essay first certificate cambridge

Breakout English

First (FCE) Essay Questions

The essay task at Cambridge B2 First (FCE) level might be one of the first times learners encounter a truly formal writing task. At the previous level, B1 Preliminary (PET), all the writing tasks are relatively casual and informal. This is where the First Certificate writing forces candidates to prove they really know how to organise and deliver a robust formal text. However, at the end of the day, the FCE essay is a reasonably approachable task with can be overcome with a clear plan and plenty of practice. Here, we’ve got three questions on different FCE essay topics that are all common at B2 level. If you’re not sure how to write a good essay, try our how to improve an essay post.

FCE Essay topics

There are quite a range of possible topics at FCE level. However, some of them lend themselves better to writing tasks than others. Remember, a writing task always needs to have elements that can be compared to each other, which can be either complimentary or contrasting.

These are some of the FCE essay topics which a most likely to come up:

• The environment
• Education and work
• Culture and customs
• Leisure activities
• Health and fitness

It’s a good idea to look at all of these topics in depth. Study vocabulary related to the topic and consider where you stand on different issues. In a class, you can do a vocabulary lesson followed by a class debate. Then follow up the debate with an essay question on the same topic as homework.

Common mistakes when writing an essay

At B2 level, exam candidates are often still crossing the boundary into being efficient user of English. While they may have a range of grammar and lexis to draw on, they may not always use it to good effect. As a teacher, you may encounter adult learners who haven’t written anything academic in decades. Likewise, you’ll find younger teens who haven’t yet had to produce a cohesive text in their academic careers.

In my experience, these are the biggest mistakes B2 level students make when writing an essay for the FCE exam:

• Not including your own idea – One of the requirements of every First essay question is to include your own idea. It says it right there in the task. However, some people understand this to mean they have to include their opinion. While you should include your opinion, that’s not why is say “your own idea”. Every essay should include three content points. Two of those are provided in the question and one more must be provided by the writer.
• Paragraphs that are too long or too short – The word limit for the FCE essay question is quite short (140-190 words). This means writers have to be quite concise and get to the point quickly. Each paragraph will probably only contain 2-4 sentences. That said, 1 sentence paragraphs are never acceptable, especially when it’s one big long rambling sentence. Neither are 6 sentence paragraphs which leave you no words for other parts of your text.
• Over-personalisation – Your FCE essay includes an element of opinion. In fact, the task explicitly asks you if you agree with a certain statement. However, that doesn’t mean you should fill the essay with 1st person pronouns and personal anecdotes. An essay is an academic text which should use objective evidence to support your point of view.
• Lack of conclusion – Sometimes people write an essay that perfectly evaluates 3 different content points and then finishes with a statement that says all points are equal. This is a mistake. The question asks you whether you agree with a statement. Your conclusion should clearly express where you stand on the issue. Don’t be wishy-washy!
• Trying too hard – The best First (FCE) essays are simple, to-the-point, well-structured and cohesive. Your essay isn’t going to change the world, so don’t go overboard. Once you’ve got a structure that works, rinse and repeat with different topics until you can consistently produce a well-polished text.

The materials

Here are three First (FCE) essay questions. They have been designed using typical FCE essay topics for B2 level. Use them to practise and improve in preparation for the Cambridge B2 First exam.

Cambridge B2 First (FCE): How to Write an Essay

Essay writing is easier than you think

The very first reaction I usually get when I want to practise essay writing with my students is wild panic. Everybody around me starts rolling on the floor crying and screaming. I try to calm them down, but there is no way of doing it and eventually all of them quit and tell me that they will never be able to pass the FCE exam.

Of course, this was a little bit of an exaggeration, but it is true that most students get stressed as soon as they here the word essay when, actually, there is no real reason for that. In fact, essay writing might be the easiest type of writing in Cambridge B2 First because there is a plan that you can follow every single time you sit down with pen and paper to practise as well as in the exam itself.

So, let’s look at essays, how they are organised and what exactly you have to be careful with in order to pass easily and get the high marks you deserve.

What a typical essay task looks like

Looking at different essay tasks, the first thing that students often realise is that all tasks look the same. Their structure doesn’t change, which gives you the advantage of being able to plan a strategy before you even take the exam. Every time you practise is like the real exam.

Above there is a typical essay task. As you can see there is not a lot of information, but we still have to look at it carefully and decide what we are asked to do exactly.

The first step is always to underline the key points in the task so you know what to do and what information to include in your essay.

In the image above I underlined and circled the most important information for you. When you look at a writing task – and I mean every kind of writing task, not only essays – you should think about two things: what you have to include in your text and who is going to read it.

While the first point seems obvious students often forget about the second one and miss out on higher marks. In our example your English teacher is going to read the essay. What does that mean for you when you write it? Think about the style and tone of the language you are going to use. Does your English teacher expect informal language like in a text message to your best friend or should it be rather formal? I think you understand what I mean.

Choosing the correct register and tone (formal English) for your essay will earn you higher marks so don’t forget about it.

The second point we need to consider is what we have to write about. In every essay task there are a situation/topic (problems with pollution and damage to the environment), a question for you to answer (Do you think these problems can be solved?) and three topic points (transport, rivers/seas, your own idea).

You must deal with all these things if you want to pass with high marks. If something is missing you will lose marks. That includes your own idea. I see it all the time that students write about the two ideas given in the task, but they ignore the fact that they have to add a third topic on their own. Don’t make the same mistake. Always write about all three topic points.

With this flood of information the next step is to think about how we can organise our essay. Luckily, there is a plan that works and I’m going to share it with you.

The 3 main parts of an essay

Looking back at our example from before we can see that there are three topic points which we need to deal with: transport, rivers and seas as well as your own idea.

