useful phrases essay c1

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Useful phrases for your essays (advanced level)

Here you have some useful phrases for your essays (advanced level). Hope you like it and find it useful !!

Introducing the phenomenon to be discussed

• More and more families are choosing to have only one child.
• The trend nowadays is towards having smaller families.
• Over the past ten years or so the media have frequently carried reports of ……………
• Recent research indicates that the number of teenagers who smoke is increasing.
• Hardly a week goes by without another report of …………….. appearing in the media.
• This raises the issue of whether ……………..
• Although most people would generally agree that …………… few would deny that …………….

Stating your opinion

• As I see it,
• It seems to me that ………… I would also say that ….
• I am convinced that ……………
• I am inclined to believe that ………………
• There is no doubt in my mind that ………………
• One of the drawbacks of ……. is ……….
• However, one of the benefits is that …………

Changing topic

• As regards the causes for this, …………..
• Concerning the causes for this, ………
• As for the causes, ………..

Presenting arguments

• One justification often given for ……….. is that……………..
• Advocates/Proponents would claim that ………………
• Those who object to …………….. often argue that ……………….
• Another objection is that ……
• However, it should not be forgotten that …………..
• ……….. are opposed to ……………. on the grounds that ……………..
• From the point of view of ……………..
• According to ………………..

Describing causes

• One factor which has led to ………… is …………..
• One of the factors which has brought this about is ………
• The problem often stems from ………………..
• The situation has been exacerbated by …………….
• ………….. has only made the situation worse.
• One consequence of ……………. is …………….

Proposing steps and measures

• As regards the most appropriate response to this situation, one suggestion would be to ………
• The first step to be taken would be to ……..
• To alleviate the situation people should ………..
• In addition they ought to ……………
• To begin to tackle this situation society/individuals/the government need/s to ……….
• ………….. would certainly ameliorate the situation.
• This can only be dealt with if …………
• To overcome this problem, …………..
• Were the government to ……………, the situation would doubtless improve.
• Individuals can do a great deal to …………
• The burden of responsiblity lies in the hands of ……..
• It is vitally important that ………
• Legislation should be introduced to control ……………..
• It would be a grave error if we ……………..
• All in all it seems to me that ………..
• The obvious conclusion to be drawn is that …………………..
• All things considered, ………….
• On balance, I tend to believe that …………
• The world would surely be a better place to live in if …………..
• If people stopped ….ing, we would have/ we could look forward to a ……………
• The prospects for the future will be bleak/grim unless ……………….

I think you should also have a few pages somewhere where you can keep a record of other useful essay phrases that you come across in your reading. Write them down and practise using them in your own writing.

Look out for more advanced expressions that you can use in place of phrases that weren’t even impressive at the B2 level – phrases like “solve the problem”. Here are a few alternative problem and solution phrases to get you going.:

a  crisis  in education which must be  addressed

something that must  be tackled  /  be dealt with

a  challenge  which must  be met

something must be done  to restore  law and order in the inner cities

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How to Write an Essay for C1 Advanced (CAE)

Luis @ kse academy.

• diciembre 21, 2022

As I’m sure you already know, Cambridge exams have several papers (Reading, Writing, Use of English, Speaking and Listening), and each of these components is divided into different parts. In this post, I want to focus on Writing Part 1 of the C1 Advanced, that is, how to write an Essay for the CAE . Because, remember, C1 Writing Part 1 will always be an essay 🙂 

Sample C1 Essay

New C1 Writing Guide out now!

• 3 examples of every task type
• Essay, Review, Formal and Informal Email and Letter, Report & Proposal
• 500+ useful phrases ready to use in your writings
• 95 pages of exclusive and original writing content
• Description of the C1 Writing paper
• Detailed description of each part of the Writing paper
• Assessment criteria and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

See sample or Buy on Amazon

What are the parts of the C1 Advanced Writing?

The C1 Advanced (CAE) Writing, as we have already seen in another article, has 2 parts , and for each one you will have to write a text according to the exercise instructions. What you should know is that there is a limited range of text types that you may be asked to write in each part, so let’s see: 

• Writing Part 1: In this part you will always have to write an essay, and you will have no other options to choose from. That’s why it is really important that you pay attention to this article and learn how to write an essay for C1 Advanced to the best of your ability. 
• Formal letter/email
• Informal letter/email
• Review 
• Proposal 

Each writing task you do should be between 220 and 260 words long, approximately, and, as they are different types of writing, you should take into account the peculiarities of each one in terms of structure, register, grammar and vocabulary, etc. 

