LINKING WORDS

I know what some of you are thinking right now, this is about that really cool band... what's their name? Ah yes! Linkin Park! Well, I hate to disappoint you. It has nothing to do with them although they no doubt use linking words or connectors on a daily basis. Here is a list of common connectors which you can use to        
organise your ideas. They are listed in order, from informal and / or neutral to formal register.

Sequencing ideas /

Writing PART 2 - AN ESSAY

Writing Part 2 (120-180 words)

General Advice

Read the question carefully, underlining the points you must deal with.

Make a plan with the main ideas for each paragraph.

Think of vocabulary you want to use and note it down.

Write following your plan.

An essay (Formal)

In writing part 2, one task my be an essay in which you are asked to give your opinion on a subject. The first thing you must do is decide if you should write an opinion essay or an argumentative one. If you decide that the best thing to do is to write an opinion essay, have a look at the following scheme/ layout.

An opinion essay

In an opinion essay you must give your opinion on a subject so, you must basically say if you agree or disagree with the statement. This type of essay is ideal if you feel very strongly about something and you have more than one reason for your opinion.

Paragraph 1 / Introduction

Present the topic of discussion and express your opinion. You must imagine that whoever reads your essay has no idea what the topic is. You must also show clearly that you’ll be expressing one opinion, either in favour or against.

Paragraph 2

Explain your first reason for your opinion. Talk about possible consequences and give examples or vice versa.

Paragraph 3

Explain your second reason and maybe a third one, but only if it is closely related. Mention possible consequences and give examples, or vice versa.

Paragraph 4 / Conclusion

Summarise your reasons and / or talk about possible consequences if nothing is done. You can also give a more personal opinion and even finish your essay with a rhetorical question.

Useful language for an opinion essay

Introduction

-There are people who claim/ believe/ say/ think (that)...
-There is no doubt that...
-I feel...

-According to... /...new research,...

-It is believed... / said (that)... 

-It is believed by experts / scientist (that)...

-It seems / appears that...

(Use the expressions above but introduce  the topic in your own words. Do not use the exact words in the question and say what your opinion is clearly. Although you are expressing your opinion, some of the expressions above allow you to distance yourself from the ideas).

Body

Paragraphs 2-3

State your first / main reason like this:

-I think that...

-Firstly/ first of all/ to start with...

-I think there are two aspects of... The first is...

Give an example/ examples

-For example: For instance/ -ing illustrates the way/ how...

Talk about consequences

As a result,
Therefore,
Consequently,
In this case,

The second aspect is...
Secondly,
Another reason why...
We should also consider the fact that...

Another matter/  aspect to consider...
Let us not forget...


Conclusion
Paragraph 3 or 4


In short,
In brief,
To conclude,
In conclusion,
Do we really want to make our children pay for our mistakes?

An argumentative essay

When you write an argumentative essay, you should try to keep a balance between opposing ideas. It is also very important to use connectors to organise your reasoning. And finally, don't forget to introduce your ideas, explain them, and give examples and / or talk about possible consequences.

Paragraph 1 / Introduction

Explain the topic and / or problem in your own words. Assume the reader doesn't know anything about the question.

Body

Paragraph 2

Present the positive or negative aspects of the topic / problem. 

Deal with each one separately and try to give an example and mention a possible consequence. Add another reason if you can and repeat the process.

Paragraph 3

Present opposite points of view. Deal with each one separately and try to give an example and mention a possible consequence. Add another reason if you can and repeat the process.

Conclusion / Paragraph 4

Summarise and give your own personal opinion whether in favour or against.

Useful language for an argumentative essay

Introduction

Many people think that... / It is thought that... Others believe that... I will present both points of view and express my opinion on the matter.

Here, I've presented the opposing points of view and explained  that will not only talk about the differences but also give my personal opinion. You'll have to be brave in the conclusion.

Body

Paragraph 2

On the one hand... / First of all, I should like to consider... / The first thing to be considered is... For instance, / To be specific,... Consequently,... In addition (to this), / A second benefit is... / Furthermore, we should also consider the fact that... / -ing illustrates the way... / For example,... As a result, / Therefore, ...

In this paragraph I've presented a positive / negative aspect of the problem. I've then given an example and mentioned a possible consequence. Then, I've added another reason to support this particular view and repeated the process of giving an example and / or mention a possible consequence. You can also talk about the consequences first and then give an example or even more than one, but be careful with word length.

Paragraph 3

On the other hand, / However, there are also disadvantages. The most important of these is that... Consequently,... For instance,... The second point is that, / Secondly, / Furthermore, / In addition, ... For example,... Therefore,... / Due to the fact that... / Finally, it is worth stating that...

In this paragraph you must present one or two opposing points of view and explain the consequences and / or give relevant examples.

Conclusion / Paragraph 4

In my opinion, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. To sum up, / On the basis of the arguments I have presented in favour / against, it can be concluded that... All in all, I personally believe...

Yes, summarise and give your own personal opinion.

WRITING PART 1 AND 2 - INFORMAL AND FORMAL LETTERS/EMAILS

Writing Part 1 or 2 (120 - 150 Words for Part 1 and up to 180 words for Part 2)

INFORMAL LETTER / EMAIL

Salution/greeting

Dear penfriend/Bob, (for a letter)

Hi penfriend/Bob./! (for an email)

Opening paragraph when writing for the first time

This is just a note to say that... / to tell you about...


(Write 1 or 2 sentences explaining why you are writing and say something friendly / relevant if appropriate).

