phrases for essays c1

• How to write a C1 Advanced Essay

• Posted on 26/02/2020
• Categories: Blog
• Tags: C1 Advanced , Cambridge Exams , Writing

The Cambridge C1 Advanced is an excellent qualification to aim for if you’re thinking of studying or working abroad. It’s recognised by universities and governments all over the world and also helps you prove your language skills to future employers.

One of the most demanding parts of the exam is Part 1 of the Writing paper, which includes writing an essay. For many of you, this won’t come naturally… especially in another language.

So, to give you the best chance at success, we’ve created this in-depth guide full of Cambridge C1 Advanced Writing tips and useful language to get you producing excellent essays in no time.

So, pick up your pen, and let’s get started!

If you’d like to get more help with the C1 Advanced, consider our exam preparation class!

C1 Advanced Writing Requirements

The C1 Advanced Writing exam has two writing parts, which you must complete in 90 minutes. Both parts have a word limit of between 220-260 words. We recommend getting lots of writing practice under these conditions!

Part 1 is always a discursive essay . It requires you to think about arguments for and against a topic.

Part 2 is a situationally based writing task. This could be a letter , an email , a report , a proposal or a review and you have three options to choose from.

Today, we’ll be looking at how to do your best in part 1.

Before you begin

When you turn over the paper and begin Writing Part 1, take some time to read the task instructions. Identify all parts of the question, underlining which parts are obligatory and noting which parts are optional.

Let’s take a look at an example question!

Remember, you don’t have to use the opinions expressed in the box, but they may help you to get the ball rolling . Also, you only have to talk about two of the options given, not all three.

Make a plan

Take ten minutes to lay out your ideas. Make a pros and cons list for each of the three options and then decide which two you feel most confident with. Here’s some things you might come up with, can you think of any more?

Structure your essay

The essence of a good essay is a clear structure.

Introduction

Here you want to introduce the topic in your own words. Your first line should also grab the reader’s attention, then you should paraphrase the question. Finally, try using a statistic or a rhetorical question. This will make them want to read on, right?

Paragraph 1

Discuss the first option you’ve chosen. Include a good topic sentence and remember to give reasons for your answer. Describe some of the advantages, and even some of the disadvantages too. This will give a well-balanced argument.

Paragraph 2

Here’s where you introduce the second option. Again, try to present both sides of the argument and give reasons for your ideas. Gradually work towards the conclusion.

State your final opinion. This should be a summary of the rest of the essay and point clearly to which option you think is the most important. Do not introduce any new arguments at this stage. The conclusion is where you tie-up any loose ends .

This is an advanced piece of writing, so make sure your choice of language reflects it. You will get marked for accuracy, however, occasional errors can still be present as long as they do not impede understanding. So don’t play it too safe . This is your opportunity to show what you can do, so take some risks and have fun with it!

In the writing paper you should use a range of vocabulary, including less common lexis. Brainstorm some vocabulary related to the topic. Take your time to think of nouns and compound nouns that you know at C1 level. Really let your vocabulary sparkle .

No one likes a broken record . Find synonyms for simple words. You want to use a variety of language, and try not to repeat yourself too much. Check out these different ways of saying the same thing:

advantage = benefit, positive, upside

disadvantage = downside, drawback

effect = influence, impact, result, outcome

problem = issue, challenge, difficulty, obstacle, setback, complication

important = valuable, essential, beneficial

expensive = costly, dear, high-priced, extortionate

cheap = inexpensive, affordable, economical

big = great, large, sizeable, considerable, wide, vast

small = slight, tiny, little

Quick tip: Visit Thesaurus.com to study more synonyms!

Experiment with different grammatical forms. At this level you’re expected to have a good grasp on the grammar. You should use a range of simple and complex grammatical forms with control and flexibility. So challenge yourself with some of these…

• Participle clauses
• Conditionals
• Modal verbs
• Passive with reporting verbs
• Cleft sentences
• Comparatives
• Relative clauses

Useful expressions

To make your essay flow it’s best to use some key phrases. These will link all your ideas together, and help it sound semi-formal. Take a look at the expressions below. Why not use some in your next essay?

Introduction:

It is often said that…

Many people feel that…

We live in an age when..

More and more…

Introducing & Addition:

Firstly, secondly, thirdly…

On the one hand…

In addition…

What is more…

For example…

For instance…

As a case in point…

Contrasting:

In contrast…

On the other hand…

Alternatively…

However…

Conclusion:

All things considered…

As far as I’m concerned…

In light of the above…

What the examiners are looking for

When writing your essay, bear in mind what you’ll be marked on:

Have you answered all parts of the question? Is everything relevant to the question?

Communicative Achievement

Is the style and tone appropriate? Remember it should be semi-formal and neutral.

Organisation

Does it follow a logical order? Have you used paragraphs and linking devices?

Are you using a variety of grammar and vocabulary? Is it accurate?

Now your masterpiece has come together. Remember to take time to check your work. Here’s the official Writing Checklist from Cambridge Assessment English . And our list of the most common mistakes:

• subject + verb agreement
• singulars / plurals
• question formation
• variety of tenses
• dependent prepositions

Some final tips

Avoid contractions (I’m, they’re, we’re) as this is a formal writing.

Don’t use first person pronouns (I, my, our, us).

Practise under timed conditions.

Use model answers to practise fixed expressions.

——

Looking for more help with your Cambridge C1 Advanced exam? Here are our other guides from our blog:

C1 Advanced Reading and Use of English – Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3

And if you are not sure if you’re ready for the C1 Advanced, check out our article Am I ready for the C1 Advanced exam? to find out!

Glossary for Language Learners

Find the following words in the article and then write down any new ones you didn’t know.

Get the ball rolling (exp) : to start something.

Lay out (v): to explain something in detail.

Paraphrase (v): to say the same thing in a different way.

Tie-up any loose ends (exp): to resolve issues.

Play it safe (exp): to act cautiously.

A broken record (exp): when someone repeats themself.

Sparkle (v) : to shine.

Good grasp (exp): a good knowledge.

Bear in mind (exp) : to consider.

Masterpiece (n): an incredible work of art.

exp = expression

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Small Talk For Business English

• By: oxfordadmin
• Posted on 19/02/2020

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Useful phrases for your essays (advanced level)

Here you have some phrases to include in your essays (CEFR C1-C2). Hope you like it and find it useful !!

Introducing the phenomenon to be discussed

• More and more families are choosing to have only one child.
• The trend nowadays is towards having smaller families.
• Over the past ten years or so the media have frequently carried reports of ……………
• Recent research indicates that the number of teenagers who smoke is increasing.
• Hardly a week goes by without another report of …………….. appearing in the media.
• This raises the issue of whether ……………..
• Although most people would generally agree that …………… few would deny that …………….

Stating your opinion

• As I see it,
• It seems to me that ………… I would also say that ….
• I am convinced that ……………
• I am inclined to believe that ………………
• There is no doubt in my mind that ………………
• One of the drawbacks of ……. is ……….
• However, one of the benefits is that …………

Changing topic

• As regards the causes for this, …………..
• Concerning the causes for this, ………
• As for the causes, ………..

Presenting arguments

• One justification often given for ……….. is that……………..
• Advocates/Proponents would claim that ………………
• Those who object to …………….. often argue that ……………….
• Another objection is that ……
• However, it should not be forgotten that …………..
• ……….. are opposed to ……………. on the grounds that ……………..
• From the point of view of ……………..
• According to ………………..

Describing causes

• One factor which has led to ………… is …………..
• One of the factors which has brought this about is ………
• The problem often stems from ………………..
• The situation has been exacerbated by …………….
• ………….. has only made the situation worse.
• One consequence of ……………. is …………….

Proposing steps and measures

• As regards the most appropriate response to this situation, one suggestion would be to ………
• The first step to be taken would be to ……..
• To alleviate the situation people should ………..
• In addition they ought to ……………
• To begin to tackle this situation society/individuals/the government need/s to ……….
• ………….. would certainly ameliorate the situation.
• This can only be dealt with if …………
• To overcome this problem, …………..
• Were the government to ……………, the situation would doubtless improve.
• Individuals can do a great deal to …………
• The burden of responsiblity lies in the hands of ……..
• It is vitally important that ………
• Legislation should be introduced to control ……………..
• It would be a grave error if we ……………..
• All in all it seems to me that ………..
• The obvious conclusion to be drawn is that …………………..
• All things considered, ………….
• On balance, I tend to believe that …………
• The world would surely be a better place to live in if …………..
• If people stopped ….ing, we would have/ we could look forward to a ……………
• The prospects for the future will be bleak/grim unless ……………….

I think you should also have a few pages somewhere where you can keep a record of other useful essay phrases that you come across in your reading. Write them down and practise using them in your own writing.

Look out for more advanced expressions that you can use in place of phrases that weren’t even impressive at the B2 level – phrases like “solve the problem”. Here are a few alternative problem and solution phrases to get you going.:

a  crisis  in education which must be  addressed

something that must  be tackled  /  be dealt with

a  challenge  which must  be met

something must be done  to restore  law and order in the inner cities

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How to Write an Essay for C1 Advanced (CAE)

Luis @ kse academy.

• diciembre 21, 2022

As I’m sure you already know, Cambridge exams have several papers (Reading, Writing, Use of English, Speaking and Listening), and each of these components is divided into different parts. In this post, I want to focus on Writing Part 1 of the C1 Advanced, that is, how to write an Essay for the CAE . Because, remember, C1 Writing Part 1 will always be an essay 🙂 

Sample C1 Essay

New C1 Writing Guide out now!

• 3 examples of every task type
• Essay, Review, Formal and Informal Email and Letter, Report & Proposal
• 500+ useful phrases ready to use in your writings
• 95 pages of exclusive and original writing content
• Description of the C1 Writing paper
• Detailed description of each part of the Writing paper
• Assessment criteria and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

See sample or Buy on Amazon

What are the parts of the C1 Advanced Writing?

