THE ULTIMATE
WRITING GUIDE
FOR THE
CPE – PROFICIENCY
This guide has been created with all
Cambridge CPE Students in mind.
It is very common that students find
the writing part one of the hardest
ones in the Cambridge examination
format and it is mainly because there
are a few things that students need to
remember and have practised
thoroughly.
We have tried to include all the
important aspects that the writing part
requires in the Cambridge CPE –
Proficiency
The guide focuses on the type of
task, required language and style and
assessment of each task.
PAPER 2 CPE Proficiency
WRITING
TIME
1 hour 30 mins
PART 1
TASK
Essay
summarising key points in two short text and giving opinions on what
is stated in the two texts.
IT’S A COMPULSORY TASK
YOU MUST DO IT!
MARKS: 20
PART 2
TASK
Choose one from:
Article
Report
Review
Letter
IT’S A MULTIPLE-CHOICE TASK
MARKS: 20
OR
Write about one of the
set books
MARKS: 20
TIPS
When planning and writing your answer there are a number of aspects
to consider, as it will be judged according to the following criteria:
CONTENT
You must make sure that you identify and summarise all the key
points/opinions in the two texts (two for each text) and that you also give your
own opinions on what is stated in the two texts. As the opinions given in the
texts are closely related to each other, you will not need to use a lot of words to
summarise them - try to do this briefly, while making sure you have not left out a
key point. When you give your own opinions, you can agree or disagree with
what is stated in the texts.
COMMUNICATIVE
ACHIEVEMENT
Your essay should be suitably neutral or fairly formal in register but it does not
have to be extremely formal. In it, you need to demonstrate that you have fully
understood the main points, by summarising them in your own words, not
copying large parts from the texts. The opinions that you give must be closely
related to those main points so that your essay is both informative and makes
clear sense as a whole.
ORGANIZATION
Make sure that your essay flows well and logically and is divided appropriately
into paragraphs. Make sure that there is a clear connection between your
opinions and the content of the two texts, and that these features are linked
using appropriate linking words and phrases, both between sentences and
between paragraphs.
LANGUAGE
The language that you use needs to be both accurate and not simple/basic. You
need to demonstrate that you have a high level of English by using a range of
grammatical structures and appropriate vocabulary correctly. Don't use only
simple words and structures throughout your answer, try to think of ones that
show a more advanced level, without making sentences too complicated for the
reader to understand. It is advisable to check very carefully for accuracy when
you have completed your answer, as well as making sure that everything you
have written makes clear sense.
STEP BY STEP GUIDE
TO PRODUCE AN EFFECTIVE
ESSAY FOR THE CPE
PART 1
(240-280 words)
PART 1 - ESSAY
MARKS: 20
In Part 1 of the Writing paper you are required to write an essay
based on two short texts.
In the essay you must:
• summarise the key points in the two short texts
• give your own opinions on the topic
THE TEXTS
• The two texts present opinions on the same topic.
• Each text contains two main points/opinions that you must
include in your answer.
• The two texts may present contrasting opinions or they may
make points that are consistent with each other.
YOUR ESSAY
• The content of your essay does not have to follow any particular
order.
• You can summarise the main points of the text and then give your
own opinions.
• You can give your opinion on each point from the text as you
summarise it.
• You can summarise the points in a different order from how they
appear in the text.
• You must include your own opinions but you can put them
anywhere in the essay as long as they connect closely with the
points made in the texts.
STEP #1: READ THE TOPIC OF EACH EXTRACT
AND UNDERLINE THE KEY POINTS
Read the two texts below. Write an essay summarising and evaluating the key
points from both texts. Use your own words throughout as far as possible, and
include your own ideas in your answers
EXAMINATIONS ARE NOT FAIR
Making judgments about the ability of students based on examinations that take
place just once or perhaps twice a year is simply not fair. So many students fail
to show their true ability due to anxiety, stress and a number of other factors.
Many students who do well in exams do so simply by cramming facts into their
heads the week before the exam, to be forgotten by the following weekend.
Surely assessment of the work done in class and at home throughout the school
year would be a fairer system?
CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT IS IDEALISTIC
It’s all very well to talk about teachers judging their students’ work in the
classroom, and students working alone at home on their projects, but everyone
knows that continuous assessment doesn’t work like that. Teachers are only
human, and tend to be softer on their students than an examiner would be (or, in
a worse scenario, harder on a student they don’t like). Parents or older siblings
help students with the projects they have to do at home, even if it’s just coming
up with ideas for them. Exams may not be fun, but at least we get to see what
each individual student is capable of.
STEP #2: PARAPHRASE THE KEY POINTS
EXTRACT 1: PARAPHRASEING KEY POINTS
1 Unfair to judge a year's performance just once or twice a year.
2 This unfair system forces students to temporary parrot-fashion learning
Suggestion: all-year-round assessment.
EXTRACT 2: PARAPHRASING KEY POINTS
3 Continuous assessment depends too much on the teacher who may be either
too lenient or too strict.
4 Parents and siblings may give an unfair advantage to some students over their
classmates who don't have help at home.
Suggestion: exams are an objective assessment of individual performance.
STEP #3: INTRODUCTION
Make a simple reference to the topic of both texts
The two texts express contrasting views on the debated issue of school exams.
STEP #4: BODY PARAGRAPH (1)
TOPIC SENTENCE + POINT 1 + POINT 2
[Topic sentence] The author of the first text considers the annual
assessment of students' performance as inadequate. [Paraphrase the
first (1) point: Unfair to judge a year's performance just once or twice a
year.] Knowing that your only chance to prove your competence relies
on a couple of questions that need to be answered within a suffocating
time limit cannot but fill you with anxiety. [Paraphrase the second (2)
point: This unfair system forces students to temporary parrotfashion
learning] To make matters worse, even when students manage to
cope with the stress it is doubtful whether the academic aims are
achieved. All they do is switch off their critical thinking and employ
their parrot-fashion learning. Once the exam period is over they tend to
'delete' all this array of incongruent information. Therefore, they end up
with lots of pains and hardly any gains!
USEFUL PHRASES
•
•
•
The first text/passage/extract outlines the
benefits/drawbacks of…
The first text advocates… +…ing (supports)
It then goes on to espouse the viewpoint
that… (say)
•
•
•
The text sheds light on the issue/topic of…
The text brings the topic of… to light.
The writer of the first text is a firm believer
in…
STEP #5: BODY PARAGRAPH (2)
TOPIC SENTENCE + POINT 3 + POINT 4
[Topic sentence] Conversely, the second text supports the idea that
exams are the only reliable means of school assessment. [Paraphrase
the third (3) point: Continuous assessment depends too much on the
teacher who may be either too lenient or too strict.] If the students
were continually evaluated throughout the year they would be at the
mercy of the bias of their teachers. If professors are positively predisposed they will inflate the marks and if they have any sort of conflict
with their pupils they could use the marks as a form of punishment.
[Paraphrase the fourth (4) point: Parents and siblings may give an
unfair advantage to some students over their classmates who don't
have help at home] Moreover, the project work that has often been
hailed as the creative alternative of barren exams may prove to be a
hoax. More often than not it is other family members that do the work
and the students undeservingly reap the rewards.
USEFUL PHRASES
•
•
•
•
The second text argues/claims that…
The writer/author of the second text is
highly critical of…
Both writers seem to agree that…, where their
ideas deviate however is on the topic of…
The second text makes bold statements in
support of…
•
•
•
Not only does the first text state that…, but it
also claims that…
In addition to the aforementioned point, it
also claims that…
The second text puts forward the idea that…
STEP #6: PARAGRAPH (3) - OPINIONYOUR
OPINION
[Topic sentence] While I agree that the exams entail
counterproductive stress that may spoil the true meaning of education,
I cannot overlook the fact that they are an objective and trustworthy
method of evaluation. If the written tests accounted for a proportion of
the pupils' overall mark and the rest was completed with projects and
class participation we could successfully combine the profits of these
too seemingly contrasting methods.
STEP #7: CONCLUSION - CLOSING REMARK
All in all, the examinations can contribute to an objective assessment of
school performance as long as they are combined with elements of
continuous assessment.
