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 blog post What do I do with the sample writing found on this blog? to get the most out of the sample essays provided by yours truly.  The following topic was taken from a Michigan State University English Language Examinations publication ( Go For MSU - CELP (C2) , Super Course System). As you will notice, the topic is similar to what candidates would expect in any other C2 level examination in that examiners expect a well-organized, coherent and cohesive discussion of the issue with arguments, explanations and examples.  If you are not taking an exam but need ideas on the topic of eating disorders and unhealthy eating habits, then read on and note down what you deem useful. Don't forget: paraphrase to avoid plagiarism!

"Powder" is a short story intended to quickly state the obvious - a father's bond to his son is always a difficult thing to forge when parents aren't on good terms with each other. The level of difficulty in achieving this increases as fathers aren't used to explicitly explaining to their sons that they are trying to forge a stronger bond at a particular moment in time to begin with. Accordingly, the complications the father in this particular story is required to overcome are not only the time constraints the mother has placed on the trip as a whole or the mistrust towards her husband she has allowed her son to bear witness to which the father feels he must compensate for, but also the disparity in character traits that father and son exhibit. Having read the story for the first time, students predominantly respond to the query "What was the story about?" either with "I didn't get it. Some father and son skiing" or "S...

When you read Paley's "Mother" for the first time, you think, "Okay, so why would anyone give this to students to read when there's so much more that can be squeezed out of other short pieces of writing?" Why not give them Lawrence or Joyce to help analyze 159 facets of human relationships? Slap them with some Chopin or Woolf, both of whom produced slightly longer short stories through which you'd be able to demonstrate how a short story works and get a nice discussion going about relationships to boot. Meanwhile, after reading "Mother" for the first time, the main aspect that stays with readers is an overwhelming sensation of nostalgia and sadness bordering on melancholy. Whyever would any author write something this condensed to simply express despondency over a deceased parent? Can this story be that over-simplified? And then you re-read Paley's piece (because you have to give students some information on it so they don...

To get the most out of these sample essays and letters, please read "What do I do with the sample writing found on this blog?" before reading this blog entry. The following letter is an example of how examination candidates could tackle the subject of banning smoking in public places. The sample has been modeled on the University of Michigan Examination for the Certificate of Competency in English (ECCE) Task 1 question of the Writing section available on page 86 of the Hellenic American Union's ECCE Practice Examinations book (Book 1).   The aim of the task is for candidates to write a letter to The City Times newspaper to express their opinion on the National Medical Association's (NMA) proposal to ban smoking in all public places. The information the rubric gives candidates is that: non-smokers who live with smokers face great dangers to their health (for example, serious respiratory problems) children whose parents smoke are at a higher risk...

If you haven't already done so, before you read this sample essay please read What do I do with the sample writing found on this blog? Sample C2 level Essay The following is a sample essay based on the Examination for the Certificate of Proficiency in English (ECPE) writing section. The question can be found on page 112 of the ECPE Book 1 Practice Examinations textbook published by the Hellenic American Union. In most countries in the developed world there is concern over the amount of advertising aimed at children. Should this kind of advertising be regulated and if so, what measures should be implemented? Discuss, giving reasons for your answer.

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 the responsibilities of parenting are. 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 topic is similar to what candidates expect in any other C2-level examination in that examiners want to see a well-organized, coherent and cohesive discussion of the issue with arguments and examples written in approximately half an hour. Whether or not you ...

  If you haven't already done so, before you read this sample essay please read What do I do with the sample writing found on this blog? Sample C2 level Essay    The following is a sample essay based on the Examination for the Certificate of Proficiency in English (ECPE) writing section. The question can be found on page 52 of the ECPE Book 1 Practice Examinations textbook published by the Hellenic American Union. In the future, genetic engineering may allow parents carrying congenital illnesses to produce healthy babies and for wealthy couples to “design” their children. Should doctors be permitted to interfere with the genetic makeup of infants, and if so, to what extent? Discuss, giving reasons to support your answer.

  The following is a sample essay based on the Examination for the Certificate of Proficiency in English (ECPE) writing section. The question can be found on page 32 of the old ECPE Book 1 Practice Examinations textbook published by the Hellenic American Union (date of publication 2012, now no longer in circulation). If you haven't already done so, before you read this sample essay please read What do I do with the sample writing found on this blog?    This is the topic: Which of the following technological developments do you feel is of most benefit to society today: telephone, television or the internet? Compare, giving reasons for your choice.     Here's the essay (roughly 450 words):            It is an undeniable fact that the advances made in the field of technology in the last one hundred and fifty years or so have exceeded our expectations. Hardly anyone could be expected to imagi...