This is another report task for students preparing to take the Cambridge C2 Proficiency exam. It’s designed to give them some practice of planning a report task for part 2 of the writing paper.
A common problem I find is that the report tasks are often quite open and require a bit of creativity and imagination. They may be required to invent a company or organisation they work for or a school they attend. My students often neglect to do this and end up writing things like:
The aim of this report is to evaluate the company event that took place last week.
They don’t use their imagination enough or really generate the situation which leads to bland, unfocused pieces of writing. Therefore, in this worksheet, students will put some time into generating ideas about the charity they work for, the event they organised and what went wrong. They will also revise some inverted conditionals so they can put them to use in their final compositions. Download the handout and key below:
This is a worksheet to help C2 proficiency students practise writing formal reports in preparation for part 2 of the writing paper. Students will brainstorm ideas to complete the task then complete some exercises to help them include advanced grammar and relevant vocabulary. Download the handout and key below:
This is yet another designed to help students prepare for part one of the C1 Cambridge Advanced (CAE) writing exam. Some of the content has been rehashed from old posts but the approach is slightly different. Download the student handout below:
Give out the handout and draw students’ attention to the task on page one and the first version at the bottom of the page. Have them read the task, then the model answer, then answer questions 1-3 with their partner:
Which of the three areas (convenience, cost & enjoyment) does the writer focus on?cost and convenience
Which one do they decide has the biggest impact on where people choose to shop? cost
Give the essay a score out of 5 for:
Content (have they answered the question?)4.5 – 5 – yes, question is fully answered
Range of language2.5 – reads more like a B2 First essay
Appropriate style (formal/informal) 1.5 – too informal, not the right style: contractions, words like “stuff”, too personal (too much “I” and “we”), “first let’s look at”
Now have students look at question 4. If you’re pressed for time, you could skip this part. Have students brainstorm more formal and advanced ways of expressing the parts in bold in pairs or groups. Perhaps you could assign one paragraph to each group and have them report back in open class. Board their ideas.
Now have students flip the paper over. Version 2 essential expresses the same ideas but with more advanced language and a more appropriate register. Direct students to find the “fancy” equivalents of the underlined phrases from version 1 in version 2.
Set students the homework task by first encouraging them to discuss the topic:
Factors when deciding where to go on holiday:
Weather
Price
Cultural activities
Encourage them to use the language from version 2 and the language on pages 2 and 3 in their compositions.
Version 1
Read version 1 and answer the questions:
Which of the three areas (convenience, cost & enjoyment) does the writer focus on?
Which one do they decide has the biggest impact on where people choose to shop?
Give the essay a score out of 5 for:
Content (have they answered the question?)
Range of language
Appropriate style (formal/informal)
Look at the sections in bold, how could you express the same ideas in a more impressive/formal way?
We’re always hearing in the news about how more and more people are buying things on the internet. It’s a big problem that fewer people are going shopping in physical shops nowadays. But, what makes people decide where to shop?
First, let’s look at convenience.It’s true that shopping online is much easier than shopping in physical shops. You can buy stuff on your computer and you can sit on your sofa, you don’t need to leave your house. Also, the stuff gets sent to your house. When you go to the physical shop you have to take it home yourself.
Now I’ll talk about cost.Some people think that cost is the most important thing people think about when they decide where to shop. For example, when the sales are on people buy things in shops they don’t normally go to.But some people don’t care about the price. It doesn’t matter if it’s expensive or not.
In conclusion,looking at the facts,I think that cost is the most important thing for most people because if you don’t have enough money, you can’t buy it.
Version 2
Find and underline the ways that the same ideas are expressed in this version.
Hardly a week goes by without another news report about the recent dramatic increase in online shopping. The decline of the high street shop is undoubtedly a major issue in this day and age. However, which aspect of shopping has the biggest influence on where people shop?
The first area to take into account is convenience. It is undoubtedly the case that shopping online is much more convenient than shopping on the high street. Not only can you make a purchase with the click of a button, but also you can do it from the comfort of your sofa without setting foot outside your door. In addition, the goods are delivered directly to your door whereas when you shop in physical shops you have to carry it home yourself.
Another aspect to consider is cost. There are those who argue that cost has the biggest impact on where people decide to shop. This is illustrated by the fact that during the sales many people buy things in shops they would not normally enter. Nevertheless, for some people the cost is not an issue, they buy what they want to buy no matter the price.
In light of the above, weighing up all the evidence, it is probably true to say that cost does indeed have the biggest influence on where people decide to shop due to the fact that most of the time, if you cannot afford something then you will not be able to buy it.
(247 words)
Homework Task
Your class has had a class debate on the most important factors when it comes to deciding on a holiday destination.
Factors when deciding where to go on holiday:
Weather
Price
Cultural activities
Some opinions expressed in the debate:
“If it’s not a sunny place, then I’m not going. Why would I visit a cold, rainy city?”
“I want my money to go further. For the price of a weekend in Paris, I could spend 2 weeks in Morocco.”
“I can’t stand just lying on a beach, I need to get out and learn something about the places I’m visiting.”
Write an essay for your tutor, discussing two of the factors in your notes. You should explain which factor is the most important for most people, giving reasons to support your argument.
You may, if you wish, make use of the opinions expressed in the debate but you should use your own words as far as possible. Write your essay in 220-260 words in an appropriate style.
Language for introductions
In this day and age…
… is a hotly-debated topic that often divides opinion.
… is a growing issue in today’s society
We live in an age when many of us are…
More and more families are choosing to have only one child.
The trend nowadays is towards having smaller families.
Over the past ten years or so the media have frequently carried reports of ……………
Recent research indicates that the number of teenagers who smoke is increasing.
