writing for FCE exams-useful language

FCE – PAPER 2 –WRITING

(140-190 words- The time allowed for the Writing paper : 1 hour 20 minutes )

1) Informal letter

Dear (first name), or Hi (first name) (for informal e-mails)

Beginnings

Thank you/Many thanks for your (recent/last) letter/postcard.
It was good/nice to hear from you recently.
I’m sorry I haven’t written/been in touch for such a long time.
It’s ages since I’ve heard from you. I hope you’re/you and your family are well.

• How are you? / How have the family been? / I hope you are well./ How are things? / How are you? / How’s it going?
• Thank you / Many thanks for your (recent/last) letter / postcard.
• It was good / nice / great to hear from you again.
• I was so surprised to hear that...
• I’m sorry I haven’t written / haven't been in touch for such a long time.
• It’s ages since I’ve heard from you. I hope you're well / you and your family are well.

Referring to their news

Great news about … Glad to hear that … Sorry to hear about …

Giving news

Listen, did I tell you about …? / You’ll never believe what …
Oh, and another thing … / This is just to let you know that …
I thought you might be interested to hear about/know that …
By the way, have you heard about/did you know that …

Apologies

I’m writing to apologise for missing your party but I’m afraid I was with flu.
I’m really sorry that I forgot to send you a birthday card but I was busy with my new job.
If you let me know where you bought it/how much it cost I’ll gladly pay for it/replace it.

Please let me know how much the bill is and I’ll gladly pay it.

Invitations

I’m/We’re having a party on Friday 19th and I/we hope you’ll be able to come.
Would you like to come/go to see ‘Room With a View’ with me at the weekend.
I was wondering if you’d like to go to the theatre/come on holiday with us?
Could you let me/us know if you can come/you’d like to join us?
Thank you vary much for your invitation. I’d love to come.
Thank you for asking/inviting me to … but I’m afraid I won’t be able to …

Requests

I’m writing to ask for your help/you (if you could do me) a favour.
I wonder if/I was wondering if you could help me/do me a favour.
I hope you don’t mind me asking but could you (possibly) …?
I’d be very/really/terribly grateful if you could …

Thank you / Congratulations / Good Luck

I’m writing to thank you for your hospitality/the wonderful present.
It was so kind of you to invite me to stay with you.
I really appreciated all your help/advice.

Congratulations on passing your exams/your excellent exam results!

I wish you good luck/Good luck in/with your exams/your driving test/your interview.
Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll do well/pass.

Making suggestions and recommend

Why don’t you …? Maybe you could …? How about …?
You can’t leave New York without doing sth
I’m sure you will enjoy doing sth If you like, we can …
Do visit (somewhere). Don’t forget to (do sth) (Imperative -> Strong Recommendation)
I’m told that … People say that … (If you heard sth is good)

Endings

Give my love/regards to … Say hello to … Hope to hear from you soon.
See you soon! Write soon. Once again, thank you for all your help.

Signing off

Love, Lots of love, All the best ,Best wishes,                  +First name

Closing

The end of your letter is as important as the beginning. There are some standard ways of finishing an informal letter or email.

• Give a reason why you're ending the letter: Anyway, I must go and get on with my work! / I guess it's time I got on with that studying I've been avoiding.
• Send greetings and/or make reference for future contact: Give my love / regards to... / Say hello to... / Anyway, don't forget to let me know the dates of the party. / I'll try and phone you at the weekend to check the times. / We must try and meet up soon. / I can't wait to hear from you / Look forward to seeing you again / Hope to hear from you soon / See you soon / Write soon
• Closing statement such as Love, Lots of love, All the best, Take care, Best wishes, should be writtenon a new line. If you used a comma after the opening greeting, use a comma here too.
• Signing off: Your first name then follows on another new line.

