Breakout English
B2 First (FCE) Writing Part 1 – Improve an Essay
Writing is the part of any English exam where you should aim to get a high score and B2 First FCE Writing Part 1, an obligatory essay, is no different. It’s also the most trainable part of the exam in a classroom. While other skills often take lots of time, effort and practice, writing can be taught through models, which learners can then take and replicate. Of course, it’s important to write your own material, but the format and many expressions are transferable for essays regardless of the topic. With this material, we aim to demonstrate areas where B2 First candidates often go wrong with writing an essay. With a few tweaks, you should be able to reproduce a high quality essay every time.
Essays may not be fun, but they are important. The Cambridge B2 essay might be the first time you need to write an essay for an exam, but it won’t be the last. This task continues to be obligatory at C1 and C2 levels. If you are doing a Trinity or IELTS exam, you’ll also need to write an essay. Basically, there is no escape. You either learn to write a good essay or you don’t pass your writing exam (I recommend learning it).
The challenge with essays is not only the style, which should be formal and academic. Exam candidates also often have issues with content in First (FCE) Writing Part 1. The B2 essay question is always the same, and it’s not particularly complex, but sometimes it still causes issues regarding what content points to include. At the same time, an uninspiring question can easily lead to an uninspired answer. That becomes a problem when your essay isn’t interesting to read. Keep in mind that whoever corrects your essay has probably read 95 other essays on the same topic, so it a good idea to stand out!
The Materials
With this activity, you analyse a sample essay contrasting living in a city vs the countryside. To use it in the classroom, have students discuss the issues with the essay in pairs. You can even have them use the Cambridge writing scales to give it a mark. Then, feedback in open class and finish with your students writing their own improved version. I like to do this task just after receiving a round of previously assigned essays from students as a sort of extended test-teach-test activity.
Check here for more First Certificate essay questions to use in class.
EXAM PART: First (FCE) Writing Part 1 – Essay
EXAM SKILLS: Improving content and communicative achievement in essay writing
TOPIC: Lifestyle (living in the city vs living in the countryside)
TIME: 30 minutes + 45 minutes writing (in-class or for homework)
PREPARATION: One copy of the worksheet per student
Student Languages
#cambridgerory
Home » B2 First » FCE Course » FCE Writing » FCE Essay – Pass B2 First Writing
FCE Essay – Pass B2 First Writing
Table of Contents
FCE Essay Writing
Do you want to know how to write an FCE essay which will boost your marks on the Cambridge scale ?
If the answer is “I have no idea how to get top marks”, then this page will be incredibly helpful for you.
FCE Essay Tip : this is available for Gold members only.
To access this tip and more, register here >>
If you are a teacher, helping your students pass this exam, you will be able to use this page in your classes or for homework activities. Continue reading the page and you will see, there are worksheets for you to print out etc.
Before we continue, if you haven’t seen my page explaining how examiners mark your FCE writings, visit my FCE writing marking criteria page now.
If you have read and understood how examiners mark your writing and you are a member of this website, watch the video below:
FCE Handbook for Teachers
How To Write An FCE Essay
The next video will take you through all the information you will find on this page, including:
3:30 – Examiner Advice for FCE essays
4:48 – Example FCE essay question
7:53 – Write an Essay Plan
13:05 – Analysing An Essay
19:31 – Pass or Fail?
20:27 – You don’t need to pass the writing paper
20:53 – Essay Vocabulary
20:53 – Homework
22:46 – Send me your FCE writing
FCE Essay Advice Summary
This summary is available for Gold members only. Register here >>
FCE Essay Question 1
Part 1 – You must answer this question.
Write your answer in 140-190 words in an appropriate style.
You have been discussing environmental topics in a university lecture. Your professor has asked you to write an essay.
Write an essay using the notes below and give reasons to support your ideas.
Can we solve environmental problems globally? Notes Write about: Science Economics …………… (your own idea)
FCE Essay Plan Template
You should always plan your answer.
Can you remember how long I suggested to plan your answer for in the video above ?
If you said 2 minutes, you should go up and watch this video again now .
If you said 5 minutes, great…
Write An Essay Plan
Take 5 minutes (like in the exam) and write down a plan for the question above .
Write your plan on a separate sheet of paper, you can use this online template or this physical template or use your own style (it’s up to you). If you use my template, remember to add 3 body paragraphs (one for each note).
FCE Speaking Tip : this is available for paid members only.
