cambridge advanced writing essay examples

Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE): How to Write an Essay

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Introduction

An essay in the C1 Advanced Writing paper is usually written for an academic tutor and may be written as a follow-up to a class activity, such as attending a seminar or watching a documentary. The main purpose of the task is to underline relevant salient issues on the stated topic, and to support an argument with subsidiary points and reasons. An essay should be well organised, with an introduction, clear development and an appropriate conclusion. It should hold the target reader’s attention and communicate complex ideas using an appropriate range of vocabulary and structures. Source: Cambridge English C1 Advanced handbook for teachers

Essays are part of the first section of the CAE Writing paper. The task is mandatory, which means that you always have to write an essay unlike the other texts ( emails/letter , proposals , reviews , reports ) where you can choose which one you would like to tackle in the exam.

Essay writing is not that difficult…

…if you know what you are doing. For most students, essay writing feels like this huge obstacle that they won’t be able to clear when, in fact, it is not as bad as you might think.

Just like every other writing task in C1 Advanced you can apply a specific structure because the different tasks share the same characteristics. Obviously, the topic changes and the input you get from the question differs, but, essentially, it is like repeating the same task over and over again. For this, you can become pretty good at essay writing in a short time just by practising regularly until most of it becomes almost automatic for you.

Long story short, in this article I’m going to take you by the hand and guide you through all the different aspects of essay writing. We’re going to see what a typical essay task looks like, the structure and language and, of course, common problems and mistakes you should avoid on your way to mastering essays.

What a typical essay task looks like

As mentioned earlier, essay tasks in C1 Advanced look very similar to each other and once you understand what those common features are, you will see that everything becomes a lot easier. A typical task might look like the one below:

Every essay writing task looks like this with the content changing, but the structure staying exactly the same.

There are also a few things highlighted for you in bold which are definitely important for you to consider when you plan and, later, write your text.

First of all, in the bigger box there is always the question you have to answer and three option s to choose from and, as the rubric tells you, you have to pick two of them . These two points need to be discussed and compared and then you explain (with reasons!) which option you think is better, more suitable, nicer or whatever the task asks you to do (Here: Which facility is it more important for local authorities to give money to?).

Apart from that, you are also gifted a few ideas in the smaller of the two boxes . You can use these in your essay (You don’t have to.), but make sure that you don’t just copy them word for word. Instead, paraphrase them and make them your own, or simply come up with your own ideas.

If you have ever written a Cambridge B2 First essay , you will immediately see the similarities between the tasks, but in C1 Advanced there is less support for you and you have to make more decisions on your own before you can even start to make a plan for your text. Read the whole task very carefully and then choose wisely based on what feels best for you in any given case .

Formal or informal language in an essay?

I’ll keep this short for you because this works in every single task: Keep your language formal , which means no contractions ( I’m , don’t , etc.), no colloquial expressions ( Hey, what’s up? , I liked it heaps ., etc.), and no slang or phrasal verbs that convey informality ( I’m bursting vs. I have had enough to eat; carry on vs. continue).

How to organise your essay

OK, we know now what we have to do and what kind of language we have to use so it’s time to look at the organisation and structure of a good essay.

When organising a piece of writing you should always think about what it is that you have to include in your text. In a C1 Advanced essay there are basically four things:

• First topic point
• Second topic point

From that, we can make four paragraphs and this applies to every single essay you are going to write to practise or in the official exam.

Let’s have another look at our example from earlier. The three options are museums, sports centres and public gardens. Museums and sports centres are both buildings and probably similar to talk about so I’m going to choose sports centres and public parks, just because we can contrast them better in my opinion.

Adding our two topic points to the list from before, this specific essay structure looks like this:

• Sports centres
• Public parks

So there you go. I think that the process up this point is fairly simple and from there most students jump right into the deep end and start to write their essay – but not so fast!

Plan before you start writing

One of the most crucial yet most undervalued tools for excellent writing is a good plan. Unfortunately, I see too many students skip this step and they often end up revising their texts over and over until they run out of time and the result is still not satisfactory.

Please don’t make the same mistake. It takes around five minutes to make a plan which helps you organise your thoughts and ideas in a way that makes sense. You will be able to focus on your language and arguments instead of worrying about possibly forgetting to include content while saving you time. It works and you should do it as well.

To make your plan just take the list we created above and add a couple of thoughts to each point so you know what you want to write about.