So let’s start with the one that concerns us in this article: Essays! 

What is an essay ?

An Essay is a text of opinion in which we analyse a topic, a situation or a problem from different points of view or by considering several points or solutions to the problem. In each of the paragraphs, we deal with each point and express different facts, considerations and opinions. 

Now that we know what an essay is, let’s look at how to write an essay and its characteristics. 

How to Write an Essay for CAE Writing

Here are the main characteristics of a C1-level essay so that you can keep them in mind when writing: 

• Purpose: With an essay, what we do is evaluate a topic, situation or problem that is of some interest or controversy (e.g. teenage mobile phone use ). Often, the Writing activity is set as a task that takes place after a class debate. In an exam, you will have to imagine the debate for yourself (duh!).
• Tone and register: As it is a text on a serious or controversial topic, the Essay is always written in a formal context, so we must use an objective tone. Furthermore, the linguistic register should always be formal, avoiding common words such as things , stuff , get , etc.; contractions ( can’t , don’t , won’t , etc.); or expressions that may sound informal. 
• Structure: Like all writing tasks, an essay has a fairly well-defined structure, although it is not 100% fixed and immovable. To begin with, we can choose to give it a title or not, but, personally, I find it more appropriate to write an Essay with a title. Have you ever seen a text published without a title? Probably not.  As for the body of the essay, it should be divided into the following paragraphs: introduction, point 1, point 2 and conclusion. In other words, in general, a Cambridge C1 Essay should have 4-5 paragraphs.
• Opinion: This is where we have the most leeway when writing an essay for C1. There are many ways of expressing your opinion in an Essay, so you should choose the one that best suits your Writing approach. What I usually recommend, however, is that you remain impartial throughout the whole text and only express your opinion at the end, in the last paragraph, as a conclusion. As always, the most important thing is that you justify everything you say in your writing and that your conclusion answers the main question of the assignment.
• Coherence and progression: Coherence is essential in all Writings, but especially in the essay. As it is a supporting and argumentative text, you cannot write unconnected sentences and paragraphs; the ideas must follow a logical and well-connected order, using connectors appropriate to C1 level, in this case. Furthermore, the reader must perceive a logical progression of paragraphs, without losing the thread of what you are trying to argue. Otherwise, when they get to the last paragraph, they won’t know what you are talking about and our writing will have failed catastrophically. 

CAE Writing Essay Example

Now that we are familiar with the main features of an essay for Cambridge Advanced (CAE) Writing, let’s look at a sample essay at C1 level, both the sample instructions and a possible answer.

C1 Essay Instructions

In the picture below you can see an example from the Cambridge website. 

From these instructions, we must always extract the essentials: 

• Topic: facilities which should receive money from local authorities
• sports centres
• public gardens
• «Museums aren’t popular with everybody!»
• «Sports centres mean healthier people.»
• «A town needs green spaces – parks are great for everybody.»
• Address only 2 of the 3 points given. 
• Answer and justify the main question (« to which facility is it most important that local authorities give money «).
• Justify your answer (« giving reasons in support of your answer «)
• Use your own words (« use your own words as far as possible «)

According to the task model outlined above, we can approach out writing with the following structure: 

• Introduction
• Point 1 (museums)
• Point 2 (sports centres)

Although it is not set in stone, you will normally get 4 paragraphs. So now let’s look at an example Essay for CAE Writing: 

At first glance, we can see that this Essay for C1 has an introductory title and 4 paragraphs ( introduction , museums , sports , conclusion ). In addition, if we read the text carefully, we can see the following aspects: 

• Title: The title perfectly summarises for the reader the topic to be covered in the text. Sometimes, a title in the form of a question such as « Which facilities should receive funding from local authorities? » can be a good idea, although I always prefer more concise titles.
• Introduction : introduces the topic and mentions the two options we are going to discuss in the following paragraphs. 
• Museums : Discusses the benefits of museums and the benefits of investing money in them. 
• Sports centres : Discusses the benefits of sports centres and the consequences of investing money in them. 
• Conclusion : In a very clear way, museums are seen as the ones that should receive the investment for certain reasons that are well justified. 
• Connectors: Connectors are used that clearly define the coherence and progression of the text.: on the one/other hand, in addition, ultimately, however, while, etc. 
• We do not use contractions or catch-all words.
• When it comes to
• comes to mind
• valuable cultural resource
• heritage 
• generating income
• engage in physical activity
• positive outlet for energy
• Grammar is also advanced (E.g.: Not only can…, but they also… )

In short, this is a good example of an Essay for CAE Writing. It should be noted, however, that this writing is written to simulate a strong C1 level, perhaps without necessarily going into a C2 level.