My B2 Essay Plan
Type of Writing : Essay .
Target Reader: University professor.
Content : Talk about all 3 notes. Good and bad points for each note.
Language : Formal. Neutral. Passive constructions. Linking words.
It’s also a good idea to write down some words which you can use in the essay (these will help you think of ideas).
Vocabulary: Pollution. Traffic. Transport. Technology. Animals. Money. Economy. Subsidies. Finance. Financial institutions. Big companies. Green technology.
Introduction (30 words) – Popular topic nowadays. Difficult question to answer.
First paragraph (40 words) – science Science can help us resolve environmental problems. Linking word. Problem of science.
Second paragraph (40 words) – economics
Economics can help us solve problems, but it can also prevent us.
Third paragraph (40 words)
Social co-operation. This is fundamental, we also need this for science and economics.
Conclusion (30 words) – Can I make a decision based on the 3 main paragraphs?
Sample FCE Essay Answer 1
Here is an answer that an FCE student wrote before taking the exam. You should download the answer and write any mistakes you find.
FCE Essay – Download This Sample Answer
B2 First Examiner Assessment Scale Template
Have you written any mistakes you found on the student’s essay?
Now it’s time to complete the examiner’s assessment scale with your marks and thoughts about the writing. If you can’t remember how to do this, go back and read this page again.
Complete an online version of the template below here (it looks a bit different)
Download the physical template here, then print it off and write your thoughts on it .
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Sample FCE Essay 1 My Critique
Every problem regarding ‘the’ environment and pollution can be solved. Science is always working on new solutions , ‘and’ new suggestions for alternative means of production are frequently put on the table (good language) . The most difficult issue in this scenario is the interest s of different social groups in the world society (this is okay to mention here if it is your own idea and third point) .
The vision of profit gains must been align with environmental protecti on ve measures which is really challenging (good word) . First (why did you write ‘first’ – do you mean ‘The first’) positive changes begin with this alignment, for example, hotels proposing to clients to use the same bath towe ’l’ r while they stay s in. I t s is good for nature, and i t ( your spelling doesn’t need to be perfect in the exam, but you will lose marks if bad spelling confuses the meaning of your sentence) good for the business men (you could expand on what you mean here) .
For all other matters, conciliate (I don’t know this word. Perhaps you mean ‘finding an effective relationship between’) both aspects (does ‘both aspects’ refer to ‘the environment’ and ‘economics’) is not a simple task, more difficult than the most high tech science. Efforts for environmental purposes should focus on changing culture, values, business perspectives of profits in global society, otherwise there will ‘not’ be not enough progress.
Examiner Assessment Scale Template With My Comments
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| 2 | Most of your content is relevant to the task. There is a strong introduction, however, not all the notes are addressed in the body of the essay. There are 47 extra words to use before reaching 190, so these could be used to talk about the other notes. There is also room to expand some of your points and explain why you made them, for example, in the first paragraph, how is it ‘ ’? |
| 3 | The overall argument is fairly easy to understand, but some of the phrases used are not specific enough, for example what does ‘ ’ refer to in the final paragraph? The main paragraph about ‘profit’ is developed quite well, it would be good if other paragraphs existed and were developed in the same way. |
| 2 | The organisation of this answer is not clear. There is a clear introduction, which is good, however, there are only two more paragraphs after this. Two of the ‘notes’ are mentioned in the introduction but ‘social groups’ is not mentioned again and ‘science’ is only mentioned in the concluding paragraph. It would be better if these two points had their own paragraphs. The conclusion could be shortened to allow this. |
| 4 | The language used is quite good. It is written in an appropriately formal style and there are some good words and phrases, for example: ’. The writing would benefit from more linking words and phrases being used. Some effort has been made to use simple and complex grammatical structures, for example ‘ ’ and while there are a few errors, these do not impede communication. |
FCE Essay Pass or Fail
This student got:
Communicative Achievement: 3
Organisation: 2
Language: 4
Total = 11/20
You need to get 24/40 in the Writing paper to pass at B2 level.
So if the student got 13/20 for their part 2 writing, they would pass this part of the exam.
You do not need to pass every exam paper but you need to have an average of 60% across all 5 exam papers to pass and get your B2 certificate.
If you want to find out more about how to calculate your scores, read page 4 of this document .
