Cambridge B2

First Exam
Workshop
 Writing Paper
There are 2 task to do for
this paper
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Part Type of task words format points

Write an essay where

Writing you give your opinion 10%
1
Write an 140-190 on a topic using 2 ideas of
essay
given plus an idea of your grade
own
Choose
from an
article, 10%
2 review, 140-190 Do the task based on of
your choice grade
report ,
email or
letter
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○ Step 1
○ TIMING
○ For this part of the test you have one hour
and twenty minutes.
○ You need to do 2 tasks.
○ This paper is worth 20% of your overall
grade
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Task 1 Task 2
The tasks Write an opinion essay You can choose from an
to a teacher. email, a letter, a review, a
There is a question or report or an article.
statement and you will You should answer all
be given 2 points to the points in the
discuss. You must also question.
discuss your own idea. You should write
You should write between- 140-190
between 140-190 words.
words.
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6

In the Writing paper there is not one

answer that is correct, and one that is
incorrect , but here there are the
assessment criteria . So first of all we will
learn to “give the monkey what the
monkey wants”.
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The Cambridge Writing Criteria

CONTENT COMMUNICATIVE ACHIEVEMENT

Focuses on how well the task has been Focuses on how appropriate the writing is in
completed; for example, has all the terms of genre; for example, what sort of text
important information been included in the do you have to produce – a letter, a report, a
piece of writing? review, an essay? Each one requires a different
format and has a different function.

ORGANISATION LANGUAGE
Focuses on the way the text is organised; for Focuses on vocabulary and grammar; for
example, is the information presented example, how accurate is the text and is
coherently and are the ideas connected with there a range of complex and simple
cohesive devices or linking words? structures and vocabulary? S
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8

○ Don’t forget to take notes about the

Writing Criteria checklists
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 Have you included all the essential

information in your text?
CONTENT  What do you need to include and
CHECKLIST how much detail do you need to
give?
 Why are you writing the text and
what do you hope to achieve?
 Have you focused on the topic and
the specific questions?
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 What style of text do you need to

COMMUNICATIVE produce?
ACHIEVEMENT  What are the style conventions of the
CHECKLIST
text you have to write?
 Do you need to use a formal, neutral or
informal tone?
 Can you include personal opinions or
should you be objective?
 Who are you writing the text for and what
are their expectations?
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 Have you organised your ideas in a logical

way?
ORGANISATION  Do the ideas develop logically so the
CHECKLIST reader can follow your ideas or argument?
 Have you used a topic sentence to begin
each paragraph?
 Have you used cohesive devices to
connect ideas across sentences and
paragraphs?
 Have you used appropriate linking words
for the genre of text?
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 Have you used a range of language correctly?
 Which tenses and language structures are
appropriate to communicate your ideas?
LANGUAGE
CHECKLIST  Whose voice are you using – ‘I’, ‘you’, ‘we’? Is
this consistent and accurate in your text?
 Do the verbs agree with plural, singular,
countable and uncountable nouns?
 Have you used topic-specific vocabulary to
describe and explain in more detail?
 Does any vocabulary appear in your text
frequently? Can you use any other words?
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Your teacher will now put you into groups to

put the Writing Criteria in order of the most
difficult first .
Discuss your decisions with your teacher.
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Now go to WeSchool and do the exercise

Writing criteria exercise 1
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The essay
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○ Essays are always written for the teacher-
so use a formal and objective tone - try
not to be too emotional.
○ It is important to keep the focus on the
The essay
topic of the question - all your ideas and
opinions should be relevant to the
question so take time to read and
understand the rubric and prompts
carefully.
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○ While you can argue only one point of
view, you should keep in mind the other. It
would be better to have a balanced
discussion comparing the ideas for and
The essay
against.
○ Remember to talk about both the prompts
and include your own. To get the best
grades you need to support your ideas
with reasons and examples.
○ Ideas need to be expressed in a clear
logical way, and should be well organised
and coherent.
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Introduction - Use the question as a guide but