I think it is not difficult to see that we can turn these three topics into three paragraphs, one for each idea. These three paragraphs are called the body of the essay. However, an essay wouldn’t be an essay without an introduction at the beginning and a conclusion at the end. All together that’s five paragraphs and we could structure it like this:

• Introduction
• Rivers and seas
• Your own idea

With an introduction, body and conclusion every essay has three main parts. You can follow this for any essay question in the FCE exam and it works every single time.

Yeah, it sounds good to me too. 🙂

But what exactly do we have to include in these different parts? Let me give you an overview so you get a better idea.

When I read the introduction to an essay I can often tell immediately if the essay is going to be great or if the student needs to work more on it. Think of the introduction as an appetizer before the meal begins. It gives you an idea of what to expect so you don’t want to disappoint the reader from the start.

Your introduction should always put the topic in the context of today’s world and paraphrase the question of the essay. It is also a good idea to include your opinion so the reader knows from the beginning what you think.

Let’s have a look at an example introduction for an essay about the above topic:

More and more countries and cities struggle with dirty air and water and while it is difficult to find a solution to these issues, I believe that there are ways to improve the situation and to protect the environment.

In this introduction all the key elements are covered. The topic is put in context (“More and more countries and cities struggle with…”), the question is paraphrased (“…while it is difficult to find a solution to these issues,…”) and the candidates opinion is clear (“I believe that…”).

All you need to do is to memorise this formula and use it in every essay you write. The examiner and you will be happy. 🙂

The body is like the meat in a hamburger. It’s the best part and you want it to be full of flavour. For your essay it means the following:

Each paragraph of the body starts with a topic sentence which introduces the main idea of the paragraph. After that, you add reasons, examples and you can even acknowledge other points of view.

A great topic paragraph in the body doesn’t just talk about advantages and disadvantages. Think about how you can support the message in your topic sentence to convince the reader.

Here is an example for you.

Firstly, congestion on roads not only in major cities, but also in smaller towns causes a lot of pollution and noise and even though this situation seems to get worse and worse many countries are trying to encourage people to use alternatives like electric cars, which is a good first step to deal with this kind of challenge.  

In this example paragraph the candidate simply followed the formula from above. The first sentences states what the problem is. After that, she acknowledges that the issue seems pretty bad, but then she explains different alternatives to cars that could improve the situation.

Also, notice the different linking expressions she uses in this paragraph (Firstly, not only…but also, and even though, which is). Examiners like a variety of linking words and phrases to connect your ideas so try to include them in your essay.

That’s really all you need to do. Repeat the same process for the other two topic points and you should be able to impress and achieve great marks.

Last but not least, a good essay is rounded off with a nice conclusion. Here, it is your job to tie everything together like a Christmas present. You don’t want the gift wrapping paper or the bow on the present to be ugly so make sure that you conclusion is on point.

In a good conclusion you should summarise the essay in one sentence and clearly state your opinion on the question one last time.

I told you above that the introduction is there to make a good first impression on the reader. The conclusion plays the role of giving a good last impression. You don’t want the examiner to be happy until the end and then read a conclusion that is only average. Make sure that every part is great.

To sum up, our environment needs our help and although the air we breathe as well as waterways in many parts of the world are heavily polluted I strongly believe that we can solve these issues if governments and the people work together.  

The first part of this conclusion summarises the problem one last time and in the second half the candidate clearly states her opinion and that’s it. Don’t make your life harder than it already is and instead focus on the criteria that really matter.

Plan before you write

Earlier we had a look at the different paragraphs in an essay and I told you that five is a good number. A lot of students take this information and jump straight into writing as soon as they see the task.

Stop right there! When you plan to improve something around your house or in your apartment, do you just run to the store and buy five buckets of paint or do you think about the size of the room and how much paint you need, what colour you want and what kind of brushes and paint rollers you will have to get?

Treat your essay like a home improvement project and make a plan before you start writing. It only takes five minutes, but, in the end, it can save you time because once you start, you don’t have to worry about ideas any more…it’s all there in your notes.

To create a plan make a list of the five paragraphs of your essay. As we said before this could be something like this:

Now, all you have to do is to add a few words to each point so you won’t forget what you want to write about. I thought of a few things for our example task:

• Introduction – problems with pollution, is there a solution?
• Transport – -: CO2 emissions, noise +: electric cars
• Rivers and seas – -: sea life and plastic +: projects to clean oceans
• Animal agriculture – -: CO2 emissions, excrement +: vegan/vegetarian lifestyles, sustainable farms
• Conclusion – summary, it’s a big problem but there is hope

It took me about three minutes to write this and if I wanted to write the full essay, I would have all the ideas I need already in front of me. The next step would be to add more information to each point and voilà, the essay is done.

How your essay is marked

Marking FCE writing tasks is like a science and for a lot of students it feels as if there is this big mystery and nobody really knows how it works. Actually, there are very clear rules that the examiners have to follow and the criteria are publicly available.

While it is possible to find all the information on your own I thought it would be a good idea to put everything together in an article for you. Check out how your writing tasks are marked by clicking here .

Practice makes perfect

I hope that my article is going to help you with your essays. As you saw you can analyse and structure every task the same way. With all your new knowledge the only thing you have to do is start practising. If you put in the time and work, essay writing will become quite easy and you can focus on other areas of your English that need more improvement.

Lots of love,

Teacher Phill 🙂

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How to Write an Article for FCE Writing

Luis @ kse academy.

• noviembre 7, 2019

As we have seen in previous posts, the Writing B2 First (FCE) paper consists of two different parts. In the first one, you must write an essay. In the seccond, you must choose among different options. One of these options can be to  write an article . For this reason, in today’s post I’m going to show you exactly  how to write an article for FCE Writing  (Part 2). Besides, we will go over an  example of an article for FCE and a complete FCE Writing guide , where you can find more examples of  articles and other types of  FCE Writing  tasks.

