Ebook Fce Writing 4schools

FCE Writing for Schools
How to pass the Cambridge First Certificate Writing Section

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Index:
Introduction ...................................................................................................... 3
Who is this book for? .................................................................................... 3
What’s in the FCE for Schools writing exam? .............................................. 3
Content: ........................................................................................................ 3
Summary ...................................................................................................... 3
Time allowed: 1 hour 20 minutes.................................................................. 3
Part 1............................................................................................................ 4
Part 2............................................................................................................ 4
How is the exam assessed? ......................................................................... 4
4 essentials for good answers ...................................................................... 5
Part 1: Writing essays ...................................................................................... 5
Introduction and tips (Writing essays) .......................................................... 5
Useful phrases (Writing essays) ................................................................... 5
Sample questions (Writing essays) .............................................................. 6
Part 2.1: Writing formal letters or emails .......................................................... 7
Introduction (Writing formal letters or emails) ............................................... 7
Useful phrases (Writing formal letters or emails) .......................................... 7
Sample questions (Writing formal letters and emails) ................................ 11
Part 2.2: Writing informal letters or emails ..................................................... 13
Introduction (Writing informal letters or emails) .......................................... 13
Useful phrases (Writing informal letters or emails) ..................................... 14
Sample Questions (Writing Informal Letters and emails) ........................... 15
Part 2.3: Writing articles ................................................................................. 17
Introduction and tips (Writing articles) ........................................................ 17
Useful phrases (Writing articles)................................................................. 17
Sample questions (Writing articles) ............................................................ 18
Part 2.4: Writing reviews ................................................................................ 19
Introduction and tips (Writing reviews) ....................................................... 19
Useful phrases (Writing reviews) ................................................................ 19
Sample questions (Writing reviews) ........................................................... 21
Part 2.5: Writing stories .................................................................................. 22
Introduction and tips (Writing stories) ......................................................... 22
Useful phrases (Writing stories) ................................................................. 22
Sample questions (Writing stories) ............................................................. 23
Finally ............................................................................................................ 25
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Introduction
Who is this book for?
This book is for students who want good marks in the writing section of the
Cambridge Fist Certificate Exam (FCE). It is also useful for any Upper
Intermediate student who would like to improve his or her writing.
It is also for teachers. Use it exactly as you like. Forward it to students. Print
it out. Use it in class. It’s completely up to you.
I hope you find it useful.
Enjoy your English and every success with exams.
Alan Bray
Santander, July 2016.
P.S. You can find other free materials to help you prepare for the B2 First
Certificate Exam at the following website, brays.es
To buy a Complete FCE or FCE for Schools Online Course with 100 – 150
hours of Listening, Reading, and Use of English practise (including over 50
Exam Practice Papers) click here. Simply practise and take the mock exams
until you are sure of exam success.
Spanish speakers can access this page.
What’s in the FCE for Schools writing exam?

Content:
Students are required to produce two pieces of writing. The first piece is
compulsory and will be an essay of 140–190 words. For the second, they can
choose from an article, email/letter, essay, review or story of 140–190 words.
Summary
Time allowed: 1 hour 20 minutes
Number of parts: 2
Number of questions: Part 1: one compulsory question
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Part 2: one question from a choice of four, including one set text question
Marks: 20% of total
Types of task: Article, email, essay, letter, review, story.
Part 1
Students are given an essay title and two ideas. They write an essay giving
their opinion about the title, using the ideas given and adding an idea of their
own. The title will be a subject of general interest – students won’t need any
specialised knowledge.
What do I have to practise? Giving an opinion and providing reasons for that
opinion.
How many questions are there? One compulsory question.
How much do I have to write? 140–190 words.
Part 2
What's in Part 2? A choice of four questions. The answer students have to

write will be one of the following: article, email/letter, essay, review, story.
What do I have to practise? Writing different types of text: articles, essays,

letters/emails, reviews. Depending on the question, students will have to
advise, compare, describe, explain, express opinions, justify and/or
recommend something.
How many questions are there? Students choose one question from a
choice of four, including one set text question.
How much do I have to write? 140–190 words
How is the exam assessed?