• Introduction (panel discussion, local authorities, sports centres & public gardens –> Which one is more important?)
• Sports centres (public health, wide variety of activities, social aspect)
• Public parks (green lung of the city, place to relax from city life, social outdoor activities)
• Conclusion (sports centres better choice –> more variety, more social, greater health benefits)

It took me 4 minutes to create this plan. I used the idea from the task for sports centres (“Sports centrs mean healthier people.”), but I paraphrased it (public health) while the idea for public parks seems too vague for me so I left it out. Remember that it is optional to include these thoughts in your essay. if you feel that you have better ones, go for it.

The different parts of an essay

So far, we’ve looked at a typical essay task and we put everything in order. The next step, of course, is to put our pen to paper and turn our ideas into a great essay. Please be aware that these are simply my recommendations and if you feel that they are helpful, you’re welcome, and if not, modify them or change whatever you think makes more sense for you.

The introduction to your essay serves several different purposes. It presents the topic/question to the reader and puts it in context, introduces the topic points you are going to discuss and creates interest and anticipation in the reader.

All of this sounds like an awful lot of stuff to include, but with a little bit of practice you’ll find out that it is a fairly repeatable process. Once you’ve got the hang of it, you’ll produce one great introduction after another without having to think about it too much.

With all that being said, let’s look at a possible introduction for our example task.

In recent years, public funding for local facilities has become more problematic for many towns, which has become more obvious to me after listening to a panel on the financial needs of several different local facilities like sports centres and public parks. As these places battle for funds, the main question is which ones deserve the money more.

Let’s have a closer look at this intro. At the beginning the whole issue is put into the context of the financial problems many local authorities have experienced. Sports centres and public parks as our two topic points are included as well and, last but not least, a question is asked to create a little more interest in the reader.

With all our boxes being ticked we can now move on to the next part of the essay.

After you finish your introduction, you can turn your attention towards the main topic paragraphs. These are called ‘the body’ of you essay. I always compare it to a hamburger where the introduction and the conclusion are the bread bun while the patty, lettuce, tomatoes and sauce are the body. You want to make your essay tasty so make sure that the body is just as great as your intro.

Your topic paragraphs should be longer than the introduction and conclusion, but at the same time balanced and about the same length between the two of them. Remember, however, to stay within the limit of 220-260 words total.

A couple of characteristics that are useful and important for every topic paragraph are the following:

• Start with a topic sentence that makes it clear what the paragraph is about.
• Always support your arguments with reasons and/or examples .
• Avoid being too personal unless you give your own opinion at the end of the paragraph.

This is not rocket science, but let me show you what I mean in a couple of examples.

It is widely known that sports centres provide many different benefits to the local community. Someone on the panel mentioned that, from a public-health standpoint, it is crucial to offer opportunities to exercise in order to keep everyone healthy physically as well as mentally due to the social character of sports. In addition to that, exercise comes in many different shapes and forms, from team sports to individual activities like swimming, so there is something for everyone to enjoy in a dedicated group of people. While green spaces in a town or city have their own benefits, it can be difficult to maintain such large areas in order to keep parks pleasant and inviting to everyone. Nevertheless, considered by many as the green lung of a city their use as a refuge from hectic city life cannot be debated, and groups of people as well as individuals can be seen following their favourite pastime or socialising with others, which makes the discussion about allocating funds even more difficult.

At the beginning of each paragraph it immediately becomes clear what to expect as I mention sports centres and public parks (green spaces, parks). I managed to include all the points from our plan and I supported my arguments with some examples . Also, you can see that, for example, I didn’t use the word ‘I’ in these paragraphs at all even though my opinion on each point is pretty clear. Instead, I used more general statements (“It is widely known that…”, “considered by many as…”, “…can be seen”) which help convey your opinion without simply stating it .

Last but not least, both parts are balanced in terms of their length, but I don’t want you to think that they have to be perfectly equal. If there is good reason to give one part a little bit more attention over the other, that’s fine. For example, you can say in your essay that one of the ideas is more complex than the other, which tells the examiner that you actually thought about this instead of just having messed up your text. Be clear about it and think it through before you even start writing.

Finally, the conclusion of your essay is there to summarise and to give your opinion on the topic as well as to answer the question in the task (Which facilities should receive money from local authorities?). Your opinion can be nuanced and doesn’t have to be simply black or white as long as you can justify what you say.