2) Formal letter

Dear Mr/Ms (surname)  /   Dear Sir or Madam,

Reason for writing

I am writing to … / I am writing with regard to … /I am writing on behalf of …

Useful phrases for the opening

• I would like to apply for one of the scholarships I saw advertised in your prospectus. (applying for a scholarship)
• I am looking for an outdoor work during the summer holidays and I would like to apply for the position of hotel lifguard assistant which I say advertised in my university's student newspaper. (applying for a job)
• I have seen your advertisement for the post / vacancy / job of… advertised in the local newspaper on 16 June. I am writing because I would like to apply for the job.  (applying for a job)
• I am the secretary of my college Science Club. I saw your advertisement for the exhibition "The Next 100 Years" and I am interested in organising a group visit. I was wondering if I could ask you some questions about it. (requesting information)
• I am writing (in order) to complain about the advertisement for your new game. Having just played the game, I realise that the advertisement is misleading. (complaint letter)
• I am writing with regard to ... I am writing with reference to... I am writing in response to...
• Thank you for /your letter of 9 May... /for your letter regarding...
• In reply tor your letter of 8 May, ...

Asking questions politely
I wonder if you could …Could you tell me something about …?
I would particularly like to know …
I would be interested in having more details about …

Could you tell me... ?I would be grateful if you could ...

I would be interested in having more details about...

I would like to know if/when/when/...

I would like information on...

Do you know if...?

Referring to their letter

As you stated in your letter, …
Regarding … Concerning … With regard to …

Complaining

I am writing to complain about …
You said … but in fact what happened …
We were supposed to stay with British families whereas we actually stayed in a guest house.

I would like to complain about + noun or -ing

... is not what I expected / was expecting

I am not satisfied with...

I would be grateful if my money was refunded / if you could give me a refund

Closing
Please contact me if you have any further questions.

I look forward to hearing from you soon / I look forward to receiving your reply

I look forward to receiving a full refund (in a complaint letter)

I would like to know what you are going to do about this situation  (in a complaint letter)

I would like to thank you in advance for this information (in a enquiry letter -requesting information)

If you require/Should you need further information, please do not hesitate to contact me/feel free to contact me.

Signing off

Yours sincerely, (If you started with 'Dear + surname') or Yours faithfully, (If you started with 'Dear Sir/Madam') 

  First name + surname

3) Letter of application

Dear Mr/Ms (surname), Dear Sir/Madam/Sir or Madam,

Reason for writing

I am writing to apply for the post/position of … as advertised in …
I am writing with reference/in response to your advertisement, which I saw …
I am writing in connection with your advertisement in the Daily Star on May 11th …
With reference to your advertisement …

Experience / Qualifications / CV

I gained some experience while …
I am currently working as …
I have been working for … for the last four years.
I worked part-time for three years as …
At the moment I am employed by …
My qualifications include …
I have a diploma in …
I graduated from Barcelona University last year with a degree in …
Please find attached my CV
As you can see from the attached CV …

Endings

Please do not hesitate to contact me if/should you require further information.
I look forward to hearing from you.
I am available for interview at your convenience.
I shall be available for interview any day apart from Wednesdays.

Signing off

(If Dear + surname) Yours sincerely,
(If Dear Sir/Madam) Yours faithfully,       First name + surname

4) Article

Heading / Title

Freezing! (dramatic)
My Lone Walk to the North Pole (a summary)
What’s the big idea? (a question)

You’re already well equipped to prevent crime (surprising)

Opening

Did you know …? / What would you do if …?

General Structure

• Give your article a heading or headline which makes the subject clear and also catches the reader’s attention.
• Divide the article into paragraphs to help the reader follow the argument.
• Begin with an interesting introduction – an example, perhaps, or a question.
• End with an overall comment or concluding.

AN ARTICLE is usually written for an English-language magazine or newsletter, and the reader is assumed to have similar interests to the writUseful language for an article

Involving the reader

§         Just imagine...

§         Have you ever...?

§         How would you feel if ...?

§         Are you one of those people who ...?

§         If the answer is ..., you should....

§         What would live be like if...

·         It’s well known that…but… / People often say that… / Can you imagine…

Making the article lively and interesting

• I was absolutely terrified when I realised...
• More importantly, it was something I...
• Not surprisingly, it's a good way of raising money.
• The tent was worryingly small for three people!
• It was the most amazing experience I have ever had.

Developing your points

• Let's start with ...
• Another advantage of ...
• On top of that, ...

Giving your own opinion

• I think that / In my opinion ...
• It seems to me that ...
• If you ask me, ...
• To my mind...
• Personally / In my view / I find…to be…

5) Essay ( for fce ->Writing an essay. Focus on agreeing or disagreeing with a statement, giving information, giving an opinion, giving reasons, comparing and contrasting ideas and opinions, drawing a conclusion.)

