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
This is an example of a film review intended to give candidates and teachers a springboard for vocabulary exercises and discussions about the organization of reviews.
The topic dealt with in this post is the following:
Have you seen a film in which there is an unlikely hero?
The rubric instructs candidates to review a film which contains a protagonist whose actions and deeds were unexpected as well as state whether or not they would recommend this film.
This sample is a much longer and more elaborate than what examiners would expect of B2-level candidates, but as stated, it's meant to provide teachers and students with a text they can learn from, so it could be used at the C1 or C2 levels as well.
You might also want to read the following post to get a better idea how to make the most of these sample writings. Click on the image.
The Unheroic Hero
A movie’s greatest pleasure is undoubtedly the element of surprise a director or scriptwriter masterly includes in the story-line. Yet a plot is not the only aspect that can contain such an element, because another more compelling component of films is that one unlikely character that transforms a story from average to fabulous. Johnny Depp embodies such a character in all the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, making Captain Jack Sparrow unforgettable.
The entire Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is based on the adventures of several characters in a time when piracy was at its peak while inserting a touch of the supernatural to give it enough kick. In the first film, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, we the viewers are formally introduced to the main characters of the story who have to battle with undead pirates seeking to return one last gold coin to a mound of cursed treasure belonging to the ghost ship called The Black Pearl.
It is true that the special effects are stunning, the costumes resplendent and the acting delightful to watch, but what leaves the audience with a smile on their face as they leave movie theaters are the wild antics of Jack Sparrow, a pirate as spineless as he is cunning. He is the true star who runs away from fights and drowns his problems in rum although he always emerges unscathed in the end. Many consider the story to revolve around Elizabeth Swan and Will Turner, the two protagonists who must find a way to escape the fate of those who possess the cursed gold coin medallion before either of them is killed, but the limelight falls on Sparrow who unwittingly offers solutions though he is acting out of self-interest.
Jack Sparrow is not your common dastardly pirate, nor is he an angel sent from heaven. He is an unexpected hero whom you cannot rightly call a hero and that is what makes him one of the best movie characters to brighten screens in one of the most enjoyable action-packed family films of all time.
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