Subjects:

Question 1 of the CAE writing exam requires us to write an essay, and although there are many different ways of writing essays, the exam handbook gives us a clear idea of what the examiners are looking for:

TASK TYPE AND FOCUS

Writing an essay with a discursive focus.

FORMAT

Candidates are required to write an essay based on two points given in the input text. They will be asked to explain which of the two points is more important and to give reasons for their opinion.

The examiners also explain what is needed to get a good mark:

ORGANISATION

The text needs to be well organised and coherent, with the use of a variety of suitable cohesive devices and organisational patterns.

LANGUAGE

A wide range of vocabulary including less common lexis is used.
A wide range of simple and complex grammatical forms, and a wide range of sentence structures is used with good control.

A discursive essay discusses a subject by offering two opposing perspectives. It's a practical method of establishing the writer's opinion on a topic and exploring the reasons why each view may or may not be valid. The writer needs to maintain a neutral stance throughout the text to establish an unbiased and informative argument.

So, our discursive essay should have:

Introduction - The Introduction clearly states the topic and explains why it is important.

Body - The Body contains the arguments and logic for both sides.

Conclusion - The Conclusion is where you establish your personal stance on the argument and explain why.

The tone should be neutral throughout the body, giving each point its turn to truly speak. Try to be as thorough and unbiased as possible.

In the last paragraph you will wrap up the argument by stating your personal stance on the issue. Try to explain why you feel the way you do.

Stay in formal third person perspective throughout the body.

The examiners also require the following:

EXPLAIN WHICH OF THE TWO POINTS IS MOST IMPORTANT AND TO GIVE REASONS FOR THEIR OPINION.

FORMAT

Candidates are required to write an essay based on two points given in the input text. They will be asked to explain which of the two points is more important, and to give reasons for their opinion.

The easiest way to satisfy all these requirements is to follow the steps given below:

1 READ THE QUESTION CAREFULLY.

2 CHOOSE TWO POINTS FROM THE LIST OF THREE IDEAS.

3 CHOOSE THE RELATED OPINIONS.

4 WRITE A CONTEXT SENTENCE FOR THE INTRODUCTION.

5 WRITE A SENTENCE WHICH EXPLAINS THE PROBLEM FOR WHICH THE TWO IDEAS GIVE A SOLUTION.

6 WRITE A SENTENCE TO CONNECT THE INTRODUCTION TO THE FIRST IDEA.

7 DEVELOP AN INTRODUCTION SENTENCE FOR EACH IDEA.

8 USE THE NOTES TO CONSTRUCT DETAIL SENTENCES FOR EACH IDEA.

9 CONSTRUCT THE CONCLUSION SENTENCES.

10 MAKE SURE TO ANSWER THE QUESTION IN THE EXAM QUESTION.

11 RE-READ THE FINAL DOCUMENT AND CORRECT ANY SPELLING OR GRAMMATICAL MISTAKES.

This would give us an essay with the following structure:

ESSAY

INTRODUCTION
               CONTEXT SENTENCE
             DEFINE THE PROBLEM THAT
             IDEAS 1 AND 2 WILL DISCUSS
                 LINKING 1

IDEA 1
                 LINKING 2
             INTRODUCTION SENTENCE 1
               DETAIL SENTENCE 1

IDEA 2
                 LINKING 3
             INTRODUCTION SENTENCE 2
               DETAIL SENTENCE 2

CONCLUSION
                 LINKING 4
              PERSONAL OPINION
            ANSWER TO QUESTION POSED
               IN EXAM QUESTION

Let's apply these ideas to a typical exam question:

1 READ THE QUESTION CAREFULLY - ok

2 CHOOSE TWO POINTS FROM THE LIST OF THREE IDEAS.  Shared identity and Discrimination.

3 CHOOSE THE RELATED OPINIONS.

- could give students positive identity boost.

- Students with cheaper uniforms could face discrimination.

4 WRITE A CONTEXT SENTENCE FOR THE INTRODUCTION

- There is an ongoing debate in the world of education about the merits of schools having a uniform policy.

5 WRITE A SENTENCE WHICH EXPLAINS THE PROBLEM FOR WHICH THE TWO IDEAS GIVE A SOLUTION

Both parents and the educational authorities want the best for their children.

6 WRITE A SENTENCE TO CONNECT THE INTRODUCTION TO THE FIRST IDEA

- There would, however, seem to be two very different ways of addressing this situation.

