Essay writing checklist

FCE: Essay Writing Checklist

Before you write

Finish these instructions.

Make a ________________.

If you write a question, answer it too. This is your ideas time. When you

are writing, you can concentrate on the language you use.

Spend at least ____________ minutes on your plan.

This will save you time later and improve the organisation of your essay.

Use the plan to make sure you ______________________ correctly and

relevantly.

While you are writing

‘Write’ each sentence in your mind before you put it on paper. This will

make your work easier to read.

Don’t write on every line. Leave a space and you will be able to correct

yourself or add extra information later. Compare:

In this box I am writing on every line. If I do a mistake there is very little space for me to correct it. I cannot add extra information if I need to. It is sometimes difficult to read.

In this box I am not writing on every

line. If I do a mistake there is space

for me to correct it. I can add extra

information if I need to. It is easier to

read.

Make statements

Be bold with what you want to say. Try not to use too many modals of

speculation or the reader may think you are not sure about the topic.

For example:

Travelling to other countries could be very good for combating racism.

Better = Travelling to other countries is very good for combating racism.

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Introduction

The introduction should be two to three sentences long.

It could include:

a sentence or two about the topic in general;

a sentence telling the reader whether the essay will look at one or both

sides of the issue;

a question which you will answer in your essay.

Highlight any useful words or phrases from these examples.

Nowadays, tourism is becoming more and more important to the global

economy. But what are the negative effects of tourism?

Newspapers are full of articles about the effects tourism has on developing

countries. It brings benefits to their economies and their people.

During the last thirty years tourism has been increasing in my country.

There have been many benefits to this.

Conclusion

The conclusion should be two to three sentences long.

It should include:

a summary of your main points;

your opinion;

a reference to the original question (try to rephrase it);

NO new information.

Here are some conclusions from essays on the topic “Tourism causes more

problems than it solves.” Which one is the most appropriate? Why?

To conclude, I strongly believe that tourism solves more problems than it

causes.

In conclusion, I think it is great to share your life with other people from

around the world.

To sum up, in my opinion there are more disadvantages than advantages

to tourism for poor countries because tourists do not consider the effects

of their holidays on the local people.




Learn words and phrases to link your work together

Write these words and phrases into the correct place in the table.

Putting your ideas in order Showing results / consequences

Showing reasons Showing contrasts

Expressing opinions Giving examples

Write a paragraph about why people should (not) learn English. Use as many linking phrases as necessary. Try to use phrases which are new to you.




Use formal language

Each of these sentences can be made more formal. How would you change them?

1. People don’t think about the damage they cause.

2. There are lots of things which can affect the economy.

3. Countries earn loads of money from tourism.

4. Tourism causes many different kinds of problems.

5. It is easier to go somewhere on holiday than ever before.

6. Some people think that tourism is bad for poor countries.

Use the table to summarize the differences between formal and informal language. The number shows you which example to look at to help you complete the rule.

Formal Language Informal Language

No c_________________.1 C________________ are

acceptable.1

Use f________ phrases like:

______________________2

______________________3

______________________4

It is acceptable to use i___________

phrases like:

______________________2

______________________3

______________________4

Use s______________ words linked

to the essay topic whenever you can.5

G_____________ words are

acceptable.5

Use p_____________ structures if

you can. This makes the text less

personal. 6

Generally, use the a__________

more than the p____________. 6




Use a range of adjectives

Adjectives likes ‘good’, ‘bad’ and ‘nice’ are useful in informal language, but

there are many better synonyms which you can use when writing a formal

essay.

How many synonyms can you think of for each word?

good / nice

bad

Can you improve this sentence?

Travelling to other countries is very good for combating racism.

Check your writing carefully

Read it slowly and check for these things:

Is your text between 120 and 180 words?

To get higher marks it should be closer to 180 words. Have you included

reasons to support your answer? You could also include examples to

illustrate your points.

Check your spellings.

A good way to do this is to read your text backwards. That way you see

each word individually, instead of seeing what you think is there.

Have you used the correct prepositions for each noun / verb / adjective?

Is your essay formal enough?

Remember to check everything from the table.

How long are your sentences?

Can you use a linking word or should you make the sentence shorter?

Have you used the correct form for each verb?

If the verb is the subject of the sentence, make sure it is a gerund.

For the past simple and past participle, is the verb regular or irregular?

Check singular / plural forms.

Do verbs agree? Are the adjectives all ‘singular’? Have you used plural

forms after ‘one of’ and ‘a variety of’?

Have you answered the question?!



Essay writing checklist

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