FCE Essay Vocabulary
Try to remember the words and phrases below which you can use in B2 First essays. A good way to remember is to write them down on a separate sheet of paper. Add more words and phrases to your list and write them in the comments section at the bottom of this page! If you are unsure about what language to use in an essay, you can also ask me in the comments at the bottom of the page.
Introducing an argument or point of view
Some/Many/A few people think/feel/say that… Other people disagree/argue that…. One point of view is… The general belief is that… Most people believe that… Public opinion is divided on the topic of… It is sometimes/often said/thought/claimed that….
Giving opinions
In my opinion I am of the belief that… In contrast to …. I feel that… My personal opinion is that… It is my wholehearted/sincere opinion that…
Linking Words and Phrases
However Nevertheless In addition… Firstly…Secondly On the one hand…On the other hand… In contrast… Meanwhile Whereas
FCE Essay Question 2
At school you have been talking about environmental issues. Your English teacher has asked you to write an essay on this topic.
Write an essay using all the notes and give reasons to support your view. (140-190 words)
The awareness of environmental problems has grown over the last few years. Do you think it’s possible for us to solve these problems?
Notes Write about: Plastic Transport ……………… (your own idea)
You should complete this online plan in no longer than 5 minutes. This is how long I recommend you plan for in the exam.
Alternatively, download and add a third paragraph to this FCE Essay plan template.
My B2 First Essay Plan
The plan below is available for paid members only. Register here >>
FCE Essay Answer Example 2
Here is an answer to the question above which one of my students wrote.
FCE Essay – Download This Sample Answer and correct any mistakes you find.
Examiner Assessment Scale Template
If you have written down the mistakes above, you’re ready to complete the assessment scale below. If you want more help with this, check out my FCE writing marking criteria page .
Complete an online version of the template below here
Download, print and complete the template below here .
FCE Essay 2 My Critique
Compare the mistakes you found with the ones I have written below…
At school, during ‘ science and geography ’ lesson s of science and geography , everyone studies how ‘ the’ is made natural environment ‘is made’ and how we can protect it. Despite ‘the fact’ we study the importance of environment , we don’t pay much attention to this ‘in reality’ . At the moment we are attending particular and extreme phenomena, so we are very scared and worried and we want to change. It may not be as easy as it sounds.
( I would start a new paragraph here) First ly , it is difficult to change ‘ our’ own lifestyle and habits. Change has an economic and personal cost. We don’t mind how much plastic we use every day. Plastic is everywhere: it wraps the (you don’t need ‘the’ here because we’re talking about ‘food’ in general) food, it is useful when we want to eat quickly, it is also in our clothes. The products , that don’t have plastic in their pack aging s , are more expensive ( this is a defining relative clause, not a non-defining relative clause) : . I think for example , when I buy drink s in the glass bottle s , they are very expensive. So , if I want to save money , I buy plastic bottles. Then I observe that (‘Another example that I have observed is…’) in the supermarket I can find many small food packs, also for single dose’ s/’portions’ of food’ . I don’t waste food but I pollute more ‘because of this’ . So we can find sustainable development (If you want to keep this sentence, you should explain in more detail what you mean) .
( I would start a new paragraph here) Another problem is about transport: we are all in favor that we have to use more public transport s . The problem is that too often we don’t have a good public transport service with a capillary distribution (this term is only used in specific fields of work and is not used in everyday English) . However we can ‘make an’ effort to use ‘ our’ own car ’s’ only if it is necessary.
‘The’ last thing it is about differentiated collection of waste: too few people do es it (You should remove this sentence . Don’t introduce too many ideas without developing them into detailed arguments).
I think that there are many ‘environmental’ problems but we have to stop to think that ‘these’ are only an obstacle. It is ‘ They are ’ also an opportunity. So it is important to change our mind’ set’ but we need also ‘need’ of more education in every where place ( ‘in’ school s , within famil ies y , at cinema s , etc.) about good (‘environmentally friendly’) behavior. Second ly, (I would only write this if I’ve written ‘firstly’ before it) , if the law and the penalties don’t work, probably we would change them in (‘people’s behaviour’?) ‘through’ incentives. For example , if the condo (what is ‘the condo’?) applies perfectly the rules about differentiated collection of waste it would have a discount in the invoice (I don’t understand this sentence) . Third ly , we need more investment ‘ in ’ for transport and sustainable development.
