Vir & Isaac_C2 WRITING

WRITING

ENGLISH C2

C2 CERTIFICATION: 2 TASKS (95 MINUTES)C2 EOI FINAL EXAM: 1 TASK (60 MINUTES; 250-300 WORDS)

WRITING SCHEDULE

Suggested schedule:- task 1: 35 minutes - task 2: 60 minutes

TYPE OF TASK

Task 1: formal/informal emails, email to the editor, forum/blog posts, etc. (120-150 words) Task 2: narrative, review, report, essay, article, proposal, etc. (250-300 words)

TASK 1: SHORT TASK

According to this year's regulations:

EXAMPLES OF SHORT TASKS

Pruebas de certificación de inglés (C2), Comunidad Autónoma de Canarias (2021-2022)

EXAMPLES OF SHORT TASKS

Pruebas de certificación de inglés (C2), Comunidad Autónoma de Canarias (2020-2021)

A NARRATIVE

• Type of text: story/ narrative
• Type of language: descriptive, connotative (not denotative)
• register: neutral
• suggested structure:

- setting - description of characters - introduce problem/conflict - develop storyline towards a climax - describe the climax of the story - describe how the character reacts to the story ending

SPECIFIC CHARACTERISTICS OF A NARRATIVE TEXT

• STRUCTURE: flexible to some extent, depends on the writer's style and intention
• LANGUAGE: descriptive and transmiting emotions/feelings rather than just information

Example: It was a stormy day... (denotative language) The enraged sky... (connotative language)

CONNOTATIVE LANGUAGE (A FEW IDEAS)

• Rethorical language
• Compound adjectives
• Inversions
• Sayings
• Emphatic phrases/expressions
• Grammar: narrative tenses (past simple, past continuous, past perfect)

EXAMPLES OF CONNOTATIVE LANGUAGE

RETHORICAL LANGUAGE: Similes The trees likened to skyscrapers that veiled the sky. (Here avoid using common connectors) Metaphors The colossal trees were skyscrapers that veiled the sky. (Avoid the use of comparative expressions, e.g. "like") Hyperbole The enraged sky was like a blazing fire. (Exageration) Personification The sky was shedding tears. Oxymoron She was creepingly smiling (two opposites together)

EXAMPLES OF CONNOTATIVE LANGUAGE

COMPOUND ADJECTIVES Instead of using adjectives to describe something without using comas and afte nouns, try using compound hyphenated adjectives BEFORE nouns. This will show a more advanced use of language: The trees were leafy and colossal (The leafy-colossal trees) A paradise that had never beed seen before (A one-of-a-kind paradise) The sky was miserable and colorless (The miserable-colorless sky) The woman who was twenty eight years old... (The twenty-eight-year-old woman) The woman had sparkling long hair (The woman's sparkling long hair) NOTE: do not use hyphens with adverbs ending in -ly when describing adjective. Densily populated Brightly shining

EXAMPLES OF CONNOTATIVE LANGUAGE

INVERSIONS: All the money we had lost was on the table. (On the table was all the money we had lost.) She was so beautiful that nobody could talk of anything else. (Such was her beauty that nobody could talk of anything else) SAYINGS (very useful to describe situations, people or feelings): Emily felt completely out of place at that meeting. (Emily was a fish out of water at that meeting) EMPHATIC EXPRESSIONS: Very: She was the very best example of her beauty She was the very woman who gave birth to Emily. She was standing at the very back of the street. Nothing but: He was nothing but the love of her life.

A NARRATIVE: final tips

• Dedicate some time to analizing the language you've used in your text; make sure you've used C2 vocabulary & grammar.

• Do not overuse rethorical phrases/ elaborated language
• Organize your time to do different tasks when writing your text (planning, storyline, use of language, etc.)

A NARRATIVE: final tips

• Dedicate some time to analizing the language you've used in your text; make sure you've used C2 vocabulary & grammar.

