WRITING

IMPORTANT
- In FCE we will always have to write between
140-190 words.
- All writing assignments must be handwritten, in
pen (not pencil) like in the actual exam. Use a ruled
sheet of paper for your answers:
 - Always divide your writing piece into paragraphs.
From 3 (minimum) to 5 (maximum) paragraphs.
- Avoid one-sentence paragraphs.
- Leave a line between paragraphs.
- RESPECT the deadline: next week

Compare: Which comment is Formal? Why?

- The tip I got from you is awesome.

(Anglo-Saxon words) INFORMAL
- The information I received from you is
invaluable.
(Latin origin words) FORMAL

STYLES IN WRITING
 Features INFORMAL FORMAL
Length of sentences shorter longer
Contractions yes no
(do not, I am, has
not, cannot)
Omission of words (“I”) yes no
Polite phrases no yes
Passive Voice no yes
Exclamation marks (!) yes no
Type of connectors simple (and. elaborate
but, or, ‘cos) (However,
Therefore,
Moreover) see
below ⇓
Words of Anglo-Saxon yes no
origin (get, tip, start, try,
etc)
Words of Latin origin no yes
(obtain,
recommendation,
commence, attempt,
etc)
Phrasal Verbs yes (LOTS) no
Idioms yes no
- As to X, … - Regarding/Concerning
Referring to topics in a - As for X, … X,…
previous email - About X, ... - As regards X,…
 Features INFORMAL FORMAL
- With regard to X,…
- As far as X is concerned,
...
- As far as X goes, ...

Connectors

RELATIONSHIPS INFORMAL FORMAL

Moreover, In addition,
Addition AND Additionally, Furthermore, What
is more, Besides, As well as this,
Likewise, Similarly, Also, Not
only…but also...
Result SO Therefore, As a result (of),
Consequently, As a
consequence, That is why…,
Hence…, in order to…, so as
to…, so that…
Although… Even though…
Contrast BUT Though… Despite… In spite of…
However, Nonetheless,
Nevertheless, Notwithstanding
that, In contrast, On the
contrary, Conversely, Yet, Still.
Reason BECAUSE As…, Since…, On account of…,
Due to (this), Owing to (this), For
this reason.
Alternative OR Either…or, Neither…nor, Or else,
RELATIONSHIPS INFORMAL FORMAL
choices Otherwise, Instead (of).

Informal emails (SB p. 168)

Opening salutations:

Dear Sue, ( + comma , not : colon)

Hi (Sue),
Hi Sue !
Hi !
Dear friend,

Closing salutations (sign-off):

Love,
Yours,
Lots of love,
Take care,
Best wishes,
Best regards,
Regards, (Rgds)
All the best,
Cheers,
Kisses,
Osvaldo
xxx
xoxo
Typical opening phrases (first paragraph):

- Thanks for your email

- (It was) Good to hear from you.
- I’m sorry I haven’t written for such a long time but I’ve
been…
- Glad to hear that you got over your flu…
- Hope you’ve managed to sort out that problem you told me
about…

Typical endings (last paragraph before sign-off):

- Write back soon.

- Give my regards to your (parents).
- Hope you’ll be able to…

Formal Emails/Letters
(SB p. 180)

Opening Salutations and sign-off:

1. If you know the name of the person:

Dear Mr (John) Brown,

{ Dear + Title (+ First name) + Last name +, }

--- --- --- ---

Yours sincerely,

Osvaldo Vallone

Titles:

Mr: man

Miss: a single woman

Mrs: a married woman

Ms /miz/: a woman

Dr: doctor

Prof: Professor

2. If you don’t know the name of the person:

Dear Sir/Madam,

--- --- --- ---

Yours faithfully,

Osvaldo Vallone
Dear Manager

Typical phrases:

Reasons for writing

- I am writing to apply for.../ complain about.../ enquire
about…
- I saw your advertisement published on the university
noticeboard / in the Guardian newspaper / on the school
website asking for (tour guides) and I would like to apply / I
am interested in applying.
- I am writing to apply for the position of (tour guide)
published on the university noticeboard / in the Herald
newspaper yesterday.
- I would like to request further information about…
- In response to your email of 20th March, I am writing to…

Organizing Information
- First of all / Firstly, ... Secondly, ... / In addition, … /
Furthermore, … / Lastly, … / Finally, …
- As regards, … / Concerning, … / As far as my qualifications
are concerned, …
Asking for action
- I would be most grateful if you could send me (further)
details of…
- It would be helpful if you could…
- It would be highly appreciated if you could…
 - Could you please…?
Closing the email before sign-off
- I hope you will consider my application / request.
- I would be grateful if you considered / could consider my
application.
- I look forward to hearing from you.

ARTICLES
(SB page 182)

Purpose: to entertain

Sometimes you will have to describe personal experiences or

anecdotes. In these cases, mainly narrative tenses will be used.