The essay should avoid copying the question, use your own
have 5 words to paraphrase the sentence.
paragraphs State the topic clearly. Give a brief outline of
the issue saying why it is important or why
people have different ideas.
You needn’t give your opinion in the
introduction – save it for your conclusion.
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Paragraphs 2, 3 &4
The body of the ○ Start each paragraph with a topic
essay. sentence which tells the reader the main
idea that you will present in the
paragraph.
○ The following sentences should support
this idea, use rhetorical questions,
examples or the reasons for your
statements. If you talk about a drawback,
give possible solutions.
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While we talk about writing you will often hear the

phrase Topic sentence.
Teacher Tip
TOPIC When you write in English it is important that you
show the examiner that you can organise your thoughts
SENTENCE
into paragraphs. And each paragraph should start with
a topic sentence. We can see that this paragraph taken
from the sample answer starts with Another idea would
be …and repeats the second prompt from the question.
This is an excellent example of a topic sentence. It tells
the reader what you will talk about in this paragraph,
and everything in the paragraph is about this topic.
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After you have written the topic sentence, the rest of

Teacher Tip the paragraph should tell your reasons for this idea and
A if you can give an example.
R You can easily follow this pattern by remembering
E ○ A Argument (or Topic)
○ R Reason
○ E Example
In this way your paragraphs will be organised and easy
to understand by the reader – exactly what will earn
the best grades for your writing, that is giving the
monkey what the monkey wants.
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 Connect the paragraphs, by either referring to
something you said in the previous one or the
use of cohesive devices such as pronouns.
The body of the  Vary the length of your sentences. Remember
essay to include the grammar structures you
decided in your plan.
 Use synonyms to avoid repeating the same
words.
 Use the linking words we have already looked
at.
 Avoid using contractions as it makes your tone
more informal.
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 Here you should connect to what

you’ve said in the introduction
The conclusion paragraph, that is the topic of the
essay.
 You can present your opinion here.
 Do not introduce new information
in the conclusion.
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Now go to WeSchool and do the exercise

The essay
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In groups
Now go to WeSchool Board
Writing Sample Paper
\Brainstorm 20 words that you would use in
your essay.
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In groups
Now go to WeSchool Board
Writing Sample Paper
\Now write a topic sentence for the 2 prompts
given, and together one for your own idea.
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The article
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○ Articles are usually written for an English-

language magazine or newsletter, and the
The article reader is assumed to have similar interests
as the writer. The main purpose is to
inform, interest and engage the reader, so
there should be some opinion or personal
comments.
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○ Add a short title to catch the reader’s

attention. This should be relevant to the
The article task. You may choose from the question
or create your own.
○ Introduce the topic. Although you don’t
know the readers personally, you can
speak directly to them, maybe by asking a
rhetorical question, this helps them to feel
involved.
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○ Use a personal or neutral tone, do not use

a formal one, so contractions and a more
colloquial language are fine.
The article ○ Remember as in the essay to use a range
of complex grammatical structures.
○ Bring your article to life by giving
examples or using personal anecdotes
(real or imagined).
○ Use humour if appropriate.
○ Don’t forget to give a conclusion and
summary in the final paragraph.
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Involving the reader

LANGUAGE TO ○ Just imagine…
REMEMBER ○ Have you ever…?
○ How would you feel if …?
○ Are you one of those people who…?
○ If the answer is … you should…
○ What would life be like if…
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Making the article more interesting

LANGUAGE TO ○ I was absolutely terrified when I realised…
REMEMBER ○ More importantly it was something…
○ The tent was worryingly small for four
people.
○ It was the most amazing experience I’ve
ever had.
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Developing your ideas

○ Let’s start with…
LANGUAGE TO ○ Another advantage of…
REMEMBER ○ On top of that…
Giving your opinion
○ I think that…
○ It seems to me that…
○ If you ask me…
○ To my mind
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Now go to WeSchool and do the exercise

The article
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Now go to WeSchool go the The Aricle board

In groups brainstorm a title for your article.
Now brainstorm 20 words that you would use
when writing it.
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The informal
letter or email
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An informal letter or email is between two

people who know each other well. In addition
The informal letter
to giving news they are also often written to
or email
ask for information, congratulate, give advice
and ask questions. They are a lot like informal
conversations- they ask a lot of questions,
show interest and enthusiasm. Imagine that
you know the person, and that the person
knows you.
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In many exam questions you will be told what

to include in your reply.
The informal letter
or email Be careful to address all points in your
answer- and remember to add any other
information that you have been asked to do.
To get a good grade all that is in the task
should be in your answer.
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○ Start with Dear followed by the first name

of the person to whom you are writing, in
emails you can also start with Hi.
The salutation ○ Use the person’s first name not Hi Mr
John, or Dear Jane Green, it doesn’t work in
an informal context.
○ It is common that we put a comma after
the name, and then start the body of the
letter on the next line starting with a
capital letter- remember to use the same
format when closing, put a comma also
after your closing remark.
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○ When writing an informal letter you are