There are four assessment criteria for the Writing tasks:
Content: focuses on how well you have completed the task, in other words, if
you have done what you were asked to do.
Communicative Achievement: focuses on how appropriate the writing is for

the task (for example, is the style right for a magazine article?), and whether
you have used the right register, for example formal or informal.
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Organisation: focuses on the way you put together the piece of writing, in
other words, if it’s logical and ordered.
Language: focuses on vocabulary and grammar. This includes the range of

language, as well as how accurate it is.
4 essentials for good answers

1. Answer the question
2. Plan
3. Use paragraphs
4. Revise your work
Make sure you answer the question exactly and no more.
It is essential to plan your writing. This should take at least 5 minutes to plan
for each question.
In a relatively short piece of writing you will need 4 or 5 paragraphs. The first
paragraph will be your introduction. Paragraphs 2, 3 and perhaps 4, will
contain the body of your answer, and the last paragraph your concluding
comments.
Allow at least 5 minutes for each question to check your answer. Look out for
silly mistakes with tenses, word order, spellings etc.
Part 1: Writing essays

Introduction and tips (Writing essays)
1. ANSWER THE QUESTION.

2. PLAN your essay.
3. REVISE your essay to correct mistakes.
4. 4 or 5 PARAGRAPHS, with introduction and conclusion.
 The first paragraph should be a general introduction.

 In the middle paragraphs develop your arguments. Give reasons to
support your argument. Use a variety of discussive words and phrases.
Give examples where possible. Use formal language. Don't use
contractions (we're, I've etc.)
 The final paragraph is the best place to express your opinion clearly.
Useful phrases (Writing essays)
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Presenting two advantages or disadvantages together:
 not only … but … also

 not only … but also
Presenting two opposing views:
 on the one hand, on the other hand
Expressing Contrast:
 nevertheless
 even so
 even though
 however
 in spite of
 despite
 but
 although
Expressing results:
 because of this
 therefore
 thus
 as a result
 for this reason
 consequently
Giving examples:
 such as
 like
 for example
 for instance
Expressing the opinion of someone else:
 some people say

 some people say that
 many people say
 many people say that
 people often say
 it is said
 it is said that
 according to
Sample questions (Writing essays)
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1. You have done a project on transport in your English class. Your teacher
has asked you to write an essay giving your opinions on the following
statement.
Because cars are so convenient public transport has no future.
Write your essay in 140-190 words in an appropriate style.
2. You have had a discussion on fashion in your English class. Your teacher
has asked you to write an essay, giving your opinions on the following
statement.
Young people never want to dress the same as their parents
3. You have had a discussion on the media's treatment of famous people in

your English class. Your teacher has asked you to write an essay, giving your
opinions on the following statement.
Famous people such as footballers, film stars and politicians, deserve to have
a private life without journalists constantly following them.
This page from First Certificate Writing gives 5 further titles with sample plans
and answers. An excellent page.
Part 2.1: Writing formal letters or emails

Introduction (Writing formal letters or emails)
Writing formal letters is a necessary skill that you need for most ESL or EFL
exams at Intermediate Level and above.
Examples:
 You are given an article to read from a newspaper. You write to the
newspaper disagreeing with the article.
 You write to complain about something.
 You write making suggestions about something.
 You write requesting information.
 You write giving information.
 You write requesting permission.
Useful phrases (Writing formal letters or emails)

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a) Writing formal letters generally:
Greetings:
 Dear Sir
 Dear Madam
 Dear Sir/Madam
 Dear Mr Brown
 Dear Ms Jones etc.
Reason for writing:
 I am writing in response to your article/advertisement/letter

 I am writing with regard to your article/advertisement/letter
 I am writing regarding your article/advertisement/letter
 I am writing on behalf of
Ending the letter:
 I look forward to receiving your reply

