Practising FCE writing part 2 essays

Practising Cambridge English: First Writing Part 2: Essays

Contents

A. TEACHERS’ NOTES ...........................................................................................................2
A1. Lesson Plan..................................................................................................................2
A2. Classroom Handout 1...................................................................................................4
A3. Classroom Handout 2...................................................................................................5
A4. Classroom Handout 3...................................................................................................6
A5. Classroom Handout 4...................................................................................................6
A6. Suggested homework/self study activities....................................................................7
B. GUIDANCE FOR FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES.......................................................................9

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Practising Cambridge English: First Writing Part 2: Essays
A. TEACHERS’ NOTES
Description
Time required:

55 minutes

Materials
required:



Classroom Handout 1



Classroom Handout 2



Classroom Handout 3



To plan and write a discursive essay



To give a balanced argument using linking devices

Aims:

A1.
1.

Lesson Plan

Warmer: Prepare the following questions, either on slips of paper or to show on an OHT
or IWB. Organise students into groups of 3 or 4 and ask them to discuss each of the
questions below:

a. Do you have a Facebook account? How often do you use Facebook?
b. If you could change anything about Facebook, what would it be?
c. Is Facebook good for friendship?
d. Do you think Facebook has a future?
Feed back some of their ideas briefly.
Timing: 5 minutes

2.

Give out A2 Classroom Handout 1. Allow a few minutes for students to read the task
for Exercise 1 and identify the key words. (See A5 Answer keys.)
Now discuss the following questions with students. They can do this in pairs before
feeding back with the whole class.
a)

What type of essay should you write?

b) Should you use short sentences, colloquial expressions and idioms? If not, why?
(See A5 Answer keys.)
In pairs, learners should now complete the table in Exercise 2 on A2 Classroom
Handout 1. Feed back some of their ideas with the whole class.
Timing: 10 minutes
3.

Give out A3 Classroom Handout 2. Students discuss the statements in pairs and say
which ones are for and which are against Facebook. Teacher monitors and helps if
necessary.

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Practising Cambridge English: First Writing Part 2: Essays
Go through the answers with the whole class (See A5 Answer key.) before asking
students to compare their own ideas with the statements and decide which ones they
would include in their essays.
Timing: 15 minutes
4.

Give out A4 Classroom Handout 3, a model answer for this question. Ask students to
read it through once and decide what the writer’s opinion is (The writer believes that
Facebook is good for friendship).
Students look at Exercise 1, working individually to identify the purpose of each
paragraph. They should then compare their answers with their partner. (See A5 Answer
key.)
Timing: 5 minutes

5.

Elicit quickly some examples of linking words or phrases. Ask students to find the
examples used in the model answer. Discuss whether these are words or phrases they
would use when they are talking (probably not, these are more formal and suitable for
writing).
In pairs, learners complete Exercise 2, grouping the underlined linking expressions from
the model answer. (See A5 Answer key.) When they have finished, they should try to
add some more examples to each category. After a few minutes, show the following

words and phrases on the board or OHP:
On the other hand

In conclusion

What is more

Secondly

On the one hand

To sum up

In addition (to this)

However

To start/begin with

To conclude

Another disadvantage is

Besides this

In pairs, learners organise these expression into the appropriate categories. Feed back
together. (See A5 Answer key.)
Timing: 15 minutes
6.

Tell students they will now plan and write their own essays, using all of the ideas they
have discussed in class. They should plan their essay by considering:


what their own opinion is



which ideas they are going to include, and what order they will give them



any useful and appropriate language to use, including linking expressions.

They can write the essay in class time or for their homework.
Timing: 5 minutes

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Practising Cambridge English: First Writing Part 2: Essays
A2.

Classroom Handout 1

Exercise 1
Read the following Writing Part 2 task and underline the key words.

You have had a class discussion about social networking websites. Your
teacher has now asked you to write an essay giving your opinion on the
following question:
Is Facebook good for friendship?
Write your essay in 120–180 words.