Making points

Many people feel that ...
First and foremost, ...
It is widely believed that ...
It would be ideal if ...
Another argument in favour is ...
It is clear from the facts that ...
The benefits of ... outweigh the disadvantages.
On the whole, I think ...

Contrasting points

On the other hand ...
Other people think ...
An opposing argument is ...
Giving opinions
I personally feel that ...
I find it hard to see why ...
I certainly don't believe that ...
It is difficult to believe that ...
I object to the cloning of animals.

Organising and linking your ideas

First of all, … Secondly, … In addition, …
Moreover, … Furthermore, …
So … As a result, … Therefore, …
However, … On the one hand…/On the other hand …
On the whole … While it is true to say …
Finally, … To summarise, … In conclusion

Present your ideas clearly. Use connectors to link your ideas

• To express personal opinions: In my opinion, I believe (that) / I feel (that) / it seems to me / in my view /as I see it / I think / personally
• To show purpose: to / in order to / so as to / so that
• To list ideas: Firstly / secondly / finally / In the first place / Lastly
• To contrast ideas: However / although / in contrast / whereas / but / nevertheless / in spite of / despite
• To describe a cause: Because / since / as / due to
• To show a sequence: First of all / then / after that / eventually / in the end / finally
• To add information: In addition / moreover / what is more / besides / too / furthermore / and
• To describe a consequence: Consequently / as a result / therefore / so / thus / for this reason / that is why/ thus/ hence/ owing to/due to the fact that
• To conclude the topic: In conclusion / to sum up / in short / all in all / /In brief / it might be concluded

6)Review

A REVIEW is usually written for an English-language magazine, newspaper or website. The main purpose is to describe and express a personal opinion about something which the writer has experienced (e.g. a film, a holiday, a product, a website etc.) and to give the reader a clear impression of what the item discussed is like. Description and explanation are key functions for this task, and a review will normally include a recommendation to the reader.

What I liked

• What I liked most was …..
• The thing I liked most was ….
• I was pleasantly surprised by …..
• ….. would appeal to …..
• If you get a chance to ….

What I disliked

• What I disliked most was …..
• I was disappointed by/with ……

Reviews of books

• main character
• is set in
• Fiction: science fiction / thriller / fantasy / mystery / historical / romance
• Non-fiction: cook book / travel book / textbook / manual / coffee-table book
• atmosphere / plot
• author
• written by
• chapter
• factual
• unbelievable
• bestseller
• ending

Reviews of concerts

• artist / band / musician / (bass/lead/rhythm) guitarist / (backing/lead) singer / drummer / soloist / trio / orchestra
• auditorium / hall / venue / lyrics / (catchy) tune / score / gig

Reviews of exhibitions

• painting / sculpture / handicrafts
• gallery / catalogue / display

Reviews of films

• lead role
• star role
• star
• star actor/actress
• starring
• secondary role
• He plays a …….
• written by ….
• cast / director / producer
• is set in …..
• based on a true story …..
• believable
• true to life
• not very believable
• far-fetched
• (As for fiction books +): animation / adaptation / comedy
• Costumes / design / photography / script / special effects / soundtrack
• ending

Reviews of TV programmes

• Chat shows / current affairs programme / debate / documentary / series / soap opera/ sitcom (situation comedy)
• Host / presenter

Reviews of hotels, restaurants, etc

• location
• service
• setting
• attractive / disappointing setting
• owned by
• run by
• head chef (restaurant)
• waiters (restaurant)
• staff …….
• staff at reception …….(hotel)
• hotel facilities ….
• reasonable prices …..
• good/excellent/poor value for money …..
• (a bit/somehow) expensive
• overpriced
• not worth the money
• always fully booked
• book in advance

Criticism

• The script seemed rather conventional/predictable to me.
• The plot struck me as completely bizarre/absurd/incomprehensible
• The characters are appealing and true to life
• The dancers were quite brilliant/amateurish

Recommendations

• Judging from this CD / show ...
• Overall, if you like ..., you'll love / you should ...
• Although some of ... he/she/it's still a great...
• You really must/should buy/see/read/visit ...
• I would definitely recommend seeing/visiting/reading/having a look at ...