usually replying to another.
The opening ○ You should start with a greeting and then
acknowledge the letter you are replying
to.
○ It is a good idea to refer to some of the
information given in the original letter.
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Useful phrases for openings
○ How are you?/ How has the family been? /
Hope you’re well.
LANGUAGE TO ○ Many Thanks/Thanks for your last letter/email.
REMEMBER
○ It was good/nice/great to hear from you again.
○ I was surprised to hear that…
○ I’m sorry I haven’t written/been in touch for
such a long time.
○ It’s ages since I’ve heard from you.
○ I hope you/you and your family are well.
○ How are things?/How’s it going?
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Referring to news
○ Great the hear about / Glad to hear that/Sorry
to hear about
LANGUAGE TO
Giving news
REMEMBER
○ Listen, did I tell you about…?/You’ll never
believe what…
○ Oh, another thing… / This is just to let you
know…
○ I thought you may be interested to hear
about/know that…
○ By the way, have you heard about/did you
know that…
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Invitations
○ I’m having a part on Friday the 12th and I hope
you’ll be able to come.
LANGUAGE TO ○ Would you like to go to see “Wonder Woman”
REMEMBER
with me at the weekend?
○ I was wondering if you’d like to go to the
theatre with us?
○ Thanks so much for the invitation, I’d love to
come.
○ Thanks for asking but I’m afraid I won’t be able
to…
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Requests
○ I’m writing to ask for your help/if you could do
LANGUAGE TO me a favour.
REMEMBER ○ I wonder if/ I was wondering if you could help
me/do me a favour.
○ I hope you don’t mind me asking but could you.
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Thank you- Congratulations- Good Luck

○ Writing to thank you for your wonderful
LANGUAGE TO present.
REMEMBER ○ It was kind of you to invite me to stay.
○ I really appreciated all your help/advice.
○ Congratulations on passing your exam.
○ I wish you good luck/Good luck in/with your
exams/ your driving test/your interview.
○ Don’t worry! I’m sure you’ll do well/you’ll pass.
○ Do be on time, won’t you and don’t forget to …
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Making suggestions and recommendations

○ Why don’t you…? Maybe you could…? How
LANGUAGE TO about…?
REMEMBER ○ You can’t leave Milan without…
○ If you like, we can…
○ Do visit/Don’t forget to…
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The end of your letter is as important as the
beginning. Here are the steps to follow when
finishing an informal email or letter.
The closing 1. Give a reason why you are ending the
letter like- Anyway I must go and get on
with my homework/ I guess I had better
get on with that studying I’ve been
avoiding.
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2. Send greetings and/or make reference to a
future contact like –
○ Give my love to…/Regards to…/Say hello to…
The closing ○ Anyway don’t forget to let me know the dates of
the party.
○ I’ll try and phone you on the weekend to check
the times.
○ I can’t wait to hear from you.
○ Look forward to seeing you again.
○ Hope to hear from you soon.
○ See you soon/ Write soon.
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3. Closing statements such as Love/ Lots of

love/All the best./ Take care. should be
The closing written on a new line. If you used a
comma after the name at the beginning
of the letter, use a comma now to close
the letter.
4. You should sign off by writing your name
on a new line (just your first name).
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Now go to WeSchool and do the exercise

The informal letter
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The formal
letter or email
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Formal letters may be written to an individual

or to an organization. They have very specific
formal Letters purposes such as
○ To apply for part-time or holiday work.
○ To apply for study or scholarship
opportunities
○ To complain about something.
○ To make suggestions about something.
○ To request information.
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In most questions you will be told what to

include in your letter- make sure you answer
The formal letter
all the questions in the task and add additional
or email
information when you have been asked to.
For any type of formal letter, paragraphing is
just a matter of common sense. Group ideas
logically. Group two questions or points in one
paragraph and the other two points in the
following paragraph.
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If you know the name of the person you are

writing to use the title Mr, Mrs, Miss or Ms
The salutation and their surname only. If you’re writing to a
woman and you don’t know if she is married
or not use Ms.
If you don’t know the name use Dear Sir or
Dear Madam, and if you don’t know the sex
use Dear Sir or Madam.
Remember to use a comma after the name.
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The first paragraph of your letter states the