Sample answer

Useful expressions to write an article for fce writing.

Este articulo también está disponible en castellano.

How to Write an Article for FCE Writing Part 2

An article is a very common type of text nowadays. We can find all kinds of articles in newspapers, magazines, blogs, etc. For this reason, in order to know  how to write an article for FCE , we must bear in mind who will be reading our article. This, as we will see later on, we will find out from the instructions the FCE Writing paper provides us with. But before we move on to that, let’s take a look at the  characteristics of an article for FCE Writing Part 2:

• Purpose of an article:  The aim of an article is usually to talk about a topic that we like or that we are familiar with. Besides, one of the features that articles have as opposed to other FCE Writing tasks  is that  an article must entertain the reader and, almos always, recommend the thing we are talking about.
• Language:  In general, an article is more informal than an essay, although it will depend on where it is supposed to be published (an international magazine, a teenage magazine, a college magazine, an online blog, a newspaper, etc.). However, the most common case is that we must write a text in an informal or colloquial style . For this reason, our tone must be relaxed, making use of contractions, phrasal verbs and other colloquial expressions. Besides, it is recommended to use rhetorical questions and exclamation marks to engage the reader. You should also address the reader directly in the second person ( you ,  your ) and can make jokes if you think they are appropriate.
• Structure:  Articles must always have a title . If possible, this must be catchy and witty so as to engage the reader. Then, each paragraph must address a single idea, to which you must add the introdduction and the conclusion, where you are usually expected to make a recommendation. It is also a good idea to end your article with a rhetorical question, especially if it is going to be an online article where people could (in theory) leave a comment.
• Giving your opinion:  An article is almost exclusively about giving your opinion, so feel free to do so throught the whole piece of writing. As you are normally asked to write about something you like or enjoy, opinions are expected to be generally positive. Any article for FCE is usually a very personal piece of writing, so you can speak in the first person as much as you like. 😊
• Common topics:  You may be asked to write articles on a variety of topics: the Internet, health and fitness, music, plays, hobbies, etc.
• Number of words: you are expected to write your article in 140 – 190 words , no more or less than any other type of FCE Writing task.

FCE Writing Article Example

Now that we are familiar with the characteristics of an article , the best weay to know  how to write an article for FCE Writing is to take a look at an example of an article at First-B2 level . So let’s see an example of a task and a sample answer to that very same task.

Instructions of an Article for the FCE Writing Paper

It is extremely important to read the instructions carefully , as you are supposed to obtain all the information you need to write the article. In this case we can see the following:

• Where our article will be published:   a local magazine
• Topic:   their favourite things about the Internet
• Main ideas:   things you do with the internet, recommend a website

And that’s exactly how we will organise our article, knowing exactly what to talk about in each paragraph.

Now that we have an example of an article task for FCE , let’s take a look at a sample article which answers the task above. Pay attention to the language as well as to the structure marked in red.

If we take a close look at this sample article for FCE , we can see the following features:

• It is visually appealing : The structure is clear, leaving space between paragraphs and defining a clear introduction and conclusion.
• The introduction  presents the topic in a general way, but making clear what article is about: the Internet.
• The second paragraph  talks about why I like the Internet and one of the things that I like about it.
• The third paragraph  makes a recommendation of a website, explaining why I like it so much.
• The conclusion is a summary of sorts and asks the reader for some feedback on their own preferences regarding the use of the Internet.
• Phrasal verbs :  put you up, check out.
• Contractions:   Isn’t that fantastic?
• Colloquial phrases : one of the cool things, I totally recommend it, etc. 
• We address the reader directly :  What about you? 
• Exclamation marks :  … find the answer! 

In this example of article for FCE Writing we can appreciate many of the typical characteristics of this type of activity. However, bear in mind that I have tried to simulate a strong B2 level without necessarily reaching C1.

If you want to know how to write an article for FCE , it is very important to have a repository of useful expressions ready to use. So here are some which can come in handy:

• Have you ever…?
• Do you ever wonder…?
• What do you think about…?
• Are you a… like me?
• Are you one of those people who…?
• What would you say if I told you that…?
• In the rst place,
• To begin with,
• The coolest thing about 
• What attracts me most 
• One thing to consider is
• Another consideration is
• Also, 
• In addition,
• In addition to that,
• In conclusion,
• On the whole,
• To conclude,
• All in all, 
• … you will not regret it!

Frequently Asked Questions: What if I write more than 190 words?

As I already explained in previous posts, Cambridge Assessment English does not count how many words you’ve written in order to penalise you. But remember the following: if you have written a lot more words than necessary, you have probably included irrelevant information . In the same way,  if you write less than 140, you are probably lacking essential information . For this reason, I always recommend writing only 10 or 20 words over the limit. In this way, we make sure we don’t lose points for something so silly.

FCE Writing with Examples (pdf)

If you’re still looking for more examples of writing, check out  KSE Academy’s official FCE Writing Guide . In this guide you have the following:

• How to write an essay  and 3 examples
• How to write an article  and 3 examples
• How to write a review  and 3 examples
• How to write a report and 3 examples
• How to write an email or letter  and 3 examples
• Over 300 useful expressions for FCE Writing tasks

Would you like to see a sample first? Here you are !

Did you like this post? Please  share it with other students and English teachers . Subscribe to our newsletter and don’t forget to follow us on  Facebook   Twitter ,  Pinterest ,  Instagram ,&  YouTube . 🙂

16 comentarios en “How to Write an Article for FCE Writing”

Hi Luis, I’m teaching First students in Italy and still learning the writing requirements myself, and just wanted to thank you for sharing your knowledge and tips – very helpful! 🙂

Hi Ingrid! Thank you very much for your kind words! I’m glad my site can be of help. Take care and good luck with your FCE students!

