FCE for

schools
Writing Guide
 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.
• Your language must be formal, so avoid words that are too common or generic (E.g.: things, stuff, get, etc.) and
contractions (E.g.: can’t, don’t, won’t, etc.).
• The word limit is 140-190 words, but try to write as near to 190 words as possible.
• Spend 40 minutes on the task:
• 5 minutes to plan
• 30 minutes to write
• 5 minutes to check your work

Look at the exam task and then the model answer. Notice that the “own idea” in paragraph three is not the writer’s
opinion. They put their opinion in the conclusion.
Essay Structure

‣ Introduction: Introduce the topic in a general way and get the attention of the reader. You may use a rhetorical
question to do this.

‣ Paragraph 2: Write about point 1

‣ Paragraph 3: Write about point 2.

‣ Paragraph 4: Write about your own idea. This is NOT your opinion.

‣ Conclusion: express your opinion to conclude and summarise the essay.

Basic Paragraph Structure

Follow this basic paragraph structure to make sure you develop your ideas completely.

1. POINT - A topic sentence to introduce the main point of the paragraph.

2. EXAMPLE - Give (an) example(s) to support your topic sentence.
3. EXPLAIN - Explanation of example.

First of all, it is important that we recycle and reuse whenever possible. For example, schools waste a lot of paper and
many do not have recycling bins. The reason this is important is that if students and teachers recycled more, it would
mean fewer trees have to be cut down.
Article
• In part 2 of the writing exam you have to write an article for a magazine or website.
• The aim of an article is usually to talk about a topic that we like or that we are familiar with, but it must also
entertain the reader.
• An article is usually a very personal piece of writing, so you can speak in the first person as much as you like.
• You can also address the reader directly in the second person (you, your) and can make jokes if you think they are
appropriate.
• Your tone must be relaxed, making use of phrasal verbs and other colloquial expressions.
• Use rhetorical questions and exclamation marks to engage the reader.
• Put a title.
• Organise your ideas into paragraphs.
• The word limit is 140-190 words, but try to write as near to 190 words as possible.
• Spend 40 minutes on the task:
• 5 minutes to plan
• 30 minutes to write
• 5 minutes to check your work

Look at the exam task and then the

model answer.
Article Structure

Attractive title (to capture attention of the reader)

Introduction paragraph
Present the topic in a general way, but like the title, make it interesting. You also need to make it clear
what the article is about.

Paragraph 2 (subtask 1)
Develop your main point with reasons and examples.

Paragraph 3 (subtask 2)
Develop your final key point with reasons and examples. You can include a recommendation here or in the
conclusion.

Closing paragraph
Summarise your main points and make a recommendation if you haven’t already. Speak directly to
the reader by using a question to keep them thinking about your message.

Useful phrases

Rhetorical questions Introducing new ideas Giving your own opinion

• Have you ever…? • To begin with, … • I think that / In my opinion ...

• Do you ever wonder…? • Let's start with … • It seems to me that ...

• Are you one of those • The coolest thing about… • If you ask me, ...
people who…? is…
• To my mind…
• What would you say if I told • What attracts me
you that…? most about…is…

• Another thing to consider Concluding the article

• Imagine a world in which…
is… • In conclusion,
• Secondly, • On the whole,
• In addition to…, • To sum up,
• Moreover, • To conclude,

• All in all,
Part 2- Review

• In part 2 of the writing exam you may have the choice to write a review.
• A review is usually about a TV show or film, a book, a restaurant or hotel.
• It can be a positive, negative, or balanced review. You have to make a recommendation at the end, which could
be positive or negative.
• A review is semi-informal or neutral in tone. Avoid contractions but do use colourful descriptive language.
• The word limit is 140-190 words.
• Spend 40 minutes on the task:
• 5 minutes to plan
• 30 minutes to write
• 5 minutes to check your work

Look at the exam task and then the model

answer. Pay attention to descriptive language and
the ways they try to maintain the attention of the
reader.

An international arts website is looking for reviews of novels for a new section called ‘A Reader Writes’.
You have decided to write a review of a novel you’ve recently read for this section. Describe the novel
and say what you think about it. Would you recommend this novel to other people?

Write your review in 140- 190 words in an appropriate style on the separate answer sheet.

Bourne to Thrill

The Bourne Identity starring Matt Damon was an incredible film, but I thought the original novel by Robert
Ludlum was even better. This book is so well-written, I didn’t want to finish it!

The plot is gripping right from the start. When we first meet the lead character, Jason Bourne, he is being
rescued from the sea. His identity is a mystery to everyone, including himself! Over the course of the novel
we gradually find out who Bourne is, and follow him through a series of exciting adventures.

As well as a highly original plot line, the novel includes a number of fascinating characters, especially the
villains! I only have one negative -comment: in my view, the novel is strong on action but weaker on
description. However, this is a small criticism of an otherwise excellent book.

I would highly recommend The Bourne Identity to anyone who enjoys action or crime stories. However, if you
prefer more descriptive or romantic novels, then you should give it a miss. Personally, I can’t wait to start
reading the sequel!
 Review Structure and Useful Phrases

‣ Always put a title.

‣ A review should have four or five paragraphs.

Depending on what you have to review, you may change the structure slightly. Look at the two examples below of the
review structure:
‣ On the left all the good and bad aspects have been separated into two paragraphs.
‣ On the right, the paragraphs deal with individual aspects of the hotel, restaurant or shop, so the paragraphs may
contain a mixture of positive and negative comments.

Film/book/TV Review Structure Restaurant/hotel/ shop Review Structure

Title
Title
Introduction
Introduction Introduce the name of the restaurant or hotel. You may want
Introduce the name of the film or book. You may want to say to say where it is, or other information such as the head chef
who the author or director is, and when the film or book was and the cuisine served.
released.
1st paragraph
1st paragraph Service- Very friendly but too slow to take order
A brief synopsis- but no spoilers!
2nd paragraph
2nd paragraph Menu/Food- High quality but little variety
All the things you liked or didn’t like (e.g acting, locations,
plot…)
Conclusion
Conclusion Conclude the review, indicating to the reader if your overall
Conclude the review, indicating to the reader if your overall impression is positive or negative. Make a recommendation,
impression is positive or negative. Make a recommendation, either positive or negative.
either positive or negative.

Introduction Evaluating various features Giving an opinion

• The film is directed by… • The film/series has an all star cast. Positive
• The book was written by… • The acting: • What I really loved about … is
• The film/ book is set in… • is believable/excellent/ • My favourite thing about… is
• The film/book tells the story of….. disappointing/unconvincing. Negative
To explain the plot • The plot is: • The only criticism I would make is
• The plot focuses on • gripping/dramatic/fascinating that …
• The story begins with … • predictable/ dull/unimaginative. • One thing I wasn’t keen on was…
• A slow start • The book/film is brilliantly written/
• Gripping climax directed. Making a recommendation
• Cliff-hanger ending • I strongly advise you (not) to …
• Everyone should see / read …
immediately!