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| 1 | The writing is too long. If you write this much in the exam you will lose points because the examiners will regard the content as unimportant or irrelevant. In order to create more of a balanced argument, the introduction, conclusion and first body paragraph could all be shortened and more detail could be added to your own idea. |
| 3 | Some parts could be improved through using different expressions, for example, it would be better to say ‘ …’ rather than ‘ ’ in the second paragraph. Your main paragraphs have good structure, but sometimes the argument falls down slightly due to inappropriate word choices, e.g. ‘ ’. |
| 2 | The essay consists of two big paragraphs. It would be better to have 5 paragraphs in total. The overall structure within the two paragraphs is good, but some arguments should be shortened and others lengthened to create a greater balance. |
| 2 | The language is a little informal for an essay. The writing would benefit from fewer first person pronouns (‘ etc). There is attempt to use linking words, especially when developing points ‘ ’ but it is difficult to know which arguments these are addressing in the main body paragraphs. Some complex vocabulary has been used, e.g. ‘ The essay would benefit from a wider variety of grammar and different verb tenses. |
FCE Essay Example 2 Pass or Fail
This student achieved:
Language: 2
Total = 8/20
So the student would need to get 16/20 for their part 2 writing in order to pass this part of the exam.
I can tell by reading this essay that the student has not prepared much for this part of the exam, so it is unlikely that they would get a much higher mark for their part 2 writing.
Homework Write An FCE Essay
Wow….you’ve made it this far through the page….congratulations, you should now have a good idea how to write an FCE essay!
I hope I didn’t bore you zzzzzzzzzzz…here’s a random picture 😉
Anyway, now it’s your turn to write an essay. You can answer the question above or answer a different question. Then you have 3 options:
- Submit your writing via my FCE writing assessment service
- Write your answer in the comments section at the bottom of this page
- Write an answer and be too shy to send it to me or write it below (not a good way to learn)
- Be lazy, don’t write an answer (the worst way to prepare for the B2 First exam)
I’ll leave the choice up to you.
Adios amigos…don’t forget to click the Next Page >> link below 😉
Class/Homework Activities For Teachers
Are you a teacher?
You can use my resources to help your students in class or set them homework activities.
In Class With Computers / Homework Activities
If your students use computers in class, or you want to set them activities for homework, this is what I recommend.
Tell your students to:
- Become a member of this website so they can access all the information. Email: [email protected] if you have many students and you’d like me to create a discount code for them.
- Watch this video and make notes of the important points on the relevant parts of this form (they will be emailed a copy of the form which they can bring into class): https://studentlanguages.com/fcewritingtips/
- Read this essay question: https://studentlanguages.com/fce-essay/#FCE_Essay_Question_1 and spend 5 minutes writing a plan for it here: https://studentlanguages.com/fcewritingplantemplate/
- Compare their plan with my plan here: https://studentlanguages.com/fce-essay/#My_B2_Essay_Plan
- Print and correct any mistakes they find on this sample essay answer >>
- Complete the assessment scale template for the sample essay answer
- Compare steps 5 and 6 above with my critique and my notes on the examiner assessment scale
- Update this form during future classes.
In Class Without Computers
If your students don’t have computers in class, this is what I recommend.
- Become a member of this website so they can access all the information and bring all the materials they need to class. Email: [email protected] if you want me to create a discount code for lots of your students.
- Print off this form for your students to complete while you show them this video in class or tell them to complete the form while watching the video for homework.
- Read this essay question: https://studentlanguages.com/fce-essay/#FCE_Essay_Question_1 , then take 5 minutes and write a plan for it here >>
- Complete the examiner assessment scale template for the sample essay answer
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10 (FCE) B2 First Writing Exam Tips
Are you preparing the Cambridge B2 First (FCE) English exam? Do you want to improve your score on the FCE writing test?
Keep reading for 10 tips to help you get a higher mark on the B2 First Certificate exam.
Post Contents
Tip #1: Use your time carefully on the FCE writing test
The writing part of the B2 First Certificate exam is 1 hour and 15 minutes . You need to write:
- One choice writing from three possible questions ( letter/email, report, article or review )
Start with the writing task that is “easier” for you. Try to get it done in half the time or less. Then, use the rest of the time on the “harder” writing.
“Easier” = you know the structure of the task well and/or you have a lot of ideas/vocabulary for the question.
Tip #2: Write a plan
Only a few of my students like writing a plan. However, it’s very helpful and can help you from getting stuck.