Hi Luis, I’m preparing a handout for my students about writing an article and I found your web really helpful. Thanks a lot!

Hi, Ángeles! Thank you very much for your comment. I’m glad to be of some help! 🙂

THANK YOU LUIS, GREAT PIECE OF WORK!

Thank you very much for your comment, Alexis! Take care! 🙂

Thank u luis you’ve been rilly helpful

Thank you, Molly! Take care!

Thank you so much, Luis! I am going to take the FCE Exam in July and hopefully I will pass it due to your sample answers and instructions!!!

Hi Iris! Thank you very much for your comment! Take care!

Hey Luis, thank you so much! this is gold and it explains very well how they should do it!

Hi Roxy! Thank you for your feedback. Take care!

thank you so much Jurate

Extremely useful in my FCE preparation course for Peruvian teens!! Thank you!

Dear Luis, just wanted to thank you for these amazing tips, which are very useful. You should definetly work for Cambridge! Best wishes!

Thank you! 🙂

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20 English Essay Topics/Questions | B2 First (FCE)

The language of an English essay should be formal . Also, make sure that you justify all your ideas and that you use appropriate connectors to link your sentences and paragraphs .

How to write B2 First (FCE) essay?

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B2 First (FCE) Essay: Example Topics / Questions

Below is a sample list of academic essay writing topics/tasks for B2-level (intermediate) students. You can use them to practice writing English essays or to prepare for the Cambridge B2 First (FCE) exam

B2 - Essay Topic / Question 1 | First (FCE)

You have watched a documentary about young children in poor areas who leave school to work. Your English teacher has asked you to write an essay.

Write an essay using all the notes and give reasons for your point of view.

Teenagers are dropping out of school to find a job. How can we help them to continue their education?

Write about:

• family problems
• financial difficulties
• …………… (your own idea)

B2 - Essay Topic / Question 2 | First (FCE)

In your social studies course, you have watched a documentary on the potential effects of too much pollution on the air quality of city centres. Your professor has assigned you an essay to write.

Keeping the air quality in city centres at healthy levels for their residents is a concern for many places. How can we solve the problem of pollution in city centres?

• automobiles
• ………………  (your own idea)

B2 - Essay Topic / Question 3 | First (FCE)

In your education class, you have listened to a lecture on the importance of teaching foreign languages in school. Your teacher has asked you to write an essay.

Learning a foreign language helps students develop a set of important skills. Why should foreign languages be taught in schools?

• new cultures
•  employment
• …………. (your own idea)

B2 - Essay Topic / Question 4 | First (FCE)

You have listened to a radio programme about the problem of widespread starvation in many parts of Africa. Your English teacher has asked you to write an essay.

In many parts of Africa, people are dying of starvation and lack of freshwater. Can these problems be solved?

• lack of organised farming
• …….. …….. (your own idea)

B2 - Essay Topic / Question 5 | First (FCE)

You have watched a video on a non-profit organisation working to stop the use of animals for testing medicines used by human beings. Now, your professor has asked you to write an essay.

Testing on animals is a standard in scientific research. What is the best way to deal with this problem?

• animals suffer
• outdated form of research
• …… ……..  (your own idea)

Get Your (FCE) Essay Checked!

B2 - essay topic / question 6 | first (fce).

You have listened to a radio programme about deforestation, the cutting down of trees in many wild areas around the world. Now, your English teacher has asked you to write an essay.

Many forests around the world are being destroyed for agricultural, commercial, or housing use without allowing time for the forests to regenerate themselves. What can be done to improve the situation?

• what contributes to the greenhouse effect
• ………. (your own idea)

B2 - Essay Topic / Question 7 | First (FCE)

In your English class, you have been talking about endangered species, animals or plants that will likely become extinct. Your English teacher has asked you to write an essay.

Around the world, many wildlife species are in danger of extinction. How can we protect endangered animals?

• hunting wild animals
• ………..  (your own idea)

B2 - Essay Topic / Question 8 | First (FCE)

You have watched a Youtube video about the problem of computer game addiction in children. Your English teacher has asked you to write an essay.

More and more young people spend most of their time playing computer games. How can we help children to overcome this addiction?

• bad grades at school
• no social life
• ………… (your own idea)

B2 - Essay Topic / Question 9 | First (FCE)

You have listened to a radio programme about the impact of smoking on people’s health. Now, your English teacher has asked you to write an essay.

Smoking is responsible for many health problems throughout the world. Do you think it should be made illegal?

• lung cancer
•  passive smoking
• ……………… (your own idea)

FCE, CAE, CPE

More than practice tests, b2 - essay topic / question 10 | first (fce).

In your English class, you have been talking about the problem of obesity in young people. Now your English teacher has asked you to write an essay.

In Europe and the USA a lot of young people have an obesity problem. What can be done to solve this problem?

• (your own idea)

B2 - Essay Topic / Question 11 | First (FCE)

Has technology made a positive contribution to sport today?

• The use of technology to improve performance
• The use of technology in refereeing decisions

B2 - Essay Topic / Question 12 | First (FCE)

It is better to work at home than in an office. Do you agree?

• Contact with people
• Working hours

B2 - Essay Topic / Question 13 | First (FCE)

Life is harder for young people now than in the past. Do you agree?

B2 - Essay Topic / Question 14 | First (FCE)

Is it better to go shopping in small local businesses or large out-of-town shopping centres?

• Where things are cheaper
• Where service is better

B2 - Essay Topic / Question 15 | First (FCE)

Is it better to spend a summer holiday in the countryside or on the coast?

• Leisure options

B2 - Essay Topic / Question 16 | First (FCE)

Your teacher has asked you to write your response to the following statement taken from a recent newspaper article:

Do you agree that community service works better than fines?