USEFUL PHRASES
•
•
•
•
While the writer makes some valid
arguments in favour of…, she ignores the fact
that…
One area which the writer seems to have
overlooked is…
While I am generally in agreement with the
majority of the first writer’s points the
obvious hole in their argument is…
•
•
•
•
•
Were I to pick holes in the writer’s
arguments, I would start by pointing out
that…
I feel it must also be pointed out that…
When it comes to the topic of…, the text
seems to be lacking somewhat
One major weakness in the writer’s
argument is that…
The text neglects to mention that fact that…
The writer seems to have gone overboard in
their praise/criticism of…
LET’S PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
The two texts express contrasting views on the debated issue of school exams.
The author of the first text considers the annual assessment of students' performance as
inadequate. Unfair to judge a year's performance just once or twice a year. Knowing that your
only chance to prove your competence relies on a couple of questions that need to be
answered within a suffocating time limit cannot but fill you with anxiety. To make matters
worse, even when students manage to cope with the stress it is doubtful whether the
academic aims are achieved. All they do is switch off their critical thinking and employ their
parrot-fashion learning. Once the exam period is over they tend to 'delete' all this array of
incongruent information. Therefore, they end up with lots of pains and hardly any gains!
Conversely, the second text supports the idea that exams are the only reliable means of
school assessment. Continuous assessment depends too much on the teacher who may be
either too lenient or too strict. If the students were continually evaluated throughout the year
they would be at the mercy of the bias of their teachers. If professors are positively predisposed they will inflate the marks and if they have any sort of conflict with their pupils they
could use the marks as a form of punishment. Parents and siblings may give an unfair
advantage to some students over their classmates who don't have help at home Moreover,
the project work that has often been hailed as the creative alternative of barren exams may
prove to be a hoax. More often than not it is other family members that do the work and the
students undeservingly reap the rewards.
While I agree that the exams entail counterproductive stress that may spoil the true meaning
of education, I cannot overlook the fact that they are an objective and trustworthy method of
evaluation. If the written tests accounted for a proportion of the pupils' overall mark and the
rest was completed with projects and class participation we could successfully combine the
profits of these too seemingly contrasting methods.
All in all, the examinations can contribute to an objective assessment of school performance
as long as they are combined with elements of continuous assessment.
STEP BY STEP GUIDE
TO PRODUCE AN EFFECTIVE
ARTICLE FOR THE CPE
PART 2
(280-320 words)
An article is a piece of writing on a given topic that would be
suitable for the specified type of publication.
AN ARTICLE SHOULD INCLUDE
TITLE
INTRODUCTION
MAIN BODY
CONCLUSION
Read the rubric and make sure you understand:
Where the
article is going to
appear?
Who is going to
read it?
What is the aim
of the article?
Newspaper
Magazine
Blog
Teens
Adults
To advise
To suggest
To inform
TITLES
A title is totally necessary and should be a concise summary of
the information which is going to follow in the article.
TOPIC SENTENCES
You need to include topic sentences. These are sentences that
sum up the main idea of the paragraph,
SAMPLE EXAM TASK
You have been asked to write the following article:
Have you studied abroad?
Have you spent time studying in another country? We invite you, our
readers, to submit an article on your experiences in that country, to be
included in our forthcoming series on living and studying abroad.
Share your experiences with us. Tell us what you studied and about
any difficulties you faced while you were there. Have you changed as
a result of this?
LEARNING ABOUT LIFE
Studying abroad is an exciting experience, giving you the opportunity to learn
more about the traditions and culture of the host country and its people. Apart
from the excellent education I received during three years in England, I also
made a wide circle of friends and improved my language skills. I learned how to
face and deal with various problems, and as a result, have become more
independent and self-confident.
I studied English Literature and this, along with making many friends both at
university and through the part-time job I had, helped improve my English.
Although I already spoke the language quite well, when I first arrived I had
trouble understanding some accents and the slang or colloquialisms that are in
everyday use. Now I am a much more fluent and natural speaker, and my writing
has improved, too.
The biggest problems I faced were finding somewhere to live when I did not
know the area well, getting the electricity and phone connected and generally
learning to look after myself. I had to get used to shopping, cooking and doing
the housework, as well as studying and working, so I quickly mastered the art of
planning my time sensibly. Although adapting to living in a new country is not
easy, once the initial homesickness and missing the family has been overcome,
learning to fend for yourself certainly makes you a more independent person,
and definitely more self-confident.
