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ECPE Writing - Sample Article (Banning Cars from the City)

This is the fourth sample article that conforms to the writing section requirements of the ECPE (Examination for the Certificate of Proficiency in English) of the University of Michigan.  My first post to deal with articles , explains what needs to be present in the piece of writing candidates compose. Examiners are looking for articles that elaborate on ideas and have solid arguments; are well organized; make use of a wide lexical and grammatical range; have an original ring to them (in other words,

MSU-CELC / MSU-CELP Examination: Speaking Topics (Narration)

Just like the two previous lists with topics that cover the Description section of the MSU-CELC exam in English (if you'd like to take a look, go here and here ), this list moves on to cover the next section of the exam which asks candidates to talk about an event in their lives for approximately one to two minutes. If you are an MSU-CELP candidate, feel free to go over the topics but make sure to extend your answers to cover two minutes for all questions. This narrational task requires sequencing skills in addition to the usual dose of grammatical aptitude and lexical range. In plain English, a candidate must show they know how to use a variety of grammatical concepts correctly as well as vocabulary words, and also place events in a logical order, using time expressions and sequence words like "then", "eventually" or phrases such as "in the end", "all of a sudden". Click on the image for IELTS Speaking tips

MSU-CELC / MSU-CELP Examination: Speaking Topics (Description) Part 2

This is the second list of MSU-CELC examination description questions (Tasks 1 and 2 of the oral exam).   Twenty more questions should help keep candidates on their toes before the exam. If you missed the first post with description questions, you can read it here . This list can also be used by other learners of English to improve their speaking skills. Teachers could use it as a discussion or oral exam practice tool. If you are an MSU-CELP candidate, feel free to go over the topics but make sure to extend your answers to cover two minutes instead of one. Click on the image for IELTS Speaking tips

MSU-CELC / MSU-CELP Examination: Speaking Topics (Description)

The following list will help candidates practice answering description questions (Tasks 1 and 2 of the MSU-CELC examination ), but can also be used by other learners of English to improve their speaking skills and teachers as a discussion or oral exam practice tool. MSU-CELP candidates could also use the same topics but should extend their answers to cover 2 minutes. Click on the image for IELTS Speaking tips How to use the list Students should time themselves and be able to continue to speak for about one minute on the following topics. By practicing regularly, they should be able to know how long their answer should be to cover the time set aside for this task.

Oracle & Folly du Jour: On Cynicism and Truth

C2 Sample Essay 34 (Happiness)

Writing at C2 level (Proficient User) on English language examinations is the same no matter the awarding body when it comes to writing essays. If you are a candidate giving an exam in English (IELTS, CPE, ECPE, CELP, LRN, ESB, TOEFL), make sure you read my earlier post What do I do with the sample writing found on this blog? to get the most out of the sample essays provided on Argute Legacy .   The topic of this 650-word essay is to discuss why defining happiness is so difficult and what factors are important in being happy. If you are not taking an exam but need to discuss this topic, then read on and note down what you deem useful. If you intend to use this essay as part of an assignment, remember to paraphrase so as not to plagiarize.

Essay Writing: The Main Body - Concluding Sentence

In our previous essay-writing posts, we dealt with the the overall organization of an essay , the introductory paragraph , the main body paragraph's topic sentence , and lastly the supporting sentences of the main body. I stress once again, for those who haven't read my previous posts in this series, that the information contained within focuses mostly on English as a foreign language exam-type essay questions. This means the advice I give is there to help complete the Writing Section of an exam in approximately half an hour, so all parts of the essay have been whittled down to the bare essentials.  For those who need to work on longer papers of 400 words or more, simply follow the outline given but expand each section. Additionally, feel free to be more creative in adding more paragraphs to the introduction and conclusion. It is rarely possible to write over a paragraph for either the former or latter in an exam when time is pressing, but this is not case with ess

Alice Walker - Everyday Use (Overview - Part 1)

Alice Walker's story Everyday Use is intriguing after a first read. Simplistic in its plot, it conceals a deeper inquiry into what ties objects to abstract concepts people hold so dear: tradition, family, our roots, awareness of self, social standing. And why would someone find it intriguing, you might ask? Well, because many wouldn't see the idea of lending value to a discussion of mundane objects put to everyday use as something worth writing a story about.  Notwithstanding, Walker takes us down the road of careful contemplation, turning our eyes and minds to those things that make up our daily lives, whether passed down from generation to generation or bought to fill homes (with what residents deem) a sense of happiness. What Walker possibly wants to bring to the fore is the question: "Why do we have what we have and how do we treat it?" Are possessions in the service of aestheticism and decor, or does our toil give them the needless beauty we nonetheless asc

