c2 essay writing examples

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Writing - Part 1 - C2 Proficient (CPE) - Practice, Write & Improve

Exam question:, type: essay.

One in every two criminals leaving prison will commit another crime within one year of walking out the prison gates. If the aim of prison is to stop people committing crimes, it’s not really working. And putting kids in prison is least effective of all. From a cold look at the statistics, this does not look like a successful way to reduce crime. Especially not for young offenders, and especially not for people on short-term sentences. There isn’t a magic bullet for stopping criminals committing new crimes, but considering how expensive it is to keep someone in prison you’d think there’d be an economic incentive at least to try and improve the system.

It’s tempting to think that imprisonment has been used as a punishment. But that’s not true. In terms of rehabilitation, prison looks like a bad solution. But there are a lot of other potential benefits from depriving offenders of their liberty. It prevents them committing crimes whilst locked up. It can deny them access to harmful drugs. It can disrupt their social network. It can offer them a supervised opportunity to reflect on their offences, change their behaviour and plan for a better future. And it can satisfy society’s demand for retribution.

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.

Student's Answer:

” It is a well-known fact that prison it is an important topic for the society and the goverment because help to prevent committing crimes.However, there are two views of the positive and negative aspects of keeping someone in prison. Both texts discuss the nature of these topics, but from a different perspective.

To begin with, prisons have a significance role in society nowadays beacuse help to keep the balance in human’s relations.Furthermore, it can stop the prisoners of commiting serious crimes and deny them the opportunity to access to harmful drugs. Moreover, this institution help the goverment to keep the safety in the territory and guarantee the citizens that they are not in danger or at risk. Although it is a common belief that inmates do not carry out useful activities for society they just eat and sleep, the true is that they do more than that. Prison offer to prisoners to change their behaviuor and have a better future with thier lives. In addition, most of the inmates can access to different levels of eduaction and they can enrol to a college carreer.

On the other hand, one of the negative aspects of prison is that goverment spend a lot of money in this institution but there are not improvemets in the buildings and in the system’s structure. Besides, most of the prisons have not good conditions to be inhabited and this affect one of the main human rights that is the right to an adequate standard of living.

To sum up, the institution of prison is a big challange for the goverment and the society. Citizens have to think a very good solution for this problem. “

Adding an appropriate title is definitely an attractive addition.

It is a well-known fact tha t prison it is an important topic for society and the government because helps to prevent committing crimes. However, (cohesive devices) t here are two views of the positive and negative aspects of keeping someone in prison . Both texts discuss the nature of these topics, but from a different perspectives .

Appropriate introduction; informs the reader about the essence of the essay including information on whether texts are contrasting or complementary

avoid general words and common vocabulary such as (nice, good, get, big, a lot) use vocabulary of a higher level (remarkable, achieve, significant)
use of words that are subject-specific : For example, if you are writing about biology, you’d use words like “epithelial cells” instead of “skin cells”

To begin with, prisons have a significant role in society nowadays because help to keep the (use more advanced vocabulary) balance in human relations . Furthermore , (cohesive devices) it can stop prisoners from committing serious crimes and deny them the opportunity to access to harmful drugs. Moreover , (cohesive devices) this institution help the government to keep the safety in the territory (use more advanced vocabulary) and guarantee the citizens that they are not in danger or at risk. (use more advanced vocabulary) Although it is a common belief tha t inmates do not carry out (avoid phrasal verbs) useful activities for societ y they just eat and sleep, (use more advanced vocabulary) the truth is that they do more than that . (use more advanced vocabulary) Prison offer prisoners the to change their behaviour and have a better future in their lives. (use more advanced vocabulary) In addition, (cohesive devices) most of the inmates can access to different levels of education and they can enrol on a college carreer. 4

avoid phrasal verbs and idioms - are considered informa l (blow up, put it, take away, deal with etc..)
use passive voice (The committee has been informed …, It is said…)
use formal expressions (With reference to , Considering the… )

On the other hand , (cohesive devices) one of the negative aspects of prison is that goverment spend a lot of money on this institution but there are no improvements in the buildings . (use more advanced vocabulary) and in the system's structure . 2 Besides , (cohesive devices) most of the prisons do have not good conditions to be inhabited and this affects one of the main human rights which is the right to an adequate standard of living.

Lots of grammatical errors, essay should be flawless at C2 level

To sum up, (informal) / To summarise the institution of prison is a big challenge for the goverment and the society . Citizens have to think a very good solution for this problem."

