Exam tips
Writing
Part 1: Essay
• Read the question carefully to ensure you
understand all the requirements. Decide
which two points you want to respond to in
your answer. Your decision should be based
on whether you can expand and develop the
points by providing relevant examples and
support.
• To make sure that your reader is fully
informed, decide which of the two points is
most important and note down one or two
clear reasons for this choice. This can be stated
in the final paragraph.
• Plan your essay and organise your ideas into
paragraphs.
• Organise your main points into separate
sections and think about appropriate linking
words to show the relationships between them.
Use a wide range of expressions to link and
structure your sentences into a cohesive essay.
• Make sure you support your opinions with
reasons. You could paraphrase the given
opinions to demonstrate a broad range of
vocabulary and structures.
Part 2: Informal letter/email
Plan what you are going to write. Note down
your ideas and organise the best ones into logical
paragraphs. When you write your letter/email
• make sure you have covered all the points in
the task to avoid losing marks.
• balance any negative comments with positives
where possible.
• link ideas using appropriate adverbials and
conjunctions.
Part 2: Formal letter/email
Plan what you are going to write. Note down
your ideas and organise the best ones into
logical paragraphs. When you write your formal
letter/email
• be persuasive, but not aggressive. Write in an
appropriate formal register.
• remember to use appropriate phrases for
opening and closing, e.g. Dear Dr Schmidt.
• check your writing for grammar and spelling
mistakes before revising if necessary.
© Macmillan Publishers Limited 2017. This page may be photocopied and used within the class.
Straight to Advanced
Part 2: Report
• Note down your ideas and organise the best
ones into logical paragraphs.
• Include a brief introduction outlining your
purpose.
• Use a range of linking words and phrases.
• Use a range of verbs and phrases to
evaluate and to make suggestions and
recommendations.
• Ensure that your writing is in a formal or
neutral style.
• Check your writing for grammar and spelling
mistakes before revising if necessary.
Part 2: Proposal
• Plan what you are going to write for each
section.
• Write in a suitably formal or neutral style.
• Include all the key points from the task.
• Use headings to help you highlight the key
parts of your proposal.
• Use appropriate phrases to link and sequence
your text.
• Make polite recommendations and suggestions
supported by facts. These will help your
writing to be persuasive.
Part 2: Review
• Underline the key words in the question to
ensure you include all the points.
• Use these key words to plan your review and
divide your answer into clear paragraphs.
• Use a range of language including expressive
adjectives and adverbs to make your writing
more engaging.
• When you have finished, check your writing
carefully for spelling and grammatical errors.