• effort and time
• lesson learned
• ………………(your own idea)

B2 - Essay Topic / Question 17 | First (FCE)

Is it true that we help the environment when we plant a tree?

• clear the air
•  ………….( your own idea)

B2 - Essay Topic / Question 18 | First (FCE)

Nowadays children are suffering from obesity, that was once considered to be meant for adults only. What are its causes and what solutions can be offered?

• busy lifestyle

B2 - Essay Topic / Question 19 | First (FCE)

Is it better to be the oldest or the youngest in a family?

• role of older sibling

B2 - Essay Topic / Question 20 | First (FCE)

Modern lifestyles can seriously endanger our health.

Do you agree?

• physical activity
• …….. (your own choice)

B2 First (FCE) Essay: Download (PDF)

Download B2 First (FCE) Essay: Topics (PDF)

Practice Tests Online

B2 first (fce) essay: assessement criteria.

Your essay will be assessed according to these four criteria:

Would you pass B2 First (FCE)?

B2 First Cambridge Writing Checklist

Post Contents

What is the First Certificate writing checklist for?

When preparing for the First Certificate (also known as FCE or B2 First) Cambridge exam , it is i mportant to practice writing . I use this checklist with my students to help them review their own writing before they give it to me to correct. 

You can use the First Certificate writing checklist as part of a course, or if you are studying on your own. The more you write, the more you will improve, especially if you use this checklist. Using the list will help improve your score.

This post will describe each part of the checklist so you understand what it means. Read the post and download the FREE checklist by clicking here .

First Certificate Writing Checklist (in detail)

Content and style.

 ❏ Correct length (140-190 words) – if your answer is too short, you haven’t answered the question with enough detail. You need more grammatical structures and vocabulary. If your answer is too long, there is extra information that is not important and the reader will stop reading.

 ❏ Answered ALL parts of the question – this is especially important for an email, report, or review where there is usually more than one question. Earn all the points in this part by answering all the questions. It’s easy!

 ❏ Consistent and appropriate style and tone (formal, informal, or neutral) – who is the reader? If the reader is your friend, you need to use a friendly, informal style. If the reader is the headmaster of a college, you must write in a polite, formal way.

 ❏ Clear explanation or message for your reader – you don’t want your writer to be confused, so make sure your writing is easy to follow and understand. 

 ❏ All content is relevant – because the word count is low, do not include any extra information. Use the task as a guide for what to write about.

Organization

 ❏ Title and sub-headings (if needed) – no title for the First Certificate essay or email/letter, write a title for the review and article, and write a title and sub-headings for the report

 ❏ Writing is divided into paragraphs – each new idea should be a new paragraph. The essay is always five paragraphs. 

 ❏ Each paragraph has a main idea – use a topic sentence to give each paragraph a main idea.

 ❏ Paragraphs are in a logical order – your writing should be easy to follow and read.

 ❏ Supporting sentences for each topic sentence – use examples, opinions, and facts to support your ideas in each sentence.

 ❏ A variety of linking words are used – use different types of linking words, in different parts of the sentences. Remember to use linking words that are appropriate for the style (for example: nevertheless is very formal, while so is informal.)

 ❏ Correct spelling and punctuation – check your use of commas, periods, exclamation marks, and question marks. Check for spelling errors in difficult to spell or confusing words (to, too, two.)

 ❏ A range of grammatical structures (from simple to complex) – use simple sentences as well as more complicated structures like conditionals. To get maximum points n the First Certificate, include perfect tenses, modal verbs, passive sentences, and reported speech.

 ❏ A range of vocabulary (including B2 words) – include different levels of words, but make sure you are using some B2 level adjectives, nouns, adverbs, and verbs. Try not to use words like good, bad, beautiful, small, big , etc.

 ❏ Task or topic-specific vocabulary – include expressions and vocabulary specific to the task (for example: I look forward to hearing from you for a letter of application) or topic (for example: star, plot, cas t for a film review).

 ❏ Time expressions used correctly – use expressions like for, since, ago , etc. with the correct grammatical structures.

 ❏ Checked for grammar mistakes that you usually make – make a note of grammar mistakes that are typical for you and write them down. Check for these structures in your writing.

Where to get help on your First Certificate Writing

If you are studying on your own, you can practice writing using the website: Write and Improve . This website is free and gives you instant feedback.

Check out these other posts:

FCE First Certificate writing tips

B2 First Email/Letter Writing Guide

B2 First Essay Writing Guide

Happy writing!

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• How to Write a Great Article in the Cambridge B2 First Exam

• Posted on 11/12/2019
• Categories: Blog
• Tags: B2 First , Cambridge Exams , Writing

Writing in your only language can be a challenge, but writing in another language can be a complete nightmare ! Where do you even begin?

If you are taking your Cambridge B2 First exam you’ll have to write two texts in an 80-minute period. In part 1 you must write an essay but in part 2 you will be able to choose between a number of options. This could be could be an email, a letter, a report, a review or an article.

Read more about the format of the Cambridge B2 First exam .

In this writing guide, we’ll focus on how to write an article for the Cambridge B2 First Writing paper – part 2. We’ll also share with you some tricks and tips for passing this part of the exam. You’ll learn how to plan your article, structure it, use rhetorical questions , exclamation marks – and lots more. By the end, you’ll have the confidence to write an amazing article in English!

What is an article and how do you write one for the B2 First?

You’ll find lots of examples of articles in magazines, newspapers and internet blogs. In these texts, writers share information, guides and opinions on specific topics. The idea is to write in a way that grabs the reader’s attention and keeps them interested until the very end.

In the Cambridge B2 First Writing Paper – part 2, you could be asked to write about a variety of topics. However, it’s often something you’ve recently learned to do or know a lot about. For example, the question might be about a concert you’ve been to recently, you favourite hobby or your hometown.

