Mock Exam Help: Expressions for Writing

Mock Exam Help

Follow this link to expressions for Writing on multiple task types at all levels.

Click!

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Signposting

A link to signposting language for essays.

http://www.library.dmu.ac.uk/Support/Heat/?page=486

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Proficiency Writing: How to Write CPE Essays

Follow this link for an lesson on Essays at CPE. You'll find a downloadable PDF linked from the page. This is ideal to help you practice constructing your answers with a good range of expressions.

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Advanced, CPE How to...

to write an opinion-based letter to an editor of a website, newspaper or magazine.

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First, Advanced, CPE. How to...

to write an article.

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Getting ready to write.

One Way to Plan Your Work

There's no single way to plan a writing answer, but here's a two-step process that tries to get you to focus on

- the tasks you've got to do
- the language you need to use
- avoiding copying from the question
- getting variety in your vocab

Take a look at this question:

Apply this two step process.

Step 1.
a. Underline all the FUNCTIONS you have to carry out in this exercise.
b. Highlight the important information words in the question.

Here are's our version:

QuestionYou are reading an English language magazine and you see details of a language school that you are interested in.

LEARN ENGLISH AT YOUR OWN PACE! If you would like to study English on a course that has been specially designed to meet your needs and interests, then contact the Principal of the Effective Learning School giving details of your: Motivation for studying English; length of time studying English; strengths and weaknesses in the language Preferred start date and length of course Hobbies and interests We will contact you once we have received your details in order to arrange a programme of study for you.

Write your letter to the Principal of the school. (around 120-180 words)

Step 2
a. For the ideas you underlined, think of ways to say or write those functions
b. For the words you highlighted. Think of examples and/or other words with the same or similar meanings.

Here are's our try:

Contact 
"I am writing to you to..."
Preferred 
"I would like/would rather"
Giving examples 
"For example", "such as", "including"

Strengths 
"I'm good at", "I really enjoy", "I find xxxxx really (enjoyable)"
Weaknesses,
 "I wish I could...."
Start date: 
I'd like to begin on
Length: 
I'd like a course that lasts
Hobbies and interests: 
When I get some free time...

What youve done is use the question to write a plan, and produce a list of language you need in your answer.- We managed to write over 40 words there - for a 150 word essay! 

It's all going to be relevant as you've used the question for inspiration! Ut's probably more or less in the right order too.

Now all you need to do is connect it all up, personalise it, add in some linking words and make sure the formality is OK - and you should get a satisfactory mark!

Give it a try on your next homework!





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Writing a Report

Some good advice here - for students and professionals! - on giving your report the impact you want to achieve!

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Writing articles

Some detailed information here - also of interest to anyone with journalistic ambitions.

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`Writing Essays

Lots of good advice on high-level essay writing here.

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Writing for Purpose

Writing for purpose - composing quality writing work for academic or profesional reasons.

A British Council course is here.

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C1 and C2: Paraphrasing

From the superlative UEfAP website, a brilliant collection of exercises on rewriting phrases in the right hand column of the table.

Not at all easy, but very very good practice.

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Referencing not repeating.

Avoid repition in your formal writing!

Two pages which can help you improve your writing by avoiding repetition, linking ideas, sentences and paragraphs, and overall making your wirting clearer.

Go here and here

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Ingredients for a Review of a TV advert

You can adapt this list to any review!

A good review will have:

Has a title 

Sums up the story/product in a sentence or two.Includes positive and negative commentSays if the writer thinks it’s a successful product and whyUses some suitable vocabulary – plot, soundtrack, twist, director, advertisement, advent, get ready,
Has Some opinion language
“If you ask me”. “For me”Some linking between the similar things (“in addition”) and some contrast– “on the other hand”, “however”It's all in the same formality

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Advanced & Proficiency: Movie Review

Here's our review of the a James Bond film.  Might give you some ideas for your own work!

Better than 007 out of 10? 

