Unit 3: CAE Writing assignment Part 1: An Essay

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 3

Quiet reading

Part one - An essay

For the CAE exam you MUST answer the essay question (In part 2, you choose ONE of three things that you may write about). 

Question 1 will say that you need to write 220 - 260 words on a given subject in an appropriate style

An essay......

• needs to present an argument and give reasons for this. 
  
• You need to be able to give opinions and to agree or disagree in a FORMAL OR NEUTRAL REGISTER
• You are free to agree or disagree with the opinions given in the task, or to discuss both sides. 

Important:

Effective planning and paragraphing is important in essay writing, as is the appropriate use of linking words and phrases.

We also need to practice writing good opening and closing paragraphs. 

Do you and your family travel everywhere by car or try to use public transport wherever possible. Why? 

How could the government persuade people to use their cars less often? 

2. Read the exam task on page 42

a. How many of the methods do you need to choose?

b. Do you need to compare the methods in any way? 

c. If you use opinions from the seminar, what must you avoid?

d.Do you need to give reasons for all your opinions? 

e. How many words should you write

• a. Two
  
• b. Yes, by saying which is more important and why.
  
• c. avoid using exactly the same words.
  
• d. Yes
  

• e. 220-260
  

4. Read the model essay on page 42 

4. What do you think of the essay , has the task been well completed? 

Exercise 5

Find a sentence in the essay which is used to compare two ideas.

Now make the sentences in the exercise. 

• The first sentence of the last paragraph compares two ideas. "....Both of the above measures are important but the first and greatest need is to improve transport.

6. Look at the plan for the essay

Are any of these helpful to you?

LAYOUT TIPS:

INTRO

P1. - Campaigning             *it may be easier to start 

P2. - Fuel Prices                     with the negative topic first

CONCLUSION

Brain storming

Look at the headings placed around the room. Go and stand next to the topic that you would like to discuss. Take some notes as these may be handy for your essay.

Return to seat and share what you have discussed with the others around you. What did they learn? Add to your notes as these may also be very useful for your essay.

Or another way of approaching this could be to make a mind-map

Good opening paragraphs: 

There is unquestionably an urgent need for governments to discourage car use and encourage more environmentally friendly forms of transport. But what is the best method of doing this?  Well, this question can be answered in many ways but the most two important to consider are campaigning and fuel prices. 

Good closing paragraphs

PARAGRAPH 4 – CONCLUSION. State your opinion. Write two or three sentences. Point out clearly which of the two discussed aspects is more important, on the basis of what you have written above. The conclusion should put a full stop to what you have written and not open a new argument.

It is a summary of what you have said in the main paragraphs, to make your main point. It must be an interesting ending, what do you want to demonstrate?

Use sentences such as:

 To sum up.....

Taking both points in to consideration ......

In a nutshell ......

as can be seen ......

in the final analysis .....

all things considered ......

as shown above .....

Writing Assignment 3

Exercise 7 + 8 on page 43 in the Student Book

Type your essay with 1.5 spacing and upload it on to Google Classroom OR

PLEASE: bring a printed copy to the next  lesson. 

Tip: Use the "linking words"mindmap I gave you. 

Check list

Title 

Introduction

P1

P2

Conclusion

Reread carefully checking for:

Repetition of words/structures.

No Contractions (it'll - don't - can't)

No Boring/informal vocabulary.

Also Furthermore/moreover. 

Because Due/Owing to the fact that. Although In spite of the fact that. However Nonetheless/Nevertheless.

Have you answered the question completely?