In our example, a conclusion might look something like this:

Taking into account all the positions from above I come to the conclusion that funding should be allocated to both facilities as they provide essential resources to the local community. However, due to their more social character and possibly greater public health benefits I would give more funds to sports centres.

There you have it. The conclusion summarises the findings from the body of the essay and I answered the question giving my opinion. That’s really all you have to do in order to finish off your text well.

Time to start practising

With all the information provided in this article I hope you feel ready to start your journey to become an excellent essay writer. As you can see, the structure is clear and the tasks are always similar. Practise regularly in order to improve until essay writing becomes second nature for you.

Lots of love,

Teacher Phill 🙂

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Cambridge Advanced (CAE) Writing

The Cambridge Advanced (CAE) Writing exam is a deceptively difficult part of the exam to perfect and pass. While at first glance the tasks may seem relatively simple, it’s the marking criteria and expectations which can leave exam candidates with an unpleasant surprise when they receive their results. It’s important to be familiar with the exam, so take a look at the sample test below and try answering the questions!

Despite being rigorous, writing is also the easiest language skill to prepare and improve quickly. A few ideas in your bag-of-tricks can really change a fail to a pass with practice and consistency.

CAMBRIDGE ADVANCED WRITING PLUS

We’ve got all the tips and tricks for the Cambridge Advanced Writing exam with Cambridge Advanced Writing Plus . Learn how to use advanced grammar, vocabulary and techniques to write the way Cambridge wants you to write. The self-study book includes multiple Cambridge style tasks and samples alongside activities and quizzes to improve your writing.

Format of Advanced (CAE) Writing

Part 1 – essay.

CAE Writing Part 1 is an essay and it’s obligatory. That means whether you’re an expert essay writer or you’ve never written an academic text in your life, you have to do it.

The good news is that it’s always a fixed format. The question will always have the same setup with three content points, of which you choose two to write about. The other good news is that you can follow a clear structure and learn lots of nice phrases, grammar and vocabulary to really boost your writing and prove your C1 level. Here, we’ve got three practice essay tasks for you to practise.

Remember to always keep the Cambridge writing scales in mind when you complete the task. It’s not only based on your language ability, but also your knowledge of the writing style, your organisation and whether you’ve answered the question correctly.

For some useful revision of linking words to improve your writing, check out our Linking Words post.

Part 2 – Writer’s choice

Part 2 of the Cambridge Advanced writing exam is more open and flexible than Part 1. The choice is all yours! Well, the choice is yours of which of the three tasks you want to write. You could find yourself writing a letter, a report, a review or a proposal. There’s less input for each task, but the concept of answering all the content points and producing a high-quality writing is still the same.

It’s essential to learn each type of writing. You may do some quick maths and decide that with 3 options per exam and only 4 possible writing types, I only need to study 2 types and no matter what, one of them will come up! This is not a good idea. Imagine, for example, that you are a music teacher. You have decided that you will write a letter or review no matter what, then in the exam you find a report question about the importance of music in schools. Obviously, this topic is perfect for you and you’d be a fool to choose the letter about the environment or the proposal that you can’t write. But you have no idea how to write a report, so what do you do?

Always learn how to write all the different types of writing so that you are fully prepared.

Tips and tricks for Advanced (CAE) Writing

• Always spend some time planning before you write.
• Learn lots of useful grammar and phrases to plug into your writings.
• Prepare to write above and beyond what you would do even in your own language. You need to show off to prove your ability in English.
• Be careful with silly mistakes with easy grammar, vocabulary or organisation. These can really hurt you at C1 level.
• Always aim to impress the reader . Think about who the writing is written for and the style you need to use.
• Learn your own common errors and save 5 minutes to check your writing at the end . Just because you aren’t a teacher doesn’t mean you can’t spot your own mistakes and improve whatever you have written.

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Cambridge English: Advanced

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Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) Part 2: Writing

The writing paper is not as simple as using pretty words to make nice sentences.  There are very clear instructions for each section and you must follow all of the instructions to receive a good mark.  Below are my tips for each of the parts.

Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) Writing Part 1

• You are required to complete the task in Part 1.  You will need to write an essay.
• Read the instructions carefully. There are some parts of the material which you are required to discuss and some parts which you can use if you like. Be very careful to include the required material!
• Identify the main point of your essay, what exactly do you need to do? Make a plan before you start writing so you are certain you fully answer the question.
• Notice that the word limit is written at the top of the page in bold type, do you think this is important?  If your boss asks you for a one page proposal, he will not be pleased with a two page proposal. Expressing your ideas completely within the word limit is an important part of getting a good mark.
• Next to the word limit is another important phrase: “in an appropriate style”. An essay is typically written for a teacher or professor, so it is more formal than a letter to a friend. Read more about the style of an essay here .
• One of the last phrases on the page is “use your own words as far as possible”. This is another important part of getting a good mark. Using the words which appear in the question do not show a good range of vocabulary. As you read the question and plan your answer, write paraphrases next to the information on the question sheet.  This will help you avoid subconsciously using the words from the question as you write.

Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) Writing Part 2

• You have a choice of tasks in Part 2.  You will be able to choose from a range of subject matter and a number of different writing formats: a review, a letter/email, a report or a proposal. Check my style guides linked below for a quick overview of the different requirements of these formats.
• Select the question you wish to answer based on your familiarity with the writing style required, your interest in the topic, and your range of vocabulary related to the topic.
• Read the question carefully and underline the task (usually the task will have two or three parts) and the target reader.  This will help you ensure you answer the question completely and use the correct level of formality.
• Make a plan before you begin writing.  This will not only improve your organization, but writing down the information will allow you to concentrate on the language.

Click the buttons to read more about the the different styles of writing you may have to do in the exam:

Essay Email/letter   Proposal   Report   Review

Now check my tips for the other Cambridge English: Advanced sections

Reading   Listening   Speaking   Practice test

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CAE Writing Paper – Tips, Format & Tasks | C1 Advanced

C1 Advanced (CAE) Writing: Format

Format: cae writing paper contains two parts. Timing:  1 hour 30 minutes

Parts: 2 Task: candidates are required to complete two tasks:

•  a compulsory task in Part 1
• one task from a choice of three in Part 2.

A range from the following: email/letter; essay; report; review; proposal

C1 Advanced (CAE) Writing: Part 1 – Essay

Your essay should be organised well, including an introduction, supporting paragraphs and a compelling conclusion. The composition should capture the reader’s attention and express sophisticated ideas using a range of stylistic structures and vocabulary.

You will be asked to explain which of the two points is more important and to express reasons for your viewpoint. Your essay should include a well-organised introduction, supporting paragraphs and an appropriate conclusion.

 How much do I have to write?  220–260 words.

Tips for CAE Writing Part 1

• Read the entire task before beginning to plan your response . You will need to familiarise yourself with reading the input, understanding the instructions in full and then deciding on how to organise and construct your response.
• Select two bullet points and develop your essay around them . Avoid trying to discuss more than two of the points, for this would lead the composition to being less developed than needed.
• You may use the opinions expressed in the task to develop your answer, but be sure to use your own words as much as possible . No credit will be given for text that has been copied directly from the prompt.

Get Your (CAE) Essay Checked!

C1 advanced (cae) writing: part 2 – one task from three.

You write a text from a choice of text types – letter/email, proposal, report or review. To guide your writing, you’ll be given information about context, topic purpose and target reader  How much do I have to write?       220–260 words.

Tips for Writing Part 2

• lt is imperative that you become familiar with the various task types that the exam requires. All of the task types do not appear on each exam , thus it is important to be prepared to write in any of the styles.
• Develop your skills in deciding which type of task you will complete. Evaluate the required functions, grammatical structures, vocabulary and register required by each task. Then, you may select the task that you believe you can complete at the highest level.
• Be cognizant of your audience when crafting your essay. Consider whether the person is someone you know, a stranger or someone in a position of authority etc. lt is vital to develop a balanced approach whereby you equally weigh the functions required by the task and the relationship with the target audience.

FCE, CAE, CPE

Practice, write & improve, c1 advanced (cae) writing: part 2 – types of writing.

The different types of tasks that may appear on the CAE writing exam endeavour to establish frameworks for candidates to develop their ideas on a topic with a purpose for writing and a target reader in mind.

is written for a group of contemporaries like club members or colleagues. Candidates will be expected to make suggestions backed by facts to persuade their readers.