Will I be penalised if I write less than 220 or more than 260 words?

This is the most typical question in this part of the exam and the answer is: yes and no. Let me explain. The assessors won’t count the words and penalise you according to the number of words only. There is a rumour going around among students and teachers that for every 10 words they take away X points, but this is not true. However, if you have gone over 260 words by 50 or 100 words, or more, there is probably some content that is not relevant to the assignment, and that is penalised. Likewise, if you write less than 220 words, you are probably missing important information or you are not covering it in the detail required by the task instructions.

For this reason, I always recommend going over 20 words at most. That way you won’t lose points if your assignment covers the required topics and points. 🙂

The best guide for C1 Advanced Writing with examples and useful expressions

Although I will be publishing more articles explaining how to do each type of task for C1 Advanced, the best thing you can do to get plenty of information and practice is to buy the official KSE Academy guide to CAE Writing. In this guide you will find the following:

I hope you found this post useful. If you did, don’t forget to share with your friends and family. 🙂

I’ll see you in the next post. Until then, don’t forget to keep smiling! 

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Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE): How to Write an Essay

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Introduction.

An essay in the C1 Advanced Writing paper is usually written for an academic tutor and may be written as a follow-up to a class activity, such as attending a seminar or watching a documentary. The main purpose of the task is to underline relevant salient issues on the stated topic, and to support an argument with subsidiary points and reasons. An essay should be well organised, with an introduction, clear development and an appropriate conclusion. It should hold the target reader’s attention and communicate complex ideas using an appropriate range of vocabulary and structures. Source: Cambridge English C1 Advanced handbook for teachers

Essays are part of the first section of the CAE Writing paper. The task is mandatory, which means that you always have to write an essay unlike the other texts ( emails/letter , proposals , reviews , reports ) where you can choose which one you would like to tackle in the exam.

Essay writing is not that difficult…

Long story short, in this article I’m going to take you by the hand and guide you through all the different aspects of essay writing. We’re going to see what a typical essay task looks like, the structure and language and, of course, common problems and mistakes you should avoid on your way to mastering essays.

What a typical essay task looks like

Apart from that, you are also gifted a few ideas in the smaller of the two boxes . You can use these in your essay (You don’t have to.), but make sure that you don’t just copy them word for word. Instead, paraphrase them and make them your own, or simply come up with your own ideas.

Formal or informal language in an essay?

I’ll keep this short for you because this works in every single task: Keep your language formal , which means no contractions ( I’m , don’t , etc.), no colloquial expressions ( Hey, what’s up? , I liked it heaps ., etc.), and no slang or phrasal verbs that convey informality ( I’m bursting vs. I have had enough to eat; carry on vs. continue).

How to organise your essay

Plan before you start writing.

It took me 4 minutes to create this plan. I used the idea from the task for sports centres (“Sports centrs mean healthier people.”), but I paraphrased it (public health) while the idea for public parks seems too vague for me so I left it out. Remember that it is optional to include these thoughts in your essay. if you feel that you have better ones, go for it.

The different parts of an essay

In recent years, public funding for local facilities has become more problematic for many towns, which has become more obvious to me after listening to a panel on the financial needs of several different local facilities like sports centres and public parks. As these places battle for funds, the main question is which ones deserve the money more.

Let’s have a closer look at this intro. At the beginning the whole issue is put into the context of the financial problems many local authorities have experienced. Sports centres and public parks as our two topic points are included as well and, last but not least, a question is asked to create a little more interest in the reader.