Use 5 minutes or less to write a plan.
Write down five B2 level words related to the topic, 5 different grammar structures to use, and 5 transition words.
Write a few notes for each paragraph. Don’t write any sentences – this takes too much time .
Tip #3: Answer ALL parts of the question
Answer all parts of the question and you will earn more points for having a complete answer. Before handing in your writing, check to see if you’ve answered ALL of the questions.
Example question:
For this task, you MUST include: some places the college friends could visit and the best transportation to take. If these points are not included in your answer, you will lose points.
Tip #4: Invent information if you don’t have any ideas
Luckily, you do not have to tell the truth in your answer. You can create information on the FCE writing test.
This tip is important for the writing and speaking parts of the exam. As long as the information makes sense, it doesn’t have to be true!
Tip #5: Use more advanced vocabulary when you can
To earn more points , try to use more creative and difficult vocabulary. When talking about your family don’t just talk about your “mom, dad, sister, and brother.” Instead, try to talk about your uncle, brother-in-law, cousins. This shows that you have a bigger vocabulary.
If the task is an email asking about popular sports in your country, talk about kitesurfing instead of soccer. Everyone talks about soccer/football! Show that you have a better vocabulary with more specific words.
Tip #6: Practice writing with a permanent pen
On the official test, you must use a permanent, non-erasable black or blue pen . It’s important to practice writing with this so you get used to it.
If you make a mistake, don’t worry. Cross out the mistake with a line through the text LIKE THIS .
Tip #7: Practice, practice, practice
I’ve had students in my class who were not at the correct level when they started the FCE course. I asked them to write something outside of class 3-4 times a week for 10 weeks . It’s a lot of work, but in the end, they passed the exam!
Just like a sport or instrument, you improve writing by practice. Ask your teacher to correct your writing and try to sit down and write a few times a week. I promise you that your writing will improve.
Tip #8: Know your mistakes – and fix them
Going along with number 7, look at your writing after your teacher corrects it. Making mistakes is how we learn – they aren’t a bad thing.
Make a list of common mistakes that YOU make. If you aren’t sure what they are, ask your teacher for help or contact me for a private lesson.
For example, one of my Spanish students used the word “the” too much. Before he gave me his writing to check, he always checked the word “the” in his writing first.
Tip #9: Read your writing aloud
When you are learning to write, the best way to catch your mistakes reading your writing aloud, sentence by sentence. This will help you catch more mistakes .
If you are in a quiet classroom, you can mouth the words of the text without making any sounds. This will still help you catch your mistakes.
Tip #10: Make sure each paragraph is a new idea on the FCE writing test
Sometimes students write one long paragraph. Don’t do this! You will lose points .
Each time you have a new idea, write a new paragraph. Be careful – the essay is always 5 paragraphs.
Final Thoughts
The Cambridge FCE writing test can be scary and difficult for some students. I hope these tips help you improve your writing.
You can schedule a 30-minute lesson with me over Zoom if you want help with your writing, please contact me here .
Check out this free FCE Writing Checklist with downloadable PDF.
Want more help on the FCE exam?
Tips for the FCE Speaking Exam
FCE Email/Letter Writing Guide
Key Word Transformations Practice
If you liked these tips, pin this to your PINTEREST on your FCE EXAM TIPS board.
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Cambridge B2 First (FCE): How your writing is marked
How your writing is marked
One of the big mysteries about the FCE exam is how the writing exam is marked. Many of my students ask me about this and, to be honest, it is pretty complex. However, let me break it down for you and let’s go from simple to complex so at the end of the article you will feel more confident and understand what you need to do in order to get great marks in the writing paper.
The four marking scales
2. communicative achievement.
To get high marks in Communicative Achievement you firstly need to show that you understand who is going to read your text. You might think that, of course, it is the examiner, but I’m talking about more of an imaginary reader. Let’s look at two more examples. Who is going to read your text? You got it, your English teacher is the one.
In our first example, we would try to keep it light and rather informal because students are going to be the ones reading it. In the report, on the other hand, we would choose more formal language and stay a little bit more serious than, let’s say, in a review of your favourite film. Make sure that this becomes clear in your choice of grammar and vocabulary as well as some other stylistic features like contractions (I’m vs I am) etc.
Let’s put this all together before we move on to the next point. Communicative Achievement looks at your ability to use an appropriate style and tone, the correct features for each specific task like title, subheadings, etc. as well as how well you express your ideas and hold the readers attention. It is a lot of stuff, but if you prepare and study these things a little bit, I see no reason why you wouldn’t rock it.
