

- Strong opening
- Surprise
A Strong Intro
Question

Is it better to have a healthy population or clean air? That is

the tough question facing our local authority. A recent panel
on the issue of whether sports centres or public gardens
should receive funding couldn't reach a consensus.
However, I believe there is an obvious solution.

However, it should be possible to find a solution.

A Strong Intro 2
Quotation

When Theresa May said, 'There is no magic money tree here', she could have
been talking about my home town. Nevertheless, there is some money in the
budget to invest in one facility, and the shortlist seems to be either sports
centres or public gardens.

Michelle Obama once said, 'Museums strengthen the mind, sport centres
strengthen the body'. Our local authority has a hard choice - to invest in one or
the other. Both are worthy, but it is my belief that there is a clear choice.
A Strong Intro 3
Facts and Statistics

60% of our local population are clinically obese. This

shocking statistic was the starting point for recent
discussions about whether the council should invest in
sports centres or public gardens. Which one would have
the greatest impact on the obesity epidemic?
Conventions of an essay 1
Learn set phrases like:
It is probably true to say that…[parks are used more by the elderly than the
young.]
There can be no doubt that…
It is generally believed that…
There are those who argue that…
Opponents of [road building] argue that… [more roads means more traffic.]
All the evidence suggests that…
Studies have shown that… [people who use smartphones walk into lampposts
5 times more often than those who don’t.]
Conventions of an essay 2
Great place for passives, conditionals, modal verbs:

The government could invest in… (active modal)

More roads could be built… (passive modal)
If we act now, we can save money later on. (conditional with active modal)
If actions were taken now, a lot of money could be saved in the future.
(conditional, passive, modal)
Checking
● Check you did everything asked;
● Check for obvious mistakes, missing words;
● Don’t stress about word count;
● Can you be precise? e.g. Turn ‘very important’ into
‘vital’.
Approach
Introduction - It states what is to be discussed and why. Your main points are briefly introduced. It doesn’t have to be
a lengthy paragraph.

Paragraph 1 - More background information is provided in greater detail. Your first, often strongest main point is
expanded upon. Bring in and refute any arguments against your point of view.

Paragraph 2 - This paragraph provides your second key point, tying it into the theme of your essay. Again, bring in
opposing points of view and support your second key point with information and background.

Conclusion – Summarise or conclude your essay. This final paragraph shows how the two key points you have
presented compare or relate to each other. It also clearly restates your initial position from the introductory paragraph.

(!) Add quotations, statistics, facts, examples, and other relevant data to support your points.
The tone and register should be formal or semi-formal
Punctuation is important and can be a powerful tool in expressing subtle or emphatic points. Short
sentences make for a punchy style, but get irritating if they are over-used; long sentences need careful use of
commas, semi-colons and dashes to achieve flow and rhythm.
Useful phrases

Intro - I will put forward… /There are two main points to discuss…/I am going to discuss
the issue of...

Main body - The most important point is…/In addition…/As opposed to that…/Looking at
it from another point of view…/It is true that…

Conclusion – To summarise,…/The outcome is clear that…/

Model answer

Should 16-year-olds have the vote?

This question was recently discussed by a group of students in Burley College, and after an hour of heated debate
for and against the proposal, a conclusion was reached. I will put forward the main arguments that were considered
in this discussion.

Undoubtedly the most persuasive point was that politicians would pay more attention to the expectations of
teenagers. Considerable power and influence would be delivered into the hands of young people, and they would
be in a position to steer policy in new directions. It is true that today there are very (extremely) few politicians under
the age of 30; however, this new measure would certainly encourage younger people to stand for parliament.

One objection was that politicians are not well trusted these days, and 16-year-olds do not have enough experience
to assess which of their local candidates would best look after their interests. Nevertheless, today’s teenagers are
sophisticated, have a huge amount of information at their fingertips, and are as well able to make judgements about
politicians as any other citizen.

In the end, the discussion group voted overwhelmingly in favour of bringing down the voting age. It was felt that
the new generation will hate to deal with the world they inherit from their elders, and they have the right to a say in
the government that will shape that world for them.
Writing practice
Points to consider:

Reader (tone, formality): My tutor

Word length: 220-260 words
No. of points to address: 2 of the topics
Need to include opinions: Not necessarily. You can use those provided in the small box
Planning: Introduction
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 2
Conclusion

Use Passive Constructions (e.g. Roads could be built by the government)

Use Inversion (e.g. Not only….but also)
Use 3rd Conditional (even inverted conditions)
Use Modals, Speculation, Phrasal verbs, Collocation
Use questions (especially in the introduction) and linking devices for variety and coherence.
Remember that content is not that important; they’re focusing on language and structure!!!
It might be easier to start with the negative point and move to the positive one!!!
 There is undoubtedly (unquestionably) an urgent need for governments to tackle road congestion. Too much
traffic leads to road rage, pollution, stress and a loss of income for businesses. We may ask ourselves: what is the best
method of doing this? Well, this question can be answered in many ways, yet the two most important to consider are
road building and public transport spending.

Turning to the first point, ……