C2 Sample Essay 33 (Good news versus bad news in the media)

Writing at C2 level (Proficient User) on English language examinations is the same no matter the awarding body when it comes to writing essays. If you are a candidate giving an exam in English (IELTS, CPE, ECPE, CELP, LRN, ESB, TOEFL), make sure you read my earlier post What do I do with the sample writing found on this blog? to get the most out of the sample essays provided on Argute Legacy .     The topic of this essay is to discuss what factors influence news editors' choice of news items to broadcast, whether we've become accustomed to bad news and if more good news should be reported. If you are not taking an exam but need to discuss this topic, then read on and note down what you deem useful. If you intend to use this essay as part of an assignment, remember to paraphrase so as not to plagiarize.

Useful Words: Rating or Reviewing

Writing a review presupposes making judgments and rating, say, a service, establishment or work of art. For ESL / EFL exam-takers, this means having to come up with a variety of words that qualify what is being described, something which might present problems since making more than one assessment in such pieces of writing is the norm. If words used to assess something are repeated, then candidates cannot expect to receive a satisfactory grade (at least in terms of their lexical ability and range). Using less formal words is also frowned upon. Therefore, this list should serve as a brief catalog of go-to words aimed at digging students out of the proverbial hole they might find themselves in during the Writing section of an English exam. The list has been divided into three categories: saying something is terrific, so-so and terrible.

Words to use instead of 'Important'

The first post in this series of "Words to use instead of ..." dealt with the overly used word "nice" (read about it here ). Today, I'll tackle that bane of every ESL teacher's existence, that word they often hear when helping students work on their oral exams or read when correcting essays, the one every student so easily lets slip out when they can't think of what else to say: important. It's always "this must be done because it's very important " or "saving the planet is extremely important " or "graduating from a good university is very important these days." Examiners might be lenient the first time they hear this word, but imagine hearing it 5 times in answers to 6 questions asked? To put it more mathematically, in a 10 to 12-minute examination where an exam candidate uses the word in five out of six responses, the examiner hears the same word once roughly every two to two and a half minutes. Though it

C2 Sample Essay 32 (Richer nations sharing wealth)

Writing at C2 level (Proficient User) on English language examinations is the same no matter the awarding body when it comes to writing essays. If you are a candidate giving an exam in English (IELTS, CPE, ECPE, CELP, LRN, ESB, TOEFL), make sure you read my earlier post What do I do with the sample writing found on this blog? to get the most out of the sample essays provided on Argute Legacy .     The topic of this essay is to discuss whether wealthier nations should share their wealth with poorer nations or if each nation should fend for itself. If you are not taking an exam but need to discuss this topic, then read on and note down what you deem useful. If you intend to use this essay as part of an assignment, remember to paraphrase so as not to plagiarize.

The Latest Word: Cthonic

Today's word, alongside its less commonly used variant "chthonian", is a word which comes from Greek.  It means "of or related to the underworld; subterranean" and is tied to the ancient Greek female deity Χθων (Chthon) that personified the depths of the earth.  Chthon was often identified as the earth's principal goddess Γαία (Gaia) and like her was commemorated as the mother of the Titans,

Essay Writing: The Main Body - Supporting Sentences

Having discusse d the overall organization of an academic essay, the introductory paragraph and the topic sentence of main body paragraphs, let's ta ke a look at what we need to do to develop an argument .  As mentioned in the first article in this series, student s wr iting an essay as part of an assign ment or an ESL/EFL examination often find it difficult to elab orate on t he topic they have been given. One cause which can only be remedie d by reading newspapers, academic journals or discussin g current affairs and a variety of subjects with others, is a lack of ideas. The other is no t knowing how to expand an argument , but f ortunately this can be solved by putting into play the various types of supporting sentences available. Let's see what these six types of sentences are.

C2 Sample Essay 31 (Traditional versus international music)

Writing at C2 level (Proficient User) on English language examinations is the same no matter the awarding body when it comes to writing essays. If you are a candidate giving an exam in English (IELTS, CPE, ECPE, CELP, LRN, ESB, TOEFL), make sure you read my earlier post What do I do with the sample writing found on this blog? to get the most out of the sample essays provided on Argute Legacy .     The topic of this essay is to discuss why music is a necessary part of life and whether the traditional music of a nation is more important than the international music most often heard nowadays. If you are not taking an exam but need to discuss this topic, then read on and note down what you deem useful. If you intend to use this essay as part of an assignment, remember to paraphrase so as not to plagiarize.