reason for writing and, if needed, to what you
The opening are responding (e.g. an advert). In the opening
you should also make reference to any
previous communication.
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○ I would like to apply for the scholarship I saw

advertised in your prospectus.
Useful language
for openings ○ I am looking for an outdoor job during the
summer and would like to apply for the position
of lifeguard I saw advertised in my university’s
newspaper.
○ I have seen your advertisement for the post of
Tutor in our local paper on the 12th of January
and would like to apply for the job.
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○ I am the secretary of my high school Science Club

and after seeing an advertisement for your
Useful language
“Leonardo” exhibition I am interested in organising
for openings
a group visit.
○ I am writing to complain about the advertisement
for your new game. Having just played it I have
realised that the advertisement is misleading.
○ I am writing in reference to…
○ Thank you for your / in reply to your letter dated
the 2nd of February.
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The rest of your letter should be organized into
paragraphs that follow a logical order- making
reading easier and the effect on the target reader
better. For example an application letter could
The body have this layout
1. Greeting
2. #1 Opening paragraph
3. #2 About you ( age, where you live, education, work experience
relevant to the job, languages…)
4. #3 Reasons for applying for the job
5. #4 Conclusion- availability for interview
6. Closing
7. Final salutation
8. Name and surname.
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○ The end of your letter is as important as

the beginning. You usually state what you
The closing would like the reader to do, make
reference to a future event or offer help.
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○ I look forward to hearing from you

soon/receiving your reply.
Useful language
for closing ○ I look forward to receiving a full refund.
○ I would like to know what you are going to
do about this situation.
○ I would like to thank you in advance for
this information.
○ If you should require and further
information, please do not hesitate to
contact me.
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Final Salutation
Finishing your If you started your letter with the reader’s
letter name you should end it –Your sincerely, .
On the other hand, if you started with a
generic title like Dear Sir, end with Your
faithfully, .
At the end
Sign with your name and then print your name
and surname neatly underneath on a new line
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Now go to WeSchool and do the exercise

The formal letter
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The report
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A report is usually written for an English-

language magazine or newsletter, and the
The report reader is assumed to have similar interests as
the writer. The main purpose is to inform,
interest and engage the reader, so there
should be some opinion or comment.
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 Start by saying the purpose of the report.

 You may invent where you got the
Hints information.
 Use a clear layout.
 Headings will make it clear that your
report is not an essay, article or review.
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 Lists of numbered points or bullets are OK

but don’t use only them as you won’t be
Hints able to show the full range of structures
and vocabulary that you know.
 Divide the report into sections according
to the question given.
 Develop the ideas in the task input. Focus
on a maximum of two main points.
 Use an impersonal, semi-formal style.
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○ Use a heading that should be taken from

the question- don’t forget to paraphrase
First paragraph when possible.
○ Clearly state the aim of the report and
where you have collected the information.
○ Keep in mind who is going to read the
report and adjust your register
accordingly.
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 The main objective/purpose of this report

Useful language is to…
for the first  The report is intended to
paragraph discuss/suggest/outline …
 In this report I will ….
 To prepare for this report I conducted
interviews with/visited three of the most
popular/ discussed the issue with…
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○ You should present your information
factually. It shouldn’t sound like a story
but be factual and clear.
Paragraphs 2 &3 ○ Carefully choose headings for each
section when appropriate.
○ Only write about things related to the
task.
○ Support your points with examples or
reasons.
○ Don’t write your personal opinions but
from the perspective of the group.
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 According to…
Useful language  All those who were interviewed believe
for paragraphs 2 that/are concerned that…
&3
 It was commented on by a number of
people we talked to…
 A cause of dissatisfaction was…
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 The arguments against …are the following

Useful language  The following are the main reasons for
for presenting a supporting…
list
 Points mentioned is favour of/against…
 There are several ways in which… might
be…
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○ Give a clear summary of the situation and

make a comment or suggestion only.
Final paragraph ○ You should include all your findings from
the topic paragraphs.
○ It is a good idea to use the passive when
possible to avoid repeating the same
sentence structures.
○ Keep your language impersonal and
factual.
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 Taking all factors mentioned into account…
 I would therefore recommend…
Useful language  Clearly more could be done to …
for final paragraph  I would make the following
recommendations…
1…
2…
3…
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 Based on the findings of this report I
recommend/suggest …
 I (would) recommend/suggest that …
Useful language
for final paragraph  The following (improvements) are
recommended: …
 The best ideas/solutions seem to be …
 It would be (highly) advisable to …
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The review
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The review is usually written for an English-