Here’s an example of a B2 First article question.

Now let’s look at how to get started!

How to write an article in three simple steps

You’ve got the question in front of you, so now it’s time to start writing your article, right?

Wrong! If you do that, you’ve missed an essential stage: planning.

You can compare writing an article to preparing your favourite meal. No good tortilla de patatas was ever made without carefully preparing the ingredients first. It’s exactly the same with your writing – only, you’ll need fewer onions. Time management is also important. You only have about 40 minutes total so you need to plan your time carefully.

Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Make a plan (10 minutes)

Think about the question.

Really focus on the question. Decide who your role model is. Is he or she a sporting hero you really admire? Or someone closer to home? It could be a family member that you look up to or a person in the community who’s done something amazing. Think about why they inspire you and make some notes on your ideas.

Think about the tone

Consider the best blogs you read on the internet. Are they relaxed and friendly? Or do they sound like boring school essays? The truth is most articles are quite conversational. They are somewhere between semi-formal and informal. They are often informative, whilst entertaining and engaging the reader. You can also try to add some humour in too!

Think about the structure

Structuring your article is key and there’s normally more than one way to do it. Decide which structure makes sense for the question. Try to keep it logical and include different ideas in different paragraphs.

Here’s an example structure:

• Paragraph 1 Introduction Start with a catchy opening line to hook the readers. Then introduce your role model.
• Paragraph 2 – Describe what makes them special Giving examples and developing your answer.
• Paragraph 3 – Why you chose them as your role model This should be like a conclusion and give the reader a lasting comment or a question to think about.

Note: For many articles four paragraphs will be more appropriate – it depends on the question you are given.

Linkers are a fantastic way to organise your ideas. Experiment with some of these in your next article:

For a start…

Not to mention…

On top of that…

*Remember, you don’t need headings or titles in the article it should read as one continuous piece of work.

Think about vocabulary

Brainstorming vocabulary is a great way to get your ideas flowing . What are some great words related to the topic? List some adjectives for being a good role model. Pick out some verbs related to motivation or any good nouns or collocations you think would work. Throw some phrasal verbs and idioms in there too!

Here’s an example for the question above:

Think about ways to personalise your writing

Articles tend to have a personal touch. You can be a lot more familiar with the reader addressing them personally with pronouns like ‘you’ and ‘I’. Give your own opinion and also use contractions. Here are some more ways to sound personal:

Have you ever wondered…?

I’m sure you can imagine…

Can you believe…?

I will never forget…

There’s nothing more amazing than…

If you ask me…

Step Two: Write it (25 minutes)

An interesting introduction is the key to a first-rate article. You want to capture your audience’s attention whilst making it clear what it’s going to be about. Start with an opening line that sets the tone of the topic. Try to catch the attention from the first word. Here’s an example:

Firefighters and superheroes are obvious role models. But sometimes the person that inspires us the most is so much closer to home. I have never had a favourite singer or sports star but my father has always been an important inspiration for me.

Next, think about the original question. What makes your role model special? Remember to keep it interesting and include some personal feelings. Use exclamation marks like this:

One of the things that makes my father so special is that he always does everything for his family, and he’s an excellent listener too. Whenever we have a problem he’s always there for us. Not to mention the fact that he’s also really fun-loving! If there’s a party, my dad is the first person on the dancefloor.

But only include one or two exclamation marks in the article or they’ll lose their impact.

Finally you want to tackle the last question. Why did you choose him as your role model? A great technique here would be to address your reader personally and even include a rhetorical question at the end. This gives them something to think about. A little bit like this:

I think my father is the best role model because he is the most hardworking person I know. He has a really difficult job as a doctor and is always saving lives. That’s so inspiring for me!

I really look up to him and he really pushes me to be the best I can be. Wouldn’t you want a role model like my dad?

Step Three: Check it (5 minutes)

Everything has come together and you’ve got your final article. Now you can sit back, relax and put your feet up until the examiner says stop. Wait, not quite!

You’re missing the last important step. Always check your writing. You’d hate for all your hard work to be wasted at the last moment. Here are some things to check for.

• You included everything in the question
• You’ve used a variety of sentence lengths
• The spelling is correct
• It’s personal and engaging
• You haven’t repeated the same vocabulary too often
• It’s not too formal

What are the examiners looking out for?

To get the very best results, you need to know what the examiners are looking out for when they are marking your writing.

These are the four most important things to consider:

Ask yourself these questions when checking your work and make any necessary changes before the time is up!

Any other advice for writing an article?

Read, read, read. Go online and search for blogs in English that interest you. If you love sports, look at the sports news. If you prefer fashion, find fashion articles. Whatever it is read real examples for real inspiration!

If you’re still not confident about writing in English, or you want some help preparing for the B2 First exam, take a look at our exam courses .

You can also check out our articles on how to write an Essay or a Review in the Cambridge B2 First.

Glossary for Language Learners

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

Nightmare (n): : a bad dream.

Rhetorical question (n): a question that doesn’t need to be answered, for dramatic effect.

Time management (n): the way to use your time effectively.

Look up to somebody (pv) : to admire someone.

Humour (n): something amusing or funny.

To hook (v): to attract and captivate your attention.

To flow (v): to move steadily and constantly.

First-rate (adj): excellent, top quality, well made or done.

An exclamation mark (n): this punctuation symbol: !.

To tackle (v): dealing with a challenge or something difficult.