My time abroad helped me grow as a person and I feel I could tackle any
problem now in a calm and confident manner, without having to immediately ask
someone for their help.
STEP BY STEP GUIDE
TO PRODUCE AN EFFECTIVE
REPORT FOR THE CPE
PART 2
(280-320 words)
A report is a formal document which you write to a figure of
authority to describe an experience such as attending a
conference or taking part in a project.
A REPORT SHOULD INCLUDE
Title and subtitles (or subheadings) and be divided into clear
sections.
There is usually an introduction and a conclusion
LANGUAGE IN A REPORT
Avoid using contractions in reports as they are too informal.
Another thing to avoid is using idioms and phrasal verbs as
they tend to be spoken and informal.
USEFUL PHRASES
In the introduction
•
•
•
The aim of this report is to...
The purpose of this report is to outline...
This report will also provide some
recommendations on...
In the conclusion
•
•
•
•
I strongly recommend...ing
It would be highly advisable to...
I would no doubt suggest...ing
I also believe we should
SAMPLE EXAM TASK
You have been asked to write the following REPORT:
You work for a local newspaper, which is considering launching a
weekly magazine supplement that would be included in the
newspaper. You have been asked to conduct a survey of local people
to find out what the supplement should contain. Write a report
detailing the findings of the survey and what conclusions can be
drawn from it.
REPORT - WEEKLY MAGAZINE SUPPLEMENT
Research
I prepared a short questionnaire, in which people were asked whether they
would be interested in reading a weekly magazine supplement and, if so, what
they thought it should include. I listed various categories for sections and
articles, and included 'other' for suggestions people might have that I hadn't
included.
I then spent a week asking people in the streets in the city-centre for their views
and completing the questionnaires with them. I got the views of 220 people of all
ages.
Findings
In general, the people r spoke to were keen on the idea of the supplement,
although 15 people said they couldn't see the point and wouldn't have enough
time to read one. The idea of a sports section was the most popular, and about
60% of the people I spoke to thought this should have articles about the local
clubs and interviews with the players - at the moment, the newspaper only has
short match reports.
Another popular idea was to have a section for hobbies, with details of clubs that
people can join to do them - a bout 50% liked that idea. Also, a bout 40% said
they would like longer reviews of films, plays and books because the ones in the
paper are usually very short. Six people suggested that it would be a good idea
to have a restaurant review column, which was not included in my questionnaire.
The idea of having a weekly recipe was also quite popular. The most unpopular
idea was to include articles about local politics - 80% of the people I spoke to
said they didn't want this – and about 70% said they didn't want articles on
environmental issues or financial matters.
Conclusions
It would appear that there is enough enthusiasm for the supplement to make it
worth doing. However, my survey indicates that people would prefer it to be
entertaining and enjoyable rather than having anything serious in it. It should
concentrate on people's interests rather than more serious issues and clearly
sports, hobbies and reviews should be covered in it.
STEP BY STEP GUIDE
TO PRODUCE AN EFFECTIVE
REVIEW FOR THE CPE
PART 2
(280-320 words)
A review is a semi-formal text which includes information that
gives details about the positive and negative aspects in any
given context or format.
SAMPLE EXAM TASK
You have been asked to write the following REVIEW:
A magazine you read has asked readers to send in reviews of
particular TV channels or radio stations. Write a review of a TV channel
or radio station, commenting on the type and/or mixture of
programmes it broadcasts, the standard of its broadcasts, which
people it generally appeals to and how it compares to other TV
channels or radio stations
As a keen reader of your magazine, I noticed the appeal in your last issue for
writing a review of my favourite TV channel or radio station, which is here to
follow.
The radio channel I've chosen to write about is called FIZZ FM. Many of your
other readers may not have heard about this channel. The reason is that it's only
on air between 11 pm and 4a m. It's a private channel only run by five people.
The main aim of FIZZ FM is to entertain people who have to work or get up either
late at night or early in the morning. So, it does not appeal to a certain social or
age group, but to particular work groups such as nurses, bakers, etc.