language magazine, newspaper or website. As
A review many different people will be reading the
review the appropriate tone is usually neutral
or informal but not too informal!
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The main purpose is to describe and express a

personal opinion about something which you
A review the writer has experienced for instance a film,
a holiday, a produce etc. and to give the
reader a clear impression of what the topic of
the review is like.
Description and explanation are key functions
for this task, and a review will usually include a
recommendation to the reader.
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○ Again be sure to discuss all the elements

present in the question.
A review ○ Normally there are three points that
should be discussed- a description What
did the main character do? - a discussion
Why was it surprising? – and a
recommendation Would you recommend
this book to your friends?
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 It is a good idea to give your review an

interesting title.
Hints  In the first paragraph say what you are
reviewing and try to catch the readers
interest- a rhetorical question would work
well here.
 In the second paragraph, give your opinion
of what you are reviewing linked to the
question. Remember a review is not just a
list of facts – it’s largely your opinion.
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 In the following paragraphs (one or two

max) give more details of what you are
Hints reviewing linked to the questions in the
input, but only focus on those you’ve
been asked to develop.
 In the last paragraph summarise your view,
paraphrasing the introduction and don’t
forget to include your recommendation.
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 Use a personal more neutral style,

according to the target reader.
REMEMBER  It is, as in all writing tasks important to
show a range of structures in the language
of opinion, description and
recommendation. Vary the length of your
sentences.
 Add vivid language to add interest.
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What I liked What I disliked

Useful language
for expressing What I liked most was… What I disliked most
What I really loved about was…
preferences
… is… The only criticism I
The thing I liked most would make is that…
was… I was disappointed
I was pleasantly surprised with…
by…
… would appeal to…
If you get a chance to…
  I would recommend this film to anyone. 95

 Although I enjoyed it, I would not recommend it

for…
Useful language for  It’s one of the best …I’ve ever seen.
recommendations  Although I am not normally keen on………, I am
glad that I decided to go.
 The … lifts you out of your everyday life
 Judging from this …
 Overall if you like … you’ll love …
 Although some of …he/she/it is still a great…
 You really must buy /see / visit…
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main character atmosphere - plot

Useful language
for reviewing is set in author
books Fiction - science written by
fiction - thriller - chapter
fantasy - mystery –
factual
historical –romance
unbelievable
Non Fiction – cook
book – travel guide – best seller
text book- manual – ending
coffee table book
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artist Auditorium
Useful language
for reviewing band hall
concerts musician venue
bass-lead- rhythm gig
guitarist lyrics
backing-lead singer tune
soloist score
trio
orchestra
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painting
Useful language
for reviewing sculpture
exhibitions handicrafts
gallery
catalogue
display
lighting
audio guide
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lead/star role true to life

actor- actress not very believable
Useful language starring far fetched
for reviewing secondary/supporting animation
films role adaptation
He plays a comedy
written by costumes
cast – director – special effects
producer
soundtrack
is set in …
based on a true story
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location hotel facilities

Useful language service reasonable prices
for reviewing attractive/ stunning / excellent/poor/
hotels and disappointing setting reasonable value for
restaurants money
run by
head chef overpriced
waiters not worth the money
staff always fully booked
reception staff
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Now go to WeSchool go the The Review

board
In groups brainstorm a title for your review.
Now brainstorm 20 words that you would use
when writing it.
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The plan
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It is very important for any writing task to take
time to plan what you are going to write so you
are sure to cover all of the criteria.
Why? It will also give to time to organise what you write.
You will be able to think of phrases and synonyms
before you begin.
It will only take 3-5 minutes and by planning you
will not have writer’s block when you start writing
so you will be able to plan your time effectively.
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Step 1
Look carefully at the question. Underline the
key words.
Step by step Step 2
Brainstorm all the ideas, words and phrases
you can think of about the question.
Step 3
Write the titles for each paragraph.
Step 4
Match your ideas from the brainstorm to the
paragraphs.
 The final edit is probably the most important part 105
of writing.
Allow yourself 5 minutes after completing the task
to check what you have written for spelling
Final Edit mistakes, grammar errors (Are the verb tenses
constant?, Are the verbs conjugated correctly?,
Have you repeated a word too often?).
It is a good idea to read your work backwards
starting from the last word, it’s easier to see any
mistakes that way.
Correct your mistakes neatly so the examiner can
understand what you have written.