The C1 Advanced (CAE) Writing, as we have already seen in another article, has 2 parts , and for each one you will have to write a text according to the exercise instructions. What you should know is that there is a limited range of text types that you may be asked to write in each part, so let’s see: 

• Writing Part 1: In this part you will always have to write an essay, and you will have no other options to choose from. That’s why it is really important that you pay attention to this article and learn how to write an essay for C1 Advanced to the best of your ability. 
• Formal letter/email
• Informal letter/email
• Review 
• Proposal 

Each writing task you do should be between 220 and 260 words long, approximately, and, as they are different types of writing, you should take into account the peculiarities of each one in terms of structure, register, grammar and vocabulary, etc. 

So let’s start with the one that concerns us in this article: Essays! 

What is an essay ?

An Essay is a text of opinion in which we analyse a topic, a situation or a problem from different points of view or by considering several points or solutions to the problem. In each of the paragraphs, we deal with each point and express different facts, considerations and opinions. 

Now that we know what an essay is, let’s look at how to write an essay and its characteristics. 

How to Write an Essay for CAE Writing

Here are the main characteristics of a C1-level essay so that you can keep them in mind when writing: 

• Purpose: With an essay, what we do is evaluate a topic, situation or problem that is of some interest or controversy (e.g. teenage mobile phone use ). Often, the Writing activity is set as a task that takes place after a class debate. In an exam, you will have to imagine the debate for yourself (duh!).
• Tone and register: As it is a text on a serious or controversial topic, the Essay is always written in a formal context, so we must use an objective tone. Furthermore, the linguistic register should always be formal, avoiding common words such as things , stuff , get , etc.; contractions ( can’t , don’t , won’t , etc.); or expressions that may sound informal. 
• Structure: Like all writing tasks, an essay has a fairly well-defined structure, although it is not 100% fixed and immovable. To begin with, we can choose to give it a title or not, but, personally, I find it more appropriate to write an Essay with a title. Have you ever seen a text published without a title? Probably not.  As for the body of the essay, it should be divided into the following paragraphs: introduction, point 1, point 2 and conclusion. In other words, in general, a Cambridge C1 Essay should have 4-5 paragraphs.
• Opinion: This is where we have the most leeway when writing an essay for C1. There are many ways of expressing your opinion in an Essay, so you should choose the one that best suits your Writing approach. What I usually recommend, however, is that you remain impartial throughout the whole text and only express your opinion at the end, in the last paragraph, as a conclusion. As always, the most important thing is that you justify everything you say in your writing and that your conclusion answers the main question of the assignment.
• Coherence and progression: Coherence is essential in all Writings, but especially in the essay. As it is a supporting and argumentative text, you cannot write unconnected sentences and paragraphs; the ideas must follow a logical and well-connected order, using connectors appropriate to C1 level, in this case. Furthermore, the reader must perceive a logical progression of paragraphs, without losing the thread of what you are trying to argue. Otherwise, when they get to the last paragraph, they won’t know what you are talking about and our writing will have failed catastrophically. 

CAE Writing Essay Example

Now that we are familiar with the main features of an essay for Cambridge Advanced (CAE) Writing, let’s look at a sample essay at C1 level, both the sample instructions and a possible answer.

C1 Essay Instructions

In the picture below you can see an example from the Cambridge website. 

From these instructions, we must always extract the essentials: 

• Topic: facilities which should receive money from local authorities
• sports centres
• public gardens
• «Museums aren’t popular with everybody!»
• «Sports centres mean healthier people.»
• «A town needs green spaces – parks are great for everybody.»
• Address only 2 of the 3 points given. 
• Answer and justify the main question (« to which facility is it most important that local authorities give money «).
• Justify your answer (« giving reasons in support of your answer «)
• Use your own words (« use your own words as far as possible «)

According to the task model outlined above, we can approach out writing with the following structure: 

• Introduction
• Point 1 (museums)
• Point 2 (sports centres)

Although it is not set in stone, you will normally get 4 paragraphs. So now let’s look at an example Essay for CAE Writing: 

At first glance, we can see that this Essay for C1 has an introductory title and 4 paragraphs ( introduction , museums , sports , conclusion ). In addition, if we read the text carefully, we can see the following aspects: 

• Title: The title perfectly summarises for the reader the topic to be covered in the text. Sometimes, a title in the form of a question such as « Which facilities should receive funding from local authorities? » can be a good idea, although I always prefer more concise titles.
• Introduction : introduces the topic and mentions the two options we are going to discuss in the following paragraphs. 
• Museums : Discusses the benefits of museums and the benefits of investing money in them. 
• Sports centres : Discusses the benefits of sports centres and the consequences of investing money in them. 
• Conclusion : In a very clear way, museums are seen as the ones that should receive the investment for certain reasons that are well justified. 
• Connectors: Connectors are used that clearly define the coherence and progression of the text.: on the one/other hand, in addition, ultimately, however, while, etc. 
• We do not use contractions or catch-all words.
• When it comes to
• comes to mind
• valuable cultural resource
• heritage 
• generating income
• engage in physical activity
• positive outlet for energy
• Grammar is also advanced (E.g.: Not only can…, but they also… )

In short, this is a good example of an Essay for CAE Writing. It should be noted, however, that this writing is written to simulate a strong C1 level, perhaps without necessarily going into a C2 level.

Will I be penalised if I write less than 220 or more than 260 words?

This is the most typical question in this part of the exam and the answer is: yes and no. Let me explain. The assessors won’t count the words and penalise you according to the number of words only. There is a rumour going around among students and teachers that for every 10 words they take away X points, but this is not true. However, if you have gone over 260 words by 50 or 100 words, or more, there is probably some content that is not relevant to the assignment, and that is penalised. Likewise, if you write less than 220 words, you are probably missing important information or you are not covering it in the detail required by the task instructions.

For this reason, I always recommend going over 20 words at most. That way you won’t lose points if your assignment covers the required topics and points. 🙂

The best guide for C1 Advanced Writing with examples and useful expressions

Although I will be publishing more articles explaining how to do each type of task for C1 Advanced, the best thing you can do to get plenty of information and practice is to buy the official KSE Academy guide to CAE Writing. In this guide you will find the following:

I hope you found this post useful. If you did, don’t forget to share with your friends and family. 🙂

I’ll see you in the next post. Until then, don’t forget to keep smiling! 

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Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE): How to Write an Essay

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Introduction

An essay in the C1 Advanced Writing paper is usually written for an academic tutor and may be written as a follow-up to a class activity, such as attending a seminar or watching a documentary. The main purpose of the task is to underline relevant salient issues on the stated topic, and to support an argument with subsidiary points and reasons. An essay should be well organised, with an introduction, clear development and an appropriate conclusion. It should hold the target reader’s attention and communicate complex ideas using an appropriate range of vocabulary and structures. Source: Cambridge English C1 Advanced handbook for teachers

Essays are part of the first section of the CAE Writing paper. The task is mandatory, which means that you always have to write an essay unlike the other texts ( emails/letter , proposals , reviews , reports ) where you can choose which one you would like to tackle in the exam.

Essay writing is not that difficult…

…if you know what you are doing. For most students, essay writing feels like this huge obstacle that they won’t be able to clear when, in fact, it is not as bad as you might think.

Just like every other writing task in C1 Advanced you can apply a specific structure because the different tasks share the same characteristics. Obviously, the topic changes and the input you get from the question differs, but, essentially, it is like repeating the same task over and over again. For this, you can become pretty good at essay writing in a short time just by practising regularly until most of it becomes almost automatic for you.

Long story short, in this article I’m going to take you by the hand and guide you through all the different aspects of essay writing. We’re going to see what a typical essay task looks like, the structure and language and, of course, common problems and mistakes you should avoid on your way to mastering essays.

What a typical essay task looks like

As mentioned earlier, essay tasks in C1 Advanced look very similar to each other and once you understand what those common features are, you will see that everything becomes a lot easier. A typical task might look like the one below:

Every essay writing task looks like this with the content changing, but the structure staying exactly the same.

There are also a few things highlighted for you in bold which are definitely important for you to consider when you plan and, later, write your text.

First of all, in the bigger box there is always the question you have to answer and three option s to choose from and, as the rubric tells you, you have to pick two of them . These two points need to be discussed and compared and then you explain (with reasons!) which option you think is better, more suitable, nicer or whatever the task asks you to do (Here: Which facility is it more important for local authorities to give money to?).

Apart from that, you are also gifted a few ideas in the smaller of the two boxes . You can use these in your essay (You don’t have to.), but make sure that you don’t just copy them word for word. Instead, paraphrase them and make them your own, or simply come up with your own ideas.

If you have ever written a Cambridge B2 First essay , you will immediately see the similarities between the tasks, but in C1 Advanced there is less support for you and you have to make more decisions on your own before you can even start to make a plan for your text. Read the whole task very carefully and then choose wisely based on what feels best for you in any given case .

Formal or informal language in an essay?

I’ll keep this short for you because this works in every single task: Keep your language formal , which means no contractions ( I’m , don’t , etc.), no colloquial expressions ( Hey, what’s up? , I liked it heaps ., etc.), and no slang or phrasal verbs that convey informality ( I’m bursting vs. I have had enough to eat; carry on vs. continue).

How to organise your essay

OK, we know now what we have to do and what kind of language we have to use so it’s time to look at the organisation and structure of a good essay.

When organising a piece of writing you should always think about what it is that you have to include in your text. In a C1 Advanced essay there are basically four things:

• First topic point
• Second topic point

From that, we can make four paragraphs and this applies to every single essay you are going to write to practise or in the official exam.

Let’s have another look at our example from earlier. The three options are museums, sports centres and public gardens. Museums and sports centres are both buildings and probably similar to talk about so I’m going to choose sports centres and public parks, just because we can contrast them better in my opinion.

Adding our two topic points to the list from before, this specific essay structure looks like this:

• Sports centres
• Public parks

So there you go. I think that the process up this point is fairly simple and from there most students jump right into the deep end and start to write their essay – but not so fast!

Plan before you start writing

One of the most crucial yet most undervalued tools for excellent writing is a good plan. Unfortunately, I see too many students skip this step and they often end up revising their texts over and over until they run out of time and the result is still not satisfactory.

Please don’t make the same mistake. It takes around five minutes to make a plan which helps you organise your thoughts and ideas in a way that makes sense. You will be able to focus on your language and arguments instead of worrying about possibly forgetting to include content while saving you time. It works and you should do it as well.