Recommended articles and videos CPE Writing, Essay How to write an essay? | C2 Proficient (CPE)

Content: 3/5 have you answered the question?

1 Imprisonment does not reduce crime - misinterpretation/omitted 2 High maintenance cost should encourage change -partially commented/indicated 3 In terms of rehabilitation, prison looks like a bad solution. - misinterpretation/omitted 4 There other potential benefits (temporary measure; reflection; retribution) - fully commented

Communicative Achievement: 2-3/5 have you completed the task in the right sort of language?

There are not man y complex ideas/sentences expressed , which does not allow enough flexibility to be demonstrated.

The organisation: 3/5 have you structured your writing properly?

The text is clearly organised into paragraphs, which each deal with one idea.

The paragraphs are introduced using obvious linkers (To begin with,On the other hand,) at the C2 level, expectations are slightly higher

Language: 3/5 have you used a good range of grammar and vocabulary?

Vocabulary There is a sufficient range of vocabulary, including less common lexis.

Grammar There is sufficient range of simple and more complex grammatical forms which are used with control and flexibility.

A repetitive vocabuary; Use synonyms

There are grammar errors and the language is not always used with full control

Score: 11/20 Grade: C1

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Guide to the Cambridge C2 Proficiency Writing Exam – Part 2: Review

Guide to the Cambridge C2 Proficiency Writing Exam – Part 2 Review

Posted on 02/08/2023
Categories: Blog
Tags: Cambridge , Cambridge Exams , Cambridge Proficiency

Are you working towards the Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE) exam? Have you been having sleepless nights thinking about what might appear on the writing exam? Do you need some tips to help you with your planning? If you’ve answered ‘yes’ to any of the previous questions, fear not – we’re here to help!

The review is just one of the options in Writing Part 2. However, you can’t guarantee which ones will be on the paper on exam day. Also, it’s not just the structure that’s important. If the topic really takes your fancy because you already know lots of C2 vocabulary, you might go for that one!

Above all, you need to feel prepared. That means understanding a task, planning effectively and having some CPE secret weapons at your disposal . By the end of this blog, you’ll know what a typical Cambridge C2 review question looks like, what to include in your plan, what grammar and vocabulary you could incorporate and how you can prepare for this part of the C2 Proficiency writing exam. Let’s start with the basics!

What is a review?

According to the Cambridge C2 Proficiency exam page :

The review is one of six options you can choose from in the C2 Proficiency Writing paper Part 2, along with the mandatory essay that you’ll complete in Part 1, which we covered in our Guide to the Cambridge C2 Proficiency Writing Exam – Part 1: Essay blog post. Don’t forget to revisit our Guide to the Cambridge C2 Proficiency Writing Exam – Part 2: Report too! Keep your eyes peeled for blogs about the rest!

Review format

Word count: 280–320.
Register: neutral – it depends on the target reader.
Main purpose: describe, evaluate, recommend, suggest.
General structure: title, introduction to the topic, three main paragraphs – one to describe, one to discuss in more detail, one to recommend.
Common themes: films, books, restaurants, art, festivals, concerts.

Why choose the review task?

One of the main reasons a lot of students feel comfortable writing reviews is because we use them so often in everyday life. That is to say, we prefer to check opinions before committing to a product or an event.

However, it’s not as simple as giving stars! We need to make sure our writing is upgraded to C2 level. Check out the table below for examples of upgraded language. We’ve used four different review topics.

We’ve used two techniques here: In red , you can see examples of pseudo-cleft sentences . In blue , you can see examples of negative inversions . We’ve highlighted a nice phrasal verb in pink , and you can see lots of underlined examples of descriptive language .

However, it’s important to use these sparingly . In other words, use your planning stage to decide where you’re going to use them or your writing can seem too formal. Remember, you’re writing to convince someone, so you want to communicate on their level. Don’t go overboard !

How can I structure a review?

First, let’s look at a review task.

As the task asks you to do three things: describe the book you enjoyed, talk about the attractions it had for you as a child and explain why it’s relevant today, you’d probably want three paragraphs. Add a fourth for a short conclusion and you have your general structure. Your title can be the name of the book.

You should allocate at least 15 minutes to your plan. Think carefully about what you want to write about and how you can explain your ideas. Make a list of useful collocations connected to the topic. Then, think about how you can use excellent examples of C2 grammar. Plan how you’re going to connect your ideas with linkers. Vary your sentence structure and occasionally add a much shorter sentence in order to add emphasis. It really works!