Hardly a week goes by without another report of …………….. appearing in the media.
Although most people would generally agree that …………… few would deny that ……..
Language for topic sentences
Second Paragraph
…. clearly/undoubtedly has an impact on…
It is common knowledge that… plays a crucial role in…
It is undoubtedly the case that…
There is little doubt that…
… is widely believed to contribute to…
It is generally considered that…
Recent research suggests that…
Studies have shown that… has an impact/influence on…
Few people would contest/dispute the fact that…
Third Paragraph
Another factor to consider is…
On the other hand/In contrast…
It is often claimed that…
All the evidence suggests that…
Language for supporting ideas
Language for introducing supporting ideas:
For example,
For instance,
An obvious example of this is…
A clear example of this is…
This is illustrated by…
As a case in point…
Paragraph Skeleton
It goes without saying that …………………………………………………………………… A clear example of this is ………………………………………………………. In addition, ……………………………………………………………………. Nevertheless, …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. Overall/in summary ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Language for conclusions:
In light of the above, / Taking all this into consideration/account,…
As far as I am concerned, / in my opinion, / as I see it, etc.
… is the most effective way to… due to the fact that…
OR
In light of the above, / Taking all this into consideration/account,…
Despite the fact that… undoubtedly plays a role in… I firmly believe that… is more effective due to the fact that…
This is a cheat sheet/reference grid explaining the different task types that students will be required to complete in part 2 of the Cambridge C1 Advanced writing paper. Download the handout below:
I’ve recently started teaching CPE again so I decided to make a phrase sheet for my students to help them tackle part 1 of the writing paper, the formal essay. Download it below:
I made this mindmap for CAE writing part 1 using the excellent text to mindmap tool, some browsers don’t trust the site but it’s perfectly safe. It’s a fantastic way to create mindmaps quickly and easily! Download the pdf below:
This is a lesson plan designed to help students tackle the CAE writing part 1 formal essay task. It walks students through structuring their essays correctly. Download the handout and Powerpoint below:
In this day and age a worrying percentage of children are showing signs of obesity. The past few years have seen a steep decline in the number of school-aged children taking part in team sports or getting regular exercise. What is the most effective way to tackle this problem and encourage children to be more active?
In this essay I am going to talk about the problem of children not getting enough exercise. I will start by talking about parental influence and then I will discuss the role schools can play.
Hardly a week goes by without another article on the topic of childhood obesity appearing in the media. This is clearly a growing issue which must be addressed urgently. There are a number of ways in which this problem could be tackled.
Language for introductions
In this day and age…
… is a hotly-debated topic that often divides opinion.
… is a growing issue in today’s society
We live in an age when many of us are…
More and more families are choosing to have only one child.
The trend nowadays is towards having smaller families.
Over the past ten years or so the media have frequently carried reports of ……………
Recent research indicates that the number of teenagers who smoke is increasing.
Hardly a week goes by without another report of …………….. appearing in the media.
Although most people would generally agree that …………… few would deny that ……..
Language for topic sentences
First Paragraph
…. clearly/undoubtedly has an impact on…
It is common knowledge that… plays a crucial role in…
It is undoubtedly the case that…
There is little doubt that…
… is widely believed to contribute to…
It is generally considered that…
Recent research suggests that…
Studies have shown that… has an impact/influence on…
Few people would contest/dispute the fact that…
Second Paragraph
Another factor to consider is…
On the other hand/In contrast…
It is often claimed that…
All the evidence suggests that…
Language for supporting ideas
Language for introducing supporting ideas:
For example,
For instance,
An obvious example of this is…
A clear example of this is…
This is illustrated by…
As a case in point…
Paragraph Skeleton
It goes without saying that ______________________________________ A clear example of this is ___________________________________________ In addition,________________________________________ Nevertheless,_____________________________________________________________
Language for conclusions:
In light of the above, / Taking all this into consideration/account,…
As far as I am concerned, / in my opinion, / as I see it, etc.
… is the most effective way to… due to the fact that…
OR
In light of the above, / Taking all this into consideration/account,…
Despite the fact that… undoubtedly plays a role in… I firmly believe that… is more effective due to the fact that…
Credit to Cork English Teacher for some of the language from the handout.
This is a worksheet designed with C1 students in mind. It will help them construct passive sentences with reporting verbs, which are appropriate for many of the formal writing tasks in the CAE exam. Download the worksheet, key and powerpoint below:
Journalists report that Kanye West and Kim Kardashian have broken up.
Kanye West and Kim Kardashian_________________________________________________.
Scientists believe that the big bang happened 13.7 billion years ago.
The big bang____________________________________________________________.
Key
8 hours sleep is said to be the perfect amount.
2000 people are expected to attend the festival.
The stolen money is thought to be buried in the garden.
Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez are rumoured to be dating again.
20 people are estimated to have died in the fire.
Kanye West and Kim Kardashian are reported to have broken up.
The big bang is believed to have happened 13.7 billion years ago.
Creative Practice Exercise
Show the powerpoint with pictures of celebrities, students make up gossip stories about them.
After completing the worksheet have students write two sentences, 1 in the present and 1 in the past, about their partner in the style of a gossip magazine article:
“Jordi is rumoured to be dating Sandra.”
“Jordi is thought to have written Sara a poem.”
Have students read their sentences out to the class, then they vote on which is the juiciest piece of gossip.
· Impressive verbs (bring about change/undergo development)
Example Introduction
The aim of this report is to evaluate the current state of….. This report is based on the results of an extensive survey completed by (students at … school). It will present the results of the survey and go on to give recommendations regarding…