3. Organisation
4. language.
For example, if you are writing about travelling you should show a wide range of vocabulary specific to this topic. For a task about the environment the vocabulary changes. I guess that makes sense. The more pointed towards the task your words and expressions are, the better it is for your marks.
Writing is not as bad as it seems
I hope this article helps you understand better how the writing exam works and, more importantly, what happens after you finish the exam. As always, don’t wait until it’s too late. Tackle your problems now and you will improve. If you start today, I’m sure there won’t be a problem once you are in the examination room and your pen is going to fly over the paper.
Similar Posts
Cambridge b2 first (fce) vs. c1 advanced (cae), cambridge b2 first (fce): how to write a report, cambridge b2 first (fce): how to write an essay, cambridge b2 first (fce): speaking part 3, cambridge b2 first (fce): reading & use of english part 2, cambridge b2 first (fce): how to calculate your score.
- B1 Preliminary (PET)
- B2 First (FCE)
- C1 Advanced (CAE)
- C2 Proficient (CPE)
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Writing - Part 1 - B2 First (FCE) - Practice, Write & Improve
Exam question:, type: essay.
Your teacher has asked you to write an essay on the dangers of social media, and how people can protect themselves.
| Write about: |
Write your essay using all the notes.
Student's Answer:
“I’ve always wondered whether i abused technological instruments and tools like the internet. The latter is the first, albeit second, most abused legal drugs of our generation, comparable with alcohol and cigarettes. The risks of abusing such addictive behaviours is that they can lead to health issues like depression for example for social media usage or physical health problems to organs like the liver and your lungs for the alcohol and cigarettes. Another problem these legal drugs share is in regard to societal push towards the abuse itself. The more followers you have the cooler you are and this can lead to an addiction or an obsession for the way you look on social media and therefore damaging you self image and self esteem. Not to mention what oversharing can do on social media, only to get attention! Showing your house, your musical tase or what you eat. Showing where you go to school, your car and where you work.
In other word there are issues to be adressed as regards social media, a new drug which many of our generation abuse without the proper knowledge about side effects.
Your essay does not meet the requirements of the FCE exam in terms of content and organization. Correct your essay and send it again (no cost)
CONTENT Your task is to comment on the three points given to you in the task:
- (your own idea)
ORGANISATION
The essay should be divided into paragraphs , and have an introduction , development and conclusion.
- Paragraph 1 - Introduction.
- Paragraph 2 - Comment on the first point
- Paragraph 3 - Comment on the second point
- Paragraph 4 - Comment on the third (your own idea)
- Paragraph 5 - Conclusion
Also check out the materials below to improve your essay.
- How to write an essay? (video)
- How to write an essay? | B2 First (FCE)
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Checklist to improve your writing: B2 First and B2 First for Schools. You have done what the task asked you to do. You have included all the important information. You did not include everything you were asked for. Perhaps you have written something irrelevant or not understood what you had to write about.
Part 1 of the writing test - there are 2 parts total. 140-190 word limit. You have about 40 minutes to plan and write your essay. You must answer a question using two notes and your own idea. The topic requires general knowledge only. The essay is always formal because it is written "for your teacher".
The B2 First for Schools Writing paper has two parts and lasts for 1 hour and 20 minutes in total. Candidates have to show that they can write diferent types of text in English. Part 1: Writing an essay. Part 2: Writing an article, email, review or a story.
Who are you writing the essay for? 4. How many ideas must you write about? 5. Which two ideas must you include? 6. You need to provide the third idea yourself. Think of at least two ideas. Exercise 2 - Essay Plan . Reasons for Problem and Solution: A. Introduction B. Idea 1 - transport
Essay • In part 1 of the writing exam you have to write an essay. This question is obligatory. • There is a question or statement for you to discuss, and also two notes to help to guide your writing. • You must invent a third idea. This is not your opinion. • Put a title. • Organise your ideas into paragraphs.
Organization. Title and sub-headings (if needed) - no title for the First Certificate essay or email/letter, write a title for the review and article, and write a title and sub-headings for the report. Writing is divided into paragraphs - each new idea should be a new paragraph. The essay is always five paragraphs.