Skyfall

A jolly good Bond film scoring 8/10 with ease for me. Easily my favourite since Goldeneye, maybe The Living Daylights. Many years ago I read a Bond review in a magazine, where the writer said he'd love to see something different from Bond - like have him carry out an investigation in London, for instance, but there's no way it'd ever happen, what with the need forrproduct placement and so on. That author has pretty much got his wish and it worked very well. 

It feels like Bond, looks like Bond and sounds like Bond to me. About 1 second into the film there's something that tells you exactly what the tone of the movie is, puts a big smile on your face, and from there on it's almost all great stuff, doing something interesting and different, yet also familiar. Absolutely loved the tiny little touches ("For her eyes only") which are proper Bond film things and showed the director really knows his stuff. 

The only time it felt a tiny bit slow was in the Bond-doing-the-tests bit, and, for the character, it's odd they've jumped from callow new boy in Casino Royale to old warrior so quickly. I thought the new MI6 team looked good, and like the idea of them all having earnt their stripes in front of each other in this movie. I'm never going to think Daniel Craig is quite right, as he doesn't seem to be quite as comfortable with the humour as the action and darker character work, but in a film as good as this I can pretty much overlook it.  

I'd consider going to see it again if I had a spare couple of hours. What better recommendation can I give?

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Proficiency Essays

Click on the link below for some advice from a US university website on writing at CEFR C2 level, including Cambridge Proficiency.

http://www.fullspate.net/advanced-efl-essay-writing/ecpe-essay-writing-advice.html

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Proficiency - Proofreading Practice

Friday becomes Tuesday - Our apologies for the delay!

Check your writing! If you're doing h/w soon, see if you're proofing skills are up to scratch:

http://www.flo-joe.co.uk/cpe/students/writing/proofreading/index.htm

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Proficiency: Formality & Informality

Go to this link for some useful exercises to get you thinking about different registers of English:

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Sample Music Review: (FCE Length, Proficiency level)

A Music Review

Written a year ago, this might give you something to play with in terms of register and style. Around FCE length, but written for a native speaker reader.

Alison Krauss & Union Station: Paper Airplane

Bluegrass is like...Ronaldo. It makes you so mad you want to throw things at it or makes you tick. AKUS (not a lot of words allowed on Fb) are top of the line.

You get three sorts of song. Ali going wistful and emotional. Because, as a beautiful, willowly blonde with an angelic voice, she's naturally sad, lonely and desperate for company. Hmmm, not entirely plausible, but we'll let her run with it. The there's the hardcore stuff. Really. Proper rustic vocals, dustbowls, obscure American towns and tales of loss and love. It's like Irish folk with cowboy hats. Finally there's the odd instrumental, with Ali going like the clappers on the violin, Jerry Douglas picking on the steel guitar like his life depended on it, and the rest of them hitting every note spot on.PA follows on from UKAS' last two albums. A bit more New Favourite country than Lonely Runs Both Ways country-pop. You'll love it or hate all three. Me? Love it.

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Report Shopping List

What to include in your report.

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Formal English - 10 points to correct and think about

Extracts from formal writing homework - comments follow below. Note that all of them contain good along with things to work on. Add comments or ask questions as you wish. (To add comments you need to click on the title and open this post in a new window)

1. We would regret having to take this matter further.[m1]

2. some points which I think are not true[m2] in your article

3. I would like to draw up your attentionü [to…..] [m3] in order to voiceü my disappointment with the article publishedü in the local newspaper recently

4. must disagree[m4] whith your version of events

5. I would like that your article[m5] had included

Dear Sir,

6. My name is Joseph Martin Smith[m6] and I am a member of the

7. We honestly believe you did not attend to the event and we regret to inform you in case you do not amend your article we shall contact our lawyers.[m7]

8. If you want[m8] we are going to be very proud to share with you these information

9. that is not true[m9]

10. it was really disappointingü the way you critic[m10] our event

---

[m1]!

[m2]Much too strong

[m3]You need an object.

[m4]OK; as longas you want to sound angry

[m5]==

[m6]Please Ask.

[m7]I think the newspaper is more justified to call their lawyers!

[m8]INF

[m9]Not very friendly!

[m10]WO/G – a shame as that’s a very nice first para-

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