How to write a proposal? | C1 Advanced (CAE)

AN EMAIL/A LETTER

is written to respond to a situation outlined in the question reflecting the appropriate register and tone for the specified target reader. Candidates are asked to develop correspondence to, for example, an English-speaking friend or colleague, a potential employer, a college principal or a magazine editor.

is always written for a teacher. lt should address the prompt provided in terms of addressing both content points and providing a new viewpoint of the writer’s own. The essay should be well developed with an introduction, appropriate conclusion as well as w ritten in an appropriate register and tone.

How to write an essay? | C1 Advanced (CAE)

is usually developed for a superior (e.g. a teacher) or a peer group (e.g. members of an English club). The question identifies the subject of the composition and the areas to be covered. Candidates must provide some factual information and make recommendations, but there is space for them to incorporate their own ideas and experiences.

How to write a report? | C1 Advanced (CAE)

is written traditionally for an English-language magazine, newspaper or website. The main purpose is to describe and express a personal opinion about something which the writer has experienced (e.g. a film, a holiday. a product, a website etc.) and to give the reader a clear impression of what the item discussed is like. Description and explanation are key functions for this task and a review will normally include a recommendation to the reader.

How to write a review? | C1 Advanced (CAE)

C1 Advanced (CAE) Writing: General Tips

• Read each question closely, highlight the most important facts and develop a response that addresses all of the points required by the task. This will facilitate your ability to develop well-structured and balanced compositions.
• Be sure to not simply reproduce an essay you may have written in preparation for the test. lt is unlikely that at previous response will satisfy the exact requirements of the exam.
• Practise developing ideas fully to illustrate a variety of vocabulary and grammatical structures to express more complex ideas where appropriate.
• Make effective use of linking words and phrases to polish the flow of your ideas. In addition, to enhance the logic and ease of your composition use a variety of cohesive devices and organisational patterns.
• Employ a range of complex language structures where suitable. The examiner will give you credit for attempting for sophisticated modes of expression, even if you make some mistakes, as long as it does not preclude the comprehension of the overall idea you are trying to convey.
• The time permitted allows for a brief period of planning and then the composition of your essay. lt does not account for time to compose fair copies or to count words. Each item on the Writing section carries with it equal marks. So practise using your time carefully on each question.
• Write legibly so that your answers can be marked fairly, though the quality of your penmanship will not be assessed. lt is immaterial whether your handwriting is joined up or not, nor whether you write in upper or lower case characters.
• Practice writing the compositions within the word limit so that you are well versed in w hat is required. lt is wasteful to spend time counting words and this often leads to poor alterations that erode the overall quality of your essay.
•   Check your work for spelling, grammar and errors in punctuation . These mistakes are not penalised specifically but these mistakes can preclude communication and/or have an adverse effect on the reader.
• Practice writing your essays without a dictionary , for they are not permitted in the examination room.

As you can see, C1 writing is not that easy at all. See what are the most common mistakes  you should avoid.

Would you pass C1 Advanced (CAE)?

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Free Practice Tests for learners of English

Cambridge english advanced: cae writing part 1.

Write an essay discussing TWO of the subjects mentioned above. You should explain why you think these subjects should continue to be taught at secondary schools, giving reasons to support your answer.

You may, if you wish, make use of the opinions expressed by other readers, but you should use your own words as far as possible.

CAE Writing tests

• Writing part 1 (essay)
• Writing part 2 (email)
• Writing part 2 (brochure)
• Writing part 2 (letter of application)
• Writing part 2 (review)
• Writing part 2 (letter to a newspaper)

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C1 advanced exam format.

C1 Advanced is a thorough test of all areas of language ability.

The exam is made up of four papers developed to test your English language skills. You can see exactly what’s in each paper below.

The formats below are the same for both the paper-based and computer-based exams and digital exams. Please note, during March 2024 we will be moving from our current computer-based exam delivery to Cambridge English Qualifications Digital, which will offer you even more benefits. Information on the switch and what this means for you can be found on our Cambridge English Qualifications Digital page.

• openbook Reading and Use of English
• compose Writing
• playlist Listening
• megaphone Speaking

openbook What’s in the Reading and Use of English paper?

The C1 Advanced Reading and Use of English paper is in eight parts and has a mix of text types and questions.

Part 1 (Multiple-choice cloze)

Part 2 (Open cloze)

Part 3 (Word formation)

Part 4 (Key word transformations)

Part 5 (Multiple choice)

Part 6 (Cross-text multiple matching)

Part 7 (Gapped text)

Part 8 (Multiple matching)

compose What’s in the Writing paper?