Essay Writing: The Main Body - The Topic Sentence

This is the third article in my essay-writing series which will clarify issues relating to the main body of an essay. In the two previous articles, I discussed the overall organization of an essay and how an introductory paragraph should be set down. I'd like to clarify once again that these articles can be useful to anyone who has to compose an essay but have main ly been aimed at giving test-takers a practical guide as to how they can manage to successfully complete the Writing Section of an EFL / ESL examination and so are in no way the definitive answer to all essay organization queries. Candidates who are studying to take the IELTS, MSU-CELC or CELP, ECPE, ECCE, ESB, LRN, TOEFL, CPE, FCE (First for Schools), PTE and need to write an essay in approximately half an hour can use the layout I propose to quickly structure their answer and not waste time having to come up with something more inventive.

C2 Sample Essay 30 (Labelling works of art masterpieces)

Writing at C2 level (Proficient User) on English language examinations is the same no matter the awarding body when it comes to writing essays. If you are a candidate giving an exam in English (IELTS, CPE, ECPE, CELP, LRN, ESB, TOEFL), make sure you read my earlier post What do I do with the sample writing found on this blog? to get the most out of the sample essays provided on Argute Legacy .  

Commentary - What's the Ending to Nadine Gordimer's "An Intruder" All About?

Nadine Gordimer -- An Intruder That Dratted ... errm ... Enigmatic Ending           So I said to myself one day, “When are you going to sit down and deal with what you fear the most – not being able to come up with a plausible interpretation for the “incident” or ending to Gordimer’s short story “An Intruder” that wouldn’t make readers laugh their socks off?”           That dratted ending. It escaped me the first time I read the story, then again the second and third time, till I finally got pen and paper and jotted down all the facts in a manner that Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot would never have had the idiocy to acquiesce to, given their superior powers of recollection. At any rate, seeing the facts before me in note form did make certain words stand out above all else, enabling me to draw conclusions about what Gordimer may have intended for the reader to deduce. Let’s see what those facts are:

Speaking Strategies for Oral Exams

Whet her you are preparing for a B 2, C1 or C2 language examinat ion in English, at some point during the test you are required to maintain discussion for about 1-2 minutes on your own. This is so mething students sometimes find difficult to do as they have very few ideas about what to say after having stated one or two basic points.  Regardless of the awarding body and certificate you are sitting an exam in (IELTS , Cambridge CPE or FCE/ First for Schools, ECPE or ECCE, MSU CELP or CELC, LRN, TOEIC, ESB, PTE) , you will have to find ways to ex pand you r answers to show that y ou can speak English w ith out needing a nyone 's help . To do this, you need to keep the examiner from having to ask you o ne o r two follow-up questions in order to el icit a longer res ponse from you. I n oth er words, if a task requires a can didate to speak for about two minutes on a t opic , and the candidate manages to speak for a min ute and 10 seconds only, the examiner wi ll have to ask a

The Latest Word: Herculean

The latest word is one found in the bottom half of the list of popular words used in English. The Merriam-Webster online dictionary places its first appearance in 1513, Dictionary.com in the 1590's, Oxford dictionary in the late 16th century, while Collins' (Collins Cobuild) online dictionary shows the popularity of this rarely used word peaking in 1860 at a frequency of 0.3.

C2 Sample Essay 29 (Failure)

Writing at C2 level (Proficient User) on English language examinations is the same no matter the awarding body when it comes to writing essays. If you are a candidate giving an exam in English (IELTS, CPE, ECPE, CELP, LRN, ESB, TOEFL), make sure you read my earlier post What do I do with the sample writing found on this blog? to get the most out of the sample essays provided on Argute Legacy .     The topic of this essay is to give your opinion about the statement "failure is proof that the desire wasn't strong enough." If you are not taking an exam but need to discuss this topic, then read on and note down what you deem useful. If you intend to use this essay as part of an assignment, remember to paraphrase so as not to plagiarize.

Naoshi Koriyama - A Loaf of Poetry (Overview Part 2)

This is part 2 of the analysis of Koriyama's "A Loaf of Poetry". Read a brief introduction of mine and find facts about the poet's life, the poem's structure (rhyme, meter, sounds, divisions, turning point), persona, and the first half of the poem here: Naoshi Koriyama - A Loaf of Poetry (Overview) This part completes the analysis of the poem's content and discusses the symbol ism found in it as well as the title and overall message.

