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C2 Sample Essay 39 (School or family shapes one's personality)

In the minds of ESL exam candidates, e ssay writing is one of the most daunting tasks they are required to complete, regardless of the level of the exam, the administering body or the ease with which they themselves use the language. The same applies to students who are asked to write an essay by their teachers at school.  In the previous sample essays posted on the blog, the main point I stress is the need to become acquainted with this form of writing (as opposed to writing a letter, review or report, for instance), to get a feel of what authorial voice is and how to organize and progressively express the arguments you wish to make in a coherent manner.  Unfortunately, the best way to prepare for exam writing or learn how to write good essays for school is to read as many essays from as many sources as possible, then write as

B2 Sample Writing 14 (Letter/ Email - Perfect Holiday)

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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.



This particular question has been taken from an ECCE textbook which means that the rubric contains an introductory situation and then the question itself. The length of the sample letter that follows is approximately what examiners would expect to be completed in half an hour's time.

Note: When you write a letter or essay, you don't have to agree entirely with the arguments you put forward. Write what is easier to defend with explanations or examples. 

Here's the rubric:





Dream Vacation Contest

Sunny Holidays Travel Agency is offering a once-in-a-lifetime chance for you to win your dream vacation. To enter the contest, write them a letter making suggestions for the perfect summer vacation. Make sure you specify what age group your vacation is targeted toward. Send your letter to the travel agency and they will draw three winners from all the entries on June 1st. Don’t miss out!
























Write a letter to the Sunny Holidays Travel Agency offering suggestions on how to have the perfect summer vacation. Give examples to support your suggestions. Begin your letter, “Dear Sunny Holidays.”


Sample Letter

Dear Sunny Holidays,

                         Having seen your advertisement in Travel Guide magazine and as a 15-year-old student, I believe the perfect holiday for people my age needs to meet two basic criteria.
                          The first deciding factor in the recipe is location. It is worthless to travel to a place that has all the sports facilities or the best museums, excellent accommodation and friendly staff, when the place itself has no breath-taking scenery, picturesque villages or crystal-clear seas. Snapshots of squalid neighborhoods are not what vacationers would like to bring back home to show family and friends because vacations are meant to be an escape from the hardships people see on a day-to-day basis, and not another walk down familiar surroundings.
                       Besides location, the ideal holiday destination for teenagers needs to have a wide variety of activities made available to them. Adolescents easily grow tired of a place when there is nothing worthwhile to do. Places that offer water sports, sightseeing tours, historic landmarks or interesting museums are appealing because vacationers have a choice. Excellent and cheap restaurants as well as rich nightlife are also crucial for teens, and complete their stay memorably.
                        In short, young people want to spend their holidays somewhere exciting and unusual. Going to a place that reminds them of home is not an ideal choice, so should they decide to book their next holiday destination, they must definitely keep in mind its location and range of available activities.

          Yours faithfully,
                            
                             Jack Lindley    



For more sample letters or essays, click on the image below.



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Useful B2-level exam posts can be found here:




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