Exercise 2
Think of as many ideas as possible either in support of Facebook or against Facebook.
Reasons in favour of Facebook

Reasons against Facebook

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Practising Cambridge English: First Writing Part 2: Essays
A3.

Classroom Handout 2

The following statements are all about Facebook. In pairs decide if each one is for or
against Facebook.

a. Facebook allows you to find and rediscover friends.
b. There is a limit on the number of people you can have a meaningful
relationship with.
c. Facebook creates an environment that allows you to interact easily with
others.
d. It helps you to discover your friends’ most relevant stories.
e. The reality is that you cannot maintain relationships with more than a limited
number of people.
f.

The quality of our relationships depends on the amount of time we invest in
them.

g. You can share your photos, videos, links and thoughts with your friends, and
respond to what they share in turn.
h. It allows people to maintain and enrich friendships that they might otherwise
have been unable to maintain.
i.

Users of social networking websites have larger, more diverse social circles,
online and offline.

j.

Meaningful relationships are about being able to “do stuff” with people, face to
face.

Are any of the ideas similar to yours? Which of the above points would you include in
your essay?

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Practising Cambridge English: First Writing Part 2: Essays
A4.

Classroom Handout 3

Exercise 1
Read the model answer below. What is the purpose of each of the four paragraphs?
The Internet and social networking sites such as Facebook serve a socially valuable
function and they clearly have many advantages for those who use them. However,
there are also some drawbacks.

On the positive side, Facebook allows you to find and rediscover long-lost school
friends or the family member in a different country. Another advantage is that
Facebook creates an environment that allows you to interact easily with others: you
can share your photos, videos, links and thoughts with your friends. Furthermore, it
allows people to maintain and enrich friendships.

On the negative side, if you continue to invest in your old friends, you are not using
your time to make new friends. Moreover, meaningful relationships are about being
able to “do stuff” with people, face to face. Finally, Facebook will slow down the rate
with which relationships decay, but it will not stop that happening eventually.

All things considered, Facebook is a tool that allows us to stay more deeply
connected with a larger and more diverse set of friends. This is good for friendship.

(176 words)

Exercise 2
In an essay, it is important to link your ideas. Look at the underlined linking expressions in
the model answer and say which ones are used to:
a) list/add points
b) show contrast
c) introduce a conclusion

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Practising Cambridge English: First Writing Part 2: Essays
A5.

Answer keys

Lesson Plan Step 2
A2 Classroom Handout 1 Exercise 1
your teacher – essay – your opinion – Facebook – friendship
a) Students should decide whether they are going to consider both sides of the

argument or only one. In a “for and against” essay, the language will be more
complex because of the comparison of positive and negative aspects. Explain that
students will get marks in the exam for using a wide range of expressions, so it is
good to be ambitious.
b) No, because discursive essays are written in a formal style.

A3 Classroom Handout 2
FOR

AGAINST

a); c); d); g); h); i)

b); e); f); j)

A4 Classroom Handout 3
Exercise 1
Paragraph 1: a general introduction
Paragraph 2: positive aspects/advantages of Facebook + examples
Paragraph 3: negative aspects/disadvantages of Facebook + examples
Paragraph 4: conclusion/a balanced summary of the topic
Exercise 2
To list/add points

To show contrast

To introduce a conclusion

Another advantage is

On the positive side,

All things considered

Furthermore,

On the negative side

To sum up

Moreover,

On the one hand

In conclusion

Finally

On the other hand

To conclude

To start/begin with

However

Secondly
In addition (to this)
What is more
Another disadvantage is

Besides this
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Practising Cambridge English: First Writing Part 2: Essays
A6.

Suggested homework/self study activities

In Paper 2: Part 2 Ss’ may have to write an essay in which they have to present an
argument. One way to do this is to present both sides of the argument, and then say which
one they agree with.