Remember, your writing needs to have cohesion. The more time you spend planning, the more you can work on the structure. Try to visualise your paragraphs as rectangles. Within these rectangles there are smaller rectangles that vary in size and shape. Imagine that you have to decide on the perfect order and distribution. As a result, your paragraph will be stronger.

What does a review look like?

First, the writer introduces the topic of the review. This helps the reader know what he/she is about to read. Next, the writer gives a brief description of the story. No spoilers please! In the third paragraph, the writer comments on how the story is relevant today. To conclude, he/she links back to the original introduction and summarises the entire review in one neat little paragraph. Beautiful!

We’ve also highlighted some lovely collocations which are appropriate for this task about children’s books. You’ll find lots more inspiration for your reviews on sites like Goodreads , Metacritic , The Guardian and Rolling Stone .

What else can I do?

Practise! Practise! Practise!.
Don’t limit your English to a specific time. Instead, do as much of your daily life in English as possible.
Read in English – it’s a fantastic way to consolidate grammar points and learn new vocabulary. It’s fun too!
Listen to music in English. What better place to start than Rolling Stone’s 500 Best Songs of All time ?
Practise! Practise! Practise! Did we mention that one already?! We’ve included some blogs below to keep you busy:

How to Write a Review for Cambridge C1 Advanced

6 Tools To Take Your Writing To The Next Level – general writing tips

Our Year In Review: Top 10 Blog Posts Of 2019 – a different example of a review!

5 Spelling Rules For Comparative And Superlative Adjectives – work on descriptive language

Looking for further support?

If you’re interested in preparing for the C2 Proficiency exam but don’t know where to start, get in touch with us here at Oxford House today! We offer specific courses that are designed especially to help you get ready for the exam. Let our fully qualified teachers use their exam experience to guide you through your learning journey. Sign up now and receive your free mock test!

Glossary for Language Learners

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

take your fancy (id): appeal to someone.

at your disposal (id): available to be used.

keep your eyes peeled (id): watch carefully for something.

sparingly (adv): in small amounts, without wasting any.

go overboard (id): do something too much.

allocate (v): to give a particular amount of time or money to something.

be about to do something (id): to be going to do something very soon.

neat (adj): tidy.

check out (pv): examine or investigate.

pv = phrasal verb

adj = adjective

adv = adverb

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9 Tips For Communicating With Locals In English-Speaking Countries

By: oxfordadmin
Posted on 21/06/2023

25 years of Oxford House – Our Own English Language Community

Posted on 09/08/2023

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Home » Cambridge English Test Preparation » CPE Essay

Table of Contents

CPE Essay Sample 1

Cpe essay question.

Here is a CPE essay question that my student sent me:

" What policies can we follow to reduce traffic in the town centre?

-cycle paths -fines -public transport

Some opinions expressed during the meeting:

"Cycling everywhere isn't realistic - what about large families?" "Fines mean the rich will continue driving." "Nobody uses the existing buses and trams!"

Write 240-280 words."

Write a plan for this question below:

Online Template : https://studentlanguages.com/caewritingplantemplate/

or, if you prefer using pen and paper, print out the hardcopy template below:

Hardcopy Template :

https://studentlanguages.com/caewritingplantemplate2/

Essay Sample 1 - Answer

"It is generally acknowledged that the traffic jams in our town centre are becoming considerably severe nowadays. Governments could take actions accordingly in order to achieve this goal. In this essay, I intend to examine two opinions presented with regards to this topic. First and foremost, modernising public transport would make people’s commute significantly easier. To demonstrate this point, I would like to take Melbourne as an example in which we can witness an up-to-date infrastructure which is served by a variety of forms of public transport, such as trains, trams and buses. As a result, not only do the commuters save time, but they also have a more accessible and convenient transport system, not to mention the environmental benefits of having fewer cars in the city centre.

On the other hand, insofar as setting regulations and restrictions on the traffic in urban areas is concerned, one option could be the introduction of government toll charges. To clarify this point, by charging drivers, there should be a resultant drop in driver numbers and cars on the roads. Not only this, but the government could also utilize the revenue from the toll charge back into the introduction of technologies that will reduce pollution and thus, protect our mother earth. In this way, not only could the traffic be reduced, but it also will be helpful for our environment and sustainability. After all the aforementioned matters are considered, it is fair to say that establishing restrictions by tolls is the most effective method to decreasing traffic congestion in the town centre due to the fact that it is powerful enforcement."

