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ESSAYS, ARTICLES, PROPOSALS, REPORTS, LETTERS, REVIEWS…

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FCE & CAE

REAL WRITING EXAMPLES Written by GRADE A candidates

GRADE A: 80% and above There are minor mistakes.

FCE

ESSAY

ARTICLE

REVIEW

FORMAL LETTER

EMAIL / INFORMAL LETTER

REPORT

CAE

ESSAY

REPORT

REVIEW

PROPOSAL

FORMAL LETTER

INFORMAL LETTER

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While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this

book, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors or

omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of the

information contained herein.

FCE & CAE REAL WRITING EXAMPLES

First edition. January 3, 2017.

Copyright © 2016 D.Méndez.

Written by D.Méndez.

www.aprendeinglesenleganes.com

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CONTENTS 5. WHAT IS AN ESSAY?

6. WHAT IS A REPORT?

7. WHAT IS A REVIEW?

8. WHAT IS A PROPOSAL?

9. WHAT IS AN ARTICLE?

10. WHAT IS AN INFORMAL LETTER?

11. HOW TO WRITE FORMAL LETTERS.

12. STRUCTURE OF ESSAYS, REPORTS, REVIEWS & PROPOSALS.

13. STRUCTURE OF ARTICLES, FORMAL & INFORMAL LETTERS.

14. FCE ESSAYS

17. FCE ARTICLES

20. FCE REVIEWS

23. FCE FORMAL LETTERS

25. FCE INFORMAL LETTERS

28. FCE REPORTS

31. CAE ESSAYS

34. CAE REPORTS

37. CAE REVIEWS

40. CAE PROPOSALS

43. CAE FORMAL LETTERS

47. CAE INFORMAL LETTERS

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FCE – ESSAY 1

Essay FCE

Essay: Should smoking be made illegal?

You have listened to a radio programme about the impact of smoking on people’s health. Now, your English teacher has asked you to write an essay.

Write an essay using all the notes and give reasons for your point of view.

Smoking is responsible for many health problems throughout the world . Do you think it should be made illegal?

Notes 1. Write about: 2. lung cancer 3. passive smoking 4. …………..(your own idea)

FCE - Do you think smoking should be made illegal?

Isn´t it shocking to see young people smoking even before they are 18 years of age?

Smoking during teenage years is very dangerous. Not only will it affect their health, but it might

also create a lifelong dependency.

On the one hand, the most dangerous disease caused by tobacco is lung cancer. Someone who has

been smoking for a long time has a high probability of contracting lung cancer, much higher than

that of a person who has never smoked before. However, certainly, not every person who smokes

dies of lung cancer.

On the other hand, we have the situation of passive smokers. They have decided not to smoke.

Still, they are suffering the negative effects of having to breathe the smoke coming from cigarettes.

To make matters worse, not only adults are exposed to passive smoking, but children as well. For

this reason, they can be affected by diseases caused by tobacco, such asthma, chronic cough, etc.

In conclusion, I believe that it is not necessary to make tobacco illegal because,

in the end, each person will decide what to do with their life. However, under no circumstances

should we allow active smokers to smoke anywhere near non-smokers.

199 words

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FCE – ARTICLE 1

Article FCE Performing in public

Tell us about your experience of performing or speaking in public.

• What did you do and where?

• How did it go?

• Was it a success or a disaster?

• How did you feel?

Write your article.

FCE - Article – Performing in public

Performing in the street – Success or disaster? I am not sure which my first performance experience was, because as a child I would always signed up for any activity where I had to dance or perform. I think I had my first experience when I was around sixteen years of age. My friends and I signed up to a local theatre group, which was ran by an expert teacher who approached performing in a whole new way. All the plays were based on physical expression. The first play I took part in was performed in the street. Our goal was to provoke people to have a reaction. While it was hard to express with the body what you were feeling, it was an amazing experience. At the beginning, performing would make me feel the same as if I had to take my clothes off in the middle of the street. Also, we didn´t know how the people could react to our provocation. That first play was a total success. Although some people didn’t know how to react, the majority were very responsive and interacted a lot with us. To conclude, I would highly recommend having an experience of performing in public because it is like becoming another person for a while. You will be surprised what it can bring out of you. 214 words

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FCE – FORMAL LETTER 2

Formal letter FCE

SUMMER CAMP ASSISTANTS Wanted!

Summer Fun Ltd. is looking to recruit six Camp Assistants to work with children

aged 18-24 from a number of nationalities. Priority will be given to applicants who:

. have a special interest in Drama, Sports, or Arts and Craft

. are responsible and can cope in a crisis

. can speak at least two languages

If you would like to be considered for the post please apply in writing.

(References are essential.)

Dear Sir / Madam

From July 4th Galway Advertiser newspaper, I learned about your need for Summer camp assistants for your school located in Renmore, Co Galway. I am very interested in this position and truly believe that my education and employment background are appropriate for it.

I have an extensive experience in sport environments, having worked in various Gyms and training

in soccer, bodybuilding, fitness, martial arts ( Judo & Kick Boxing). I’m used to dealing with people

of all ages.

I have shown my ability to adapt to new situations and to work under pressure throughout my

working experience , having many times to prioritise tasks and having been exposed to varying

situations, that have really improved and developed my team working and communication skills.

I speak fluent English, Spanish and a little Chinese.

Thank you for your consideration of my CV. I am hoping to hear from you soon to schedule an

interview at your convenience.

Please, find attached a copy of my CV and my reference details as requested.

Best Regards.

John Smithson

177 words

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FCE – INFORMAL LETTER 2

Informal letter FCE Your pen friend wants to throw a party for her twelve-year-old sister's birthday,

but she is not sure what to do.