7 DEVELOP AN INTRODUCTION SENTENCE FOR EACH IDEA

- 1 Wearing the same uniform is an excellent way for students to develop a team identity.

- 2 Having inferior uniforms due to limited financial resources can lead to discrimination.

8 USE THE NOTES TO CONSTRUCT DETAIL SENTENCES FOR EACH IDEA.

- 1 discuss the advantages of identifying with all the other students.

- 2 discuss negative influences on students as a consequence of discrimination.

9 CONSTRUCT THE CONCLUSION SENTENCES.

- discuss why the advantages of having a uniform policy outweigh any discrimination worries.

10 MAKE SURE TO ANSWER THE QUESTION IN THE EXAM QUESTION

- One of the main function of schools is to help students understand how important working as part of a team is. and a crucial first step on that path is by learning to wear a school uniform with pride.

11 RE-READ THE FINAL DOCUMENT AND CORRECT ANY SPELLING OR GRAMMATICAL MISTAKES.

Note: We are required to use good grammatical structures, such as conditionals, concession, inversion and use of adverbial clauses. So as we construct the sentences we will need, we should mentally try and structure the sentences using these grammatical ideas.

Putting all these elements together, we get the following basic essay:

Many people these days are wondering if having to wear a school uniform is a good idea. Both parents and the educational authorities want the best for the students. There are two ways of achieving this.

On the one hand, Students should wear the same uniform to develop a team identity. Their self confidence is strengthend as they identify with other students who are dressed as they are. This is why large organisations such as the military and airline companies have a strict uniform policy.

On the other hand, having inferior uniforms due to limited financial resources can lead to discrimination. Not all parents can afford the best quality uniforms and often students end up having to wear inferior cheaper versions of the school uniform. This can lead to discrimination which can have a very negative effect on the psychological development of the student at a very delicate age.

On balance, I feel the advantages of having a school uniform policy outweigh the disadvantages. One of the main function of schools is to help students understand how important working as part of a team is, and a crucial first step on that path is by learning to wear a school uniform with pride.

Note: We are required to write a document which has between 220 and 260 words. The most efficient way of doing this is to control the size of the paragraphs so the document has the right size. Here we have 4 paragraphs, so we need about 60 words per paragraph.

Also, it is important for the document to be balanced, which happens when all the paragraphs are aproximately the same size.

To get good marks we need to use a variety of sentence lengths and good grammatical structures, like the conditional, concession, the passive, relative clauses and inversion.

Also, using less common linking devices can improve our document.

Let's see how we can improve this document:

BETTER LINKING (less common):

Many people these days are wondering if having to wear a school uniform is a good idea. Both parents and the educational authorities want the best for the students. There are two ways of looking at this problem. There would, however, seem to be two very different ways of achieving this.

On the one hand, To start with, students should wear the same uniform to develop a team identity. Their self confidence is strengthend as they identify with other students who are dressed as they are. This is why large organisations such as the military and airline companies have a strict uniform policy.

On the other hand, There is, however, a negative position to consider. Having inferior uniforms due to limited financial resources can lead to discrimination. Not all parents can afford the best quality uniforms and often students end up having to wear inferior cheaper versions of the school uniform. This can lead to discrimination which can have a very negative effect on the psychological development of the student at a very delicate age.

On balance, Taking both arguments into account, I feel the advantages of having a school uniform policy outweigh the disadvantages. One of the main function of schools is to help students understand how important working as part of a team is, and a crucial first step on that path is by learning to wear a school uniform with pride.

BETTER LANGUAGE

Many people these days are wondering if having to wear a school uniform is a good idea. There is an ongoing debate in the world of education about the merits of schools having a uniform policy. Both parents and the educational authorities want the best for the students. There would, however, seem to be two very different ways of achieving this.

To start with, students should wear the same uniform to develop a team identity. Their self confidence is strengthend as they identify with other students who are dressed as they are. This is why large organisations such as the military and airline companies have a strict uniform policy.

There is, however, a negative position to consider. Having inferior uniforms due to limited financial resources can lead to discrimination. Not all parents can afford the best quality uniforms and often students end up having to wear inferior cheaper versions of the school uniform. This can lead to discrimination which can have a very negative effect on the psychological development of the student at a very delicate age.

Taking both arguments into account, I feel I am absolutely convinced that the advantages of having a school uniform policy outweigh the disadvantages. One of the main function of schools is to help students understand how important working as part of a team is, and a crucial first step on that path is by learning to wear a school uniform with pride.

