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 the fifth sample article candidates of the ECPE examination (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 this type of piece of writing. As stated, 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, readers are able to distinguish the author's unique "voice").   Before reading, take a look at the following post if you haven't already done so. It will help you focus on the vital aspects you need to be aware of while reading the article and what you should make sure to use when you write your own.     The question appeared in Practice Tests for the ECPE Book 1 (revised 2021 version) and is accompanied by the following three writing prompts:  

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,

This is the second sample article I'm posting that conforms to the writing section requirements of the ECPE ( Examination for the Certificate of Proficiency in English) of the University of Michigan as of 2021. As seen in the first post to deal with articles , there are a number of points candidates need to bring to the table when it comes to writing. The main ones are: argumentation organization of paragraphs development of one's reasoning wide range of grammatical structures  lexical range  authorial voice   Don't forget to engage the reader from the start by including an apt title. As always, I refer you to the post that tells you what to take from these sample essays. If you haven't read it, click the image below:    Now, let's take a look at the topic, taken from  Practice Tests for the ECPE Book 1 (revised 2021 version) . The question is accompanied by the following writing prompts:

T he writing section of the ECPE ( Examination for the Certificate of Proficiency in English), administered by the University of Michigan, gives a choice between two topics.   In contrast with the previous post dealing with the ECPE writing section, this one offers a sample essay not article on the topic of online classes. To access the article for the same question, click on the image below.  

ESL/EFL exams may contain writing tasks that require students to write a review of a film or book.  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: 

2021 is the first year to see the new version of the ECPE exam. The major change in the Writing section of the Examination for the Certificate of Proficiency in English is undoubtedly the addition of an article and proposal alongside the essay.    Of course I'm leaving out the added time because teachers have already been training and candidates have already been trained to present a polished piece of writing in 35 minutes, so the added 10 minutes is a welcome bonus. The important thing to focus on is the entirely new genre students should become acquainted with. In this post, we'll be looking at a sample article.  

Examinations for the Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) are one of the most widely recognized English-language exams that certify one has mastered the language at C2 level (based on the Common European Framework of Reference or CEFR for languages).    It is not without apprehension that candidates sitting this exam prepare to tackle Paper 2 -- the dreaded Writing section.  This post will outline the various points candidates should keep in mind when dealing with the essay in Part 1 of Paper 2 and provide tips to help with the whole task through a step-by-step approach.  

Few books have the ability to astound readers with their portrayal of austere social conventions and ludicrous mores as Jane Austen’s masterpiece Pride and Prejudice does. Written a good many decades ago in a time that seems so far removed from ours that we question the logic behind wanting to read it in the first place, this 400-page novel is considered a novel of manners whose simple plot exposes more than the romantic story which it is clothed in would have readers believe.  

My two previous posts explained how to deal with two distinct types of oral examination questions as part of English-language certification qualifications. The first post gave some tips how to describe a person, place, object or activity while the second how to narrate past experiences or any kind of situations one may have had to deal with.     Though these types of questions are typically part of the English oral examination for the Michigan State University (MSU) certificate at C2 level, this as well as the two previous posts can be used to train candidates of other English-language examinations, be they B1, B2, C1 or C2-level exams. Based on experience, I have seen that helping a candidate develop fluency requires building up their ability to narrate and describe, so whether they are sitting the IELTS or CPE, the ECPE or LRN, LRN, TOEFL, BULATS, TIE, ECCE, FCE and so many others that are out there on the market, knowing how to describe and narrate is a must.   T...

In my last post , I talked about how to deal with oral exam questions that asked candidates of English-certification exams -- such as the the Michigan State University (MSU) exam -- to describe someone or something. The post and questions that accompanied it were meant to help C2-level candidates, but the same questions could easily be used to get B2-level exam takers to speak more. This post now deals with narrations, that is, questions which require candidates to speak about a past experience, a situation they had to endure or they enjoyed. As I said in my last post, the questions that follow can be used by students and teachers alike as discussion starters, so even if you are not planning to sit an exam, you might find this article useful in terms of improving your English. Prepare vocabulary associated with the topic, or think about using linking words to sequence your ideas. These are just two of the "activities" teachers can promote as they discuss these questi...

The English oral examination for the Michigan State University (MSU) certificate at C2 level is a straight-forward affair if you know ahead of time what it is examiners might ask. This applies to all Speaking components of English-language certificate exams which means that the more varied the types of questions a candidate has knowledge of in advance, the more likely he or she is to stumble upon a similar question on the actual day of the test. Thinking about what answers could be given ahead of time and jotting down some ideas in note form lets candidates worry about finding the right words to use during the exam instead of searching for things to say, arguments to give, examples to support an opinion which they might even not have at that particular moment. This post therefore is not only geared towards those taking the MSU exam, but for candidates preparing for the IELTS, CPE, ECPE, ESB, LRN, TOEFL, PTE, BULATS, TIE, and similar tests whose list will doubtless increase with...

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 single versus multiple careers in addition to further education (how the former is becoming "old-fashioned"). 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.

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 say to what extent you agree or disagree with the idea that richer nations should take more responsibility when it comes to helping poorer nations develop in terms of health, education and trade. 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.

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 say to what extent you agree or disagree with the idea that money should be diverted from treatment of diseases to health education and preventative measures. 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.

When we want to either recommend a specific person or course of action for a B2 or C2-level English examination we have to be clear that we don't confuse these types of letters or emails with the typical, business recommendation letters prospective employers or administration offices at universities might require candidates to give. At the exam you are about to sit, you will probably be required to play the part of someone who has been asked to a)  nominate a peer for a position at school or at a club, or put someone's name forward for an award that is to be given or b) suggest, among many other things, the best place to go on holiday or some activities that should held during a specific event which is set to take place, how to spend money at one's disposal, and so on. The following post should help you organize such a letter or email (even an oral statement, if necessary) as well as give you some useful phrases you should keep in mind when writing your...

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

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.

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.

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...