Naoshi Koriyama - A Loaf of Poetry (Overview)

Naoshi Koriyama deftly equates the poetic process with a commonplace procedure in his poem "A Lo af of Poetry," proving that in the end , poetry is open to anyone who has the persistence, experience and i nspi ration to dab ble in it . Added to this is the idea that p oetry, like a loa f o f bread , is not a n ornate affair like some gastronomical preparation , but one of the primary forms of susten ance crucial to our diet. The fascination with this poem , often reprinted in textbooks and taught to students by way of introducing poe try to them, lies i n its simplicity which conce a ls Koriyama's metho dical approach. That, however, is what t he poem actually wants to point out : great care and diligence to create such a piece of writing is required , no matter how modest the end product may appear to be. 

B2 Sample Writing 15 (Letter - Exchange Student Mentor Recommendation)

The following sample letter has been written so that exam candidates for a B2 level English examination (FCE now called First for Schools, ECCE, IELTS - 5.5 / 6.0, MSU-CELC, ESB, LRN) can get some ideas about how to organize and argue their writing.  First take a look at how to use the sample essays and letters that appear on this blog by reading the following post: What do I do with the sample writing found on this blog? Remember: such topics can also be used to start class discussions, so teachers might also want to read on to get ideas about a class activity they could set up to improve students' oral skills.

Oracle & Folly du Jour: On the Greatest Deception Known to Man

B2 Sample Writing 14 (Letter - Perfect Holiday)

The following sample letter has been written so that exam candidates for a B2 level English examination (FCE now called First for Schools, ECCE, IELTS - 5.5 / 6.0, MSU-CELC, ESB, LRN) can get some ideas about how to organize and argue their writing.  First take a look at how to use the sample essays and letters that appear on this blog by reading the following post: What do I do with the sample writing found on this blog? Remember: such topics can also be used to start class discussions, so teachers might also want to read on to get ideas about a class activity they could set up to improve students' oral skills.

B2 Sample Writing 13 (Letter - School Uniforms)

The following sample letter has been written so that exam candidates for a B2 level English examination (FCE now called First for Schools, ECCE, IELTS - 5.5 / 6.0, MSU-CELC, ESB, LRN) can get some ideas about how to organize and argue their writing.  First take a look at how to use the sample essays and letters that appear on this blog by reading the following post: What do I do with the sample writing found on this blog? Remember: such topics can also be used to start class discussions, so teachers might also want to read on to get ideas about a class activity they could set up to improve students' oral skills.

Oracle & Folly du Jour: On Ambition

B2 Sample Writing 12 (Letter - Mall vs. Sports Complex)

The following sample letter has been written so that exam candidates for a B2 level English examination (FCE now called First for Schools, ECCE, IELTS - 5.5 / 6.0, MSU-CELC, ESB, LRN) can get some ideas about how to organize and argue their writing.    First take a look at how to use the sample essays and letters that appear on this blog by reading the following post: What do I do with the sample writing found on this blog? Remember: such topics can also be used to start class discussions, so teachers might also want to read on to get ideas about a class activity they could set up to improve students' oral skills.

B2 Sample Writing 11 (Letter - Alcohol Consumption Age Limit)

The following sample letter has been written so that exam candidates for a B2 level English examination (FCE now called First for Schools, ECCE, IELTS - 5.5 / 6.0, MSU-CELC, ESB, LRN) can get some ideas about how to organize and argue their writing.  First take a look at how to use the sample essays and letters that appear on this blog by reading the following post: What do I do with the sample writing found on this blog? Remember: such topics can also be used to start class discussions, so teachers might also want to read on to get ideas about a class activity they could set up to improve students' oral skills.

Oracle & Folly du Jour: On Boredom

B2 Sample Writing 10 (Letter - Living with Grandparents)

The following sample letter has been written so that exam candidates for a B2 level English examination (FCE now called First for Schools, ECCE, IELTS - 5.5 / 6.0, MSU-CELC, ESB, LRN) can get some ideas about how to organize and argue their writing.  First take a look at how to use the sample essays and letters that appear on this blog by reading the following post: What do I do with the sample writing found on this blog?     Remember: such topics can also be used to start class discussions, so teachers might also want to read on to get ideas about a class activity they could set up to improve students' oral skills.  

Oracle & Folly du Jour:On Given Facts

C2 Sample Essay 28 (Athletes' motivation)

Writing at C2 level (Proficient User) on English language examinations is the same no matter the awarding body when it comes to writing essays. If you are a candidate giving an exam in English, make sure you read my earlier post What do I do with the sample writing found on this blog? to get the most out of the sample essays provided on Argute Legacy .       The topic of this essay is to elaborate on the messages that are sent to young people when they see that athletes' motivation has changed from winning and breaking world records to seeking money and fame. If you are not taking an exam but need to discuss this topic, then read on and note down what you deem useful. If you intend to use this essay as part of an assignment, remember to paraphrase so as not to plagiarize.

