FCE: Assess an article

If you are interested in writing articles, think about this one:

Today's television

"A load of old rubbish" or
"More choice than ever before"?

Is today's television still good value for money?
How would you answer this question? Pay a visit to the flo-joe website to take a look at one student's attempt.

FCE & CAE Task 3.8: The End is Nigh!

A final set of links to pages with helpful material.

Exam specific:

• Go here for Flo-Joe's CAE makeovers.
  
• And here for their FCE makeovers.
  

Non-exam writing

• Go here for some other practice materials for various formal and informal styles.
• Go here for the BBC's extensive Skillswise site. We've featured some of their material here in the past

FCE Task 3.5 Letter of Complaint.

Go here to find a letter of complaint for you to complete the spaces in and then check on line.

FCE Weekly Writing Task 3.4: Reviewing a Letter

Here's a thread with a student's formal letter. Take a look at Peter from Russia's letter, then when you've assessed it look at the other comments.

Ask us if you have doubts or questions.

Task 3.3 Reviewing More Complex Writing

Some tasks on paragraphs and organisation this week.

Go here for one on narrative organisation (useful for stories, review and writing about trips, travel etc, and here for another.

Go here for another on sentence transformation to develop more complex sentences.

Finally, go here for some complex sentence writing. COndense your ideas into fewer words to make a real impression.

FCE and CAE Task 3.2 Reviewing Planning

Most of our tasks this term will relate to reviewing your skills and analysing examples of writing. This week we are going to link to the BBC Skillwise website. Go here for 15 (yes, 15!) Fact Sheets, 8 worksheets and even a game to play.

The materials here are for all kinds of writing. Exam students should choose carefully for the kind of writing you will find more useful (notice all the work on letters!).

Concentrate on the topics you find most challenging.

FCE & CAE Weekly Task 2.5 Study a Review

If you go to our download page here, you'll find a link to a Word document of a review called "CAE Question 0."

This is around CAE level and length, but is an FCE-style question.

On page 1 you'll find some work to do and the question. On page 2, our answer. One thing we want you to do is check it for basic spelling and grammar errors. How many can you find in 5 minutes? (There are a lot, maybe more than we intended!)

FInd a highlighted version and answers on page 3.

CAE Weekly Activity 1.5 Feedback

Some examples

Here are some ideas about where and when to use some of the combinations

categorically deny - TOO DIRECT for most exam writing
deeply regret - bad news
enthusiastically endorse - recommending an idea formally
freely appreciate - accepting another opinion - good for essays
fully recognize - opinions in formal/neutral writing - essays, reviews
honestly believe - opinions in formal/neutral writing - essays, reviews
positively encourage - reports, proposals, suggestions
readily endorse - recommending an idea
sincerely hope - finishing letters
strongly recommend - proposals, letters, give advice
totally reject - TOO DIRECT for most exam writing
utterly refuse - TOO DIRECT for most exam writing

FCE Weekly Task 2.3 Feedback

At FCE, don't

- use text language like "u"

- use short forms like "gonna" and "gimme"

- better to mostly avoid three dots...

(also avoid Email abreviations like TIA, HTH, BTW)

FCE Weekly Task 2.1: Essays

Some questions about essays for you to think about.

1. How should you start and finish your first paragraph?
2. What could you put at the start of the following paragraphs?
3. If you give examples in your paragraphs, what should they be?
4. What does the final paragraph do?
5. What could come after the final paragraph?

Go here for advice on what to put in your paragraphs. Remember that at FCE you have a word limit of around 180, so your number of paragraphs will be restricted to 4 or maybe 5.

We need you!

Now it's your turn. What suggestions or advice can you give us about writing essays that people or teachers have told you? Email your ideas to us at bclasrozas@gmail.com

FCE Weekly Task 5

Reviewing Formal Letters

We'd like to recommend this page on the Flo-Joe website. have a go at some of the twenty two(!) exercises before your next homework.

Obviously, we're happy to answer questions or doubts you have here!

FCE Weekly Task 4

Collocations

Some vocabulary work this week. Visit this page and take alook through the many collocations on offer. Between now and next Tuesday have a think about where and when you could use some of them in writing.

For example, honestly believe could easily be used in a formal letter or an article giving your opinion.

We'll have more examples next Tuesday.