B2 First (FCE) Essay: Tips. Plan your essay before you write. Make sure you know how to comment on all the points that are asked. Invent information if you don't have any ideas. Divide the essay into paragraphs - put one answer in one paragraph. Use advanced vocabulary when you can and formal language.
EXAM PART: First (FCE) Writing Part 1 - Essay. EXAM SKILLS: Improving content and communicative achievement in essay writing. TOPIC: Lifestyle (living in the city vs living in the countryside) TIME: 30 minutes + 45 minutes writing (in-class or for homework) PREPARATION: One copy of the worksheet per student.
pen.3. Write the categories on the whiteboard in columns, leaving space for students to stick their papers or write their. ns. ers.4. Give each group their. in. ers.5. Ask students to discuss, in their groups, under which column they think they should put the. linker. Allow 3 or 4 minutes for this then stop the dis.
8. FCE Essays. You have to write an essay, so this is the first thing you should learn to write. Essays are about giving information and your opinions, comparing and contrasting. Title: Use a title at the top of your essay. The title should be interesting so that someone would want to read the article. Imagine two friends share a link on Facebook.
How To Write An FCE Essay. The next video will take you through all the information you will find on this page, including: 3:30 - Examiner Advice for FCE essays. 4:48 - Example FCE essay question. 7:53 - Write an Essay Plan. 13:05 - Analysing An Essay. 19:31 - Pass or Fail?. 20:27 - You don't need to pass the writing paper. 20:53 - Essay Vocabulary. 20:53 - Homework
An essay is the first part of the writing and it is obligatory. You need to answer the question with between 140-190 words. ... B2 First (FCE) Article: Writing Checklist B2 First (FCE) Article: Tips B2 First (FCE) Article: Useful Phrases & Expressions. In the B2 First Writing Paper you could be asked to write an article about a variety of ...
FCE Essays - Sample/model answers and examiner comments. An essay is always written for the teacher. It should answer the question given by addressing both content points and providinga new content point of the writer's own. The essay should be well organised, with an introduction and an appropriate conclusion,and should be written in an appropriate register and tone
Each of these two pieces of writing needs to be between 140-190 words in length, or 280-380 words in total. As there are five different parts to the exam, Writing counts 20% towards your overall grade. In the writing paper there are two parts, the first one being an essay and the second one your choice of several possible types of writing.
Tip #1: Use your time carefully on the FCE writing test. The writing part of the B2 First Certificate exam is 1 hour and 15 minutes. You need to write: One essay; One choice writing from three possible questions (letter/email, report, article or review) ADVICE. Start with the writing task that is "easier" for you.
Cambridge B2 First (FCE) - Writing. The B2 First Writing test has a duration of 1 hour 20 minutes and consists of two parts, and it accounts for 20% of the total score.. The first part has one compulsory question. In the second part, there are three questions, and you must choose one.. Candidates are required to write an essay of about 140-190 words in each part.
Perhaps you have written something irrelevant or not understood what you had to write about. The writing is appropriate for the task. You used the right style for what you're trying to communicate. The writing isn't suitable for the task - for example, it might be too formal or too informal. The writing is put together well.
Cambridge B2 First (FCE): How your writing is marked
B1. Uses the conventions of the communicative task in generally appropriate ways to communicate straightforward ideas. Text is connected and coherent, using basic linking words and a limited number of cohesive devices. Uses everyday vocabulary generally appropriately, while occasionally overusing certain lexis.
This document provides a checklist for writing an essay for the FCE exam. It includes tips on planning an essay with an outline, writing clearly with correct grammar and punctuation, using formal language, checking word choice and accuracy, and ensuring the essay answers the question. The checklist covers creating an introduction and conclusion, using linking words, varying sentence structures ...
"I've always wondered whether i abused technological instruments and tools like the internet. The latter is the first, albeit second, most abused legal drugs of our generation, comparable with alcohol and cigarettes. The risks of abusing such addictive behaviours is that they can lead to health issues like depression for example for social media usage …
An essay is the first part of the writing and it is obligatory. You need to answer the question with between 140-190 words. ... B2 First (FCE) Review: Writing Checklist. After writing your text, you can check it yourself using the writing checklist below. How to do that? Simply check your text/email by answering the questions one by one:
A report is a formal piece of writing similar in tone to an essay. You always write reports in B2 First (FCE) to a superior, this could be a teacher a director or anyone who you should be respectful. A report. analyses a present situation and often has recommendations. is divided into sections and contains factual information.