USING ADVERBIAL CLAUSES

There is an ongoing debate in the world of education about the merits of schools having a uniform policy. Both parents and the educational authorities want the best for the students. There would, however, seem to be two very different ways of achieving this.

To start with, students should wear the same uniform to develop a team identity. wearing the same uniform is an excellent way for students to develop a team identity. Their self confidence is strengthend as they identify with other students who are dressed as they are. This is why large organisations such as the military and airline companies have a strict uniform policy.

There is, however, a negative position to consider. Having inferior uniforms due to limited financial resources can lead to discrimination. Not all parents can afford the best quality uniforms and often students end up having to wear inferior cheaper versions of the school uniform. This can lead to discrimination which can have a very negative effect on the psychological development of the student at a very delicate age.

Taking both arguments into account, I am absolutely convinced that the advantages of having a school uniform policy outweigh the disadvantages. One of the main function of schools is to help students understand how important working as part of a team is, and a crucial first step on that path is by learning to wear a school uniform with pride.

USING CONCESSION

There is an ongoing debate in the world of education about the merits of schools having a uniform policy. Both parents and the educational authorities want the best for the students. There would, however, seem to be two very different ways of achieving this.

To start with, wearing the same uniform is an excellent way for students to develop a team identity. Their self confidence is strengthend as they identify with other students who are dressed as they are. This is why large organisations such as the military and airline companies have a strict uniform policy.

There is, however, a negative position to consider. Having inferior uniforms due to limited financial resources can lead to discrimination. Not all parents can afford the best quality uniforms and often students end up having to wear inferior cheaper versions of the school uniform. This can lead to discrimination which can have a very negative effect on the psychological development of the student at a very delicate age.

Taking both arguments into account, I am absolutely convinced that the advantages of having a school uniform policy outweigh the disadvantages. although the problem of discrimination is a serious one, the advantages of having a school uniform policy outweigh the disadvantages. One of the main function of schools is to help students understand how important working as part of a team is, and a crucial first step on that path is by learning to wear a school uniform with pride.

USING INVERSION AND CONDITIONALS

There is an ongoing debate in the world of education about the merits of schools having a uniform policy. Both parents and the educational authorities want the best for the students. There would, however, seem to be two very different ways of achieving this.

To start with, wearing the same uniform is an excellent way for students to develop a team identity. Their self confidence is strengthend as they identify with other students who are dressed as they are. This is why large organisations such as the military and airline companies have a strict uniform policy.

There is, however, a negative position to consider. Having inferior uniforms due to limited financial resources can lead to discrimination. Not all parents can afford the best quality uniforms and often students end up having to wear inferior cheaper versions of the school uniform. Were all parents able to afford the best quality uniforms, there would be no problem, but sadly that is not the case, and often students end up having to wear inferior cheaper versions of the school uniform. This can lead to discrimination which can have a very negative effect on the psychological development of the student at a very delicate age.

Taking both arguments into account, I am absolutely convinced that although the problem of discrimination is a serious one, the advantages of having a school uniform policy outweigh the disadvantages.One of the main function of schools is to help students understand how important working as part of a team is, and a crucial first step on that path is by learning to wear a school uniform with pride.

USING FRONTING

There is an ongoing debate in the world of education about the merits of schools having a uniform policy. Both parents and the educational authorities want the best for the students. There would, however, seem to be two very different ways of achieving this.

To start with, wearing the same uniform is an excellent way for students to develop a team identity. Their self confidence is strengthend as they identify with other students who are dressed as they are. This is why large organisations such as the military and airline companies have a strict uniform policy. It is for this reason that large organisations, such as the military and airline companies, have a strict uniform policy.

There is, however, a negative position to consider. Having inferior uniforms due to limited financial resources can lead to discrimination. Were all parents able to afford the best quality uniforms, there would be no problem, but sadly that is not the case, and often students end up having to wear inferior cheaper versions of the school uniform. This can lead to discrimination which can have a very negative effect on the psychological development of the student at a very delicate age.

Taking both arguments into account, I am absolutely convinced that although the problem of discrimination is a serious one, the advantages of having a school uniform policy outweigh the disadvantages.One of the main function of schools is to help students understand how important working as part of a team is, and a crucial first step on that path is by learning to wear a school uniform with pride.

USING RELATIVE CLAUSES

There is an ongoing debate in the world of education about the merits of schools having a uniform policy. Both parents and the educational authorities want the best for the students. There would, however, seem to be two very different ways of achieving this.

