Writing

The “Writing” part of the Aptis Advanced exam consists of 3 parts and you have 45 minutes to
complete it.

The “Writing” part consists of:

1) Answering questions in a “chat” style format.

2) Writing a formal email
3) Writing an article

In Part 1, being that you are responding to a question in a social network chat, the language
can be informal; so, you are allowed to use contractions.

Part 1: answering questions online.

Part 1: You are a member of the science club and you are speaking to three other members
in a group chat. Respond to them in full sentences (30-40 words per answer).

Martin: Hey! Welcome to the group. I got into science when I was in high school, so I
decided to become an engineer. What about you?

Hi Martin! I started watching scientific TV programs when I was a little kid. I remember
rushing home from school every day to catch the episode from start to finish.

Jorge: Welcome! Can you tell me about any experiments you have done before?

I am actually not so keen on experiments as I am on building things. I could say my specialty is

making models of cars and modifying them to different velocities. I prefer physics to chemical
science.

Bea: Who is your favourite scientist or inventor? Why?

I think my favourite inventor would have to be Johannes Gutenberg. I know this isn’t a typical
answer for a science buff like myself, but without him, we wouldn’t have mass-produced texts
that help to spread knowledge.

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 Part 2: Formal email.

In part 2, you are expected to write a formal email.

In this part of the exam you are not allowed to use contractions and it is best that you avoid using
phrasal verbs.

There is also some specific vocabulary that you need to use and we are going to take a look at
some below:

Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms XY, (if you know who you are writing to)
Greeting
Dear Sir/Madam, (if you don’t know who you are writing to)

The opening paragraph has several purposes:

a) Tell the receiver where they know you from
b) State the purpose of your email
c) Tell the receiver what to expect

Opening
paragraph Some phrases to use are:
I am writing in reference to …
I am writing in response to …
I am writing to inquire about …
Thank you for your letter/email…

There is no one way for writing the body of the text because it varies according
The main body of
to the function of what you need to communicate.
your message
Your body should be divided into short paragraphs that avoid abbreviations
and acronyms.

Based on the type of message you are sending, there are various ways to write
a final invitation before ending the email, such as:

Closing
Thank you for considering my opinion…
paragraph
I look forward to hearing from you …
For further information, please do not hesitate to contact me…

The most common ways to end an email are:

Yours sincerely, (if you know who you are writing to)
Closing
Yours faithfully, (if you don’t know who you’re writing to)
formula
Kind regards,
Regards,

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The following is an example of what you may find in the Aptis Advanced exam:

You received this email from a local café. Read the email and the notes you made.
Write a reply (120-150 words) using your notes, and express how you feel about the
situation.

Dear Customer,

Thank you for your continued patronage at our restaurant. We are always looking for ways to
improve your experience! We would love to know more about your visit today. How fast were
you served? It would be great to know what you think of our staff. Where they professional
when answering your questions? Lastly, what did you think of our new patio? Did you have a
chance to enjoy it? We would love to hear your thoughts!

Yours faithfully, Laceho

Café Staff

NOTES:

1) Slow service - made me late for work

2) Friendly staff – but too talkative
3) Patio looked beautiful – but it was raining

Dear Laceho Café Staff,

Thank you for reaching out.

While I normally love visiting your café, I have to admit I was quite underwhelmed by my
experience there the last time I went. For starters, the service was incredibly slow. I think it
took about 20 minutes to get my latte. Waiting for my order made me late for work. I think it
may have been because your barista was overly chatty with each customer. While it is nice to
be friendly, people have to go to work.

On my way out, I noticed how lovely the new patio looked. Had I not been running late, or if it
were not raining, I would have loved to have my coffee there.

Let me know if you have any questions about my comments.

Best regards,
Sumit

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After Reading this email; what would you do differently?

Part 3

For part 3, we have to write an article that is both informative and attention grabbing. This is
considered to be the most difficult part of the exam.

In this part, you are allowed to use idioms, expressions and even rhetorical questions
(questions that do not require an answer).

Articles follow a specific structure.

1) Title: make sure you pick an attention-grabbing title. The title should suggest the theme of the article.

2) The introduction: it presents the topic we are going to talk about and it keeps the reader’s attention.
3) The body:
a. Paragraph 1: talks about the thing you like about it or not.
b. Paragraph 2: Recommendation of what can be done to improve
something.
4) The conclusion: summarise the topic or give a final opinion, recommendation or comment.

Some tips are:

1) Make it visually appealing: what does this mean? Make sure you leave spaces
between each paragraph. It makes for an easy ready and it doesn’t hurt the eyes.
2) Make sure each paragraph has a crystal-clear objective. Don’t just start writing about whatever.
Make sure you stay on topic.
3) It is an article, so the language is not that formal.
4) Remember where the article is going to appear. Who are the intended readers and
what is the aim of the article (to advise, inform, compare, describe, etc).
5) Use vocabulary and descriptive language. Linking words and expressions will only
improve your work and make it more interesting.
6) DO NOT use over personal emotional language or simplistic vocabulary.
7) If you are going to talk about yourself, your opinions should be amusing and you need
to justify and explain them.

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Vocabulary to use in articles:

Rhetorical questions:

▪ Have you ever…?

▪ Do you ever wonder…?
▪ What do you think about…?
▪ Are you a… like me?
▪ Are you one of those people who…?
▪ What would you say if I told you that…?