Planning the essay:
Guide your students through the planning process and stress how important it is, this will
ensure that their essay has both cohesion and coherence.
Discourage them from writing a first draft of an essay, then rewriting it. This is not an
effective planning strategy, as they will not have time to this in the exam.


Focus Ss’ attention on the main topic of their essay. In this task the students are
asked to give their opinion on Facebook.



Encourage them to underline the key words in the question.



Before they begin writing, they must decide on their own opinion.



Organise their ideas into logical paragraphs, using a wide range of expressions &
linking words. (See Ex.5 answers for paragraph outline)



Remind them to write between 120 and 180 words.



Remind them to check their work when they have finished, it can be difficult to
understand an essay if it contains repetitions and mistakes.



Instead of handing their essays to you (the teacher) you could ask your students to
check each others’ essays and make some comments & suggestions.



Students study the feedback from their peers and consider any errors in their writing.
This is a good learning skills objective as students learn to accept feedback from their
peers.



Some students may wish to write an improved version in response to the evaluation,
which they can give in later to the teacher.

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Practising Cambridge English: First Writing Part 2: Essays
B.

GUIDANCE FOR FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES
1) In A2 Classroom Handout 1 Ex.1 we asked the students to discuss some questions to
introduce the topic of Facebook.

2) In Ex.2 to create the rubric for the task I used an article from The Times Eureka
magazine.


To create a similar exercise you can find a suitable article from a website,
magazines, newspapers, FCE coursebooks, and adapt it to suit your Ss’
needs as I have done.



We asked the students to read the task carefully and to underline key words,
this helps the students to understand the rubric.



In the FCE, students lose marks if they fail to answer the question correctly.
For some students the most difficult thing about writing essays is getting ideas
together. For this reason in Ex.2c we asked them to brainstorm ideas for and
against Facebook.

3) In A3 Classroom Handout 2: Ex.3 I selected some for & against statements for them
to identify from the same article.

4) In Ex.4 we asked them to compare the statements with their own ideas.
This is a good idea, because:


It helps students to focus on the process of writing an essay



It encourages them to think about what is required for the specific task i.e.
to use the information to complete the task



to choose the right style of language to use.



to encourage students to make a plan before they write anything.

5) In A4 Classroom Handout 3 using the same article I created a model answer and we
asked the students to identify the purpose of each paragraph. This is essential for the
planning process and will ensure that their essay has both cohesion and coherence.

6) In Ex.6 we asked the students to group the underlined linking expressions. The
emphasis here was on giving a balanced argument. Planning an essay or other
written task before writing is vital as it helps students to avoid making mistakes.
Planning is useful, because:
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Practising Cambridge English: First Writing Part 2: Essays


Students are less likely to make mistakes and are unlikely to include
unnecessary or irrelevant information or miss out information altogether.



It helps them to connect their ideas clearly and use logical paragraphs



It teaches students that they need to write in a style suited to the situation
and target reader.

7) In Classroom Handout 4: Ex.7 we asked students to read the examples of linking
devices and add them to the appropriate groups paying attention to the linkers for
organising ideas. Encourage them to add more linking expressions as and when they
come across them.

8) In Ex.8 we asked the students to write the essay for homework. If you have a double
lesson, get your students to write the actual essay in the class as a timed task, so
that they get a feel for the exam.

Marking students work:


Use a green or blue pen (red can be discouraging)



Either write the correct answers in the margin or use a correction code
(see below)



Write nothing and go through it with the individual students



Get students to mark each other’s work using a checklist



Use errors from a number of different students writing and devise a quiz,
or get the students to do it themselves.

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Practising Cambridge English: First Writing Part 2: Essays
Correction code
Gr = grammar
Ww = Wrong word
Wo = Word order
Vt = Verb tense
Vf = Verb form
Sp = Spelling
P = Punctuation
? = Meaning or handwriting not clear
^ = Missing word

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