This is the third 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.  Reading a variety of articles will help candidates and ESL students acquire a better understanding of what such types of writing involve. As mentioned 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 Creating a solid piece of writing that will combine all these points requires a lot of hours spent reading

This is the fifth sample report (Task 1) which follows IELTS guidelines for the Writing section of the Academic Module.  The graph in this case deals with where people get their news from.  The sample written is much longer than what a candidate would have time to draft (over 300 words), but the reason for this is to give candidates more words to underline and add to their list of phrases to use in such types of writing tasks.   First, make sure to have read my post 

As the saying goes, the beginning is always the hardest part - ask any writer and they'll show you their fingernails, or whatever's left of them. Well, starting off with your grand Model United Nations endeavor is not unlike writing in that you need to get your facts straight before you can begin to put your ducks in order . I n this case your ducks are your ideas and overall opinion vis-à-vis the issue. The reason why most of you are reading this right now is because you've signed up for the MUN team, or you've been asked to join it, or have heard that you'll travel abroad to attend it, and hey, any opportunity to get away from your regular routine is welcome. Believe me, few people say "No!" to road trips. However, beyond the point of accepting to attend, you have little idea what it is that you'll be doing. If you know of someone who's going at it a second time, ask them. First-hand accounts are always the best. If you're part of ...

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 limiting internet access . 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 134 of the Hellenic American Union's ECCE Practice Examinations book (Book 1).   Based on the rubric, the newspaper The City Times reports that a public school official (Mr. Harding) has announced that access to certain kinds of websites that are inappropriate for children will be denied to students on all computers in schools after internet blocking devices will be installed. Although it is expected that some students will complain about this restriction, many more will see the benefit. Candidates a...

I’m a high school graduate and I don’t know what career I want to follow or what university to go to Many students reach that crucial stage in their lives when they have to decide what career path to follow, where to study and how to choose what’s best for them and their future.  And they're stuck. Even though they've done well in all their classes throughout high school, no particular subject has 'clicked' with them or they with it. In other words, they have absolutely no idea what career path they want to follow, what they'd like to study and where to go and study that thing they have absolutely no idea about yet. Well, here’s a quick checklist to follow that ought to help you narrow down your options and set you on a path towards tertiary education.