Opening paragraph for a reply letter/email

Thanks for your letter / email, I really enjoyed reading it. I´m really sorry about.../ I´m really proud of.../I´m really glad/pleased that/to hear (that)... This is just a note to say that.../to tell you about... 

(Write 1 or 2 sentences explaining why you are writing and say something friendly / relevant).

Main paragraphs


Useful language

By the way, ...

About (the / your)...,

Speaking of..,

Your... sounds an excellent idea and...

As for...

Is all right if / for me to...? (use direct questions)

Oh, I almost forgot!

(There are always 4 points to discuss. These ideas should be divided into 2 paragraphs and sometimes you can include one of the points in the opening itself. One of the 4 points must be discussed in more detail. This is called expansion. Read the task / instructions carefully because sometimes there is an additional point that should be discussed. Don’t forget to try to introduce each idea with a connector, expression and/or direct question to sound more natural).

Closing paragraph 

(Well, got to go now because I have to...) Looking forward to hearing from you again soon / ...seeing you soon. Oh, I almost forgot!

(Close you letter /email by explaining that you must stop writing if word length is not a problem, otherwise use standard closing expression. One of the four ideas could also be mentioned here briefly)

Farewell 

Regards,/Best wishes,/Lots of love,/Take care,

SING your name. 

FORMAL LETTER / EMAIL (No contractions!)

Salutation

Dear Sir or Madam, (1)

Dear Mr / Miss / Miss / Mrs or Ms Benson,(2)

Opening paragraph when writing for the first time and when replying

I am writing... to request information about.../ enquire about.../ complain about.../ apologise (for sth... /  to sb...) / inform you about.../ explain.../ with reference to... 

(Write 1 or 2 sentences explaining why you are writing).

Main paragraphs


Useful language

Regarding your / the...,

With reference to...,

You mentioned...,

You asked / enquired about....,

I would like information on / about... / Do you know What / when... (use polite / indirect questions).

(There are always 4 points to discuss. these ideas should be divided into 2 paragraphs and sometimes you can include one of the points in the opening itself. One of the 4 points must be discussed in more detail. This is called expansion. Don’t forget to try to introduce each idea with a connector, expression and/or indirect question to sound more natural).

Closing paragraph

I look forward to hearing you.

(Remember: I´m looking forward... is informal)

Farewell

Yours faithfully, (1)

Yours sincerely/truly, (2)

Sign your name and surname.

STAY TUNED FOR A LIST OF USEFUL LANGUAGE FOR INFORMAL/FORMAL LETTERS/EMAILS.




And now, an exercise to practise the differences between an informal and formal letter / email. Choose the words that are more formal and appropriate in this particular letter.We will discuss what makes a letter / email more or less formal in class. 




Dear Jack / Sir or Madam or Mr Smith,


I am writing / This is just a note to confirm a reservation that was made / I asked you for this morning by telephone. The reservation, for a couple of / two nights, is for me / myself, Manny Cruise.


I want / would like a room with a bathroom, from 12-14 July inclusive. I will be attending / 'm going to pop into the Trade Fair that is being held / is going on in Bristol that week.


Is it all right / Would it be possible for me to have a room at the back of the hotel? I think / am afraid that the room I was given / you gave me last year was rather / really noisy.


Thank you / Thanks for sending me the brochure about / regarding your conference facilities, which I got / received this morning. They look most interesting / great. Unfortunately, / I'm sorry I can't give you / am unable to provide you with any definite dates at the moment / now, as / because we have yet to finalize / sort out the details of our sales conference. But / However, I will contact you / drop you a line as soon as I can / possible.


I look / 'm looking forward to meeting you on 12 July.


Best wishes / Yours faithfully or sincerely,


Manny Cruise / Manny




Have a look at the answer below. Blue is for FORMAL REGISTER and Red for INFORMAL REGISTER.

Dear Jack / Sir or Madam or Mr Smith,

I am writing / This is just a note to confirm a reservation that was made / I asked you for this morning by telephone. The reservation, for a couple of / two nights, is for me / myself, Manny Cruise.

I want / would like a room with a bathroom, from 12-14 July inclusive. I will be attending / 'm going to pop into the Trade Fair that is being held / is going on in Bristol that week.

Is it all right / Would it be possible for me to have a room at the back of the hotel? I think / am afraid that the room I was given / you gave me last year was rather / really noisy.

Thank you / Thanks for sending me the brochure about / regarding your conference facilities, which I got / received this morning. They look most interesting / great. Unfortunately, / I'm sorry I can't give you / am unable to provide you with any definite dates at the moment / now, as / because we have yet to finalize / sort out the details of our sales conference. But / However, I will contact you / drop you a line as soon as I can / possible.

I look / 'm looking forward to meeting you on 12 July.

Best wishes / Yours faithfully or sincerely,

Manny Cruise / Manny

Hi there, and welcome to my... your..., our FCE blog

As the name suggests, this blog has to do with the Cambridge FCE examination. This, I hope, will be an ongoing project that will help you with your preparation. As I have a tendency to waffle on, let's get down to the nitty-gritty, the FCE exam. 


The logical thing to now would be to introduce the five different papers (parts of the exam) and describe cool strategies that can help you tackle each and every  one of the tasks that you must complete. However, this blog is designed to offer immediate help to my students with the work in hand (what we are dealing with right now), and the rest will come soon. Oh, I almost forgot, don't be shy and send in your comments. As far as I know, users must be registered and logged in to comment, but I think you can also choose the option of "anonymous". For security reasons your comments will first be received in my personal email. If it's suitable I'll be sure to post it... no worries mate!


And without further ado, catch my next post about Paper 2 Writing - Part 1 - Informal letters/email.