To make your plan just take the list we created above and add a couple of thoughts to each point so you know what you want to write about.

• Introduction (panel discussion, local authorities, sports centres & public gardens –> Which one is more important?)
• Sports centres (public health, wide variety of activities, social aspect)
• Public parks (green lung of the city, place to relax from city life, social outdoor activities)
• Conclusion (sports centres better choice –> more variety, more social, greater health benefits)

It took me 4 minutes to create this plan. I used the idea from the task for sports centres (“Sports centrs mean healthier people.”), but I paraphrased it (public health) while the idea for public parks seems too vague for me so I left it out. Remember that it is optional to include these thoughts in your essay. if you feel that you have better ones, go for it.

The different parts of an essay

So far, we’ve looked at a typical essay task and we put everything in order. The next step, of course, is to put our pen to paper and turn our ideas into a great essay. Please be aware that these are simply my recommendations and if you feel that they are helpful, you’re welcome, and if not, modify them or change whatever you think makes more sense for you.

The introduction to your essay serves several different purposes. It presents the topic/question to the reader and puts it in context, introduces the topic points you are going to discuss and creates interest and anticipation in the reader.

All of this sounds like an awful lot of stuff to include, but with a little bit of practice you’ll find out that it is a fairly repeatable process. Once you’ve got the hang of it, you’ll produce one great introduction after another without having to think about it too much.

With all that being said, let’s look at a possible introduction for our example task.

In recent years, public funding for local facilities has become more problematic for many towns, which has become more obvious to me after listening to a panel on the financial needs of several different local facilities like sports centres and public parks. As these places battle for funds, the main question is which ones deserve the money more.

Let’s have a closer look at this intro. At the beginning the whole issue is put into the context of the financial problems many local authorities have experienced. Sports centres and public parks as our two topic points are included as well and, last but not least, a question is asked to create a little more interest in the reader.

With all our boxes being ticked we can now move on to the next part of the essay.

After you finish your introduction, you can turn your attention towards the main topic paragraphs. These are called ‘the body’ of you essay. I always compare it to a hamburger where the introduction and the conclusion are the bread bun while the patty, lettuce, tomatoes and sauce are the body. You want to make your essay tasty so make sure that the body is just as great as your intro.

Your topic paragraphs should be longer than the introduction and conclusion, but at the same time balanced and about the same length between the two of them. Remember, however, to stay within the limit of 220-260 words total.

A couple of characteristics that are useful and important for every topic paragraph are the following:

• Start with a topic sentence that makes it clear what the paragraph is about.
• Always support your arguments with reasons and/or examples .
• Avoid being too personal unless you give your own opinion at the end of the paragraph.

This is not rocket science, but let me show you what I mean in a couple of examples.

It is widely known that sports centres provide many different benefits to the local community. Someone on the panel mentioned that, from a public-health standpoint, it is crucial to offer opportunities to exercise in order to keep everyone healthy physically as well as mentally due to the social character of sports. In addition to that, exercise comes in many different shapes and forms, from team sports to individual activities like swimming, so there is something for everyone to enjoy in a dedicated group of people. While green spaces in a town or city have their own benefits, it can be difficult to maintain such large areas in order to keep parks pleasant and inviting to everyone. Nevertheless, considered by many as the green lung of a city their use as a refuge from hectic city life cannot be debated, and groups of people as well as individuals can be seen following their favourite pastime or socialising with others, which makes the discussion about allocating funds even more difficult.

At the beginning of each paragraph it immediately becomes clear what to expect as I mention sports centres and public parks (green spaces, parks). I managed to include all the points from our plan and I supported my arguments with some examples . Also, you can see that, for example, I didn’t use the word ‘I’ in these paragraphs at all even though my opinion on each point is pretty clear. Instead, I used more general statements (“It is widely known that…”, “considered by many as…”, “…can be seen”) which help convey your opinion without simply stating it .

Last but not least, both parts are balanced in terms of their length, but I don’t want you to think that they have to be perfectly equal. If there is good reason to give one part a little bit more attention over the other, that’s fine. For example, you can say in your essay that one of the ideas is more complex than the other, which tells the examiner that you actually thought about this instead of just having messed up your text. Be clear about it and think it through before you even start writing.

Finally, the conclusion of your essay is there to summarise and to give your opinion on the topic as well as to answer the question in the task (Which facilities should receive money from local authorities?). Your opinion can be nuanced and doesn’t have to be simply black or white as long as you can justify what you say.

In our example, a conclusion might look something like this:

Taking into account all the positions from above I come to the conclusion that funding should be allocated to both facilities as they provide essential resources to the local community. However, due to their more social character and possibly greater public health benefits I would give more funds to sports centres.

There you have it. The conclusion summarises the findings from the body of the essay and I answered the question giving my opinion. That’s really all you have to do in order to finish off your text well.

Time to start practising

With all the information provided in this article I hope you feel ready to start your journey to become an excellent essay writer. As you can see, the structure is clear and the tasks are always similar. Practise regularly in order to improve until essay writing becomes second nature for you.

Lots of love,

Teacher Phill 🙂

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Advanced (CAE) Essay Questions and Sample Answers

The Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE) essay is a formal, academic writing. You’ll find it in Part 1 of the CAE writing exam and, just like at other levels, Part 1 is mandatory. That means whether you like it or not, you’ll be writing an essay for your C1 Cambridge exam. Considering that, it’s probably a good idea to practise. The good news is, the CAE essay can be quite formulaic. Once you’ve done it a few times, you’ll notice the structure and style are always pretty similar. Before you know it, you’ll be writing them in your sleep! In this post, you’ll find some useful CAE writing tips and three essay questions with sample answers.

If you’re looking for a complete overview of the CAE writing exam, with CAE writing tips and much more, check out Advanced Writing Plus , our complete self-study course.

Topics for Advanced (CAE) essay questions

At C1 level, you are expected to be able to write about pretty much any topic you can imagine. However, CAE essay topics are generally going to be quite formal. You’re not going to be asked about your plans for the weekend!

These are some of the topics which are most likely to come up in an Advanced essay question:

• Environmental issues
• Public projects
• Science and nature
• Global issues

Make sure you’ve looked into these topics and studied relevant vocabulary. You can also read different articles and listen to radio broadcasts (or podcasts) related to the topics. Don’t forget to note down important vocabulary so you can remember it for your writings!

C1 Advanced (CAE) Essay Tips

You’ve probably got plenty of experience writing in English if you’ve reached a C1 level. Students who prepare for this exam often need their skills focused in the right way rather than being taught brand new ideas.

Here are my top tips for preparing the CAE essay task.

• Don’t do anything too strange – The essay question is likely to be on quite an interesting topic. It could even be on something you feel strongly about or specialise in. But be careful! When essays start to ramble too much or go too far, they lose their strength. This essay isn’t going to change the world, so don’t go overboard!
• Use advanced language – Remember that to get top points, you must use advanced structures in your writing. Take some time to practise inversion, cleft sentences and participle clauses, then use them in your essay.
• Don’t be stingy with linking words – Linking words (and expressions) are the glue of a writing. Without them, everything falls apart. This doesn’t mean you have to use ridiculous uncommon linking words, but you should use them frequently, probably more than you expect. Take a look at our post about linking words for some ideas.
• Be stylish! – An essay needs to read like an essay, just like a report needs to read like a report. This means it is a formal, academic text. Formal means no contractions, few phrasal verbs, complex sentences and an impersonal style. The essay needs to include your opinion, so you need to express that opinion through style and substance, supported by facts.
• Focus on argument and coherence – To score high in the CAE essay, it’s important to have a clear argument and structure. Plan your essay and stick to the plan, making sure each paragraph has a clear purpose. Ensure that your points are logically connected and that your writing is coherent.
• Use a variety of sentence types – Varying sentence types and lengths keep the reader engaged and demonstrate your writing skills. Mix simple and complex sentences to add interest to your writing.
• Check your writing! – Proofreading is critical for writing a top-scoring CAE essay. Check for grammatical and spelling errors and make sure the writing flows well. Also, don’t forget to check your writing style and tone to make sure you sound professional and academic.
• Practice, practice, practice – Finally, practise writing essays under timed conditions. This will help you to improve your time management and build confidence for the actual exam.

The materials

Here are three Advanced (CAE) essay questions. They each use different CAE essay topics. Use them to practise and improve in preparation for the Cambridge C1 Advanced exam. After completing your own essay, check the example answer and compare.

An opinion essay

Learn how to write an opinion essay.

Do the preparation task first. Then read the text and tips and do the exercises.

Preparation

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Some people think that some types of criminals should not go to prison. Instead they should do unpaid work in the community. To what extent do you agree?

Owing to the great variety of crimes that can be punishable by prison, some people argue that not all criminals are the same and it would therefore be more appropriate to give certain criminals community service instead. I agree that in some cases, prison may not be the best solution and community service would probably have more benefits.

One justification given for prisons is to keep society safe by removing criminals from the outside world. So the first thing to consider is if someone who has broken the law is a danger to other people. In the case of violent crime, there is an argument to keep the perpetrator away from society. However, burglary or possession of drugs, for example, does not involve violence against other people so the criminal does not present a direct danger to anyone in the community. Keeping these types of criminals in prison is expensive for the taxpayer and does not appear to be an effective punishment as they often commit the same crime again when they come out of prison.

Personally, I also believe punishments should reform people so they do not reoffend. A further reason not to put these people in prison is that they may mix with more dangerous and violent criminals, potentially committing a worse crime when they are released. By keeping them in the community, helping others, they not only learn new skills, but they could also develop more empathy and care towards others. If this occurs, society can only benefit.

Critics of this more rehabilitative approach to crime believe that justice should be harsh in order to deter people from committing similar crimes and that community service could be less likely to have that effect. However, there is very little evidence to suggest that long prison sentences deter criminals.

In conclusion, putting criminals who are not a danger to society in prison is expensive and, in my opinion, ineffective, both as a deterrent and as a form of rehabilitation. Community service for non-violent crimes benefits both society and the offender. That said, it would be useful to have more data to work out whether community service or prison is more likely to stop someone reoffending. I strongly believe that decisions on how best to deal with criminals should be based on evidence of what actually works.

