CPE_NEW GOLD.PDF

Writing reference

The writing reference section contains:

• a variety of key expressions and linking words and phrases

• an editing checklist of key points you should be thinking about when you complete a task for Paper 2

• a checklist for different task types.

Useful linking expressions

The list below provide a selection of linking expressions that you will find useful in your writing.

Time sequence

• When/As soon as/ The moment they arrived, the meeting began.

• On hearing the news, we immediately phoned to congratulate them.

• From early childhood/an early age , she showed great aptitude for music.

• Throughout his adult life , he has dedicated himself to helping others.

• Up to that time , she ha never even been abroad.

Listing

• First of all , it must be stated that …

• Secondly , it could be argued that …

• Last but nor least , it must be remembered that …

• Finally , it is important to …

Adding information/emphasizing a point

• He left early – and on top of that/to cap it all , he didn’t pay for his share of the meal. (informal)

• She didn’t really want to see the film, and besides/anyway/anyhow she was too tired to go to the cinema

now. (informal)

• The rent i8s reasonable and moreover/furthermore/in addition the location is perfect.

• Not only has he achieved a great deal, but he has also set an example for a generation.

• They want new regulations in the hostel; above all , they want to restrict the noise level in the evenings.

• These new medicines are perfectly safe. Indeed , they can be given to young children.

Giving examples

• Many things contributed to her success, for instance/for example/such as hard work, good fortune and

the support of her friends.

• To illustrate this point , …

• Let’s take the example of …

Explaining/reformulating

• Some cars are more environmentally friendly than others. That is to say/In other words , they cause less

pollution.

• He read the newspaper to confirm what he knew already, that is/namely that his team had lost.

• You should treat you colleagues as friends, or, better still/rather , as close friends if you want to create a

good working atmosphere.

Contrast

• She was very kind. By/In contrast , he seemed very callous.

• Some people learn languages easily. Conversely , others find it very difficult.

• It wasn’t a good thing; on the contrary , it was a huge mistake.

• They decided not to take the car. Instead , they caught the next train.

• On the one hand I enjoyed their company, but on the other hand their strange lifestyle disturbed me.

Concession

• Although/Even though he was feeling unwell, he attended the meeting.

• Despite feeling unwell, he attended the meeting.

• He felt unwell; however/nevertheless/nonetheless , he attended the meeting.

• He was feeling unwell but he attended the meeting all the same/even so. (informal)

• My friends left the cinema before the end of the film whilst/whereas/while I stayed until it had finished.

• No matter how many/However many times I listen to that music, it still move me to tears.

• Whoever comes, it will be a valuable opportunity to discuss the problem.

Giving opinions

• In my opinion/view , he is one of the most impressive writers of our generation.

• It seems to me that one of the biggest problems facing us today is …

• (Personally,) I feel that more needs to be done to encourage young people to take responsibility for the

environment.

• I can honestly say that …

Commenting/expressing own attitude (sentence adverbials)

• Surely it must be obvious to anyone that this plan is doomed is failure.

• Clearly , more needs to be done to persuade people to use public transport.

• Not surprisingly , there has been considerable opposition to this plan.

• Irritatingly/Annoyingly , the authorities have decided to cut the funds available for the project.

Giving reasons

• Seeing that/As it was getting late, they decided to return home.

• Trains are being delayed owing to/due to/because of the inclement weather.

• They liked his idea, in so far as/to the extent that it made money for the company.

Purpose

• In order for her to live a comfortable life, she had to find a well-paid job.

• She spoke quietly in order not to/so as not to wake the sleeping child.

Results/consequences

• A lot of people voted for his entry and thus/consequently/therefore/as a result/accordingly he was

awarded the prize.

• He became a citizen in 1999, thereby gaining the right to vote.

• Many areas have been modernized in such a way as to make the city more attractive to tourists.

Comparisons

• It’s a good deal/a great deal/very much easier to watch sport than to take part.

• She looked as if/as though she’d seen a ghost.

• He was nowhere near/nothing like as good at tennis as (he was at) basketball.

• The more cities expand, the less access we have to the countryside.

Summing up

• Although the day was not a complete success, all in all it went as well as could be expected.

• To sum up/In short , it was a highly successful visit.

• Overall , what I most admire is their determination to succeed.

• In conclusion/Finally/To conclude , it seems clear that tourism is having an adverse effect on the area.

• The team played well, but at the end of the day they just weren’t good enough to win. (informal)

Checklist of key points for editing

Understanding the question

Your writing will be assessed on relevance to the task set; you must identify and answer the exact

question set.

• Have you identified the key words in the question and answered all parts?

You must make sure that you have answered the questions fully and clearly.

• Have you taken any given input into account?

If you are completing a Part 1 task, make sure that you read the given input carefully so that you can

use it to structure your answer.

Remember that a Part 1 task is usually discursive so you will need to put forward a point of view and

support it with ideas or evidence.

• Have you identified the appropriate style required by the task?

You must think about the appropriate style to use – e.g. a report is more formal than an article.

Planning and organisation of material

Your writing will be assessed on both the organisation of the whole answer and on the organisation of

individual paragraphs. Careful planning is very important.

• Have you decided on the main points you want to make before you start to write?

If you have not made a plan, then your writing will not be well organised. In a Part 1 answer you

must plan in order to make sure that you include all the relevant information from the input text.

• Does your introduction make it clear what ideas your writing will develop?

In a discursive (Part 1) task you should give a clear indication in your introduction of the main

areas you are planning to cover and follow this structure throughout the task. The input may give

you ideas for these areas.

