Writing For The Fce

WRITING AN ARTICLE
Articles are somewhere between semi-formal and informal. They are often
informative and at the same time entertaining and engaging.
Structure:
 Paragraph 1- Introduction: Start with a catchy opening line to hook the

readers.
In the introduction you :
– think of a title that will catch the reader’s attention
– include the topic- you might not know the reader personally, but still, you
can address him/her directly (e.g. ask them a question)
Phrases you can use in the introduction:
Addressing the reader

Have you ever..
You absolutely must …
Can you imagine …
I’m sure you’d agree
I must tell you about …
You wouldn’t believe..
 Paragraph 2-3 – Describe what is required in the task of the exercise
Phrases you can use to in the 2nd and 3rd paragraph:
Giving a strong opinion

It’s absolutely stunning / terrible (strong adjective).
It took my breath away.
I will never forget it.
There’s nothing in the world like it.
Adding and developing ideas

For a start .. Secondly. / Thirdly./ Finally….
And then there’s the fact that ..
On top of that….
Apart from that….
I must also mention …
As if this wasn’t enough, …
Giving examples …. such as ../.. particularly …/ ….like…
In the 3rd Paragraph you :

– give specific examples to bring your article to life
– use informal language to involve the reader
– don’t forget to express your opinion
– be personal
 Paragraph 4 – Conclusion: give the reader a lasting comment or a question

to think about.
In the last paragraph you :

– finish with a sentence which summarises what you have said
– end with an interesting last sentence
– give your opinion or express your feeling
Phrases you can use to end

Giving a more personal response
Personally, I think / find / believe …
It seems to me … In my view…. One thing you will definitely love / remember …
(YOU or I)
You’ll never forget …
*Remember, you don’t need headings or titles in the article it should read as one
continuous piece of work.
Characteristics of an article for FCE Writing Part 2
Purpose of an article: The aim of an article is usually to talk about a topic that we
like or that we are familiar with. Besides, one of the features that articles have as
opposed to other FCE Writing tasks is that an article must entertain the
reader and, almos always, recommend the thing we are talking about.
Language: In general, an article is more informal than an essay, although it will
depend on where it is supposed to be published (an international magazine, a
teenage magazine, a college magazine, an online blog, a newspaper, etc.).
However, the most common case is that we must write a text in an informal or
colloquial style. For this reason, our tone must be relaxed, making use of
contractions, phrasal verbs and other colloquial expressions. Besides, it is
recommended to use rhetorical questions and exclamation marks to engage the
reader. You should also address the reader directly in the second person
(you, your) and can make jokes if you think they are appropriate.
Structure: Articles must always have a title. If possible, this must be catchy and

witty so as to engage the reader. Then, each paragraph must address a single
idea, to which you must add the introduction and the conclusion, where you are
usually expected to make a recommendation. It is also a good idea to end your
article with a rhetorical question, especially if it is going to be an online article
where people could (in theory) leave a comment.
Giving your opinion: An article is almost exclusively about giving your opinion, so
feel free to do so throught the whole piece of writing. As you are normally asked
to write about something you like or enjoy, opinions are expected to be generally
positive. Any article for FCE is usually a very personal piece of writing, so you can
speak in the first person as much as you like.
Common topics: You may be asked to write articles on a variety of topics: the

Internet, health and fitness, music, plays, hobbies, etc.
Number of words: you are expected to write your article in 140 – 190 words, no
more or less than any other type of FCE Writing task.
These are the four most important things to consider:

B2 First (FCE) Article: Tips
Always plan your articles before you start writing. It takes just a few
minutes to create a list of paragraphs like the one above with a couple of
words to remind you of what you want to write added to each heading.
 ANSWER THE QUESTION

 PLAN your article.
 Give your article a title.
 Ask rhetorical questions to get your readers’ attention.
Eg. What would the world be like without oil? What will life be like in 20
years time?
 Speak directly to your readers.
Eg. Let’s just imagine some of the possibilities.
 Give examples where appropriate.

 Use humour where appropriate
 Give a conclusion and summary in the last paragraph.
 Finally, give your opinion where appropriate.
 REVISE your article to correct mistakes
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!
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.

Writing For The Fce

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WRITING AN ARTICLE

 Paragraph 1- Introduction: Start with a catchy opening line to hook the

Phrases you can use in the introduction:

Addressing the reader

 Paragraph 2-3 – Describe what is required in the task of the exercise

Phrases you can use to in the 2nd and 3rd paragraph:

Giving a strong opinion

Adding and developing ideas

Giving examples …. such as ../.. particularly …/ ….like…

In the 3rd Paragraph you :

 Paragraph 4 – Conclusion: give the reader a lasting comment or a question

In the last paragraph you :

Phrases you can use to end

Structure: Articles must always have a title. If possible, this must be catchy and

Common topics: You may be asked to write articles on a variety of topics: the

These are the four most important things to consider:

 ANSWER THE QUESTION

 Speak directly to your readers.

Eg. Let’s just imagine some of the possibilities.

 Give examples where appropriate.

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