Some other times you will have to express opinions and ideas about a
particular topic, or describe events that regularly take place in your town
or country (festivals, celebrations, etc). In these cases, present tenses
will mainly be used. However, other tenses might be necessary as well.

Whichever the case is, you must do this in an entertaining way, so that
it doesn’t look like an “essay”. This is the essence of articles.

Style: Neutral (this means you can use a combination of both formal
and informal features, but always trying not to go to extremes)

Features:

● Title: should be intriguing and eye-catching.

● You may use rhetorical questions (Have you ever…? / You can
imagine…)
● You may talk to the reader (you… your…)
● Colourful vocabulary (not just “good” / “bad”: idioms; phrasal
verbs, etc.)
● Introductory paragraph:
A. There are different techniques but the most common one is
to start with a general statement about the topic and then
an “although” sentence (any sentence containing a
contrastive connector: although, however, despite, etc). For
example, if the topic is The importance of a healthy diet, the
introductory paragraph could look like this:

People often worry about the type of food they eat (general
statement). Although the current tendency is to go for
easy-to-prepare, ready-made meals, some people are
beginning to pay more attention to consuming the right type
of nutrients (“although” sentence).

B. To counter the mystery of the Title, the introductory

paragraph must clearly state the topic of the article.

● Conclusion: The article must be finished in an interesting way,

which could involve humour or a thought-provoking comment.

REVIEWS
SB page 183
Purpose: to describe and assess positive and negative aspects of
a (new) film, book, play, restaurant, hotel, museum, music
album, concert, etc, and provide a final recommendation.

Title: it must contain the name of what is being reviewed, plus an

additional eye-catching comment. For example:

- Plaza Hotel New York: the place to stay in the Big Apple.
- Titanic: can love drown?

Style: It is usually neutral (similar to articles). In reviews it is

particularly suitable to use passive voice:
- The book was written by…
- The film was shot on location…
- The concert was organized...

Other features:
● You may address the reader (you...your…)
● You may use rhetorical questions
● Vocabulary and structures should be colourful and varied.
● Contractions in affirmative should be avoided, but it’s OK to
use them in negative: It is.../They are… but It isn’t.../They
aren’t…

Paragraph outline:
➔ Paragraph 1: should contain general info about what is
being reviewed. For example,
◆ film: when it was released, name of director,
main actors, genre, etc.
◆ restaurant: location, when it first opened, type of
restaurant, etc.
◆ TV programme: when it airs, what channel or
streaming platform, name of TV
presenter/actors, etc.
 ➔ Paragraph 2: should assess the main aspect of what is
being reviewed:
◆ film/novel/theatre play: the plot in present
tenses:
e.g. The story follows the life of a girl who falls in
love with a rich man and they both fight against...
◆ restaurant: the food
◆ concert: the music
◆ museum: the exhibits (dinosaurs? historical
objects? paintings/sculptures? etc.)
➔ Paragraph 3 and 4: other aspects of the reviewed
product
➔ Paragraph 5: Recommendation

Useful language:
➢ The show/film stars Emma Watson…
➢ The book was written/published by…
➢ The film centres on a young couple…
➢ On the plus side, … / On the negative side, ...
➢ On the one hand, … / On the other hand, …
➢ Overall, I’d recommend…
➢ All in all, the (film) is/was a must-see…
➢ I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend…
➢ I wouldn’t encourage anyone to…because...
➢ Don’t miss it!
➢ It is well worth seeing!
➢ Watching this film will change the way you see ( e.g. young
people).
➢ It is bound to be a box‐office hit.
➢ I highly / thoroughly / strongly recommend it.
➢ It is highly entertaining.
➢ It is certainly at the top of my list of (good movies).
➢ Fans of … will no doubt be thrilled with this.
➢ It’s a boring movie/museum. Don’t bother to see/visit it.
 ➢ Only watch this film if you have plenty of time to spare.

REPORTS
SB page 184
Purpose: to give
information, evaluate
something or make
suggestions and
recommendations.
However, you won’t have to do all these things together in the
same report so you must read the task carefully.

Style: Formal. Passive voice is specially suitable for reports. You

must avoid overuse of the pronoun “I” and you should not
address the reader using “you”/”your”.

Features:
★ Title: Report on…(+ a noun phrase)
E.g.:
Report on the importance of recycling in our town.
Report on possible activities for the exchange students.

★ Headings: Each paragraph should be preceded by a suitable

heading. The first and the last heading will always be:

Introduction:
Conclusion:
 The middle headings will depend on the topic of the task.

NB. Both the title and the headings should be underlined.

★ Bullet points: They may be used in the middle paragraphs

for clarity. However, they are not compulsory and you may
prefer to avoid their use because they tend to reduce the
number of words you use.

