If you're studying for the First Certificate exam without going to a language school or
without a teacher, then the writing exam is really difficult to study for.
What do you need to write?
How do you pass?
Well, in this video, I'm going to show you how the examiners mark your answer and what
exactly you need to do to pass.
Make sure you stay till the end of the video where I'll give you a super helpful checklist
that you can use to mark your own answers.
Let's get started!
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Okay, so there are 4 things that the examiner is looking for.
Doing the writing without understanding these things is kind of like trying to score a goal
in football without knowing where the goal post is.
It's impossible, isn't it?
So today, let's look at those 4 things.
They are: Content, Communicative Achievement, Organisation and Language.
I'm going to show you an example question to help you understand.
You've received the following letter from an English speaking friend.
Thanks for inviting me to come visit you when I come to your city next month.
I'm not sure what kind of clothes to pack - what will the weather be like when I get
there?
Could you write back with some suggestions?
Also, what is the best way to get around the city?
I'd prefer something that isn't too expensive.
Reply to this letter from your friend.
Here's the marking criteria as well.
It's Content, Communicative Achievement, Organisation and Language.
So let's look at content first.
The question tells you exactly what information you need to include.
You need to tell your friend about the weather next month, suggestions on what clothes to
wear and the best mode of transport that is also cheap.
If you include all of these ideas, you will get some marks for content.
That's easy, isn't it?
However, if you want full marks for content, you will need to develop your answer.
Have a look at these two examples.
The best mode of transport for you is to take the bus as it is the cheapest.
Although driving is the fastest way to get around the city, it is definitely cheaper
to take the bus.
Also, it is quite difficult to find parking in the centre so if I were you, I would stick
to the bus.
The first answer just tells you the facts and answers the question directly and this
is okay, you will get a few marks for content but if you want FULL marks, you must develop
it a little bit more.
You must give more information so that your friend reading the letter understands everything
about the situation.
Of course, you don't have time to discuss ALL the modes of transport - that's just too
much content but you just need enough to explain WHY you chose the bus, and not something else.
So next comes communicative achievement.
Here you need to consider a few different things.
The first thing you need to think about is that you need to use the correct structure
for every answer that you write.
So here, for example, the examiner wants you to write an informal letter so you must use
the usual things that we use when we write letters.
A greeting like 'Dear Jack' and signing the letter with 'Love/Best wishes' are all the
things that I would expect when I read an informal letter from a friend.
Talking about informal, that's one more thing you want to do.
In communicative achievement, the examiner also checks if your register is appropriate.
Your register is whether your writing is formal or informal.
The question tells you that you are writing to a friend so make sure you don't use any
formal expressions like 'Dear Sir or Madam' or 'Yours sincerely'.
Now the third thing that you need to do is to have simple and complex ideas.
So, this is quite difficult to explain so let me show you an example.
It's warm in England at the moment so you should bring some light clothes with you.
It's warm in England at the moment so you should light clothes with you.
It could get a little chilly in the evening though, so you might need a jacket or I could
lend you mine.
The first answer only gives you a simple fact and writing about facts is quite easy, isn't
it?
But a complex idea will have intangible things - guesses, speculation, possibilities, hypothetical
situations and so on.
So using some modal verbs like 'could get a little chilly' or 'might need a jacket'
or using conditionals, unreal conditionals, will help you to achieve top marks here.
Ok, the third one is organisation.
Here you need to show that your answer is easy to read with clear paragraphs.
Try to only talk about one thing per paragraph.
In this question, it would be best to talk about clothes and weather in one paragraph
and then transport in another paragraph.
You'll also need to use some linking words.
The basic ones like 'and' or 'but' are just not good enough, because you're doing a B2
level exam.
Here's an example to show you this in action.
I won't be able to pick you up from the airport.
I have to work.
But I'd love to show you around at the weekend.
While I won't be able to pick you up from the airport due to work, I'd love to show
you around at the weekend.
Both of these answers express the same things but the second one links all the ideas together
with 'while' instead of 'but' and 'due to' to show a reason.
So linking your ideas like this will really help with your marks in organisation.
Finally, let's look at language.
Here, you need to use a range of vocabulary, so both everyday vocabulary - the stuff you
use everyday - and more uncommon vocabulary - the stuff that is related to the topic that
you've been given.
You will need to use them appropriately for the best marks so I really do not recommend
learning a list of really difficult words and then trying to use them, just because
you can use them.
You'll also need to try and use a variety of grammatical forms.
Here are a few examples.
Relative and adverb clauses.
Passives.
Verb patterns.
Modals, Different tenses.
Conditionals.
Negative inversion.
Indirect questions.
Let's look at two examples and language really makes a big difference.
By the way there is a festival in town next month.
It celebrates the beginning of spring.
We can got there and watch the fireworks.
By the way, there is an exciting festival in town next month, which celebrates the beginning
of spring.
I was wondering if you wanted to go watch the spectacular firework display with me.
Now, you can see that we've used some good vocabulary like 'exciting festival' instead
of just 'festival' and we've said 'spectacular firework display' instead of 'the fireworks'.
And this shows the examiner that you can comfortably use some more uncommon vocabulary.
They're not advanced vocabulary really - they're just ambitious.
They're a little bit more uncommon.
You've also used a relative clause 'which celebrates the beginning of spring' instead
of starting a new sentence.
So in this way you've actually increased your marks for organisation as well but your grammar,
which you're doing that with, is actually quite good.
So, they'll give you some marks for using that.
Finally, instead of just saying directly 'we can go there and watch the fireworks', this
person has used an indirect question - 'I was wondering if you wanted to go watch...'
This is a fantastic piece of grammar, looks quite easy but it is B2 level.
So by using this, you're actually showing the examiner that you understand how to be
polite and how to ask a question, or make a suggestion in a really good way.
Now remember that is better to write with complex grammar points with small mistakes
than to write with only simple or easy sentences that are completely correct.
The examiner will not take your marks away if you make mistakes.
They will only look for mistakes that impeded communication, or make it difficult to understand
your sentence.
Here's a really good example of that.
If I had knowned about your trip earlier, I would have taken some days off to show you
around.
When you look at this mistake, you know that they are trying to use the third conditional.
The meaning is really clear.
Now unfortunately, the student has made one small mistake.
Instead of using 'known' which is the past participle of 'know', they've actually used
'knowned' - which is incorrect, this word doesn't exist.
. Despite this, the examiner will give you marks because the meaning is really quite
clear and this IS a B2 level answer.
So don't be afraid of making mistakes.
Please don't be afraid of it.
In fact, be afraid of being boring.
Remember the examiner reads 100s of writing answers and you need to be interesting and
you need to show off all of the stuff you've learned in the last few years.
Ok, so let's wrap this video up by looking at a summary of everything.
Content is worth five marks and is given to you if you answer the question completely
and you develop your answers.
Communicative achievement, also worth 5 marks, is yours if you can write in the right register,
right structure and use some intangible ideas in your answer like hypothetical things or
possibilities.
Organisation, also worth five marks is for making sure that your writing in easy clear
paragraphs: one topic for each paragraph.
You also get marks for linking some ideas so make sure you're revising your linking
words.
Finally, you get five marks for language.
You need to make sure that you can show off all of your vocabulary and grammar.
Remember, be ambitious- the examiner likes that.
Don't be worried about making a few, small mistakes.
I hope this video made the examiner's criteria super easy to understand.
Did you like this video?
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below.
Also, I've got a checklist for you, which you can use to make sure that you've done
everything that the examiner wants.
If you'd like to download this, click on the link in the description box below.
Keep practising and I'll see you next time.
Bye!