In the two parts of the C1 Advanced Writing paper, you have to show that you can write different types of text in English.

Part 1 (Compulsory question)

Part 2 (Situationally based writing task)

playlist What’s in the Listening paper?

The C1 Advanced Listening paper has four parts. For each part you have to listen to a recorded text or texts and answer some questions. You hear each recording twice.

Part 1 (Multiple choice)

Part 2 (Sentence completion)

Part 3 (Multiple choice)

Part 4 (Multiple matching)

megaphone What’s in the Speaking paper?

The C1 Advanced Speaking test has four parts and you take it together with another candidate.

There are two examiners. One of the examiners conducts the test (asks you questions, gives you the paper with things to talk about, and so on). The other examiner listens to what you say and takes notes.

Part 1 (Interview)

Part 2 (Long turn)

Part 3 (Collaborative task)

Part 4 (Discussion)

• Guide to the Cambridge C2 Proficiency Writing Exam – Part 1: Essay

• Posted on 19/04/2023
• Categories: Blog

Are you preparing for the Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE) writing exam? If so, you may be feeling a little nervous and concerned about what lies ahead . Let us help put that fear and anxiety to bed and get started on how your academic writing can leave a positive impression on the examiner.

By the end of this blog post, you’ll know exactly what you need to do, how to prepare and how you can use your knowledge of other parts of the exam to help you.

Although you’ll find the advanced writing skills you’ve mastered at C1 will stand you in good stead for C2 writing, there are clear differences in the exam format in CPE. As in Cambridge C1, there are two parts in the writing exam, and understanding what you need to do before you’ve even put a pen to paper is incredibly important. So, let’s go!

What’s in Part 1?

First, let’s look at the format of Part 1:

• Task: essay.
• Word count: 240–280 words.
• Register: formal.
• Overview: a summary of two texts and an evaluation of the ideas.
• Suggested structure: introduction, paragraph 1, paragraph 2, conclusion.
• Time: 1 hour 30 minutes for Part 1 and 2.

Before we look at an example task, let’s look at how your paper will be assessed. The examiner will mark your paper using four separate assessment scales:

• Content – this demonstrates your ability to complete the task, including only relevant information.
• Communicative achievement – this shows how well you’ve completed the task, having followed the conventions of the task, used the correct register and maintained the reader’s attention throughout.
• Organisation – the overall structure of your essay, the paragraphs and the sentences.
• Language – your ability to use a wide range of C2 grammar and vocabulary in a fluent and accurate way.

How can I write a fantastic essay?

Let’s look at an example task:

The key things you’re being asked to do here are summarise, evaluate and include your own ideas, using your own words as far as possible. So, in short, you have to paraphrase. As a Cambridge exams expert, you’ll know that this is a skill you already use throughout the exam.

In Reading and Use of English Part 4, the techniques you are using to make the keyword transformations (active to passive, comparative structures, negative inversions, common word patterns, etc) will show you that you already know how you can say the same thing in other words.

Your ability to do word formation in Reading and Use of English Part 3 is useful here, as you look for verbs that you can change into nouns, and vice versa. This enables you to say reword sentences without losing the original meaning.

You are already adept at identifying the correct options in Reading and Use of English Part 5 and Listening Parts 1 and 3, although the words given are different to the information in the text or audio.

So, be aware of the skills you have already practised, and use them to your advantage!

How should I plan and structure my essay?

Before you even consider writing, read both texts thoroughly . Highlight the key points in each text and make notes about how you can express this in your own words. Look for contrasting opinions and think about how you can connect the ideas together. These contrasting ideas will usually form the basis of paragraphs 2 and 3.

Although there are multiple ways you can organise your essay, here is a tried and tested structure:

Paragraph 1: Introduction

Paragraph 2: Idea 1 with support

Paragraph 3: Idea 2 with support

Paragraph 4: Conclusion

Introduction

Use your introduction as a way to present the general theme. Don’t give anything away in terms of your own opinion, but instead give an overview of what you will discuss. Imagine this as a global comment, talking about how society as a whole may feel about the topic.

Start with a strong sentence. Make your intentions clear, then back up your idea with a supporting sentence and elaborate on it. Use linkers to show how this idea has different stances, paraphrased from the key points you highlighted in the texts.