• Introduce your essay by restating the question in your own words.
• If the essay asks you to what extent do you agree?,  make your opinion clear throughout. You can either agree, partially agree or disagree with the statement, explaining and justifying your opinion.
• Introduction
• The first reason why you agree/disagree
• The second reason why you agree/disagree
• The third reason why you agree/disagree (if you have one)
• Use phrases to organise and link your ideas, e.g. Owing to … , One justification for … , The first thing to consider is … , A further reason … , In conclusion ... .
• If you do not have solid evidence for your ideas, use modal verbs such as might , may or could  (e.g. they could  develop more empathy and care ) or other tentative phrases (e.g. it does not appear to be an effective punishment ).
• Conclude by restating your opinion and summarising your two or three main arguments.

Do you agree that community service is better than prison for some crimes?

Language level

Good day Sir/Madam,

I would like to ask about the expression ‘So the first thing is to…’. In academic and formal writing, should I avoid using ‘thing’ or ‘so’ or is it still fine? Thanks a lot for taking your time to read this. Hope to hear from you.

Your sincerely, Kimmie

• Log in or register to post comments

Hi kimmie,

Thanks for your question. In academic and formal writing, there is a general preference for precision over vagueness, so generally speaking it's better to avoid this usage of  so  and  thing  and use more precise and academic terms when they are available (e.g. Therefore, the first factor/issue to consider is ... ).

However, if you search academic writing, you will find writers do use  thing  sometimes, especially in fixed phrases (e.g.  the first thing /   the same thing ) or technical terms ( e.g. the Internet of Things ). Some writers might also use more general terms first before moving onto more precise terms.

(Note: The essay on the page above is in a somewhat formal style but not very formal.)

I hope that helps.

LearnEnglish team

Hi Jonathan

This is immensely valuable for me. Thank you so much for your swift response. Hope you have a nice day.

In my country it is often debated whether community services are better than prison for certain crimes. I think it's pretty obvious that it should be an option for less important faults. However, sometimes it happens that a judge decides to grant this benefit to some type of powerful criminals who cause more significant damage to society than others who do not have the same possibility, such as financial criminals or corrupt government agents. In my opinion, these types of sentences can have a bad impact on people, since they see that these behaviors are not severely punished and are somehow protected by the law. In conclusion, I agree that certain types of crimes should avoid prison, but I believe that before implementing it, the society must agree on which crimes will be able to enjoy this possibility to ensure that justice is fair for all.

please approve for testing

Hello aaron,

We check all comments before publishing them, which is why it's taken some time for your comment to be published.

Normally we delete a comment like this -- and we deleted the other one you made -- but have let this one through so you can see that it works. 

We are a small team, so it can sometimes be several hours before comments are published -- just wanted to tell you for the future.

We look forward to hearing more from you!

All the best, Kirk LearnEnglish team

The subject of how criminals should be punished is complicated, there are a lot of different opinions defending their points of view. There are two main ideas the first is arresting all the offenders, and the second idea is separating those not dangerous to society, and sending them to work in the community. In my opinion, I agree with the second idea, because there are many expenses with the prisons and the prisoners, so if lessen the population in this environment the conditions and the quality could be better than if there were overpopulation, avoiding justice being done right. Furthermore, these people aren't violent and dangerous to others, so with bad company in the prison, they might become bad people too. In this case, it's an awful idea to mix a different kind of person. Therefore, it's an excellent suggestion to oblige these people to do work in society, but with supervision in the right way and strictly.

On account of the differences between several types of crimes, not all criminals should be sent to prison. It is suggested that giving certain offenders community service would be more appropriate than just jailing them.

Honestly, I completely agree that the right way to protect people from harm is to imprison criminals who conduct violent crimes that endanger human physical health. Nevertheless, this penalty may be ineffective with offenders who have administrative guilts or non-violent offenses. Since they often commit the same crime after getting out of prison, this is just a temporary punishment to ensure the security of citizens for a certain period. The nature of the problem is these crimes originate from greed and bad habits which lead to their deviant behaviors but have not yet resulted in such severe consequences that affect human life.

From my perspective, the government would rather reform these types of offenders than deter them as a kind of punishment. It is better to have an alternative that perceptively impacts these people’s awareness which is to make them do community service. Jailing these criminals just increases their hatred and develops antisocial personality. By keeping and controlling them in a community, besides learning new skills, they amend their bad manner as well as develop more empathy and care towards others.

Given these points, the application of punishment should be based on the nature of each specific crime. Prisons should only be used for perpetrators committing directly dangerous crimes to people's lives. Making non-violent criminals do community service is more of a practical way to optimize tax wasted for prisons as well as give them a chance to fix their wrong behaviors.

There are several types of crimes and for each of them, a different sentence is dictated. A paramount question to be considered is whether community servers are more accurate than prisons for some crimes.

To begin with, community servers would help and support criminals through specialized psychologists. Not only would community servers help and support them, but also it would give them jobs to help them give the society back a contribution in return.

In addition, prisons only contribute to worsening the situation owing to the fact that criminals will commit crimes again. The key to excellent behavior is learning. If they learn suitable habits, they will adapt to society and help it.

Furthermore, it is necessary to have empathy with criminals and not judge them because their hate increases when they are condemned in prison. A further reason for this is that hate feeds hate. Nevertheless, some criminals must be in jail due to their danger on the streets. It is difficult to know that a person who kills someone else, is going to change even if he/she receives help from psychologists.

In contrast, most of society believes that all criminals should be in prison. However, prisons must be all comfortable like a hotel in order to bring for the prisoners a place to recover themselves. The reason why they must live in appropriate conditions is due to his mental health. For instance, in Norway, prisons are like hotels because the government considers that criminals need a second chance to live in a community

To conclude, it would be suitable for all criminals to live in accurate prisons in order to recover themselves. Despite the cost that kind of prisons are supposed to take, they are worth paying for them. In my opinion, safety is priceless and is more important than the cost.

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Vocabulary to Improve your Writing and Speaking in the CAE Exam

One of the things which you will be evaluated on in the Writing and Speaking parts of Cambridge Advanced exam is your use of English vocabulary.

To get a higher mark in these parts you need to use a variety of words and phrases.

To help you do this, you'll find below a list of advanced synonyms that you can use for some common English words that you will already know and use.

Although all of these words/phrases are synonyms, some are used slightly differently to the main word (e.g. they could be used in a different part of the sentence etc...). So read the description below each synonym and read the example sentence to make sure that you use them correctly.

In addition to using the below advanced synonyms of commonly used words in your speaking and writing in the exam, there are other things you should improve for the exam in general, for instance, your knowledge of phrasal verbs and grammatical structures .

Practise using them

Before you see the list of synonyms, there is one thing you need to know. In order to remember them for the exam, you need practise using them as much as possible. So make sure that you create sentences in your own words using them. You can either write these down or just say them, it's your choice, but try to make as many sentences as you can.

This is used to support an argument you or another person is making (to give extra reasons/examples) and to give extra information about a thing or person (e.g. 'I also play football')

Although these synonyms have the same meaning as 'also', what you say when using them is different to what you would say if only using 'also'. For many of them, you have to say what the previous reason or example was directly after using them (which you don't do when using 'also' by it self). In addition to that, many of them will also use 'also' later in the sentence (like this sentence for example).

In addition to

This is normally used to connect/link the information in two sentences together. You follow it by saying what the previous argument you made or piece of information about the thing was:

'Going to university is good for your job prospects in the future. In addition to improving your job prospects, it also helps your intellectual development.'

'Going to university is good for your job prospects in the future. In addition, it also helps your intellectual development.'

This is used in exactly the same way as you use 'in addition to', but shouldn't be used when writing formal pieces of writing (e.g. essays, reports, proposals):

'Going to university is good for your job prospects in the future. On top of improving your job prospects, it also helps your intellectual development.'

This can be used to both connect/link two pieces of information together in the same sentence and connect/link the information in two sentences together:

'Going to university is good for your job prospects in the future. Besides improving your job prospects, it also helps your intellectual development.'

Not only..., but...also...

This is normally used to connect/link two pieces of information together in the same sentence. If you use it, you need to use a question like structure (e.g. 'did he...', 'were they...' etc...) directly after the 'Not only':

' Not only does going to university help your job prospects, but it also helps your intellectual development.'

This is normally used to connect/link two pieces of information together in the same sentence:

'Going to university is good for your job prospects in the future. Along with improving your job prospects, it also helps your intellectual development.'

This is normally used to connect/link two pieces of information together in the same sentence. This shouldn't be used when writing formal pieces of writing (e.g. essays, reports, proposals):

'Going to university is good for your job prospects in the future. As well as improving your job prospects, it also helps your intellectual development.'

The word 'although' is commonly used to say there is a contradiction between a situation ('it was raining') and what happened or will happen ('I went for a walk'). The word 'although' and its synonyms below are always used in front of the situation (e.g. 'although it was raining'). This is different to another word used for making a contrast, 'but'. With 'but', you use it in front of the what happened or will happen (e.g. 'but I went for a walk').

Despite the fact that

It is used in exactly the same way as 'although':

' Despite the fact that most people are very worried about global warming, very few people are willing to change things in their life in order to stop it.'

You can also just use ' despite '. But if you do, it should only be followed by a noun or noun phrase (e.g. 'the heavy rain'):

' Despite the film being nearly 3 hours long, I never looked at my watch while watching the film in the cinema.'

In spite of the fact that

' In spite of the fact that most people are very worried about global warming, very few people are willing to change things in their life in order to stop it.'

You can also just use ' in spite of '. But if you do, it should only be followed by a noun or noun phrase (e.g. 'the heavy rain'):

' In spite of the film being nearly 3 hours long, I never looked at my watch while watching the film in the cinema.'

Even though

' Even though most people are very worried about global warming, very few people are willing to change things in their life in order to stop it.'

It is used in exactly the same way as 'although', but shouldn't be used when writing formal pieces of writing (e.g. essays, reports, proposals):

' Though most people are very worried about global warming, very few people are willing to change things in their life in order to stop it.'

This is used to give a reason why something happened, happens or will happen.

