CAE WRITING TIPS

PART 1 180-220
REPORT
Relevant title and paragraph headings
Rewording of language used in the instructions
Opening paragraph outlining the purpose of the report
Pay attention to the bullet points
Appropriately foral register
!ide range of vocabulary and a greater nuber of nouns than verbs
"onclusion addressing the #nal point of the tas$
%ocabulary& introducing the report' predicting the future' possibility' a$ing
recoendations
ARTICLE
(nteresting title to attract readers attention
)tic$ to the topic
)trong opening paragraph
*atural register' neither very foral nor very inforal
+in$ers ore inforal
Opinion e,pressed in every paragraph
-ach paragraph devoted to a di.erent area of technology
+eaving the reader soething to thin$ about
FORMAL LETTER
/oral register' with polite but #r language
Reason for writing
Appropriate use of lin$ing devices
Rephrasing of language for input aterial
-,pansion of points in input aterial
0esired outcoe
1ours faithfully
%ocabulary& reasons for writing' introducing points' re2uest for action
PART 2 220-230 4also part 1 options5
CONTRIBUTION (BROCHURE AND GUIDEBOOK ENTRIES)
!rite a title and headings
6rief introduction
7ive advice
8se and appropriate 4let9s say neutral' ore foral than inforal5 and
consistent register
Pay attention to the bullet points
%ocabulary& coenting on positive or negative aspects' giving advice
PROPOSAL
Relevant title and brief paragraph headings
Appropriately foral register
)elect appropriately fro the inforation in the input aterial
Add inforation of your own to one or two of the points of the input aterial
0o not lift whole phrases fro the input aterial
6rief introduction
Relate the answer to the planned event
Positive concluding rear$
%ocabulary& suitability' aenities' travel and transport
ESSAY
Appropriately foral register
8se ipersonal language in preference to #rst person pronouns
0ecide whether you agree o disagree with the stateent
(ntroduce topic and describe tendencies
Appropriate phrases for a discursive-type essay
"learly separate paragraphs organisation
/oral lin$ing devices
%ocabulary& e,pressing an opinion' coonly held views' saying what other
people thin$' referring to sources
INFORMATION SHEETS
Relevant title
6rief introduction
0irect and inforative paragraph headings
Avoid repetition by using synonys or alternative phrases
Appropriate use of bullet points
Plan your answer so it addresses all the points int the tas$
%ocabulary& saying what ust be done' advising' e,pressing conditions
INFORMAL LETTER
Reference to a previous letter
Relevant opening paragraph' providing leading inforation to the rest of the
letter
8se of phrasal verbs
!rite in a consistently inforal register
8se a wide range of language
8se all the inforation provided
-ncouraging friend to ta$e part throughout the letter
*egative aspects o.set by positive aspects
Appropriate ending
%ocabulary& beginning the letter' persuading' advising' ending the letter' signing
o.
CHARACTER REFERENCE
!riter9s relationship with the applicant
Applicant9s suitability for the :ob
Relevant 2ualities and aspects of personality
!riter9s recoendation
%ocabulary& relationship' overall suitability' abilities' 2ualities
COMPETITION ENTRY
Persuade the :udges and give reasons why you or the person you noinate
should be accepted
7ive your entry a title
;he register of your answer could be ore or less foral' but it should be
consistent
LETTER OF APPLICATION
Appropriately foral register
Reason for writing
Relevant e,perience
)eparate paragraphs for each issue
Reasons why the issues would be of interest to readers
-,pressing suitability and desire for the :ob
0ear )ir<=ada > 1ours faithfully
REVIEW
?uestion to engage the reader9s interest
Ai to grab reader9s interest fro the beginning
6rief suary of the boo$9s content
!hat the reader learnt fro the boo$
-ncouraging others to read the boo$
/inal recoendation
-,press your opinion throughout your answer
%ocabulary& coenting critically' encouraging others 4not5 to read<watch<listen
ADVICES
CONTENT
;he e,ainer chec$s that you have included all of the content points listed in the tas$@
(f you have not included everything' you will lose ar$s@ 1ou ay also lose ar$s if
part of your answer is not relevant to the tas$@
RANGE OF LANGUAGE
;he e,ainer is loo$ing for a range of vocabulary' e,pressions and graatical
structures& whether you use a variety of e,pressions or repeat language@ Also' if you
only write siple sentences you cannot get a high ar$@ )o' when you plan your
writing' try to lin$ your ideas to a$e ore cople, sentences@
ORGANIZATION OF IDEAS
;he e,ainer chec$s to see how well you have organiAed your ideas@ !ell-organiAed
writing has paragraphs to help the reader to follow the ideas and lin$ing words such as
BalthoughC and BbecauseC to connect the ideas@ Deadings can also be used 4for
proposals or reports5' and letters should be foratted appropriately
ACCURACY
(t is iportant to be accurate so that the e,ainer can understand what you write@ 1ou
will lose ar$s if you a$e ista$es which confuse the e,ainer and a$e your
answer diEcult to follow@ Dowever' if you use a good e,pression but it includes a sall
ista$e' you will not lose ar$s> you can still get a high ar$ for wor$ which includes
inial errors@ "hec$ your wor$ carefully to avoid careless errors with spelling' verb
tenses and singular<plural agreeents@
REGISTER AND TARGET READER
1ou need to thin$ who you are writing to@ )oe phrases and e,pressions are ore
suitable for particular situations& for e,aple' a letter to your teacher or boss will be
2uite foral' whereas a letter to your friend should include inforal e,pressions@
FORMAT
;hin$ about how you will present your writing@ /or e,aple' a report will loo$ di.erent
fro a letter& a report should have clear sections' perhaps with headings' whereas a
letter begins with B0ear FC and ends in a di.erent way fro a report@ 1ou do not need
to include addresses when writing letters@
WORD LENGTH
(t is iportant to reeber the word liit@ (f your answer is very short' you have
probably not included all the content points and therefore you will not be able to
receive a high ar$@ (f your answer is too long' your answer ay include soe
irrelevant inforation or is not well organiAed' so it is li$ely to have a negative e.ect
on the target reader@ (f you include all of these things' the e,ainer will have a
positive ipression and you will get high ar$s for good counication in writing@