Follow the same structure as Idea 1, but focus on a different element from the two texts. Introduce it clearly, then provide more support to the idea. Keep emotional distance from the topic – save your opinion for the conclusion!

Here is the opportunity for you to introduce your personal opinion. There shouldn’t be anything new included here other than how you personally feel about the topics discussed. Use your conclusion to refer back to the main point and round up how your opinion differs or is similar.

This is just one example of how you can structure your essay. However, we recommend trying different formats. The more you practise, the more feedback you’ll get from your teacher. Once you’ve settled on the structure that suits you, your planning will be a lot quicker and easier.

What can I do to prepare?

According to the Cambridge English website, ‘A C2 Proficiency qualification shows the world that you have mastered English to an exceptional level. It proves you can communicate with the fluency and sophistication of a highly competent English speaker.’

This means that being a proficient writer in your own language is not enough. So, what can you do to really convince the examiner that you truly are smarter than the average Joe ?

Prepare! Prepare! Prepare!

✔ Read academic texts regularly.

✔ Pay attention to model essay answers and highlight things that stand out.

✔ Always try to upgrade your vocabulary. Challenge yourself to think of synonyms.

✔ Write frequently and study the feedback your teacher gives you.

✔ Study C2 grammar and include it in your writing.

What do I need to avoid?

Don’t overuse the same linkers. Practise using different ones and not only in essays. You can write something much shorter and ask your teacher to check for correct usage.

• Don’t constantly repeat the same sentence length and punctuation. Long sentences may seem the most sophisticated, but you should consider adding shorter ones from time to time. This adds variety and a dramatic effect. Try it!
• Don’t be discouraged by your mistakes – learn from them! If you struggle with a grammar point, master it. If you spell something incorrectly, write it again and again.
• Don’t limit your English studying time. Do as much as possible in English – watch TV, read, listen to podcasts, or meet with English speaking friends. English time should not only be reserved for the classroom.

What websites can help me?

The Official Cambridge English page, where you can find a link to sample papers.

BBC Learning English has a range of activities geared towards advanced level learners.

Flo-joe has very useful writing practice exercises that allow you to see other students’ writing.

Writing apps and tools like Grammarly can improve your writing style with their feedback and suggestions.

Don’t forget about our fantastic C2 blogs too!

Passing Cambridge C2 Proficiency: Part 3 Reading and Use of English

Passing C2 Proficiency: A Guide to Reading Part 5

Passing C2 Proficiency: A Guide to Reading Part 6

Guide to the Cambridge C2 Proficiency Listening Test

Guide to the Cambridge C2 Proficiency Speaking Test

Looking for further support?

If you’re interested in preparing for the C2 Proficiency exam but don’t know where to start, get in touch with us here at Oxford House today! We offer specific courses that are designed especially to help you get ready for the exam. Let our fully qualified teachers use their exam experience to guide you through your learning journey. Sign up now and receive your free mock test!

Glossary for Language Learners

Find the following words in the article and then write down any new ones you didn’t know.

lie ahead (pv): be in the future.

stand you in good stead (id): be of great use to you.

adept at (adj): have a good ability to do something.

thoroughly (adv): completely.

tried and tested (adj): used many times before and proved to be successful.

back up (pv): give support to.

round up (pv): summarise.

settle on (pv): choose after careful consideration

average Joe (n): normal person.

discouraged (adj): having lost your enthusiasm or confidence.

pv = phrasal verb

adj = adjective

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Improve your English pronunciation by mastering these 10 tricky words

• Posted on 05/04/2023

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Learning a second language, for many people, is one of the best decisions they ever make. Travel, work, culture, educati... Read More

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Speech shadowing is an advanced language learning technique. The idea is simple: you listen to someone speaking and you ... Read More

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Have you ever wondered where English words come from? There are a whopping 171,476 words in the . From aardvark to zyzz... Read More

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10 False Friends in English an

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All countries are proud of their quirky traditions and this is no more evident than . In South Africa they eat deep-fri... Read More

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Business is all about communication. Whether it’s colleagues, clients or suppliers, we spend a big chunk of our workin... Read More

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Exams are terrifying! The big day is here and after all that studying and hard work, it’s finally time to show what y... Read More

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Learning English is more fun when you do it in a fantastic location like Barcelona. Find out why we think this is the pe... Read More

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