 I look forward to your reply
 I look forward to hearing from you
 I am, yours faithfully (if you don't know the name of the person you are
writing to)
 I am, yours sincerely (if you know the name of the person you are
writing to)
 Yours faithfully
 Yours sincerely
b) Writing formal letters to complain:
Reason for writing:
 I am writing in order to complain about

 I am writing to complain about
Introducing the complaint:
 Firstly
 In the first place
 First of all
 My first complaint is
 The first problem is
 The first thing I would like to draw your attention to is
 My first concern is
Introducing further complaints:
 Secondly
 In the second place
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 Not only …….but also
 In addition
 In addition to this
 Added to this
 …….was also unacceptable
Demanding action:
 I suggest that you replace the item

 I therefore suggest that I be given a full refund
 I would be grateful if my money was refunded
 I would be grateful if you could give me a full refund
Ending the letter:
 I look forward to hearing from you

 I look forward to receiving a full refund
 I look forward to receiving a replacement
 I look forward to receiving your explanation
c) Writing formal letters to make suggestions:
Reason for writing:
 I am writing to suggest
 I am writing to arrange
 I am writing to offer suggestions
 I am writing make arrangements
Making first suggestion:
 My first suggestion is
 First of all I suggest
 I would like to suggest
Making further suggestions:
 Another possibility is
 A further possibility is
 I further suggest
 I would further suggest
 Secondly
Offering a choice:
 Would you therefore mind choosing between ….?

 Either……or
 You might choose either ……. or
d) Writing formal letters to request information
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Reason for writing:
 I am writing to receive further information about

 I am writing to enquire about
 I am writing to receive more detailed information about
 I am writing to receive further details about
Requesting first piece of information:
 The first thing I would like to know is

 First of all I would like to know
 I wonder if you would mind telling me first of all ….?
Requesting further information:
 Could you also tell me….?

 Could you also inform me ….?
 Would you also mind informing me ….?
 Would you also mind telling me ….?
 Do you know ….?
 I would also like to know if
 I would also like to know whether
 I hope you might also let me know about …
Thanking for information:
 I would like to thank you in advance for this information

 Thanking you in advance for this information
 Thanking you in advance
e) Writing formal letters to give information:
Reason for writing:
 I am writing to inform you about

 I am writing to provide you with information about
 I am writing to let you know that
Providing first point:
 The first thing I would like to inform you of is

 The first thing I would like to tell you is
 The first thing I wish to inform you of is
 I would like to begin by informing you
Providing further points:
 I would also like to let you know that
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 I would also like to inform you that
 You might also find the following information useful
 It might also be useful for you to know that
 Another piece of information that might be useful
Ending the letter:
 If you require further information, please do not hesitate to as

 If I can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to ask
 I will willingly provide further information on request
 I am at your disposal should you require further information
 I am at your disposal should you need further assistance
 Please do not hesitate to ask should you require further information
f) Writing formal letters to request permission
Reason for writing:
 I am writing to ask permission to

 I am writing to ask permission for
 I am writing to request permission to
 I am writing to request permission for
 I am writing to ask if I might
Making first request:
 Firstly I wonder if you would

 First of all I wonder whether you would mind
 The first request I would like you to consider is
Making further requests:
 I would be grateful if you would also consider

 I wonder if it might be possible for me to
 I would also like to request permission for
 I would also like to request permission to
Thanking for permission
 Many thanks for kindly considering my requests

 Thank you for considering my requests
Sample questions (Writing formal letters and emails)
1. You are helping to organise a visit to an English Language Academy in

Manchester. You have received a letter from John Webster, the director of the
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Academy. Read the letter and the notes you have made. Then write a letter to
Mr Webster using all your notes.
I am very glad to see that you are coming to our academy in July. I am sure
you will all have a very enjoyable time and that you will learn a lot of English.
Your can either stay all together in a youth hostel, or individually with local
families. Please tell me which you would prefer.
Tell me something about your group so that I can organise interesting spare
time activities. What sort of things do they like doing?
Please ask if you need any further information.
Yours sincerely,
John Webster
Your notes:
 Paragraph 1 – learning a lot of English is very important because …..

