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C1 Essay Writing Guide

This document provides guidance on writing C1-level essays for exams. It states that the purpose of the essay is to give an opinion, discuss 2-3 ideas, and persuade readers. The essay should be formal without idioms, contractions, or vague words. It should have an introduction outlining the topic without opinion, 2-3 paragraphs discussing ideas using connectors, and a conclusion stating the opinion. Planning is important before writing the introduction, body, and conclusion paragraphs.

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Tomas Larralde
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301 views2 pages

C1 Essay Writing Guide

This document provides guidance on writing C1-level essays for exams. It states that the purpose of the essay is to give an opinion, discuss 2-3 ideas, and persuade readers. The essay should be formal without idioms, contractions, or vague words. It should have an introduction outlining the topic without opinion, 2-3 paragraphs discussing ideas using connectors, and a conclusion stating the opinion. Planning is important before writing the introduction, body, and conclusion paragraphs.

Uploaded by

Tomas Larralde
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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WRITING C1 ESSAYS (220-260 words)

What's the PURPOSE of an essay?


To give an opinion
To discuss 2 (two) ideas out of 3 (three)
To persuade readers

It's a FORMAL text, so you can't...


Use phrasal verbs, idioms or proverbs.
Use contractions.
Use vague vocabulary, like "things, stuff, people,
etc.".

What's the FORMAT of an essay?


TITLE
It should be connected with what you have written.
It should call the reader's attention, so try to think of an
interesting one.
You can use a rhetorical question as a title.
A piece of advice? Write your text first. Then, read it and
think of a title.
Paragraph 1: INTRODUCTION
It's a general idea of what your text is about.
You may start it with phrases like: "Nowadays, it is believed that..." - "When it
comes to....., most people share the view that...", "it is often claimed that..."
DON'T give your opinion in the introduction. Guide the reader towards it in your
writing piece.
DON'T start the introduction with "in this essay, I will discuss....". Nevertheless, you
can include this at the end of the intro.
You can use rhetorical questions. These are questions for the readers to think
about the topic you're writing about.

DISCUSSING IDEAS
Your discussion should be developed in two or three paragraphs.
You may or may not use the ideas given in the task.
Keep your paragraphs BALANCED, that is, provide assets and drawbacks for each
argument.
Use CONNECTORS! These guide the readers throughout the text, and provides them
with a clearer idea of what you are discussing.

Here are some formal/neutral connectors you can use:


sequencing: To begin with, ... / FIRSTLY-SECONDLY-THIRDLY, ... / Another aspect to
consider is... / Last but not least, ...
add information: ALSO, ... / FURTHERMORE, ... / Another aspect to consider is... / in
fact, ...
reason - result: thus, ... - as a result, ... / hence, .... / consequently, ...
make comparisons or contrasts: HOWEVER, .../ NEVERTHELESS, ... / DESPITE (THE
FACT THAT)... / CONTRARY TO... / ALTHOUGH ... / YET ... / SIMILARLY, ... / WHILE...
give examples: FOR INSTANCE, ... / FOR EXAMPLE, ... / This can be illustrated by...

CONCLUSION
In the conclusion DO state your personal opinion.
To start your conclusion, use phrases like IN CONCLUSION, TO CONCLUDE, FROM
MY POINT OF VIEW, ... / IN MY VIEW, ... / TO MY MIND, ... / ON BALANCE, ...
You should take into consideration what you've written. Don't come up with an
opinion out of the blue!

FINAL TIP --> Plan your essay! Brainstorm ideas before starting writing.

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