Write down the mistakes and corrections for this answer:

Online Template : https://studentlanguages.com/caewritingcorrections/

Hardcopy Template: https://studentlanguages.com/caewritingcorrections2/

Essay Sample 1 - Mistakes

Complete the examiner assessment scale template for this answer:

Online Scale: https://studentlanguages.com/caewritingscaletemplate/

Hardcopy Scale :

https://studentlanguages.com/caewritingscaletemplate2/

Essay Sample 1 - Assessment Scale Critique


	3	All the points of the task have been addressed and the target reader is fully informed as to which policy would be more effective in reducing traffic in the town centre.
	2	The main points in the paragraph are generally easy to follow. The sentences in the introduction could flow together in a better way. Occasionally the reader may lose engagement due to an unfamiliar collocation or choice of words. The writing generally follows the conventions of an essay and the language is appropriately formal and generally engaging: ‘thus protect our mother earth’ Some more complex ideas are put forward effectively.
	2	The essay generally has a clear structure which is helped by the use of separate paragraphs and good linking words and phrases: ‘First and foremost’ On an individual paragraph level the main arguments have been well developed with appropriate linking words, other cohesive devices and organisational patterns used to good effect: ‘To demonstrate this point’ ‘as a result’ ‘...which is served by…’ ‘Not to mention…’
	2	There is a range of everyday and less common vocabulary evident in the writing: ‘Significantly easier’ ‘Aforementioned’ There are also a range of grammatical structures used: ‘One option could be…’ ‘Not only could…’ There are occasional inappropriate word choices but these do not impede communication to a large extent.

Add any useful language, vocabulary, grammar and other tips you’ve learnt from this writing to this online worksheet : https://studentlanguages.com/caewritingtips/ or to this hardcopy worksheet : https://studentlanguages.com/cae-writing-vocabulary-tips-advice/

CPE Essay Sample 1 - Final Analysis

Content - 3

Communicative Achievement: 2

Organisation: 2

Language: 2

Total: 3 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 9/20.

If you can't remember what these scores mean, you can check out this video at the bottom of the page where I go into more detail (for a different essay).

If this student got 9/20 for their part 2 writing in the exam, they would have 18/40 for the C2 Proficiency writing paper.

The student would therefore not pass this exam paper.

To understand how these marks are calculated, check out page 6 of this document : https://studentlanguages.com/passmarks/

I suggest using that page to mark your scores when you are practising for all the different exam papers.

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Cambridge English: Proficiency

Check out students' answers to Flo-Joe's CPE Writing tasks with a teacher's feedback

Writing Class

Writing Class: Essay

Task type: essay.

Question 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.

The Financial Costs of Stress
Research carried out by the Health and Safety Council estimates that stress and mental illness continues to be neglected by many businesses, both small and large. And the economic impact of this is huge, costing employers around £26bn a year. Stress at work can lead to a lack of concentration, fatigue and low motivation, all of which will cost the company in terms of low productivity, customer satisfaction and the very reputation of the company itself. Employers are being urged to become more "emotionally intelligent" and to improve the way they deal with stress and mental illness.

Speak up about Stress
Many people find it difficult to talk about their feelings, particularly if we're feeling weak or vulnerable. However, when suffering from stress it’s vital you seek help. It's important to feel you can talk honestly with a close friend, a loved one, a work colleague or doctor about what’s going on. Stress is easily diagnosed and there is plenty you can do to successfully treat and manage stress. One of the most effective of these is to share your feelings with those you trust. Remember that accepting help and support is not a sign of weakness. Close relationships are vital to helping you get through this tough time.

Write the essay. (around 240 - 280 words)

Makeover: Mathieu

Read Mathieu's answer to this question below. Try correcting the piece of writing yourself first: use the marking codes to think about what might be wrong (or what's good) about the piece of work. Then when you're ready, click the green buttons in the text for our feedback.

Both texts discuss the topic of stress at work. This essay aims to summarise and evaluate the impact of stress at work at both company and individual levels.

The first text focuses on the consequences of stress at work from a company’s perspective. It stresses the financial impact, which at £26bn a year is enormous. It does mention that stressed employees have a direct, negative impact on ' here.

company’s productivity, customer satisfaction and market perception. It is also said that employers must urgently take the necessary actions to increase their awareness of employees’ well-being and tackle seriously the topic of stress and mental illness at work. However, nothing is mentioned about how to do so. For instance, involving individuals in stress management workshops could efficiently address this issue.

The second text deals with the importance for individuals to talk when they suffer from stress. The main concern here is the well-being of individuals rather than the financial considerations of the first text. It is ' is better here.

talk with a family member or a trustworthy professional, which seems sensible advice. The text also made a point about the many ways to cope with stress once it has been diagnosed and that accepting help and support to ' difficulties

through a difficult time must not be seen as sign of weakness. I completely agree with that and think '

external support and recognising this can only make things easier.

To sum up, I think stress at work should be tackled at the root i.e. at an individual level first. To do so, effective training on how to deal with stress such as workshops could certainly help. Once a trustworthy atmosphere allowing people to speak up about stress at work is created, then '

companies reap the benefits of taking care of their employees.

A very good piece of work Mathieu. You’ve answered the question fully and thoughtfully, your ideas are clearly organised and eloquently expressed and you show a very good command of both vocabulary and grammar. An excellent command of the conventions of an essay is demonstrated. The style adopted is very natural and appropriately neutral and academic throughout. Well done!

Marking Code

/\ Word(s) missing

- Omit word

C Capitalization

O Organisation

P Punctuation

PE Poorly expressed

R Register/Formality

SS Sentence Structure

WF Wrong form

WO Word order

WT Wrong tense

WW Wrong word

CPE Info and Practice

Cpe resources to buy.

Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE): How to Write a Report

Introduction.

A report is written for a specified audience. This may be a superior, for example, a boss at work, or members of a peer group, colleagues or fellow class members. The question identifies the subject of the report and specifies the areas to be covered. The content of a report is mainly factual and draws on the prompt material, but there will be scope for candidates to make use of their own ideas and experience. Source: Cambridge English Assessment: C2 Proficiency Handbook for teachers

Reports are very schematic

While some of the writing tasks in C2 Proficiency are quite free and open in terms of their paragraph structure and layout, reports follow a pretty rigid form, which makes it fairly easy to write them. With their sub-headings for each section and similar requirements in every task, candidates get a good grasp of report writing quite quickly.

What a typical report task looks like

Last but not least, we are writing the report for our college website meaning that teachers, students and parents are going to read it. Therefore, the style of language doesn’t need to be super formal, but I would also not write in an informal style. Neutral seems to be the right choice so contractions (I’m, don’t, etc.) as well as some phrasal verbs are fine, but colloquial expressions that we would use just in spoken English are taboo.

How to organise your report

Plan your report before you start writing.

The best way to go about making your plan is to decide on the paragraph structure you want to use for a particular task and then to add a few short ideas of what you definitely want to include in each section. For our example task, I came up with this:

The different parts of a report

Title & introduction.

Jobs Fair Event summary From 10-12 July, a jobs fair with 53 organisations from all over Europe was held at the college to display career opportunities for the students. The different booths were manned expertly by specialists so as to give the best information possible and to show what the future might hold for graduates of the school.

Main sections

Promotions to highlight While the event as a whole went remarkably well, two stands were mentioned by many to be of particular relevance. One provided insights about job opportunities abroad as an English speaker, which includes teaching the language as well as tutoring children and teenagers. There was a wide variety of employment options presented together with the expected salary, working conditions and other things to consider before taking the leap, which quite a lot of visitors commented on in a very positive way. The second organisation that was indicated to me fairly often was an NGO from Peru which runs literacy campaigns and English language courses in rural areas around the country. They were looking to attract young people to their volunteer programme that involves teaching reading and writing to primary school children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Accommodation and food are both included so participants only need to cover the cost for their flights to Peru and back. The people working at the stand had all done it themselves so the visitors at the fair were given first-hand accounts of what working for the NGO is like.

I described in detail what the two organisations have to offer using some appropriate vocabulary (remarkably well; particular relevance; a wide variety of employment options; salary; working conditions; NGO; literacy campaigns; disadvantaged backgrounds; first-hand accounts) as well as more impersonal and general language (mentioned by many; visitors commented on it; was indicated to me).

Benefits of such job fairs After listening to other people’s thoughts on this kind of event I’m of the opinion that job fairs like this can truly broaden the horizon of young people who might not have formed a clear idea of what they want to do after school yet. Several of my friends mentioned that they simply had not been aware of the multitude of options available to them and that they would absolutely recommend it to everyone who needs some inspiration for their future.