How to Write a Good Article for the CPE Exam.
When taking the Cambridge Proficiency Exam, you may have an option to write an article. It can be on a variety of topics, like technology, health or food. There are a number of things you should know about before writing your own.
Before you start
Brainstorm, that’s very important! It will help organise your thoughts and write more efficiently. Ask yourself these questions:
- What do I have to write about? (Content)
- Who is the article for? A newspaper, a formal magazine, a blog. (CA)
- What kind of language should I use? (Language)
- How many paragraphs am I going to write? (Organisation)
- What language/grammar I am expected to use? (Language, CA)
+ Think of all the words and phrases you know linked with the topic of your article.
While you write
Begin with a catchy title. Remember to answer all the task questions. Impress the examiner with some advanced vocab, idioms collocations, sayings. This is not part 1, so now it’s time to use them.
After you write
Proofread and make corrections. Check for repetitions. This will be easier if you write the computer version of the exam. If you got spare time, make your article fancier by changing a few simple words to their synonyms.
Ask yourself these questions:
- Have I answered ALL the task questions? (Content)
- Is my article well-organised? (Organisation)
- Have I used a wide range of vocabulary? (Language)
- Is all the article writen in the same style? (CA)
- Have I used different linking words (CA)
- Have I used different grammar tenses? (Language)
My article
“Why the planet won’t thank you for getting rid of electricity”.
For many years, people have been coming up with new ideas to combat climate change. Recently a new concept has emerged that advocates the stoping the use of electricity altogether. Doing so in my eyes is not an ineffective solution to the problem of rising temperatures on earth, but will only make our lives unnecessarily more difficult. Supporters of this idea often make a point that compromises have to be made to contribute to a greater cause. Perish the thought! Electricity is indeed something that is often taken for granted. Not so long ago, people did not rely on electricity and could not even imagine how much easier life could be like. I believe electricity is one of the better inventions of humankind, therefore it cannot be taken away from us. What we should do, however, is to impose new, stricter regulations on large corporations, which are the true reason behind the growing climate change crisis.
You may, dear reader, be wondering what life without electricity would be like and it is not quite as difficult to imagine as it may first seem. Candles instead of lights, a fireplace instead of electric stoves, no heated water, a typewriter instead of a laptop… Upon quick retrospection, it is apparent that today’s world relies on electricity. In fact, throughout most of history, people had to go without it as they had no choice. If it had not been for this invention, the pace of innovation would not be as fast as today. Electricity enabled us to be more independent of environmental factors, such as the sun or climate.
The benefits of electricity are indisputable, and it must be established, that although you may want to stop climate change, cutting off electricity is not a viable solution. Instead, we should focus on regulating the ones on the top, who impose such useless ideas to hide the actual cause of the climate crisis we have today.
Hope you found this useful. If you have any questions, reach me out on Twitter.