• Do not overuse rethorical phrases/ elaborated language
• Organize your time to do different tasks when writing your text (planning, storyline, use of language, etc.)

AN ARTICLE

• Main characteristics: engaging, interesting, descriptive, narrating

• Register: formal/semi-formal/ informal

• Organization: title, introduction, main paragraphs and final paragraph
• Language: direct speech & passive reporting verbs
• News articles: remember the rule of the include the 5 Ws and the H questions (what, who, where, when, why)
• Opinion articles: more personal style

AN ARTICLE, STEP BY STEP

• TITLE: try to write an engaging and catching title
• INTRODUCTION: write an introduction which defines the topic and keeps the reader's attention
• MAIN PARAGRAPHS: include 2 or 3 paragraphs (you may or may not include subheadings)
• FINAL PARAGRAPH: include a conclusion, final opinion, recommendation or comment (each paragraph should include a clear topic sentence.

AN ARTICLE, STEP BY STEP

• TITLE: try to write an engaging and catching title
• INTRODUCTION: write an introduction which defines the topic and keeps the reader's attention
• MAIN PARAGRAPHS: include 2 or 3 paragraphs (you may or may not include subheadings)
• FINAL PARAGRAPH: include a conclusion, final opinion, recommendation or comment (each paragraph should include a clear topic sentence.

BEFORE you write your article think of the following: Where will the article appear? (Magazine, website...) Who is the target group? (Tone/ register) What is the purpose of the article? (Suggest, inform, ...) What advanced grammar or structures do you intend to use?

EXAMPLE: AN OPINION ARTICLE STEP BY STEP

• Include your own views
• Persuade the reader
• Use evidence to support your opinion (include details and examples)
• Tell readers why they should care about the topic
• Make it personal
• FINISH WITH A STRONG FINAL PARAGRAPH!

ARTICLES: FINAL TIPS

• REGISTER: depends on the type of task
• CONTENT: this type of text is an opportunity to be creative and show how well you can use the language
• ATTRACT the reader with an attractive title, introduction and or conclusion
• LANGUAGE: use idioms, phrases, metaphors...

ACCORDING TO CAMBRIDGE...

REMEMBER!

AN EXAMPLE

https://teacherphill.com/c2-proficiency-how-to-write-an-article/

A PROPOSAL

• A proposal may be written for a peer group (such as colleagues or club members), or for a supervisor (such as a boss or a college principal).

• You will be expected to make more than one suggestion, supported by factual information and evaluation, in order to persuade the reader of a course of action.

A PROPOSAL: characteristics & structure

• Include headings and subheadings
• Language: persuasive, impersonal
• Content: suggestions/ recommendations
• Structure: introduction, subheading 1, subheading 2 & final recommendations

LANGUAGE & USEFUL PHRASES

AN EXAMPLE

https://engxam.com/handbook/how-to-write-a-proposal-ca-advanced-cae//

A REVIEW

• This type of text may be about a book, magazine, film, play, concert, album, product, application, etc.
• Type of language: descriptive, but also narrative, evaluative; vocabulary relating to literature, the media, cinema, TV, technology, etc.
• Register: normally semi-formal/neutral
• Structure:

- title/ introduction - body (2-4 paragraphs) - recommendation

ORGANIZING YOUR REVIEW

• Title / introduction:

State the name of the product and attract the reader's attention

• Main body (3-4 paragraphs):

P1: short summary of the reviewed materialPs 2-3: description of positive and/or weaker aspectsP4: sum up the good and bad points to make an objective assessment (complimentary paragraph)

• Recommendation:

Final opinion, recommendation or comment

SOME TIPS/ IDEAS FOR EACH PART (REVIEW)

• Title / introduction (examples):

Book: [Title] by [author]Hotel: [name of the hotel] - a review NOTE: you can also give your review a catchy title(eg. Taco Bell: a striking experience) The introduction focuses on the identification of the author (book), the title, the main topic or issue and the purpose.