In a formal letter you should state your reasons for writing in the first paragraph.

In an essay, report or proposal your introduction should state the main topic areas you will be

covering – this is he ‘plan of development’.

In an article your introduction should set the scene and capture the reader’s interest, e.g. by referring

to a specific incident.

• Have you started a new paragraph for each new topic (but not each new point)?

Each paragraph should have one main topic only (though in a discursive answer there may be more

than one piece of evidence provided to support the idea).

• Do the topics in your supporting paragraphs match the opening statement or plan of development

stated in your introduction?

Make sure that you haven’t strayed from your main theme and included any unrelated points.

• Does each paragraph include plenty of supporting evidence for the main idea?

You should provide enough details or examples to support your main point so that your writing will

be convincing.

• Have you linked your paragraphs so that they follow on from each other clearly?

You supporting paragraphs should follow a sensible, logical sequence and should be linked clearly

either by linking words or phrases or by the underlying meaning.

• Have you used a clear method of development to organise the supporting details within each

paragraph?

Common methods of development are:

Chronological time order

Emphatic order – listing points from the least important to the most important or ‘saving the best

until last’

Contrast/concession – making a point followed by an opposite point

• Have you used appropriate linking words to help link the sentences within each paragraph?

Linking words signal the method of organisation you have chosen, and help the reader to follow the

direction of your thoughts – but don’t overuse them as this is unnatural.

• Is your conclusion prepared for?

In a discursive answer (Part 1), your conclusion should summarise your answer to the question and

state your own opinion or conclusion.

In a report or proposal, your conclusion should summarise the points made or make final

recommendations.

In an article, your writing should round off with a quotation from a person interviewed in the article

or a rhetorical question to the reader that echoes the introduction.

Range and appropriacy of language

You will be assessed on the range of vocabulary and structures you use and the appropriacy of your

language for the type of writing.

• Have you used a style and register appropriate to the task?

Check that you haven’t used language that is too formal or informal for the task and that you have

been consistent. For example, you shouldn’t use features of informal language in a formal letter,

report or proposal (see Register table Unit 4 p 62, correction of register mistakes Unit 3 page 47).

• Have you used a variety of structures and vocabulary?

Try to vary the way you start your sentences, by using participle clauses, inversions, etc, where

appropriate.

Accuracy

You will be assessed on the range of grammatical structures you use and how accurate your writing is.

• Have you made any basic mistakes in grammar, spelling and punctuation?

Make sure that you check tenses and verb agreements – basic mistakes such as ‘he don’t’ and misuse

of capital letter create a very bad impression. (See correction of mistakes Unit 1 page 19.)

Overall impression

• Is your writing interesting and enjoyable to read?

You will have a better chance if the examiner enjoys reading your work!

Be careful that you don’t:

• forget to answer the compulsory question in Part 1

• forget to use the input given in Part 1 as the basis of your answer

• include information that is not relevant to the question you are interesting

• use too many connecting words and phrases – they should be used when necessary, not in every

sentence

• writ more than the number of words required

• take longer than one hour for each composition.

Your timing should be:

10 minutes thinking and planning

40-45 minutes writing

5-10 minutes checking

There is no advantage in taking one and a half hours over one answer and then only having 30 minutes

for the second. You should spend an equal time on each answer.

A checklist for different task types

Part 1

All task types must use the given input as the basis of the answer, and the focus will be discursive.

An article is written for unknown readers often to raise issues or provoke thought.

• involve presentation and/or discussion of a point of view supported by evidence

• have an introduction which states the overall topic

• be divided into clear paragraphs according to the topic of each

• return to the question or round off the argument in the conclusion

• use a variety of structures and vocabulary to retain the reader’s interest

• use a style appropriate to the specified audience.

An essay is written for a tutor or a specific reader and is usually academic. It should:

• involve presentation and/or discussion of a point of view supported by evidence

• state the general position in the introduction and outline the frame of the essay

• be divided into clear paragraphs according to the topic of each

• return to the question and state the writer’s own opinion in conclusion

• use a formal style.

A proposal is written for a specific reader or readers, for a specific purpose and focuses on the future. It should:

• involve discussion of a situation and recommendations for future action, supported by evidence

• have an introduction giving background information to the current situation

• be divided into clear sections (possibly with headings) and topic paragraphs

• summarise the proposal in the final paragraph with recommendations

• use a formal style.

A letter may be personal (either formal or informal) or it may be written for publication in a magazine or

newspaper. It should:

• involve presentation and/or discussion of a point of view with supporting evidence

• use appropriate phrases for the register and focus of the task (formal or informal)

• be divided into clear topic paragraphs

• make recommendations or call for action in the final paragraph

• begin and end appropriately.

Part 2

Answers will be more descriptive than discursive. The article, proposal and letter should follow the same

guidelines as given for Part 1, but the answers will be more descriptive than discursive.

A report is written for a specific group of readers for a specific purpose and focuses on a past or present

situation. It should:

• involve description of a past or present situation or event in an official context

• have an introduction giving background information

• be divided into clear section (possibly with headings) and topic paragraphs

• make recommendations or suggestions in the final paragraph

• use a formal style.

A review is written for unknown readers to give information about a place, film, book, etc. with evaluation and

advice. It should:

• involve presentation of a point of view supported by evidence

• have an introduction which states the overall topic

• be divided into clear paragraphs according to the topic of each

Plik z chomika:

Inne pliki z tego folderu:

Inne foldery tego chomika: