Cambridge First (FCE) Writing part 1(essay)

Difficulty level: B2 /Upper Intermediate

Disadvantages of an ageing population

Around the world, people are living much longer. Although we all hope
for a long life and none of us wish for our elderly family members to die, this
trend brings a number of problems.
Firstly, more people are needed to care for the elderly. Few people like
this kind of work because it is badly-paid and uninteresting. As a result,
elderly people get bad quality care.
Another problem is employment. Elderly people don’t want to stop
working because they want an income and a social life. They want to stay
active for as long as possible, so they don’t quit their jobs. As a result, young
people find it more difficult to find work.
Thirdly, an elderly population brings economic problems. Governments
have to pay money for old age pensions. In many countries, there simply isn’t
enough money for this. In the future, we are likely to see a lot more poverty
among old people.
To sum up, although it is great that people are staying healthy and living
longer lives, it will bring a lot of problems to today’s society.
 Benefits of ageing population

A hundred years ago, people did not expect to live long after their
retirement. However, due to advances in health care, people are living much
longer. This brings many changes, both positive and negative, to the way we
live.
Firstly, we need more people to care for them. Families have to spend
time and money taking elderly relatives to hospitals and helping with
household tasks like cooking, cleaning and washing. This may bring financial
problems and stress.
On the other hand, caring for the elderly provides many jobs. More
doctors, nurses and carers are needed. There are also more jobs in the leisure
and the tourism industry, as many elderly want to keep active for as long as
possible.
In many ways, the role of old people in society is changing. In the past,
people contributed little after they retired. But nowadays old people help with
child care and do a lot of important voluntary work which benefits the
community.
In conclusion, an elderly population has both advantages and drawbacks
. Although they require more care, they provide jobs and do a lot of good
work for the community.
FCE Writing part 1
Difficulty level: B2 /Upper Intermediate
You are keen to study English in London. Read the school advertisement and the notes from
your teacher. Then write an email to Mr Williams at the Big Ben Language School asking for
details.
Language courses in London at the Big Ben When you write to the school make sure
School of English you find out:
Our well-equipped school offers English language  how many students there will be in
courses in the heart of London. the school and in each class
The school has a friendly atmosphere and organises  what qualifications the teachers have
a full range of sporting and social activities as well
as excursions out of London.  what resources the school has
The school is conveniently located near the
 what is included in the price
museums and the river. Accommodation can be
arranged with carefully selected British families.
 what amenities there are in the area
Contact Jim Williams by email
(jw@[Link]) for further details.

Email to a language school

Dear Mr Williams ,

I saw your advertisement for language courses in London and I am writing to find out
more about the courses you offer. I am thinking of attending a course for two or three
weeks in August. Could you please send me more information and details of prices ?
I would particularly like to know how many students attend the school, and how
many students there are in a class. I'd also like to know what resources the school has. For
example, is there a library where I can study in the evenings? Could you tell me something
about the staff? Are they all qualified teachers?
I would be interested in having more details of the social and sports programme. Are
the activities included in the price of the course? Could you tell me about the cost of
accommodation too?
Also, can you tell me what amenities there are near the school? For example, is there a
park or cinema nearby?
I look forward to receiving your reply .

Regards ,
(name and signature)
Brainstorming ideas for essays in exams
Even if you've got the right level of grammar and vocabulary for your written exam, there's
one more thing you need to be good at to get the best marks: having ideas and organising
them. And you need to be able to get that done in about ten minutes.
Failing to plan essays is one of the biggest reasons candidates fail their writing exam. There
are two reasons why you should never overlook this stage.
 It gives you a structure to follow and ideas to include so you actually save time while
writing. You don't want to have to think about writing correct English and varying
your vocabulary at the same time as coming up with ideas!
 If you run out of time at the end of the exam, at least you have some notes which
you could quickly add as sentences to round off the final couple of paragraphs. This
way the examiner can see that you had a complete idea and a conclusion for your
essay, so you'll lose fewer marks for organisation and cohesion.

Many candidates get stuck at the brainstorming stage. The good news is that, just like with
anything else, practice is the answer.
How to brainstorm
The point of brainstorming is that ALL your ideas go down on paper. You select the good
ones afterwards, not before you write them down. Many people think everything they write
has to be good, but that's not true at this stage. Turn off the "editor" in your head and just
write whatever comes into your mind on the topic.
For essays, draw two columns:
1. agree
2. disagree

Not all essays have to be answered with this two-sided structure but it's the best way to
start brainstorming as it makes sure all your ideas will go into the brainstorm.
Now write 4 or 5 ideas for each column. Let's use an FCE-level exam question as an
example.
Famous people, such as politicians and film stars, deserve to have a private life without
journalists following them all the time.
Agree
1. It's just their job like anyone else so they deserve privacy too.
2. The level of media attention can cause celebrities psychological/physical damage.

3. The "gossip culture" that is created by this kind of press is harmful to society in
general.

4. The media attention can stop them actually doing their job as it takes up so much of
their time.

5. These gossip stories waste news space when we could be reading about more
serious issues.
Disagree
1. If you do these kinds of jobs, you have to accept the bad parts as well as the good,
like money, nice lifestyle, free clothes etc.
2. These people use the media when they want to promote something, like a film, so
they can't complain when they don't want the attention.

3. The public have a right to know if influential people are doing bad things like drugs
etc.

4. There are famous people you never see in the papers, therefore only the ones that
want to be followed are followed.

5. Gossip magazines provide entertainment for people.

Selecting ideas
Not all your ideas should go into your essay. Choose the strongest arguments and the ones
you think you can develop and give supporting arguments and examples for.
Another way to make sure you have a solid essay is to match arguments with their counter
arguments. Which points from the "agree" side match up with points from the "disagree
side"?**
Which ideas do you think you could develop?
Planning a structure
Once you've chosen, then it's time to organise your ideas into a structure.
 Cross out the ideas you're not using.
 Write a little number next to the points you want to use to show which order they're
going to go in.

 Make brief notes – one or two keywords – to remind you how you're going to support
or develop the arguments. For example, Agree 2: Britney Spears, Princess Diana.

 Plan your introduction to focus the direction your essay will take.

 Write!

Tip!
Practice essay planning until you can get it done in ten minutes.