 Paragraph 2 – say which you prefer, and why.
 Ask what the weather's like in Manchester and what clothes you will
need.
Write your letter in 140-190 words. You must use grammatically correct
sentences with accurate spelling and punctuation in a style appropriate for the
situation.
2. Write 140-190 words in an appropriate style.
You have just returned from a trip to Canada. You flew there and back with
Maple Air. You decide to write to the airline to complain about your flight and
ask for some money back.
Read the advertisement and the notes you made and then, using the
information, write a letter to the airline. You may add other relevant points of
your own.
FLY MAPLE AIR TO CANADA

We offer:
 3 flights a day
 wide, comfortable seats
 friendly, well-trained staff
 a good choice of food – special diets no problem
 the latest in-flight entertainment
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Phone 0179 765893 now or see your travel agent for more details.
Your notes:
 Late boarding
 Staff quite rude
 No vegetarian food for me
 Old film
Write your letter of complaint. Do not include any postal addresses.
3. Your parents have seen the following advertisement.
IVY GRANGE HEALTH FARM
A marvellous experience and wonderful opportunity to get you fit.
Individualised health and fitness programmes in charming rural setting.
They want you to send an email to ask for further details including answers to
the following questions:
Where?
Places available in August?
How much for a week?
Drinking allowed?
Any trips?
What type of exercise?
Write an email in 140-190 words in an appropriate style.
Click here for 5 samples of formal emails from First Certificate Writing,
answers included, and click here for 5 formal letters, again with suggested
answers.
Part 2.2: Writing informal letters or emails

Introduction (Writing informal letters or emails)
Writing informal letters and emails involves writing letters or emails to friends
or relatives.
When writing an informal letter or email our language is more relaxed and we
are able to use abbreviations which is rare in other forms of English writing,
except perhaps when using direct speech.
Look also at “Writing Formal Letters and Emails” and compare.
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Useful phrases (Writing informal letters or emails)
Informal Letters - Greetings:
 Dear Jim
 Hello Jim
 Hi Jim
Informal Letters - Introductory paragraph:
 Sorry I haven't written for ages

 Sorry it's taken me so long to write
 How's it going?
 How are you?
 How are things with you?
 How are things?
An informal letter referring to good news:
 Glad to hear about

 I'm really glad to hear about
 I'm very happy to hear about
 I was very happy to read about
 Great news about your
An informal letter referring to bad news:
 I'm extremely sorry to hear about

 I'm very sorry to hear about
 Sorry to read about
 Its very sad to hear about your
 I can't tell you how sad I am that
Informal Letters - Introducing points
 By the way
 Did you hear about
 Did you see
 Have you seen
 Tell me about
 Oh, another thing
Ending an informal letter or email:
 Well, time to go
 Well, it's time to go
 Well, got to go
 Well, time to close
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 I've got to leave off now
 Write soon
 Make sure you write soon
 Love
 Lots of love
 All my love
 Will write again soon
 Look after yourself
 Take care of yourself
 All the best
 Everything good
Sample Questions (Writing Informal Letters and emails)
1. Write 140-190 words in an appropriate style
Your Scottish friend, Maggie, has sent you an email asking you to help her
organise a special surprise birthday party for her brother Rupert. Read
Maggie’s email and the notes you have made. Then write an email to Maggie
using all your notes..
We must make sure that Rupert doesn't know we are planning this surprise.
I'm not sure how many people to invite but our house is definitely too small.
Do you think we should book the Royal hotel for the evening and have the
party there? You know that Rupert is very keen on music so we could hire a
live band.
I've also been wondering what we could all buy as a present. What do you
think?
Could you come the day before the party to help with preparations. There's a
lot to plan so I'd really like your help. Can you suggest something else that will
really make the party special?
All for now.
best wishes,
Anne
Your notes:
 Paragraph 1 - Royal Hotel sounds OK but very expensive