Useful phrases:
Introduction:
● The purpose/aim of this report is to …
● The report is intended to show/discuss/suggest/outline …
● This report will also consider/examine/compare…

Middle paragraphs:
● In general, …
● Generally speaking, …
● Most (members) seem to …
● It appears that …
● According to …
● As far as … is concerned…
● For this reason / these reasons…

Conclusion:
● In conclusion, / To conclude, / To summarize, / To sum up, / All
in all, / All things considered, …
● I am sure that if these ideas are put into practice, the town will...
● Based on the findings of this report I recommend/suggest +ing
● I (would) recommend/suggest that …
● The following (improvements) are recommended: …
● The best ideas/solutions seem to be …
● It would be (highly) advisable to …
 ESSAY
ESSA
At the very beginning of this file there is an example of an essay,
which I copy below:

But what generated this essay? Here is the task:

There are two types of essay: discursive and argumentative

Consider the following essay questions. How would you answer them?:

DISCURSIVE (ONLY ONE SIDE OF THE COIN)

1. Is education important? YES

+ for your future
+ the key to open doors
+ if not you cannot get jobs
+ gives you the chance to choose

ARGUMENTATIVE (TWO SIDES OF THE COIN)

 2. Money is the number one
priority in life. Do you agree?
YES/NO
+ need it to survive
+ to give your family things
+ buy things to make your life better
- it may not necessarily make you happy
- can’t buy certain things
- our loved ones come first

Purpose of an Essay: to discuss pros and/or cons about a topic

and provide a conclusion.

Style: Formal ( no contractions, do not talk to the reader you/your,

no exclamation marks, rhetorical questions may be used but to the
universe, no phrasals, no idioms, yes passive)

Avoid vague words such as “thing” / “things” . Instead use factor /

aspect / concern / source of… / characteristic / feature / etc

Paragraphs: always 5 paragraphs

Organisation:

No title is needed
Para 1: Introduction. Approach the topic in a very general way.
You may use an “although” sentence.
Para 2: first idea (topic sentence) + explanations and examples
Para 3: second idea (topic sentence) + explanations and examples
Para 4: third idea (topic sentence) + explanations and examples
Para 5: Conclusion: your opinion. (In my opinion, to my mind, from
my point of view) (In conclusion, To sum up, All in all) + ANSWER
THE ESSAY QUESTION

Linkers to be used in the middle paragraphs:

DISCURSIVE
First of all, / Firstly,
Secondly, / Moreover,
Finally, / Furthermore,

DISCURSIVE ESSAY

Brainstorming: POINTS

- work :
- family:
- ???
Argumentative Essay

You must answer this question. Write your answer in 140- 190 words in an
appropriate style on the separate answer sheet.

You have recently had a class project on animal welfare and

vegetarianism. Now your teacher has asked you to write a composition,
giving your opinions on the following statement:

Some people believe that humans should not eat meat. Do you agree?

Notes
Write about:

● meat as a main ingredient of our diet

● vegetarians
● ………………(your own idea)

Sample answer:

Most people think that since animals eat other animals, it is natural for humans to
eat meat. However, some disagree, and a growing number of people are choosing to
become vegetarians. So what are the ideas behind these two beliefs?

First of all, it is known that humans have always hunted and eaten animals. Maybe
it is our natural instinct inherited by ancestors that forces us to seek this type of
food. Nonetheless, it is undeniable that meat is rich in vitamins and protein, which
help to build muscles and bones.

Moreover, another point worth mentioning is the fact it is difficult to have a

balanced diet without this crucial ingredient. In order to avoid some health
problems such as lack of energy or splitting nails we should make lean meat a part
of our meal.

On the other hand, many vegetarians believe that eating meat is not only
unnecessary but also unhealthy. We can easily grow plants that give us all we need
in our diet. Moreover, there are numerous shops which provide supplements that
substitute meat.

In my view, there are strong health reasons for not eating meat. Nevertheless, if we
become vegetarians for moral reasons, I believe we should also not wear fur or
leather.

Linkers to be used in the middle paragraphs:

ARGUMENTATIVE
● First of all, / Firstly,
● Secondly, / Moreover,
● However, / On the other hand, / In contrast,

In an argumentative essay it’s crucial for you to organize your middle

paragraphs in such a way that pros are together with pros and cons are
together with cons. For example:

➕ Firstly,
A.

➕ Furthermore,
●

➖ On the other hand, / Nonetheless,

●
●
B.
● ➕ First of all,
● ➖ However, / On the other hand,
● ➖ In addition,
C.
● ➖ On the one hand,
● ➕ On the other (hand),
● ➕ Moreover,
But never: ❌
➕
➖
●

➕
●
●

Strategically, if your conclusion will be “pros”, you should organise your

paragraphs like C, for example.
But if your conclusion will be “cons”, you should choose organization A
or B.

Let’s practise:

+
life expectancy
open-minded society
human rights
more resources
technology
-
climate change/pollution
people were more polite
fewer people back then
people were more active