To put your feet up (exp): to rest and relax.

pv = phrasal verb

adj = adjective

exp = expression

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A Black Friday Guide to Shopping in English

• By: oxfordadmin
• Posted on 26/11/2019

Telephone Interviews In English, Advice And Tips For Success

• Posted on 19/12/2019

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6 Ways To Improve Your Speakin

There are four linguistic skills that you utilise when learning a new language: reading, writing speaking and listening.... Read More

Passing Cambridge C2 Proficien

So, you’ve moved onto Part 3, and after completing Part 2 it’s probably a welcome relief to be given some help with ... Read More

8 Resources To Build Your Busi

Whether it’s in meetings, telephone conversations or networking events, you’ll find specific vocabulary and buzzword... Read More

5 Ways to Become a Better Lear

It’s time for some back-to-school motivation. The new school year is about to start and everyone is feeling refreshed ... Read More

Our 10 Favourite YouTubers To

Haven’t you heard? Nobody is watching the TV anymore - 2019 is the year of the YouTuber! If you’re an English langu... Read More

So, you’ve completed the of your Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE). Now it’s time to sit back and enjoy the rest of the e... Read More

The Secret French Words Hidden

“The problem with the French is that they have no word for entrepreneur.” This phrase was attributed to George W. B... Read More

The Ultimate Guide To Gràcia

The Gràcia Festival, or , is an annual celebration taking place in the lovely, bohemian neighbourhood of Gràcia in upt... Read More

5 Things To Do In Barcelona In

Barcelona residents will often tell you than nothing happens in August. It’s too hot and everyone escapes to little vi... Read More

4 Past Tenses and When to Use

Do you have difficulty with the past tenses in English? Do you know the difference between the past simple and past perf... Read More

How To Write A Review: Cambrid

Students who are taking their B2 First Certificate exam (FCE) will be asked to do two pieces of writing within an 80 min... Read More

8 Hidden Benefits of Being Bil

Unless you were raised to be bilingual, speaking two languages can require years of study and hard work. Even once you�... Read More

7 Films to Practise Your Engli

What’s better than watching a fantastic, original-language movie in a theatre? Watching a fantastic, original-language... Read More

The 10 Best Instagram Accounts

Ever wonder how much time you spend on your phone a day? According to the latest studies, the average person spends on ... Read More

Challenge Yourself This Summer

Here comes the sun! That’s right, summer is on its way and, for many, that means a chance to take a well-deserved brea... Read More

You’ve done the hard part and finally registered for your , congratulations! Now all you need to do is pass it! H... Read More

These 5 Soft Skills Will Boost

Everyone is talking about soft skills. They are the personal traits that allow you to be mentally elastic, to adapt to n... Read More

Which English Exam Is Right Fo

Are you struggling to decide which English language exam to take? You’re not alone: with so many different options on ... Read More

Passing C2 Proficiency: A Guid

We’re sure you’ve done a great job answering the questions for of your . But now you’re faced with a completely d... Read More

Sant Jordi – Dragons, Bo

Imagine you have woken up in Barcelona for the first time in your life. You walk outside and you notice something unusua... Read More

5 Ways To Improve Your Listeni

Have you ever put on an English radio station or podcast and gone to sleep, hoping that when you wake up in the morning ... Read More

The Simple Guide To Communicat

What’s the most challenging thing about going on holiday in an English speaking country? Twenty years ago you might ha... Read More

Stop Making These 7 Grammar Mi

No matter how long you've been learning a language, you're likely to make a mistake every once in a while. The big ones ... Read More

How To Pass Your First Job Int

Passing a job interview in a language that’s not your mother tongue is always a challenge – but however daunting i... Read More

5 Ways To Practise Your Speaki

“How many languages do you speak?” This is what we ask when we want to know about someone’s language skills... Read More

You have survived the Use of English section of your , but now you are faced with a long text full of strange language, ... Read More

Improve Your English Accent Wi

Turn on a radio anywhere in the world and it won’t take long before you’re listening to an English song. And, if you... Read More

10 English Expressions To Fall

It’s nearly Valentine’s day and love is in the air at Oxford House. We’ll soon be surrounded by heart-shaped ballo... Read More

7 Graded Readers To Help You P

Graded readers are adaptations of famous stories, or original books aimed at language learners. They are written to help... Read More

6 Tools To Take Your Writing T

Written language is as important today as it has ever been. Whether you want to prepare for an , to respond to or it’... Read More

EF Report: Do Spanish Schools

The new year is here and many of us will be making promises about improving our language skills in 2019. However, how ma... Read More

Our 10 Most Popular Blog Posts

It’s been a whirlwind 2018. We’ve made so many amazing memories - from our twentieth-anniversary party to some enter... Read More

Time For A Career Change? Here

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to get a job in an international company? Perhaps you’ve thought about tr... Read More

Eaquals Accreditation: A Big S

We are delighted to be going through the final stages of our accreditation, which will help us provide the best languag... Read More

A Guide To The Cambridge Engli

Making the decision to do a Cambridge English language qualification can be intimidating. Whether you’re taking it bec... Read More

8 Top Tips To Get The Most Out

A language exchange (or Intercambio in Spanish) is an excellent way to practise English outside of the classroom. The a... Read More

The Haunted History And Terrib

The nights are drawing in and the leaves are falling from the trees. As our minds turn to the cold and frosty winter nig... Read More

Why Oxford House Is More Than

If you’re a student at , you’ll know it is far more than just a language academy. It’s a place to socialise, make ... Read More

10 Crazy Things You Probably D

From funny bananas, super long words and excitable foxes, our latest infographic explores 10 intriguing facts about the ... Read More

Meet our Director of Studies &

If you’ve been studying at Oxford House for a while there’s a good chance that you’ll recognise Judy - with her bi... Read More

Which English Course Is Right

The new school year is about to begin and many of you are probably thinking that it’s about time to take the plunge an... Read More

5 Ways To Get Over The Holiday

We head off on vacation full of excitement and joy. It’s a time to explore somewhere new, relax and spend time with ou... Read More

10 Essential Aussie Expression

Learning English is difficult! With its irregular verbs, tricky pronunciation and even harder spelling, lots of students... Read More