 Paragraph 2 - Rupert really enjoys fishing
 Paragraph 3 - Sorry, busy that day.
 Paragraph 3 - Something else - Yes, how about ….
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Write your email. You must use grammatically correct sentences with
accurate spelling and punctuation in a style appropriate for the situation.
2. Write 140-190 words in an appropriate style.
You are studying in Britain and you've recently received a letter from a friend,
Susan, who is interested in in arranging a day trip for a group of students.
Read Susan's letter, the advertisement and the notes you have made. Then
write a letter to Susan, using all your notes.
….. and the students in my class are really interested in going on a day trip. I
know you went on a boat trip with your class recently. Could you tell me what
it was like and whether you'd recommend it?
Susan
Castle and Lake Boat Trips
 Departures 9 a.m. or 11 a.m. daily

 Lunch at restaurant
 Afternoon at lake with choice of water sports
 Reasonable prices with reductions for groups
Your notes:
 Earlier boat less crowded

 Take a packed lunch because ……..
 You must try ……..(watersport)
 Group minimum is 15
Write your letter. You must use grammatically correct sentences with
accurate spelling and punctuation in a style appropriate for the situation.
3. Your friend, Jim, has written you an email, part of which says:
My parents have given me some money for passing my exams. I don’t know
whether to spend it on going to watch United in Madrid, or whether I should
save up a bit more and buy some clothes. What do you think?
Write an email in reply in 140-190 words.
5 more sample informal email questions with answers, from First Certificate
Writing, can be found on this page. An informal letter can be found here.
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Part 2.3: Writing articles

Introduction and tips (Writing articles)
 ANSWER THE QUESTION

 PLAN your article.
 Give your article a title.
 Make sure you have at least 4 paragraphs.
Ask rhetorical questions to get your readers' attention. Eg. What would the
world be like without oil? What will life be like in 20 years time?
Speak directly to your readers. Eg. Let's just imagine some of the possibilities.
Give examples where appropriate.
Use humour where appropriate
 Give a conclusion and summary in the last paragraph.

 Finally, give your opinion where appropriate.
 REVISE your article to correct mistakes.
Useful phrases (Writing articles)
Rhetorical phrases:
 Have you ever ……..?

 What do you think about ……..?
 Are you one of those people who thinks that ……?
 Are you one of those people who …....?
 What would life be like if ……?
 Will the future bring us ….. ?
Introducing your first point:
 Firstly
 In the first place
 First of all
 The first thing to consider is
 One thing to consider is
 To begin with
Introducing more points:
 Secondly
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 Another consideration
 Yet another consideration
 Another thing to consider is
 Added to that
 Apart from that
 In addition to this
Introducing your final points:
 In conclusion
 To conclude
 To sum up
 So
Introducing your opinion:
 I think
 In my opinion
 Personally I believe that
 In my view
 If you ask me
 To my mind
 My personal opinion is
Sample questions (Writing articles)
1. You see this announcement in your school's English language magazine .
New Clubs after School
Your school wants to start some new after school clubs. Chess, table-tennis,
judo, guitar playing and cookery have been suggested as possible clubs.
What do you think?
 Tell us which one of these five ideas you like best and why.
 Make one other suggestion for a new club and explain why it would be
a good idea.
Write your article in 140-190 words in an appropriate style.
2. You see this announcement in the Leisure and Entertainment magazine.
Could you live without internet for a month?
Write and tell us what difference this would make to your life. We will publish
the best article.
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3. You see this announcement in a magazine.
We invite you to write an article on ‘The City of the Future’.
In what ways will Cities be different in the future? In what ways will they be the
same? The writer of the best article will receive a prize.
3 more sample article questions from First Certificate Writing, with answers,
can be found here.
Part 2.4: Writing reviews

Introduction and tips (Writing reviews)

 PLAN your review.
 Choose an appropriate title.
 The introduction will talk about what's being reviewed.
 Use a relaxed, friendly, chatty style.
 You can use contractions such as I'm, I've etc..
 Use a new paragraph for each point you want to make.
 Give your opinion.
 In the concluding paragraph give your opinion.
Useful phrases (Writing reviews)
What I liked
 What I liked most was …..

 The thing I liked most was ….
 I was pleasantly surprised by …..
 ….. would appeal to …..
 If you get a chance to ….
What I disliked
 What I disliked most was …..