Due to the fact that

It is used in exactly the same way as 'because':

'I don't think that many people would choose to stop using their car, due to the fact that public transport is slow and often dirty.'

You can also just use ' due to '. But if you do, it should only be followed by a noun or noun phrase (e.g. 'the heavy rain'):

' Due to public transport being slow and dirty, I don't think that many people would choose to stop using their car.'

Owing to the fact that

Is used in exactly the same way as 'because':

' Owing to the fact that public transport is slow and often dirty, I don't think that many people would choose to stop using their car.

You can also just use ' owing to '. But if you do, it should only be followed by a noun or noun phrase (e.g. 'the heavy rain'):

'I don't think that many people would choose to stop using their car, owing to public transport being slow and dirty.'

On account of the fact that

' On account of the fact that public transport is slow and often dirty, I don't think that many people would choose to stop using their car.'

You can also just use ' on account of '. But like the two previous synonyms, if you use this shortened version, it has to be followed by a noun or noun phrase (e.g. 'the heavy rain'):

' On account of public transport being slow and dirty, I don't think that many people would choose to stop using their car.'

Is used in exactly the same way as 'because', but shouldn't be used when writing formal pieces of writing (e.g. essays, reports, proposals):

' As university is now very expensive to go to, more and more young people are now choosing not to go.'

' Since university is now very expensive to go to, more and more young people are now choosing not to go.'

This form of 'because' is used as a preposition (i.e. it can only be followed by a noun or noun phrase):

' Because of public transport being slow and dirty, I don't think that many people would choose to stop using their car.'

Believe/think

The below synonyms of ' believe ' or ' think ' are used when expressing your opinion about something.

Used to give your opinion on something like 'believe' or 'think'. When you use 'consider', it sounds like you have thought a lot on the topic/subject/issue:

'I don't consider global warming to be such an important reason why people would choose to stop using their car.'

Used to give your opinion on something like 'believe' or 'think':

'I don't regard global warming to be such an important reason why people would choose to stop using their car.'

It is my view

'It is my view that if most people were given the choice, they'd prefer to travel by their own car than by public transport.'

Used to give your opinion on something like 'believe' or 'think', but shouldn't be used when writing formal pieces of writing (e.g. essays, reports, proposals):

'I reckon that if most people were given the choice, they'd prefer to travel by their own car than by public transport.'

'I feel that if most people were given the choice, they'd prefer to travel by their own car than by public transport.'

But (meaning 1)

This first use of the word 'but' (there are synonyms for another meaning of it after this) is used to say there is a contradiction between a situation ('it was raining') and what happened or will happen ('I went for a walk'). The word 'but' and its synonyms below are always used in front of the what happened or will happen (e.g. 'but I went for a walk'). This is different to another word used for making a contrast, 'although', which is always used in front of the situation instead (e.g. 'although it was raining').

In addition, it is also used when you want to contradict what you or another person has said or written before.

Is used in the same way as 'but', but it is generally followed by a comma and is normally used (but not always) at the beginning of a sentence to contrast what was stated/said in the previous sentence:

'Most people are very worried about global warming. However , very few people are willing to change things in their life in order to stop it.'

Nevertheless,

Used like 'however'. It can used in both the middle of a sentence (to connect the two parts/clauses) and at the beginning of a sentence to contrast what was stated/said in the previous sentence:

'Most people are very worried about global warming, nevertheless very few people are willing to change things in their life in order to stop it.'

Nonetheless,

Is used in exactly the same way as 'nevertheless':

'Most people are very worried about global warming, nonetheless very few people are willing to change things in their life in order to stop it.'

Despite that,

Is used in exactly the same way as 'however':

'Most people are very worried about global warming. Despite that , very few people are willing to change things in their life in order to stop it.'

Is used in the same way as 'but'. You also can 'but' in front of it is you want (e.g. 'but even so'). It shouldn't be used when writing formal pieces of writing (e.g. essays, reports, proposals):

'Most people are very worried about global warming. Even so , very few people are willing to change things in their life in order to stop it.'

Is used in the same way as 'but':

'Most people are very worried about global warming, yet very few people are willing to change things in their life in order to stop it.'

But (meaning 2)

The second use of the word 'but' is used to say that there is a difference when directly comparing two things together (e.g. 'I like oranges, but my brother doesn't like them'). You can use these when comparing the photos or talking about the different options in parts 2 and 3 of the Speaking exam.

'The people in the first photo appear to be feeling frustrated. Whereas those in the third photo look like they’re more anxious.'

'The people in the first photo appear to be feeling frustrated. Whilst those in the third photo appear to be more anxious.''

'The people in the first photo appear to be feeling frustrated. However , those in the third photo look as though they’re more anxious.'

Conversely,

'The people in the first photo appear to be feeling frustrated. Conversely , those in the third photo seem to be more anxious.''

For example

Below are synonyms of 'for example' that you can use when wanting to give examples to support an opinion.

For instance,

Is used in the same way as 'for example':

'There are many things that you can do to reduce traffic in cities. For instance , charging drivers to enter it.'

Used as a preposition (so followed by either a noun or noun phrase). You can also end the sentence where you use it with 'for example' or 'for instance':

'There are many things that you can do to reduce traffic in cities, such as charging drivers to enter it for example.'

'There are many things that you can do to reduce traffic in cities, like charging drivers to enter it for instance.'

This is good for referring to things you or your partner said before (especially in the Speaking part of the exam).

Used with the same meaning of 'say' when you want to refer to what you or the other person said before:

'As you stated before, people will normally choose the thing which is the cheapest to buy.'

'As I remarked before, people will normally choose the thing which is the cheapest to buy.'

'As we commented on before, people will normally choose the thing which is the cheapest to buy.'

'As I mentioned before, people will normally choose the thing which is the cheapest to buy.'

Used with the same meaning of 'say' when you want to refer to what was said before. However, this should only be used to say what you talked about together (so you can only use 'we' in front of it):

'As we discussed before, people will normally choose the thing which is the cheapest to buy.'

Like with seem, the below synonyms are used when you want to express a bit of uncertainty when saying why some happened, what happened or when describing what you can see in the photos in the speaking part of the exam.

Used in the same way as 'seem':

'The people in the photo appear to be in a library or maybe a book shop due to their being a lot of books around them.'

'The people in the photo look like they are in a library or maybe a book shop due to their being a lot of books around them.'

Look as though

'The people in the photo look as though they are in a library or maybe a book shop due to their being a lot of books around them.'

It has many meanings. Below are the synonyms for 'so' when it is used with the meaning of 'as a result' or 'for this reason' (when you want to give or explain what the consequences or the results of something happening were, are or will be. For example, 'I was very tired, so I went to bed.').

Used in a similar way to 'so'. However, it normally starts a new sentence:

'It is still a lot cheaper and quicker to eat junk food than it is healthy food. Therefore , poor people especially continuing eating a lot of it in their diet.'

'It is still a lot cheaper and quicker to eat junk food than it is healthy food. Thus , poor people especially continuing eating a lot of it in their diet.'

As a consequence

Used in the same way to 'so':

'It is still a lot cheaper and quicker to eat junk food than it is healthy food. As a consequence , poor people especially continuing eating a lot of it in their diet.'

You can also use ' consequently ' in exactly the same way:

'It is still a lot cheaper and quicker to eat junk food than it is healthy food. Consequently , poor people especially continuing eating a lot of it in their diet.'

Hence that is why

'It is still a lot cheaper and quicker to eat junk food than it is healthy food. Hence that is why poor people especially continuing eating a lot of it in their diet.'

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CAE Writing Phrases

Just a quick note…

Before you use these materials… We’ve created a new podcast aimed at B2+ level English students and teachers alike. You can listen for free at our SoundCloud page below. We have released 5 episodes so far and you can download teacher’s notes to accompany them from our Facebook page or from this blog. All comments and feedback welcome! Give us a like and a share 😉

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I stumbled across this amazing and exhaustive list of phrases for advanced writing. I don’t know who made it but a big thank you to whoever it was! It’s gold dust!

You can download it here:

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CAE – WRITING AND VOCABULARY

1)  FORMAL WRITING (Reports and proposals)

Making recommendations and concluding

– Do not use contractions.

-Use passive forms whenever possible.

-Use relative clauses to join ideas: The period during which he lived was full of uncertainty.

-Use these formal words:  like à such as   /   kids à children

a lot (of) à many / a large number of  + countable noun

a lot (of) à much / a great amount of / a great deal of + uncountable

a lot (intensity)à very much / significantly / dramatically

– Avoid using the word things / something,  etc. Use a more specific word ( problems, situation, solutions,

  subjects , and so on).

2)  SEMI-FORMAL WRITING

Adressing  the reader

-Have you ever wondered (what the college would be like if)…? If the answer is (yes)…, you…

–If you want a different kind of experience,… / As you know,…

-Doesn’t it just make everyone feel (positive about…)?

-If you have a few hours to spare,…is worth seeing.

-Never omit the subject pronoun: Many people

believe IT is important to…    I believe IT is a good  idea

  study…

– Do not use unnecessary subject pronouns: This is a problem which  it  is essential to solve.

-Make sure the subject and the verb agree: Attracting tourists involves improving local facilities.

  (SINGULAR SUBJECTà attracting tourists + SINGULAR VERBà involves)

Attitude clauses and phrases

Generally speaking,…

Annoyingly,…  Naturally,…  Strangely,… Surprisingly,… Evidently,…

Indeed,… In fact,… Admittedly,… Presumably,…

.  .   .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .   .  .  .  .  .  .  . .  .   .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .   .  .  .  .  .  .  .

RELATED WORDS AND PHRASES

-A great number of people share the view that tourism will have a negative impact on the island.

-Today there is general / widespread agreement that pollution from cars and planes is threatening the

future of our planet.

-I t is now widely accepted that the universe began with the so-called ‘big bang’.

Disagreement

– Opinions differ about the proper relationship between the mass media and society.

– There is considerable disagreement among experts about the usefulness of these tests.

– There has been a great deal of controversy over abortion in the US.

Advantages and disadvantages

-Regular exercise has many benefits , including reducing the risk of heart disease.

-Despite a few problems with the design, the car’s advantages clearly outweigh its disadvantages.