Carol Ann Duffy - Havisham (Overview - Part 3)

This is the last part of the overview to Carol Ann Duffy's poem "Havisham" which covers stanzas three and four of the poem in terms of content , namely: the puce curses, power of words and degeneration to an animal state, t he i ncubus image and vampirism, the white veil, wedding cake, honeymoon, red balloon and necrophili c thoughts and final stutter presen t in a poem that comes full c ircle through the choice of words used at the begin ning of each stanza . P art 1 g a ve a brief biography, discusse d the poem's structure (meter and rhymes), the sounds present in the poem and analyze d the persona of Miss Havisham (what is known about her from Great Expectations and how Duffy treats her case). P a rt 2 dealt with various points present in sta nzas 1 and 2 (enjambment , inability to escape, the notions of time and ageing, Miss Havisham's homicidal thoughts, green pebbl es, ropes on the back o f her hands, the conc ept of the spinster, the

Carol Ann Duffy - Havisham (Overview - Part 2)

This is the second part of the overview to Carol Ann Duffy's poem "Havisham" which covers stanzas one and two of the poem in terms of content.  Read part 1 which gives a brief biography, discusses the poem's structure (meter and rhymes), the sounds present in the poem and analyzes the persona of Miss Havisham (what is known about her from Great Expectations and how Duffy treats her case) here .

Carol Ann Duffy - Havisham (Overview - Part 1)

A paragon of betrayal, vengeance, self-pity and idiosyncrasy, Miss Havisham is Dickens's most memorable and intriguing character. She was the woman who stayed fossilized in my mind the moment I finished reading the chapter in which Dickens first described her. She mesmerized me in the guise of Martita Hunt in the legendary 1946 film adaptation of Great Expectations starring iconic Sir John Mills, Finlay Currie, as well as a young Jean Simmons and Sir Alec Guinness. Being thus prejudicially inclined, it was with immense joy that I discovered that a poem had been written to recapture the sound of a shattering heart. Miss Havisham lived on in her agony, yet this time round her thoughts were open to further interpretation not limited to details set down by Dickens's 19th century novel.  Carol Ann Duffy's 1993 poem does Miss Havisham justice, indeed. So much so, in fact, that I've spent hours drawing up my overview which at 3 A-4 sized sheets of paper is nowhere near

Oracle & Folly du Jour: On Fake News

Essay Writing: The Introductory Paragraph

In the first article in this series of posts, Essay Writing: The Overall Organization of an Essay , I pointed out what the general layout of an academic essay should look like. Today, we're going to see how the first paragraph of such an essay should be organized. By way of reminder, an entirely different organization is possible, but for the sake of helping exam takers sitting timed EFL (English as a foreign language and not the English Football League!) examinations, I stick to one particular style so that test-takers can focus on one kind of layout which should save time. Note also that I'm writing about academic essays and not letters or emails, reports, proposals, newspaper or magazine articles, or narratives. Those varieties of written work have their own traits and therefore need to be discussed in separate blog posts (which I hope to eventually address at some later time). But for now, let's get back to our academic essay introduction.

Monica Wood - Disappearing (Overview - Part 4)

This is the fourth part of the overview to Monica Wood's short story "Disappearing" which covers the story's themes: body image, assistance, silence, and acknowledgment. If you want to read an introduction which includes a link to the story, a short biography of the author, the setting of the story as well as the characters that interact in it, click here .  Part two deals with the plot and the "growth" process through which Wood intimates how destructive others can be and how -- as traumatizers -- they can permanently stunt development (to read that, click here ).  Part three about the story's point of view and symbolism can be found here .

C2 Sample Essay 27 (Past criminal record)

Writing at C2 level (Proficient User) on English language examinations is the same no matter the awarding body when it comes to writing essays. If you are a candidate giving an exam in English, make sure you read my earlier post What do I do with the sample writing found on this blog? to get the most out of the sample essays provided on Argute Legacy .       If you are not taking an exam but need to discuss whether a jury should have information about a defendant's past criminal record or not, then read on and note down what you deem useful. If you intend to use this essay as part of an assignment, remember to paraphrase so as not to plagiarize.

Monica Wood - Disappearing (Overview - Part 3)

This is part three of the overview to Monica Wood's short story "Disappearing". It covers the story's point of view and symbolism.  If you want to read an introduction which includes a link to the story, a short biography of the author, the setting of the story as well as the characters that interact in it, click here . Part two deals with the plot and the "growth" process through which Wood intimates how destructive others can be and how -- as traumatizers -- they can permanently stunt development (to read that, click here .)