Sample answer
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.
Each paragraph has a clear objective, as my comments in
red indicate.
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.
The language is informal:
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.
Useful Expressions to Write an Article for FCE Writing
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:
Rhetorical questions:
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…?
Introducing new ideas:
Firstly,
First,
In the rst place,
To begin with,
The coolest thing about
What attracts me most
One thing to consider is
Another consideration is
Secondly,
As for
As to
Also,
As regards
In addition,
In addition to that,
Moreover,
Concluding the article:
In conclusion,
On the whole,
To sum up,
To conclude,
All in all,
… you will not regret it!
Polo, Game played by teams of players on horseback. Players use mallets
with long flexible handles to drive a wooden ball through goalposts. It was
first played in Persia in the 6th century BC; from there it spread to Arabia,
Tibet (polo is Balti for “ball”), South Asia, and the Far East. The first British
polo clubs were formed in India in the mid-19th century; the game came
to the U.S. a few decades later. Polo has long been primarily played by the
wealthy, because of the expense of acquiring and maintaining a stable of
polo “ponies” (actually full-sized adult horses, bred for docility, speed,
endurance, and intelligence). The standard team is made up of four
players whose positions are numbered 1–4. A game consists of six 7.5-
minute periods called chukkers or chukkas. The field is 300 yards (274.3
m) long by 160 yards (146.3 m) wide; an indoor version of the game is
played on a smaller field. Polo ponies.
Restrictions on size were removed after World War I, and the term pony is
purely traditional. The mount is a full-sized horse and should have docility,
speed, endurance, and intelligence. The pony is judged to be 60 to 75
percent of a player’s ability. At first only Thoroughbreds were used, but
horses of mixed breeding are now common. Most of the best ponies are
bred in Argentina or in the Southwestern or Rocky Mountain regions of
the United States, where they are broken early and are worked as cow
ponies. A training period beginning at about age five lasts from six months
to two years. Ponies reach their peak at about age 9 or 10 but, barring
accidents, may play until age 18 or 20.
Handicaps.
Each player is rated from 0 to 10 according to his ability in competition.
Minus ratings such as -1 and -2 are also used. Rating is based on
horsemanship, hitting ability, knowledge of the game, quality of horses,
and sportsmanship. The number of 10-goal players has not increased,
though the total number of players has. Argentine dominance is reflected
in a virtual monopoly of active 10-goal players.
Equipment.
Each player wears a protective helmet, riding boots to just below the
knees, and a coloured shirt bearing the number of his position. He may
also wear knee pads and spurs (not sharp) and carry a whip. The ball for
outdoor polo is made of bamboo or willow root about 3 1/4 inches (8.3
cm) in diameter and weighing about 4 ounces (113.4 g). The mallet has a
rubber-wrapped grip with a webbed thong for wrapping around the hand
and a flexible bamboo-cane shaft with a bamboo head 9 1/2 inches in
length, the whole weighing about 7 ounces and varying from 48 to 53
inches, depending on pony size and length of a player’s arm. The ball is
struck with the side of the mallet, not the end.
Saddles are English-style with deep seats like jumping saddles. The pony’s
front legs are bandaged from just below the knee to the ankle to prevent
injury, and the pony’s mane is clipped and its tail braided to prevent
interference with the mallet swing.
Indoor, or arena, polo.
The indoor game was introduced in the United States and is played
predominantly there, thus allowing polo in winter. The field is 100 yards
long and 50 yards wide, with wooden boards 4–4 1/2 feet (1.2–1.4 m) high
to keep the ball in play. The ball is inflatable leather, 4 1/2 inches in
diameter and weighing at least 6 ounces. A team has three players instead
of four as in the outdoor game. Except for some minor rule changes, the
indoor game is basically the same as the outdoor.