– The major drawback of this method is that it can be very time-consuming.

– The downside of running your own business is that you are responsible if anything goes wrong.

– lead to : The research could lead to a cure for many serious illnesses.

– result in : The fire resulted in damage to their property.

– be responsible for : He was responsible for the accident.

– bring about :The war brought about enormous social change.

– give rise to: Poor performance in exams can give rise to depression and even thoughts of suicide.

– trigger :to make something suddenly start to happen, especially a bad situation such as a crisis or a war, or

a medical condition: Certain foods can trigger allergies.

– contribute to : Passive smoking could contribute to the development of respiratory diseases among

nonsmokers.

– factor : Cost is often the deciding factor when choosing any product.

– impact on : His work has had an enormous impact on the study of genetics.

– influence on:   In his book, he examines the influence of the media on our society.

– affect : (v) The disease affects women more than men.

– influence : (v) She has influenced him a lot.

– implications :  The results of the study could have important implications for future educational policy.

Emphasizing

-I would like to stress that the research is still at an early stage.

– It should be noted that there are a number of alternative methods available.

– It is worth bearing in mind that 90% of the scientists researching herbicides in the US are employed by

  chemical companies.

-Factors such as temperature and acidity play a crucial role in determining how well the process works.

-These insects play a vital part in the food chain.

– It is essential that the work is carried out as soon as possible.

-The climate is much colder, especially in the far north.

– issue : Issue is used especially about problems that affect a lot of people in society:  International terrorism

  is the biggest issue (=the most important issue) facing the world today. Previous governments failed to

  address (=try to deal with) social issues such as unemployment and homelessness.

– challenge: something difficult that you must do or deal with, which needs a lot of skill, effort, and

  determination: She said she was looking forward to the challenge of starting up a new business on her

– difficulty :  The company has managed to overcome (=deal with) its recent financial difficulties.

  Many people experience difficulty in sleeping at some time in their lives.

– trouble:   a problem or several problems that make something difficult, spoil your plans etc:  Students of

  English often have trouble with phrasal verbs.  The company ran into trouble (=started to have problems)

  when it tried to expand too quickly.

– setback:   something that happens which stops you making progress or which makes things worse than

  they were before:  Despite some early setbacks, his campaign for the presidency was successful.

– obstacle:   Criminal gangs are the biggest obstacle to democratic reform.

– dilemma :  The doctors were faced with a moral dilemma.

– vicious circle :  Some developing countries get caught in a vicious circle. They cannot afford to pay their

  debt repayments, and so the debts get even bigger.

– complication

– increase by (percent) :  Last year, the number of burglaries increased by 15 percent.

– go up : Last month unemployment went up from 1.6 million to just over 1.7 million.

– grow:   The volume of traffic on our roads continues to grow.

– expand :  After two years of no growth, the economy started to expand again in 2003.

– double/triple/quadruple : Since 1950, the number of people dying from cancer has almost doubled.

-growth: (n) There has been a huge growth in sales of big 4-wheel-drive vehicles.

– decrease by (percent) :  The average rainfall has decreased by around 30 percent.

– go down : The percentage of fat in our diets has gone down.

– fall: The number of tigers in the wild has fallen to just over 10,000.

– drop:   At night, the temperature drops to minus 20 degrees.

– decline: decline is used about numbers or amounts, and also about the level or standard of something:

In rural areas, the standard of living continued to decline.

– respect / look up to

look up to : The children need someone they can look up to.

– think highly of:  Most of the students and staff think very highly of Dr. Smith.

– think highly of

have a high opinion of

– highly regarded/respected

highly regarded/respected : a highly respected surgeon

be an admirer of

– sophisticated / high-tech (equipment) / state-of-the-art (technology)

SURPRISING  (Avoid using “colourful” vocabulary in formal writing!)

– amazing / unbelievable / incredible / astonishing / staggering

– come as a surprise / come as a shock / amaze / astonish

SURPRISED  (Avoid using “colourful” vocabulary in formal writing!)

– amazed / astonished / speechless / be taken aback (He was taken aback by the news)

EXCITING  (Avoid using “colourful” vocabulary in formal writing!)

– thrilling / gripping / exhilarating / action-packed

– dull / tedious / monotonous / uninspiring

BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE     (Avoid using “colourful” vocabulary in formal writing!)

– attractive / good-looking / gorgeous / striking / stunning

BEAUTIFUL PLACES     (Avoid using “colourful” vocabulary in formal writing!)

– breathtaking / stunning / awe-inspiring / striking / spectacular

– spotless : very clean

UGLY PLACES / PEOPLE      (Avoid using “colourful” vocabulary in formal writing!)

– unattractive / unpleasant / unsightly / hideous (=extremely ugly)

– filthy : very dirty

IN BAD CONDITION  (PLACES)

-i n bad condition / dilapidated / run-down

– latest / brand-new / innovative (idea or system)

– old-fashioned / outdated / obsolete

– absolutely  / extremely / highly / incredibly / remarkably

GOOD PERFORMANCE / PIECE OF WORK

– excellent / outstanding / impressive / exceptional

GOOD FOR A PARTICULAR JOB, PURPOSE, ETC

– suitable / right / proper / appropriate / be suited to

WRONG INFORMATION / NUMBERS

– incorrect / inaccurate / misleading

NOT REASONABLE / NECESSARY

– unjustified / unreasonable / without good reason

– unwind / wind down : Set in spectacular countryside, the Shiga Hotel is the perfect place to unwind.

– make someone feel at ease

– relaxed / feel at ease / laid-back (not easily worried or annoyed) /

– tense / uneasy / anxious / be under stress

PUBLIC SERVICES

– facilities : The facilities at the hotel were excellent — tennis courts, swimming pool, several bars and a good

restaurant.

– amenities : things such as shops, parks, or restaurants that make living or working in a place more pleasant

I prefer this part of the city because there are plenty of good amenities.

COMPARISONS

– a great deal / far / much + comparative (cheaper / more economical than)

– a bit / slightly / barely + comparative (cheaper / more economical than)

– by far / easily the + superlative (This is easily the best solution we can think of)

VERY MUCH / NOT VERY MUCH

– dramatically / significantly / slightly

– As well (as) / in addition to :   Over 600 people will lose their jobs, in addition to the 400 people who left

the company last year.

– In addition : A fifth of the world’s population lives on less than $1 a day. In addition, over 100 million

children are living on the streets.

– Furthermore / Moreover :  used at the beginning of a sentence when adding an important fact that is

connected with what you have just said:  The drug has strong side effects. Furthermore, it can be

– as long as / on condition that / provided that

– alternatively : You can go up into the mountains. Alternatively, you can stroll around one of Switzerland’s

delightful cities where the old mixes with the new.

– on THE one hand … on the other (hand)

– As  / since :  As it was a hot day, they decided to leave all the windows open.  Since it is difficult to predict

how the climate will change, it is not possible to say which countries will suffer the most.

– thanks to

– due to/owing to + NOUN   

The delay was due to a problem with the ship’s engines.

– due to/owing to + THE FACT THAT + subject + verb

The men did most of the work in the fields. This was partly due to the fact that the men were stronger.

But/although

– While / whereas / by contrast

– However:   However is usually used in the middle of a sentence, separated from the rest of the sentence by

commas: Jack and his family managed to escape before the soldiers arrived. Other families in the village,

however, were less lucky. Or it comes at the beginning of a sentence: He began his academic career as a

mathematician. However, his main achievements were in the field of nuclear physics.

– Nevertheless : Nevertheless is usually used at the beginning of a sentence, or at the end.

– in spite of/despite + NOUN   

Despite his lack of formal education, he became one of the world’s leading mathematicians.

– in spite of/despite + verb + ING  

This was a dinosaur that weighed only 10 tons, in spite of being some 28 metres long.

– in spite of/despite + THE FACT THAT + subject + verb

Many people are worried that cellphones may be dangerous to health, despite the fact that most of the

research suggests that there is little risk.

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Author: Tim Warre

Barcelona based English Teacher, blogger and sometime actor and director. View All Posts

6 thoughts on “ CAE Writing Phrases ”

• Pingback: CAE Writing Phrases | STUDY CENTRE IH CÓRDOBA
• Pingback: Advanced Exam writing phrases | susiesays

I am blown away. This is one of the best and full documented list of phrases. Indispensable tool for people that are about to take the exam.

In case you are willing to check model answers of CAE essays you can click on http://examwriting.blogspot.com

Thank you very much. This list is very helpful for my studies.

pisha, que bueno e este sitio, felicitacione

Love this blog! Children need someone to look up to, a role model.

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More From Forbes

The ultimate guide to writing a career change resume.

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Changing careers doesn’t have to be difficult. It all starts with a resume crafted to highlight your ... [+] transferrable skills.

Your resume is one of the most critical tools during a career transition. Crafted thoughtfully, a career change resume can effectively highlight transferable skills and experiences from your old career to the new one, showcasing you as a prime candidate for your dream job .

Career change resumes offer a different narrative of a person’s experience versus someone looking to advance in their current industry. Transferrable skills are the most important to highlight.

What Success Looks Like In A Career Change

A successful career change doesn’t necessarily mean starting over. It can involve leveraging existing skills in a new context or applying knowledge from one industry to another. Success is about finding a role where you can make a meaningful contribution, and it often requires a blend of determination and strategic planning. The story you tell so far in your career that paints you as the right person for the job is vital to your resume being seen by the hiring manager.

Step-By-Step Guide To Writing Your Career Change Resume

It’s a fine line between highlighting what makes you unique and ensuring your document aligns with industry expectations. Here’s how to do it right.

Identify Your Transferrable Skills

Before opening a Word document or choosing a resume template, the first step is to take stock of your skills. Begin by closely examining your previous roles and jotting down the skills they entailed. Try categorizing them into hard skills—like technical skills and software proficiencies—and soft skills—such as communication and leadership abilities.

Apple iPhone 16 New Design And Performance Upgrades Revealed In Leak

Apple confirms widespread iphone changes coming to millions of ipads, sony is making a truly terrible mistake with helldivers 2, brainstorm your narrative.