 I was disappointed by ……
 I was disappointed with …..
 I was very disappointed by …..
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 I was very disappointed with ….
Reviews of books:
 main character
 is set in
 comedy
 science fiction
 thriller
 romance
 comedy:
 author
 written by
 chapter
 factual
 fiction
 unbelievable
 bestseller
 chapter
 ending
Reviews of films, tv programmes, plays:
 lead role
 star role
 star
 star actor
 star actress
 starring
 secondary role
 He plays a …….
 She plays a …….
 written by ….
 is set in …..
 based on a true story …..
 believable
 true to life
 not very believable
 far-fetched
 comedy
 romance
 science fiction
 ending
Reviews of hotels, restaurants, etc:
 location
 service
 setting
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 attractive setting
 disappointing setting
 owned by
 run by
 head chef (restaurant)
 waiters (restaurant)
 staff …….
 staff at reception …….(hotel)
 hotel facilities ….
 reasonable prices …..
 good value for money …..
 excellent value for money …..
 expensive
 a bit expensive
 overpriced
 not worth the money
 poor value for money
 always fully booked
 book in advance
Sample questions (Writing reviews)
1. Your teacher has asked you to write a review for a book you have read
recently. The best reviews will go in the school magazine. Review the book
giving your opinion and saying whether or not you would recommend it.
Write your review in 140-190 words in an appropriate style.
2. Your teacher has asked you to write a review for a film you have seen
recently on DVD or at the cinema. The best reviews will go in the school
magazine. Review the book giving your opinion and saying whether or not you
would recommend it.
3. At school you are building a tourist website in English. Your teacher has
asked you to write a review of a restaurant you have eaten at in your town.
Review the restaurant giving your opinion and saying whether or not you
would recommend it.
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Part 2.5: Writing stories

Introduction and tips (Writing stories)

 PLAN your story.
 REVISE your story to correct mistakes.
 Give your story a title.
Paragraph 1 – background information.
Paragraphs 2 and 3 - the main part of the story.
Paragraph 4 – EITHER the climax or key moment of the story OR what

happened after the climax.
Remember
Don't change the words you are given at all.
Read the words you are given carefully. Sometimes you can choose whether
to start or finish with the words. At other times you have no choice.
Use past continuous for background information. For example – It was raining
heavily as we left the house….
Use past perfect before the main events of the story. but Anne had kindly lent
me her umbrella.
Use simple past for the main events. There wasn't a single person on the
street.
Try to include some direct speech.
You can use contraction (haven't, couldn't etc). But a story should not be as
informal as an email to a friend, for example.
Useful phrases (Writing stories)
Time phrases:
 It all began
 Shortly afterwards
 Meanwhile
 Not long afterwards
 Some time later
 Later that day
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 A little later
 Finally
 In the end
 Eventually
Phrases for dramatic effect:
 Suddenly
 All of a sudden
 Without warning
 Out of the blue
 Just at that moment
 Quite unexpectedly
 As if from nowhere
Direct speech:
 “…..”, said Fred

 “…..”, shouted Fred
 “…..”, screamed Fred
 “…..”, whispered Fred
 “…..”, announced Fred.
 ”…..”, thought Fred
 “…..”, cried Fred
 “…..”, promised Fred
Concluding stories:
 When it was all over