To start with, wearing the same uniform is an excellent way for students to develop a team identity. Their self confidence is strengthend as they identify with other students who are dressed as they are. This is why large organisations such as the military and airline companies have a strict uniform policy. It is for this reason that large organisations, such as the military and airline companies, have a strict uniform policy.

There is, however, a negative position to consider. Having inferior uniforms due to limited financial resources can lead to discrimination. Were all parents able to afford the best quality uniforms, there would be no problem, but sadly that is not the case, and often students end up having to wear inferior cheaper versions of the school uniform. This can lead to discrimination which can have a very negative effect on the psychological development of the student at a very delicate age.

Taking both arguments into account, I am absolutely convinced that although the problem of discrimination is a serious one, the advantages of having a school uniform policy outweigh the disadvantages.One of the main function of schools is to help students understand how important working as part of a team is, and a crucial first step on that path is by learning to wear a school uniform with pride.

FINAL DOCUMENT

There is an ongoing debate in the world of education about the merits of schools having a uniform policy. (1) Both parents and the educational authorities want the best for the students. There would, however, seem to be (1) two very different ways of achieving this. (7)

To start with, (7) wearing the same uniform is an excellent way for students to develop a team identity. (2) Their self confidence is strengthend as they identify with other students who are dressed as they are. It is for this reason that large organisations, such as the military and airline companies, have a strict uniform policy. (3)

There is, however, a negative position to consider. (7) Having inferior uniforms due to limited financial resources can lead to discrimination. (2) Were all parents able to afford the best quality uniforms, (4) there would be no problem, but sadly that is not the case, and often students end up having to wear inferior cheaper versions of the school uniform. This can lead to discrimination which can have a very negative effect on the psychological development of the student at a very delicate age. (5).

Taking both arguments into account, (7) I am absolutely convinced (1) that although the problem of discrimination is a serious one, the advantages of having a school uniform policy outweigh the disadvantages. (6) One of the main function of schools is to help students understand how important working as part of a team is, and a crucial first step on that path (1) is by learning to wear a school uniform with pride.

248 words

The examiners would analyse this document in the following way.

1 Interesting language. (1)

2 Good use of adverbial clause. (2)

3 Good use of fronting. (3)

4 Good use of inversion within a conditional sentence.(4)

5 Good use of defining relative clause. (5)

6 Good use of concession. (6)

7 Good variety of linking. (7)

The document is evaluated by looking at four areas:

Content, Communicative Achievement, Organisation, and Language.

The section on CONTENT asks:

Is all the content relevant, and is the document balanced? - The document has discussed two of the required points, the SHARED IDENTITY and DISCRIMINATION, as shown by the introduction sentences, and the paragraphs are approximately the same size, so the document can be considered balanced.

The section on COMMUNICATIVE ACHIEVEMENT asks:

Have the conventions of the communicative task been used effectively?

Is the register and tone are consistent?

Are the language choices sufficiently formal and appropriate? Are the opening and closing paragraphs appropriate?

The tone and register is formal throughout the document, and it has been written in the third person. The opening paragraph puts the subject being discussed into context, and the closing paragraph expresses the writer's opinion satisfactorily. So, these question have been adequately answered.

The section on ORGANISATION asks:

Is the essay is well organised and coherent?

Are the different ideas clearly signposted throughout?

Are the paragraphs internally well constructed, and linked together appropriately?

The rules on writing a discursive essay have be followed, and linking between ideas both within paragraphs and between paragraphs is evident, so it is clear that the signposting of ideas has been achieved. The structure of the paragraphs is as required in that they start with an introduction sentence, which is followed by sentences which justify the main idea expressed in the introduction sentence.

The section on LANGUAGE asks:

Is there an effective range of vocabulary, including less common lexis?

Is there a wide range of simple and complex grammatical forms, and are they used with control and flexibility, particularly in terms of sentence construction?

The language used is consistent with the CAE level and conveys the required information effectively and efficiently, with good use of modal verbs and contrasting elements to focus on specific points. The grammar structures used and the sentence construction shows an understanding of complex ideas.

This information can be extremely useful in trying to understand what an essay for the CAE requires.

The objective of this article was to explain how to structure an essay for the CAE. It identified the elements needed, and explained how they should be put together.

It did not explain how to write the actual sentences. The kinds of sentences used are studied in the section under SENTENCE CONSTRUCTION, and the student needs to learn how to write these kinds of sentences there.

What we did try to explain is where these different kinds of sentences can be used to satisfy the examiners.