What is your career change story? Who’s the audience that will be listening to it? These are the overarching questions that will guide your resume writing process. You’ll want to combine your reasons for changing careers with your past experiences and future aspirations.

When crafting your career change narrative, consider these critical questions to create a cohesive and compelling story:

• What motivated your career change? Reflect on the reasons behind your decision to shift careers. Was it a pursuit of passion, a need for a new challenge or an inevitable industry change affecting your previous role?
• How do your past experiences contribute to your new direction? Evaluate how your previous roles have equipped you with unique skills and perspectives that will benefit your target industry or role.
• What accomplishments in your career thus far can illustrate your suitability for this new path? Identify specific achievements that demonstrate your capability and readiness for the change.
• How have you prepared for the transition? Consider any additional training, courses or self-led learning you’ve undertaken to bridge any skill gaps.
• What are your long-term goals in this new career? Define what success looks like for you in this new field and how you plan to achieve it.

Choosing The Right Resume Format

The format of your resume is dependent on your career trajectory. A functional resume may be the best way to draw attention to your skills if you’re making a big career leap. A hybrid resume, which combines elements of both the chronological and functional formats, can also work well for career changers, as it allows you to detail your skills while still providing a job history.

Elements Of A Stand-Out Career Change Resume

The typical resume sections are still relevant: Skills, competencies, accolades, experience, volunteer work, education and training. For career changers, add a snapshot of who you are and what you bring to the table. Think of a snapshot as your elevator pitch. Instead of explaining what you are looking for, you highlight your top accolades, position and projects you’re currently working on; it shouldn’t be any longer than three sentences.

For example, “I’m Jane Doe, a marketing professional who brought the newest Target campaign to 100 million Instagram accounts. I’ve excelled in connecting influencers with top brands and have hosted over 150 brand activations.”

Make sure to include all the important elements on your resume to make you stand out. Having a short ... [+] story or narrative of who you are also helps.

Words and Phrases To Include In Resume

When it comes to the actual writing, it’s essential to use language that speaks to both your old and your new career. Choose words and phrases relevant to the job you’re applying for, but also aim to include industry-specific terms from your previous career to highlight the breadth of your experience.

• Cross-functional expertise: Demonstrates the ability to work across various departments, enhancing team synergy and project outcomes.
• Quick Learner: Indicates your capacity to rapidly acquire new knowledge and skills, reducing the learning curve in a new role.
• Innovative Thinker: Shows your capability to think creatively and bring new ideas to the table, driving progress.
• Versatile Professional: Indicates a broad skillset and flexibility, positioning you as a candidate capable of handling various responsibilities

Do’s And Don’ts Of Resume Etiquette

• Do focus on your achievements and how they demonstrate your capabilities, not just the tasks you’ve performed.
• Do quantify your accomplishments with numbers or percentages whenever possible to add weight to your claims.
• Don’t include unrelated job experiences that don’t align with the position you’re targeting.
• Don’t gloss over any employment gaps resulting from your career change. Instead, use these gaps to explain how you spent that time productively, such as through continuing education or volunteer work.

Your career change resume aims to get your foot in the door for an interview. Invest time in perfecting your career change resume, and you’ll find that employers will be more than willing to listen to the rest of your story.

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How to write a proposal? | C1 Advanced (CAE)

• It starts with the relevant title and purpose of the proposal.
• The main content should be divided into sections with a headings and describe a situation (h ere you can include some imaginary questionnaires or surveys that you have carried out to prove your point.)
• It ends with recommendations which are going to persuade the reader and try to prove that you are right.

This may already seem familiar to you because it is quite similar to report writing in C1 Advanced CAE however, there’s one major difference:

Reports – are always written about something that happened in the past for example a survey that you’ve conducted or an excursion that you went on or some kind of panel discussion that you’ve visited.

Proposals – on the other hand, always deal with something in the present/future . The focus of a proposal is always on evaluating a situation as well as making a suggestion or recommendation for the future.

Read more about proposal vs report

C1 Advanced (CAE) Proposal: Structure

See structures based on real examples

FCE, CAE, CPE

Practice tests online, c1 advanced (cae) proposal: writing guide.

We will use the example topic below:

There are plans to demolish an old and unused building in the town where you are student. You feel that the building should be saved. You decide to write a proposal for the town council explaining why you think the building should be preserved, suggesting what could be done to modernise it and saying how the building could benefit the local people. 

Write your  proposal (around 220 – 260  words)

Step 1: Find the topic points & topic

The first question you should ask yourself is what topic do I have to write about in your proposal? Knowing the topic always gives you a general idea as well as some inspiration for possible vocabulary that you might want to include in your text.

The second question should be what exactly do I have to include in my text?   Here we try to filter out the specific topic points  which we need to address in our writing.

There are plans to demolish an old and unused building in the town where you are student. You feel that the building should be saved . (topic: old building that the city wants to demolish and you want to save it ) You decide to write a proposal for the town council (target reader) explaining why you think the building should be preserved, (topic point) suggesting what could be done to modernise (topic point) it and saying how the building could benefit the local people.   (topic point)

Topic: old building that the city wants to demolish and you want to save it

Main key points:

• why you think the building should be preserved,
• what could be done to modernise
• how the building could benefit the local people.

Finally, you should always check who’s going to read your text knowing the reader helps you choose the most appropriate style and register in our example we are writing to the city council as these people are city officials we should use a formal style for our proposal.

Target reader: town council

As soon as we’ve analyzed the task and extracted all the information that we need we can start building our structure and writing a proposal.

Practice, Write & Improve

Step 2: title + introduction.

The title doesn’t have to be anything special but it is important that you include one as this is a typical feature of a proposal and it could be something like:

• Proposal to …….   and then you write the topic of what you’re reporting.
• or you can write the topic and end it with phrase  : a proposal

in this way, the title will have an appropriately formal connotation. See both examples below: Title: Proposal to modernise the old brewery Title: Old brewery modernisation : a proposal

The introduction must contain three main things that you should include:

• purpose of your proposal in which you should explain your purpose for writing The proposal is intended to…..
•  you should restate the topic of the task (see step 1) 
• The three main key points  that you discovered   (see step 1)

See sample introduction & title:

Title: Old brewery modernisation: a proposal

This proposal is intended to (appropriate beginning)   outline why the old brewery on ABC Street should not be demolished (topic)  and is worth protecting, (point 1) how it could be turned into a valuable asset (point 2)  for the town and in what ways it could be of use (point 3) for the residents of the town.

TIP : Note that a proposal is written in the future tense or with reference to the future in that it differs from a report.

Step 3: The body paragraphs (main content) 

Group your ideas under headings for each section of your proposal. Remember to answer all the questions that you were asked (see step 1)  You’re going to use some formal or semi-formal language and also some passive structures such as “it is advisable that..” or  “it is recommended that….”

Main key points  (see step 1):

See the example main content below, with additional annotations you may find useful:

The brewery as an opportunity. – add headings/simple, informative, formal The old brewery building with its central location at ABC Street and unique architecture is still considered a focal point of the town centre by the vast majority of people. While it has not been in use for some years, It has great sentimental value as indicated in conversations with local residents . Therefore , it would be an unrecoverable loss to demolish the building when there are other possibilities for using the facility.

[describes first point – why the building should be preserved,]

Modernization – add headings/simple, informative, formal According to city conservators, (rely on sources, stats and experts) the modernisation of a building this old can be a challenge as everything from the ground up needs renovation.  However , some local architects would be willing to work together and develop a design that takes into account the financial constraints of the public budget as well as environmental factors. To illustrate, the initial estimated costs for modernization are $300,000 and 6 months (add figures) of construction and design works.

It is strongly recommended (use passive voice) to turn the brewery into a co-working space so the rent will offset 15-20% of the costs in order to give the town a modern touch on a historic site.

[describes first point – what could be done to modernise]

Future benefits – add headings/simple, informative, formal Considering all of the above , if the following suggestions were taken , (use conditionals) there would be great benefits for everybody involved. Moreover , the town would create another source of income, the space would attract creative professionals and not only would it benefit them, but local residents would also be able to keep their brewery in the town centre.

[describes third point – how the building could benefit the local people.]

                  – statistics, details, relevant detailed information, sources of information

                   – persuasive language

                    – transitional words, expressions and conjunctions, which link the sentences and make the text more fluid

Step 5: Final recommendations

In the last section/paragraph of your proposal, we need to conclude our proposal and make our final suggestions (after all that’s the main reason for writing the proposal). Make sure that you include your final suggestions in this last paragraph as well as some persuasive language.

Conclusion – add a  hea ding  All things considered, the benefits and needs of the inhabitants speak for the preservation of the brewery and its modernization into a co-working space. On behalf of the residents, I strongly urge the council to consider this proposal.                    – persuasive language

See full proposal…

Full proposal.

Old brewery modernisation: a proposal

This proposal is intended to  outline why the old brewery on ABC Street should not be demolished and is worth protecting, how it could be turned into a valuable asset for the town and in what ways it could be of use for the residents of the town.

The brewery as an opportunity. The old brewery building with its central location at ABC Street and unique architecture is still considered a focal point of the town centre by the vast majority of people. While it has not been in use for some years, It has great sentimental value as indicated in conversations with local residents. Therefore, it would be an unrecoverable loss to demolish the building when there are other possibilities for using the facility.

Modernization According to city conservators, the modernisation of a building this old can be a challenge as everything from the ground up needs renovation. However, some local architects would be willing to work together and develop a design that takes into account the financial constraints of the public budget as well as environmental factors. To illustrate, the initial estimated costs for modernization are $300,000 and 6 months of construction and design works.

It is strongly recommended to turn the brewery into a co-working space so the rent will offset 15-20% of the costs in order to give the town a modern touch on a historic site.

Future benefits Considering all of the above, if the following suggestions were taken, there would be great benefits for everybody involved. Moreover, the town would create another source of income, the space would attract creative professionals and not only would it benefit them, but local residents would also be able to keep their brewery in the town centre.

Submit your (CAE) Proposal for review

C1 advanced (cae) proposal: sample answers, cae proposal sample 1, proposal subject:.

Language students – let us improve what we do for you! Unfortunately, we can’t spend much money, but we’d like to improve what we provide for our language students. Submit proposals to us explaining what is useful about the current facilities we provide, describe any problems you have with them and make recommendations for how we can improve them, giving reasons to support your ideas.