 Looking back now
 In retrospect
 In the end
 After all that had happened
Sample questions (Writing stories)
1. Your teacher has asked you to write a story for a student magazine. The
story must begin with the following words.
Simon opened the door and knew immediately he had made a mistake.
Write your story in 140-190 words for in an appropriate style.
story must begin with the following words.
I heard a noise coming from the garden so I went outside to investigate.
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Write your story in 140-190 words for in an appropriate style.
3. You have been asked to write a story for a competition. The story must
begin with the following words.
It was five o'clock in the morning when there was a knock at the door.
Write your story in 140-190 words in an appropriate style.
4. Your teacher has asked you to write a story for a college magazine. The
story must end with the following words.
It was very exciting but I wouldn’t like to do it again.
story must end with the following words.
I knew I had to leave that city as soon as I possibly could.
6. You have entered a competition to write a story. The rules say it must end
with the following sentence.
Suddenly, I woke up and realised it had all been a fantastic dream.
I was so relieved to see them again.
From that moment I swore I would never tell a lie again.
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Further examples from Flo-Joe, for all writing types, can be found on this
page. A great site with authentic answers + marking with codes included.
Exam English Help is another very good site with FCE Writing Samples and
advice.
Finally
We at Brays hope that the information you have read helps you master the
English language.
The fact that you have read this far should prove useful. But, obviously, the
more you write, the better you become, especially if you have a good teacher
to guide you.
To get the best from what you have read you need now to go to the next
important stage:
 Select a question!
 Answer it
 Ask a tutor to guide you through the correction
 Repeat the process
 Repeat again and again
The more practice and guidance you have, the better you will become.
If you don’t have someone with a sufficiently high level to guide you then
contact us here. If you live in Santander or Getafe we have small classes
specialising in correction of writings and spoken English (with free online
courses for FCE or FCE for Schools)
Online tutoring
If you unable to attend one of our academies Sarah Bray provides very
thorough online tutorials, with a free online course, via Skype. Sarah is a
Management graduate from Warwick University with a Masters from
Cranfield. She also has an ‘A’ grade Cambridge CELTA certificate and is a
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brays.es
highly rated expert in the English teaching field. This link will take you to her
Linked In profile. She can be contacted by phone on (00 34) 916 823977.
Online Course
If you intend taking the FCE exam you can find an excellent online course,
with 100-150 hours of practice covering all sections of the exam, and
including over 50 exam papers, on this page. This course is completely free
for students of Brays.
The Spanish version of the page can be accessed here.
Every success with your exams, and in life.
Enjoy your English,
Alan Bray
July, 2016
26

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FCE Writing for Schools

How to pass the Cambridge First Certificate Writing Section

I hope you find it useful.

Enjoy your English and every success with exams.

Santander, July 2016.

Spanish speakers can access this page.

What’s in the FCE for Schools writing exam?

Time allowed: 1 hour 20 minutes

Number of questions: Part 1: one compulsory question

Marks: 20% of total

Types of task: Article, email, essay, letter, review, story.

How many questions are there? One compulsory question.

How much do I have to write? 140–190 words.

What's in Part 2? A choice of four questions. The answer students have to

What do I have to practise? Writing different types of text: articles, essays,

How much do I have to write? 140–190 words

How is the exam assessed?

Communicative Achievement: focuses on how appropriate the writing is for

Language: focuses on vocabulary and grammar. This includes the range of

4 essentials for good answers

Make sure you answer the question exactly and no more.

Part 1: Writing essays

1. ANSWER THE QUESTION.

 The first paragraph should be a general introduction.

Useful phrases (Writing essays)

 not only … but … also

Presenting two opposing views:

 on the one hand, on the other hand

Expressing the opinion of someone else:

 some people say

Sample questions (Writing essays)

Because cars are so convenient public transport has no future.

Write your essay in 140-190 words in an appropriate style.

Young people never want to dress the same as their parents

Write your essay in 140-190 words in an appropriate style.

3. You have had a discussion on the media's treatment of famous people in

Write your essay in 140-190 words in an appropriate style.

Part 2.1: Writing formal letters or emails

Useful phrases (Writing formal letters or emails)

Reason for writing:

 I am writing in response to your article/advertisement/letter

Ending the letter:

 I look forward to receiving your reply

b) Writing formal letters to complain:

Reason for writing:

 I am writing in order to complain about

Introducing the complaint:

Introducing further complaints:

 I suggest that you replace the item

Ending the letter:

 I look forward to hearing from you

c) Writing formal letters to make suggestions:

Reason for writing:

Making first suggestion:

Making further suggestions:

 Would you therefore mind choosing between ….?

d) Writing formal letters to request information

Reason for writing:

 I am writing to receive further information about