5 Great Apps To Give Your Engl

The next time you’re walking down the street, in a waiting room, or on public transport in Barcelona take a look aroun... Read More

Here’s Why You Should Move T

Many students have aspirations to move abroad. This might be for a number of reasons such as to find a new job, to impro... Read More

Improving Your Pronunciation W

What do English, Maori, Vietnamese and Zulu have in common? Along with another , they all use the . If your first la... Read More

How To Improve Your English Us

Netflix has changed the way we spend our free time. We don’t have to wait a week for a new episode of our favourite TV... Read More

Oxford House Community: Meet O

The year has flown by and we are already into the second week of our summer intensive courses. Today we look back at th... Read More

6 Amazing Events to Make It an

Things are hotting up in Barcelona. There’s so much to see and do during the summer months that it’s hard to know wh... Read More

How to Improve Your English Ov

The long summer holiday is almost here and we’ve got some top tips on how you can keep up your English over the summer... Read More

World Cup Vocabulary: Let’s

Football, football, football: the whole world is going crazy for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar! The beautiful game i... Read More

The 10 Characteristics Of A �

Learning a second language has a lot in common with learning to play an instrument or sport. They all require frequent p... Read More

Catch Your Child’s Imaginati

Imagine, for a moment, taking a cooking class in a language you didn’t know - it could be Japanese, Greek, Russian. It... Read More

Exam Day Tips: The Written Pap

Exams are nerve-wracking. Between going to class, studying at home and worrying about the results, it’s easy to forget... Read More

10 Reasons to Study English at

Learning a second language, for many people, is one of the best decisions they ever make. Travel, work, culture, educati... Read More

Shadowing: A New Way to Improv

Speech shadowing is an advanced language learning technique. The idea is simple: you listen to someone speaking and you ... Read More

The Best Websites to Help Your

Our children learn English at school from a young age - with some even starting basic language classes from as early as ... Read More

15 Useful English Expressions

When was the last time you painted the town red or saw a flying pig? We wouldn’t be surprised if you are scratchin... Read More

Help Your Teens Practise Engli

Teenagers today are definitely part of the smartphone generation and many parents are concerned about the amount of time... Read More

IELTS: Writing Part 1 –

Are you taking an IELTS exam soon? Feeling nervous about the writing paper? Read this article for some top tips and usef... Read More

Business skills: How to delive

Love them or hate them, at some point we all have to give a business presentation. Occasionally we have to deliver them ... Read More

10 phrasal verbs to help you b

A lot of students think English is easy to learn - that is until they encounter phrasal verbs! We are sure you have hear... Read More

6 Unbelievably British Easter

Have you heard of these fascinating British Easter traditions? Great Britain is an ancient island, full of superstition... Read More

Guide to getting top marks in

Your is coming to an end and exam day is fast approaching. It’s about time to make sure you are prepared for what man... Read More

4 Ways English Words are Born

Have you ever wondered where English words come from? There are a whopping 171,476 words in the . From aardvark to zyzz... Read More

Writing an effective essay: Ca

Students take language certifications like the Cambridge B2 First qualification for lots of different reasons. You might... Read More

5 Powerful Tools to Perfect Yo

Foreign accent and understanding When you meet someone new, what’s the first thing you notice? Is it how they look?... Read More

Essential Ski Vocabulary [Info

Are you a ski-fanatic that spends all week dreaming about white-capped peaks, fluffy snow and hearty mountain food? ... Read More

5 Tips to Get the Best Out of

Quizlet, Duolingo, Busuu...there are lots of apps on the market nowadays to help you learn and improve your English. But... Read More

10 False Friends in English an

Is English really that difficult? English is a Germanic language, which means it has lots of similarities with Germa... Read More

How to Improve your English wi

If you’ve been studying English for a long time, you’ve probably tried lots of different ways of learning the langua... Read More

Myths and Mysteries of the Eng

Learning another language as an adult can be frustrating. We’re problem-solvers. We look for patterns in language and ... Read More

10 Ways to Improve your Englis

Every year is the same. We promise ourselves to eat more healthily, exercise more and save money. It all seems very easy... Read More

10 English words you need for

Languages are constantly on the move and English is no exception! As technology, culture and politics evolve, we’re fa... Read More

Catalan Christmas Vs British C

All countries are proud of their quirky traditions and this is no more evident than . In South Africa they eat deep-fri... Read More

9 Ideas To Kickstart Your Read

You’ve heard about the four skills: reading, writing, and . Some might be more important to you than others. Although... Read More

How to Write the Perfect Busin

Business is all about communication. Whether it’s colleagues, clients or suppliers, we spend a big chunk of our workin... Read More

10 Phrasal Verbs You Should Le

Why are phrasal verbs so frustrating? It’s like they’ve been sent from the devil to destroy the morale of English la... Read More

How to Ace the Cambridge Speak

Exams are terrifying! The big day is here and after all that studying and hard work, it’s finally time to show what y... Read More

7 Podcasts To Improve Your Lis

Speaking in a foreign language is hard work. Language learners have to think about pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary... Read More

IELTS: Your Ticket to the Worl

Have you ever thought about dropping everything to go travelling around the world? Today, more and more people are quit... Read More

6 Language Hacks to Learn Engl

It’s October and you’ve just signed up for an English course. Maybe you want to pass an official exam. Maybe you nee... Read More

5 Reasons to Learn English in

Learning English is more fun when you do it in a fantastic location like Barcelona. Find out why we think this is the pe... Read More

FAQ Cambridge courses and Exam

  Is it better to do the paper-based or the computer-based exam? We recommend the computer-based exam to our stud... Read More

Cambridge English Exams or IEL

What exactly is the difference between an IELTS exam and a Cambridge English exam such as the First (FCE) or Advanced (C... Read More

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