Student’s CAE Proposal Answer:

How to improve the quality of language classes: a proposal

The principal objectives of this proposal are to  describe the current state of language teaching at the Pennsylvania State University, identify areas for improvement, and offer recommendations on exactly what improvements can be achieved.

Current situation

At the present moment, Penn State offers courses of several languages on three different levels. One can study modern languages such as French, German, Italian Russian as a beginner, intermediate or upper-intermediate student.

Following a final year survey among students taking language courses, the following areas for improvement can be highlighted:

1. the number of languages in offer: undoubtedly narrow and restricted to European languages; 2. the structure of the courses is flat: no advanced level 3. little innovation in the language methods utilized: simple, old-fashioned grammar-translation method still reigns supreme.

Recommendations

It is vital to address the issues raised in the student survey. Therefore, the following actions ought to be performed with a view to improving the quality of the courses and their reception:

A. The offer should be increased to include other widely-spoken languages, especially non-European ones, such as Chinese, Arabic and Hindi. These languages are real challenges for the speakers of European languages.

B. It is advisable to expand the course options by offering lessons for advanced students. Only comprehensive offer can motivate students to immerse themselves in language learning.

C. Last but not least, some variety needs to be introduced into the array of teaching methods available to students, e.g. online multimedia lessons. The best method of language learning is using many various methods.

All of these measures, if promptly implemented, are surely going to increase student satisfaction in the area of language courses.

Get Your (CAE) Proposal Checked!

Cae proposal sample 2.

You go to a university that has a high amount of international students and you have realised that the website is not up to scratch. Write a proposal for the University Dean about how it could be improved.

Student’s CAE Proposal Answer:

This proposal is aimed at outlining the way in which the university website could be improved so that it is more user friendly for international students. It will suggest what improvements can be made and also set out how this would benefit the students themselves.

Problems with using the site

A recent study into how easy it is to get around the site has revealed that 70% of students whose second language is English find it difficult to find specific information about their courses. Because of the language barrier, they find it hard to make their search terms clear and this has become a cause for concern. Translating the site is not an option and this can be a big problem, especially at the beginning of the academic year.

Ways the site could address these issues

It has been well documented that the university website has neither a site map nor an introduction video to help novice students to find their way around it. It would make a huge difference if there were some simple instructions to indicate where to find information. It is a delicate balance as we, of course, want international students to learn English, but also want them to navigate the site with ease.

I would like to make the following recommendations:

• Invite students who are starting out at the university to a quick and informative seminar to demonstrate how to use the site.
• Provide language help and some useful resources for language learning and assistance.
• Provide a survival pack for students to take with them and know how to combat technological issues.

If these recommendations are in place, young people are bound to feel more prepared for their experience and take full advantage of this unique experience.

C1 Advanced (CAE) Proposal: Writing Questions

Proposal question 1.

There are plans to demolish an old and unused building in the town where you are a student. You feel that the building should be saved. You decide to write a proposal for the town council explaining why you think the building should be preserved, suggesting what could be done to modernise it and saying how the building could benefit the local people.

Proposal Question 2

Your college currently doesn’t provide enough support for students planning to spend time studying in another country. You see this notice in the library.

The college is planning to introduce a special course for students planning to spend time studying in-country. The college principal invites students to send a proposal outlining any problems students may face when studying abroad and suggesting ways in which the course could address these problems. A decision can then be made about what to include on the course.

Proposal Question 3

Students at your college have to give a spoken presentation as part of their final assessment and need some help. The school director has invited you to send a proposal outlining any problems students have with presentations and suggesting how these problems could be overcome.

Proposal Question 4

The company you work for is considering the idea of a flexible working day, where staff are able to vary their starting and finishing time. The manager of your department has asked you to write a proposal explaining why introducing a flexible working day could benefit both the company and its employees. You should also suggest how a flexible working day could operate in your own department.

C1 Advanced (CAE) Proposal: Proposal vs Report

Difference between proposal and report.

Proposals are often structured in a similar way to reports. But it’s very important that we make the distinction between the two as you can see from the pictures below.

Report (present/past)

If we follow the sequence here, a report is about something that has already happened and the function of the report is to communicate the information from the past , via you to a superior boss teacher member of the local council.

Proposal (future)

A proposal takes a slightly different sequence, in the sense that, you are going to your superio r directly to suggest something that could have in the future.

Looks quite simple in theory but we have to bear in mind that the use of language for this will be completely different:

• If you’re writing a report quite often you’re going to be using past tenses or present tenses as well as many passive forms
• for a proposal , you’re going to be looking at future tenses and conditionals , as well as a lot of modal verbs (could, would) and some passive forms

Although the difference is not huge the use of language will have to be completely different with respect to the tenses.

C1 Advanced (CAE) Proposal: Structure / Real Examples

Below are presented examples of proposal structure based on real exam tasks.

Example task 1:

As always we start by analyzing the task and finding the things we  have to do in this case there are two:

Write a proposal for your college principal in which you ask for support to travel (support needed) to another country for an internship. Explain what you would like from the college, and why would it be of benefit. (your expectations – > personal growth)

based on these two points, we can create this type of structure:

Introduction The aim of this proposal is to request assistance regarding an internship programme I am interested in.

Support needed Comment on the first element…

Personal growth Comment on the second element…

Conclusion Having outlined needs and reasons, I am sure that…

Example task 2:

Again we start by analyzing the task and finding the things we have to do in this case suggest several places and provide recommendations:

You study at an international college in your country. Your history teacher is planning a one-day study trip (a trip) for your class and has asked the students for suggestions. Write a proposal considering two or three different places (provide places) for history students to visit in the area and recommend which one of these (add recommendation) places would be preferable for a one-day study visit. 

based on this short analysis, we can create this type of structure:

Introduction The aim of this proposal is to …

Place 1 Comment on the first element…

Place 2 Comment on the second element…

Place 3 Comment on the third element…

Recommendation Having outlined the example locations…

Example task 3:

You read the following announcement in your local newspaper.  There is a 200 m X 200 m piece of land in the centre of our town that can be redeveloped. What do you think this piece of land should be used for? (give development ideas) How will it benefit the people of our town and what other advantages will it bring? (provide benefits and advantages) Send in your proposals to us and we will present the best ones to the town council for consideration. 

Redevelopment ideas Comment on the first idea…

Comment on the second idea…

Benefits and Advantages Comment on benefits…

Conclusion Having provided the above…

C1 Advanced (CAE) Proposal: Writing Checklist

After writing your text, you can check it yourself using the writing checklist below.

How to do that? Simply check your text/email by answering the questions one by one:

• Have I covered all the key information required by the task?
• Have I written only information which is relevant to the task?
• Have I developed the basic points in the task with my own ideas?

Communicative Achievement

• Have I achieved the main purpose(s) of the text (for example, explaining, persuading, suggesting, apologising, comparing, etc.)?
• Have I used a suitable mix of fact and opinion?
• Have I used a suitable style and register (formal or informal) for the task?

Organisation

• Have I used paragraphs appropriately to organise my ideas?
• Have I used other organisational features appropriately for the genre of the text (for example, titles, headings, openings, closings, etc.)?
• Is the connection between my ideas clear and easy for the reader to follow? (For example, have I used appropriate linking words, pronouns, etc. to refer to different things within the text?)
• Are the ideas balanced appropriately, with suitable attention and space given to each one?
• Have I used a wide range of vocabulary?
• Have I avoided repeating the same words and phrases?
• Have I used a range of simple and more complex grammatical structures?
• Have I correctly used any common phrases which are relevant to the specific task or topic?
• Is my use of grammar accurate?
• Is my spelling accurate?

More than Practice Tests

C1 advanced (cae) proposal: things to focus on, c1 advanced (cae) proposal: useful phrases & expressions .

Stating the purpose of the proposal

The principal objectives of this proposal are to The objective of this proposal is to… The purpose of this proposal is to examine / evaluate / explain / describe / analyse / present… This proposal aims to…

Rhetorical phrases:

Have you ever ……..? What do you think about ……..? Are you one of those people who thinks that ……? Are you one of those people who …….? What would life be like if ……? Will the future bring us ….. ?

Background information

At the present moment,… Comments made at the end of the questionnaires suggest… Following a survey among… Concerned members of the local community were invited to attend… A number of concerns with regard to XYZ were expressed by… The following areas for improvement can be highlighted

Introducing your first point:

Firstly In the first place First of all The first thing to consider is One thing to consider is To begin with

Introducing more points:

Secondly Another consideration Yet another consideration Another thing to consider is Added to that Apart from that In addition to this

Making recommendations and suggestions

A working group should be set up by… There should be an enquiry into… It would be advantageous to… It is recommended that… I recommend that a larger survey should be conducted before a final decision is reached…

Final recommendations

Implementation of the above ideas would result in… A working group should be set up by… There should be an enquiry into… I recommend that a larger survey should be conducted before a final decision is reached… The following actions ought to be performed with a view to (improving the quality of…)

C1 Advanced (CAE) Proposal: People also ask

What is a cae proposal.

This is one of the elective exam questions appearing in the second part of the C1 Advanced (CAE ) Cambridge English Language writing section of the exam.

It is usually a text written for club members, or for a boss or a college principal , which takes the form of a document whose purpose is to convince the target reader of the rightness of some action in the future. It could be a particular project or event.

Scroll to the top of the article to read more…

How do I write a proposal for CAE?

• Begin by stating the purpose of your proposal.
• Use an impersonal, semi-formal style.
• Use a clear layout with headings.
• Express opinions and make recommendations in the last section of your proposal.
• Include a final sentence summarising your opinion.

What is the difference between a CAE proposal and report?

Reports – are always written about something that happened in the past for example a survey that you’ve conducted or an excursion that you went on or some kind of panel discussion that you’ve visited.

Proposals – on the other hand, always deal with something in the present/future. The focus of a proposal is always on evaluating a situation as well as making a suggestion or recommendation for the future.

What is a proposal Cambridge?

It is one of the exam questions appearing in the second part of the Cambridge English Language writing section of the exam.

What is your level of English?