Introducing new ideas:

▪ To begin with,
▪ The coolest thing about…
▪ What attracts me most …
▪ One thing to consider is …
▪ As regards …
▪ In addition,
▪ In addition to that,
▪ Moreover,

Concluding the article:

▪ On the whole,

▪ To sum up,
▪ To conclude,
▪ All in all,

Let’s take a look at Part 3:

Shopaholics Anonymous! is a website that publishes short articles submitted by the public

on general interest topics. You have been asked to write an article about Online Shopping.

You have done some research on this topic in note form. Using your notes, write an

informative and attention-grabbing article for publication (180-220 words).

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NOTES:

- More products to choose from

- Can find deals and use coupon codes

-Pros: convenience / no lines or crowds

-Cons: cannot physically inspect item/ have to pay to return

Price comparisons

Avg. Price in person

Product Type Avg Price online +/- Overall
+
Books $15/book shop $5 on Amazon
Cheaper and bigger
selection online
-
$100 for the weekly shop $150 for the weekly shop More convenient/ but
Groceries can’t guarantee
freshness of products
-/+
Clothes $80 $80 (many % off deals)
Save money/ but
can’t try on

If you could only shop one way for the rest of your life, how would you choose to do so?
For me and many others, online shopping has become a life-changing component of our
existence. Let’s consider the abundance that is found online. I can find any book I have ever
wanted for a third of the price online. What’s more is that I don’t have to fight for a parking
spot in a busy lot or stand in a long line to purchase it. The savings extend to clothes too. When
my son was a baby, we constantly had to buy clothes because of how fast he was growing. By
shopping online, I single-handedly saved my family some serious cash by finding bargains and
coupon codes online.

However, not all that glitters is gold. There were some serious fails in the clothing department.
I may have saved a percentage of the cost, but many of the clothes didn’t fit right. It would
have been so much better if I were able to inspect the items before purchasing them as I had
to pay to return them! I also once tried to order groceries online, but ended up spending much
more on fruit and veg that weren’t the freshest.
In a nutshell, shopping online can be more convenient and cost-efficient, but it depends on
what you buy!

*https://aptisweb.com/184-aptis-advanced-writing-tests-model-answers-and-tips

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How can we improve this article?
What is missing from this article?

Exercise:

Part 1:

In this part you will chat with another member in a Book Club. You should write 30-40

words.

Hey there! I see that you have recently become a member of our Book Club.
Can you tell us why you decided to join?

What is your favourite book genre?

Next week we are getting together at a fellow member’s house. Would you
like to join us?

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Part 2

In this part you will read an email and you have to write a response. You have been provided
with some notes in order to answer the email. You are also expected to express how you feel
about the situation. Write between 120-150 words.

Hotel Feedback

Dear Valued Customer,

In order to improve our hotel and offer a better service to our customers like yourself, we
are requesting feedback from our most valued clients.

We would deeply appreciate your feedback.

Let us know what you think of our facilities, amenities and the overall service at our hotel.

Thank you for your collaboration and we hope to see you again. Kind regards,

The Jualuse Hotel & Spa.

My notes:

1. Too expensive
2. Thin walls
3. Room service was subpar

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Part 3

You need to write an article for a website. You will be given notes and data. The article needs

to be between 180-220 words.

Types of Tourism

A famous magazine has asked you to write an interesting article on the different types of

tourism. You have done some research and using the information you garnered, write an

interesting article to send to the website.

Type of Tourism 2018 2019 2020

Business 30.000 45.000 87.200

Leisure 10.4 million 11.18 million 14.3 million

Adventure 555.000 650.000 890.000

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 Speaking

Part 1 of the Speaking portion consists of comparing two images and answering two additional
questions.
You will have 45 seconds to answer each question.
Some tips for Part 1 are:
Use helpful phrases like:
• Both pictures • In the background…
show/depict/portray
• In the foreground …
• The first picture
• The thing that really
shows...
jumps out of this
whereas/while/howe
picture is ...
ver the second one
depicts... • In this picture it looks
as if they are ...
• In contrast / by
contrast • They
could/may/might be
• On the one hand/On
...
the other hand
• They must be ...
• What strikes me
about this picture is • I'm pretty sure that
... they are feeling ...
• Judging from the • I guess/ I suppose/ I
photograph, ... believe
• When you give it a • It's difficult to tell
closer look, it from the photos but
reveals… ...

When you are assuming something, you need to make it known you do this by using specific
vocabulary such as:
• It seems like… • I suppose…
• Perhaps…. • I believe …

You can also use modal verbs of deduction and speculation:

• Must • May
• Might • Can’t
• Could • Have

Let’s practice.

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Part 1

You have to answer three questions and you have 45 seconds to answer each one.

1) Compare the images (45 seconds)

2) How important are friends? (45 seconds)

3) Which situation would you rather be in? (45 seconds)

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Part 1

You have to answer three questions and you have 45 seconds to answer each one.

1) Compare the images. (45 seconds)

2) When was the last time you celebrated with family? (45 seconds)

3) Which holidays or celebrations would you rather celebrate with your friends?

(45 seconds)

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Part 1

You have to answer three questions and you have 45 seconds to answer each one.

1) Compare the images. (45 seconds)

2) Which situation would you prefer? (45 seconds)

3) What did you want to be when you were growing up? (45 seconds)

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