Write a letter giving her advice about where to have the party and

what sort of activities they could do.

Write your letter.

Dear John

How are you?

I’m glad to hear that you are preparing a birthday party. I'm sure that you and your family will

have a great time.

Since you told me you are not sure what to do, I’m going to give you some advice.

Have you heard about the “Blue farm”? It is a place where many people go to celebrate their

birthday with friends. There are many organized activities available.

I’m going to describe a typical day in this farm. Firstly, your sister and her friends could ride

horses; they should make sure to wear comfortable clothes. Secondly, they could cook their own

food, for example, sausages, paella, cakes, etc. I'm sure they will enjoy themselves.

If they are adventurous enough, they can have a good time doing activities like rafting and bungee

jumping. Don’t worry, the right equipment is always on hand.

Personally, I believe that a day on a farm is a different way to spend a birthday.

I hope I have been helpful.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Mike

175 words

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CAE – REVIEW 3

Review CAE

You are the arts review writer for a magazine. Your editor has asked you to review a film.

Choose a film that you have seen. Describe the plot and the characters involved. Say who the film is

suitable for and why. Mention any special effects or aspects of the film that stood out in some way.

Would you recommend the film? Why, why not?

Write your review.

THE LAST HUMAN

A week ago, I was very lucky to be invited to watch Michael Johnson’s new movie, “The last human”

which won´t be in cinemas until next winter. The film is set in an imaginary planet in the year 2030

and both, reality and fiction, are beautifully mixed throughout the whole film.

I was not expecting too much from it, due to the unpopularity with the general public of this

director’s last two films. But I must admit, I fell in love with “The last human” in no time.

The best points about the film are the plot and the characters. On the one hand, the plot is really

interesting and unexpected, it definitely keeps you on the edge of your seat all the time. On the other

hand, the main character shows intriguing and credible aspects of human behaviour, which makes

him believable and easy to emphasize with.

Regardless of the fact that this movie is a master piece, a few things could have been better. For

instance, Joanna Grin, who plays the hero´s mum, appears two times on two nonsensical scenes.

Nevertheless, her magnificent acting makes up for this negative point. Another forgivable mistake

is the sometimes unbelievable make up the characters wore, as you can hardly expect a hero to be

clean and look nice, after an interplanetary war.

To put it briefly, “The last human” is truly suitable for everybody who wants to enjoy a nice story

and be made to think about their own life.

252 words

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CAE – PROPOSAL 3

Proposal CAE

You work at an international company, and you and your colleagues would like to attend a language course. You decide to write a proposal to your Director suggesting that the company help with the cost of the course. In your proposal, you should provide information about the time and costs involved and explain the relevance of the course to you and your colleagues' work. Write your proposal in 220 - 260 words in an appropriate style.

ADVANCED LANGUAGE COURSE FOR ACTIVE WORKERS

Introduction

The aim of this proposal is to evaluate the benefits of an advanced language course for some of the

workers of the international company I work for, and to give reasons why the company should help

us with the payment of the course.

Main conditions

It is a German course focused on industrial engineering for those who have passed the intermediate

level given last year. The duration is five months, from February to June, with four hours of classes

in the office every Monday afternoon, and the rest of the programme online. Although it is a quite

specialized course, its price is only nine hundred pounds and it can be paid in five monthly

instalments. Nevertheless, it is an important amount to cope with on the salary of the employees

without any help from the company.

Benefits for the company

The attendance to the course will provide the staff of my department with the required level to

understand German engineering law. If we were able to achieve this level, our company would have

the opportunity to begin to work in Germany. This would mean, not only an exceptional increase in

the company’s annual average turnover, but also an increase in the number of staff working for the

company.

Conclusion

Taking all these points into consideration, from my viewpoint, this course could be an amazing tool

to help the company enter the German market. Besides, it is of central importance for the personal

development of the workers. Those are the reasons why we are asking the company to help every

worker with, at least, one third of the payment.

275 words

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CAE – FORMAL LETTER 1

Complaint letter 1 CAE You recently took a holiday organised by a travel agent, but the standard of the accommodation was

very poor. You feel misled by your travel agent because their advertisements made false or

misleading claims about the hotel, the location, the city, etc.

Write a letter to the company outlining the problems you experienced with the accommodation and

the action you want them to take.

Three star hotel

Dear Sir/madam,

I am writing to express my strong dissatisfaction with a holiday organised by FTN Funscapes.

First and foremost, your advertisement promised a "quiet three star hotel" whereas in fact it was of poor quality. Not only was it noisy, but also far from the city centre. I had to walk half an hour to get to the closest shopping area. To make matters worse, your advertisement mentioned that Niteghntown "has so much to offer", yet I was not able to see the museums and art galleries, due to the fact that they were only open on one day. Moreover, all the shops were disappointing since they all sold the same things.

You also claimed that area had the cheapest price on souvenirs. That was not the case. The cheapest item they had was a lighter at €15. If that’s cheap for you, I dread to think want you consider to be expensive.

Last but not least, you stated the journey would be "quiet and easy". However, to be honest, it was a complete disaster as we arrived home five hours later than was expected.

I had been looking forward to my holiday for months. However, it was completely ruined by these problems. Therefore, I demand a refund of at least half of the cost of the holiday in compensation for all my trouble and disappointment.

I hope this matter will receive your immediate attention.

Yours sincerely,

John

242 words

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CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH

Also available at www.aprendeinglesenleganes.com

When it comes to doing any piece of writing , it is always helpful to have some examples so that you can get an idea of what you need to do. This is what you will find in this book. This book contains 36 examples of different texts, such as reports, proposals, articles, etc., written by real students who took either the FCE or the CAE writing examinations. These texts achieved a pass at grade A, which means that they scored over 80% ..