Most of the advice in this article can also be applied to any exam where you have to write an essay, such as the C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency or IELTS<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Before we get into the details, let\u2019s take a look at the structure of the writing paper. You have 80 minutes<\/strong> to write two texts – and it will go quickly!<\/p>\n The first part is the essay; the second part is an article, email, letter, report, or review.<\/p>\n You will be given the essay title<\/strong> and two ideas<\/strong> or prompts<\/em><\/span>. It\u2019s essential that you include both of these ideas in your essay, as well as another relevant idea that you have to come up with yourself<\/em><\/span>.<\/p>\n You have to write 140-190 words<\/strong> in each part and it shouldn\u2019t take you more than 40 minutes per answer<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Take a look at this example from a sample paper and then think about how you would answer it in an exam:<\/p>\n Essay title:<\/strong><\/p>\n Some parents teach their children at home rather than sending them to school. Is this a good or a bad thing for the children?<\/p>\n Ideas:<\/strong><\/p>\n Question taken from http:\/\/www.cambridgeenglish.org\/exams-and-tests\/first\/exam-format\/<\/a> (Cambridge Assessment English, Feb 2018).<\/p>\n What could the third idea be? Stop reading, grab a pen and write down some ideas! Keep them general, but relevant. When you\u2019ve finished, scroll down to the bottom of the page to see some of our ideas*<\/span>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n That\u2019s what my old history teacher used to tell me. I hate to admit it, but he was right! If you don\u2019t usually plan before you start writing, you really need to get into the habit<\/em><\/span>. Ten minutes may seem a lot, but the more time you spend planning, the clearer your ideas will be and the quicker the writing process will be.<\/p>\n A good place to start is to brainstorm keywords and phrases related to the topic.<\/p>\n Next, you should think about how you\u2019re going to begin (the introduction<\/strong>), how you\u2019re going to connect the three main ideas (the body<\/strong>) and how you\u2019re going to finish (the conclusion<\/strong>). If you know where you\u2019re headed<\/em><\/span>, you\u2019re much less likely to get lost along the way!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n OK, you\u2019ve got our plan – you\u2019re good to go<\/em><\/span>! It\u2019s important to know what the examiners are looking for. The mark you get for the essay is based on the following four aspects<\/strong>:<\/p>\n Content:<\/strong> Have you included all three ideas? Remember, all content should be 100% relevant to the topic, so don\u2019t go off on a tangent<\/em><\/span>!<\/p>\n Communicative achievement:<\/strong> Is the style or tone of your essay appropriate? It should be neutral and quite formal, so avoid contractions (e.g. it\u2019s, don\u2019t, they\u2019ll) and first person pronouns (e.g. I, me, my, we, us, our).<\/p>\n Organisation:<\/strong> Does your essay follow a logical order? To help your writing flow<\/em><\/span>, try to include linking words. Here\u2019s a website<\/a> with some examples.<\/p>\n Language:<\/strong> Have you used a variety of vocabulary and grammatical structures? Don\u2019t always write the first word that comes to mind – look for synonyms<\/a>. Using some complex structures (e.g. different verb tenses, passives, inversion) will boost your marks, but be sure to use them correctly!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n This final step is essential. It\u2019s your chance to read (and re-read) your essay to identify any mistakes. No matter how careful you\u2019ve been, there are probably a few things that you can improve. Check for spellings. Check for plurals. Check for verb agreement<\/a>. Basically, check everything!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n There are many benefits of earning an English certification, but before you decide to do so, it\u2019s very important to check your English level<\/a>. This will help you select the right exam course and make sure you don\u2019t waste time completing one that\u2019s too hard or too easy for you.<\/p>\n If you decide to do an exam preparation course<\/a> with us, one of our trained level testers will work with you to assess your level. But, if you can\u2019t wait until then, here\u2019s a multiple-choice test<\/a> for you to complete to give you some idea.<\/p>\nWriting test structure<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n
Writing an essay in three steps<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n
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\nStep One: plan it (10 minutes)<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n
![\"Step](\"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Phrase.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Brainstorming](\"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Brainstorming-Ideas.jpg\")
<\/p>\nStep Two: write it (25 minutes)<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n
Step Three: check it (5 minutes)<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n
5 quick tips to improve your proofreading<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n
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Still not sure if this is the right exam for you?<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n