• Main body (3-4 paragraphs):

Try to organize paragraphs according to content, each paragraph must fulfil a specific role.

• Recommendation:

Here evaluate the work as a whole, determining whether the reviewed material/author, ... achieves the intended or implied goal and whether the work makes a significant contribution to the existing knowledge.

AN EXAMPLE

(https://teacherphill.com/c2-proficiciency-how-to-write-a-review/?utm_content=cmp-true)

A REPORT

• Type of text: addressed to a specific audience, on a specific topic including mainly factual information and scope for candidates to use their own ideas and experience
• Type of language: descriptive, comparative, analytical, impersonal, persuasive
• Register: formal (most reports)
• Suggested structure:

- title - introduction - main sections (headings) - conclusion

STRUCTURE OF A REPORT

• TITLE & INTRODUCTION
• MAIN PARAGRAPHS (subheadings)
• CONCLUSION

NOTE: For most reports this structure works very well. So, depending on the task, we mostly use two or three main sections and you are free to choose whatever organisational form you think makes the most sense.

PLANNING AND STRUCTURE (REPORT)

PLANNING YOUR REPORT1. Title & introduction Show what the report is about. It can be quite explicit but you can also give a more subtle description of the subject matter 2. First main paragraph 3. Second main paragraph Here you need to get a bit creative and come up with some ideas. You can include more than one paragraph under one subheading but ONLY if all paragraphs really belong to the same section. 4. Conclusion Finish your report and make recommnedations or suggestions based on the information provided in the previous sections. You can also give your personal opinion to round off the text. Don't forget the subheading again!

SOME USEFUL VOCABULARY AND PHRASES

INTRODUCTIONThe purpose/aim of this report is to…. This report sets out to… The report will comment on… Below is an explanation of… The focus of this report is… This report will offer an in-depth critique of…

SOME USEFUL VOCABULARY AND PHRASES

COMPARING AND CONTRASTINGThere is a world of difference between… and... ... and… are fundamentally similar … and… bear little resemblance to each other There is a clear distinction between… and… ...compares favourably with… ... and… are polar opposites There is a yawning gap between… and… There is a subtle difference between… and… There is a growing disparity between rich and poor ...is strikingly different to…

SOME USEFUL VOCABULARY AND PHRASES

GIVING RECOMMENDATIONSIn light of the above, we believe the following measures should be adopted… In the short/long term, we suggest you should consider… My recommendations are as follows:… In my view, in future, we should… To improve the situation, we recommend… It is recommended that…

PLAN YOUR REPORT! - Where can tourists go to eat in your area? - What is good or bad about the range of eating establishments currently available and the service they provide? - What changes could be made? - How will these changes attract more visitors?

SAMPLE EXAM QUESTION

THIS TYPE OF WRITING IS VERY COMMON IN CERTIFICATION EXAMS/ FINAL EXAMS...

... and it actually was task 2 of the certification exam two years ago

(https://www.gobiernodecanarias.org/educacion/web/idiomas/pruebas/pruebas_certificacion/documentos_interes/modelos-pruebas-cert-eoi/)

AN ESSAY

• Characteristics: summarizing and evaluating main ideas

• Register: formal

• General structure: introduction, paragraphs (2-3) and conclusion

• Types of essay: opinion, for & against, discussion

ESSAYS

AN ESSAY: TIPS & ASPECTS TO REMEMBER

• An essay should always be written using a FORMAL style.

• The structure of an essay should be clearly organized.

• Paragraphs must be clearly differenciated and they should be introduced by a topic sentence and include supporting sentences.

AN EXAMPLE

Source: Consejería de Educación (Canarias)

WRITING: CHECK, CHECK, CHECK!

Meaningful words (any basic words you can replace?)Connectors (what connectors have you included?)Colourful vocabulary/ idioms Spelling! (double consonants)Serious grammar mistakes: present/past, singular/plural,