Nevertheless, it's very popular with people from 14 to 25 who, even if they don't
have to, get up in the middle of the night just to listen to that programme.
Concerning their mixture of programmes, they don't have a fixed schedule. It's a
'colourful' mix of music (from the 60s, 70s, Bos, 90s. . .), news and discussions.
Everything is very easy going, so it can happen that there is a whole night of
music, followed by a night of discussions about anything. Th e coordinators of
FIZZ FM want to make it easier for working people who have to face a long day
full of work.
Though it's not a very busy or (sometimes) interesting station, it is able to
compete against bigger stations, because a broad range of people enjoy
listening to it. To my mind, this is
because of its unique style and appearance. These people have successfully
filled a gap in the market without having the problem of competing against
others, just because other stations don't care about that time of day.
Perhaps now more people will tune in to FIZZ FM, who knows?
STEP BY STEP GUIDE
TO PRODUCE AN EFFECTIVE
LETTER FOR THE CPE
PART 2
(280-320 words)
You will likely be asked to write a formal letter in which you
may be required to give opinions, explain reasons for writing
the letter, describe events or request actions.
STRUCTURE TO WRITE A LETTER
START WITH A POLITE GREETING
PART 1 – STATE WHY YOU ARE WRITING & GIVE YOUR POINT OF VIEW
PART 2 – SUPPORT YOUR POINT OF VIEW WITH ARGUMENTS
PART 3 – SUPPORT YOUR POINT OF VIEW WITH ARGUMENTS
PART 4 – SUPPORT YOUR POINT OF VIEW WITH ARGUMENTS
PART 5 – STATE YOUR OPINION CLEARLY AND GIVE YOUR POINT OF VIEW
SAMPLE EXAM TASK
You recently read an article in a newspaper that encouraged
youngsters to carry out extremely dangerous activities such as hiking
and down-hill mountainbiking. A possibility has risen in order to ban
these sports from your local activity catalogue. Some sportspeople
have complained about the unfairness of the situation.
Write a letter supporting the ban on these sports giving a solid
foundation for your opinion.
Dear editor
PART 1 – STATE WHY YOU ARE WRITING & GIVE YOUR POINT OF VIEW
I am writing in reply to the article about dangerous sports which was published
in your newspaper on Sunday 8th July. I would definitely agree with the idea
that such sports put people at risk and that it would be infinitely preferable for the
government to ban them.
PART 2 – SUPPORT YOUR POINT OF VIEW WITH ARGUMENTS
Having said that, it is also true that taking regular exercise is vitally important. For
example, yoga, tai-chi and other forms of gentle exercise can do wonders for our
health. As for more strenuous exercise, such as weight lifting and athletism, I
believe they can be practised at gyms and other special places where people can
be supervised by trainers and experts.
PART 3 – SUPPORT YOUR POINT OF VIEW WITH ARGUMENTS
The main problem with dangerous sports -yatch races, for instance- is that they
happen outdoor in remote areas where no control or supervision can be provided.
Tragedies like what happened to that yatch in Hobart not only put the participants´
lives at risk, but also the ones of the people in the rescue teams. It is also
important to mention that the operation to save the injured cost the state a
fortune, which might as well have been used to do some social work in favour
of Hobart´s community. If we banned extreme sports we would avoid both of
these problems.
PART 4 – SUPPORT YOUR POINT OF VIEW WITH ARGUMENTS
Of course, there will be sportmen who will complain when the ban is established.
They will probably claim that their freedom to choose their leisure activities is
being restricted, but surely you must understand that we would be doing it for
their own safety. Others will probably state that we need not to worry about the
cost of rescues as they can be assumed by insurance companies, but this is not
necessarily true. As far as I am concerned such companies will only take
responsibility of fifty per cent of the cost of rescue operations.
PART 5 – STATE YOUR OPINION AND GIVE YOUR POINT OF VIEW
To sum up, I think that it is urgent for the government to take action and ban
extreme sports now and for all. There is plenty of evidence that they are not only
dangerous, but they cost us taxpayers a big amount of money, which could be
better used to improve the quality of life of people in our city.
POLITE CLOSING
Yours faithfully