Writing Archives - Breakout English

There have been many occasions where my students have no time to learn the correct B2 essay structure for a Cambridge B2 First exam. Course books often do a great job of providing model answers, useful phrases and much more. However, sometimes people just want to be spoon-fed the correct way to write an essay.

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Fun writing activity: The consequences game

Advanced (CAE), B2, C1, First (FCE), IELTS, ISE II, ISE III / John Hayward

Are you struggling to make essay writing more engaging for B2 and C1 exam students with fun writing activities? Often, the challenge with teaching writing lies in making learning these skills enjoyable. That’s where creative writing activities like this one come into play. We’ve developed a dynamic activity called the consequences essay-writing game, designed to

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Uses of punctuation marks – Writing well-structured sentences

Advanced (CAE), B2, C1, First (FCE), IELTS, ISE II, ISE III / John Hayward

I have long suspected that students may not have ever learnt the correct uses of punctuation marks in their 1st languages. If they don’t know it in one language, why would they be able to transfer this skill to English? I recently asked a teenage student if they ever wrote essays or long writings in

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How to write an email – PET Writing Part 1

B1, Preliminary (PET) / John Hayward

Are you gearing up for the Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET) writing part 1 and feeling a bit overwhelmed by writing an email? In the PET exam, you’re required to respond to an email from an English-speaking friend or relative in Writing Part 1. Your task is to write a coherent and engaging reply in about

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How to write a report

Advanced (CAE), B2, C1, First (FCE), ISE II, ISE III / John Hayward

Are you planning to take an English exam like Cambridge B2 First, C1 Advanced or the Trinity ISE exams and feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of writing a report? Let’s discuss the style and purpose of a report, the suggested format when you write a report for an exam, and useful phrases for reports. Finally,

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B2 First (FCE) Writing Part 1 – Improve an Essay

B2, First (FCE) / John Hayward

Writing is the part of any English exam where you should aim to get a high score and B2 First FCE Writing Part 1, an obligatory essay, is no different. It’s also the most trainable part of the exam in a classroom. While other skills often take lots of time, effort and practice, writing can

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Advanced (CAE) Essay Questions and Sample Answers

Advanced (CAE), C1 / John Hayward

The Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE) essay is a formal, academic writing. You’ll find it in Part 1 of the CAE writing exam and, just like at other levels, Part 1 is mandatory. That means whether you like it or not, you’ll be writing an essay for your C1 Cambridge exam. Considering that, it’s probably a

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Informal vs formal letters and emails

Advanced (CAE), B2, C1, First (FCE), IELTS, ISE II, ISE III / John Hayward

Letters and emails are probably the most practical writing type in the exam. Personally, I write emails almost every day. Letters, not so much. I’m not quite sure if I’ve ever hand-written and posted a letter to be honest. However, emails to clients or job application cover letters are definitely things which I’ve written at

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Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE) Writing

Advanced (CAE), C1 / John Hayward

The Cambridge Advanced (CAE) Writing exam is a deceptively difficult part of the exam to perfect and pass. While at first glance the tasks may seem relatively simple, it’s the marking criteria and expectations which can leave exam candidates with an unpleasant surprise when they receive their results. It’s important to be familiar with the

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