It is widely known that sports centres provide many different benefits to the local community. Someone on the panel mentioned that, from a public-health standpoint, it is crucial to offer opportunities to exercise in order to keep everyone healthy physically as well as mentally due to the social character of sports. In addition to that, exercise comes in many different shapes and forms, from team sports to individual activities like swimming, so there is something for everyone to enjoy in a dedicated group of people. While green spaces in a town or city have their own benefits, it can be difficult to maintain such large areas in order to keep parks pleasant and inviting to everyone. Nevertheless, considered by many as the green lung of a city their use as a refuge from hectic city life cannot be debated, and groups of people as well as individuals can be seen following their favourite pastime or socialising with others, which makes the discussion about allocating funds even more difficult.

Last but not least, both parts are balanced in terms of their length, but I don’t want you to think that they have to be perfectly equal. If there is good reason to give one part a little bit more attention over the other, that’s fine. For example, you can say in your essay that one of the ideas is more complex than the other, which tells the examiner that you actually thought about this instead of just having messed up your text. Be clear about it and think it through before you even start writing.

Taking into account all the positions from above I come to the conclusion that funding should be allocated to both facilities as they provide essential resources to the local community. However, due to their more social character and possibly greater public health benefits I would give more funds to sports centres.

Time to start practising

Similar posts, cambridge c1 advanced (cae): reading and use of english part 8, cambridge c1 advanced (cae): how to write a review, cambridge c1 advanced (cae): how to write a proposal, cambridge c1 advanced (cae): reading and use of english part 3, cambridge c1 advanced (cae): reading and use of english part 5, cambridge c1 advanced (cae): reading and use of english part 6.

Linking Words for Cambridge Advanced (C1) Writing

CAE Cambridge Advanced , CAE writing , Linking Words

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In this blog post, we’re looking at linking words/phrases and how they matter for your exams. Understanding them is really important, as is being able to use them effectively, especially from B2 exam level and up. If you’re already thinking ‘what are they talking about’ then you should definitely read on. And if you think you’re already a master with linking words, check out our activities and comment to show us that you’ve nailed it!

Linking words are basically words or phrases that are used to connect other words and phrases together. It’s really a means of creating cohesion in your writing or speech.

Without linking words you’d just have a bunch of random sentences without a clear connection to each other, and really, do you know ANYONE who communicates without connecting their ideas together? If you do actually know someone like that, send them a link to this so you can have better chats with them!

THE FUNCTIONS OF LINKING WORDS

Yesterday evening I decided to watch a bit of a true crime documentary. It turned out to be  such an intriguing case that I watched the whole thing. Normally, I don’t pay much attention to the show. However , on this occasion I was on the edge of my seat. The show was really well made and what’s more, it was nearly impossible to guess whodunnit.

As you can probably work out, the underlined items are all linking words. There’s a whole range of reasons that you’d want to connect ideas together like that. Let’s list a few with examples:

1. To compare

This is to say how things are the same or different to each other, e.g.

1. Trisha murdered her husband with a hammer. Similarly , Janice used a blunt object to murder her spouse.

Also, as with Trisha, Janice didn’t contact emergency services to get help for her dying spouse.

2. To show a contrast

This is to comment on the obvious difference between two people or things, e.g.

However , Janice hit her husband just once, to get him away from her.

In contrast Trisha struck hers 73 times, showing much more aggression and intent to harm.

3. To demonstrate condition

This is to say a situation depends on another situation, e.g.

Trisha is likely to go to prison for the murder, unless she is able to cover it up.

Provided that Janice can prove her husband was attacking her, she’ll probably avoid punishment.

4. To illustrate

That is to use examples or evidence to explain yourself, e.g.

In the case of Trisha; she could, for example , hide the body somewhere secret. There are a few options such as hiding him in the nearby woodland.

Those are all, of course, things that you should be doing in your essays, for example. After all, essays should be all about comparing and contrasting different ideas in order to make a final assessment in your conclusion based on that. You can’t have a cohesive essay that reaches a logical conclusion without using suitable cohesive devices (like linking words). You should really make sure to keep that in mind when you write!

Linking Words for Cambridge Advanced 

When it comes to the Cambridge Exams specifically, linking words and phrases are an important part of the ‘organisation’ element of your writing. Remember, there are four areas on which you are graded:

Each of those four elements is worth up to 5 marks out of the 20 total for each writing piece, with 3/5 the lowest passing mark in each category.

Organisation can be the easiest to score well in if you know what’s required of you. It’s not only linking words of course. There are a few simple aspects, such as having a clear Introduction, main body and conclusion (basically, a beginning, middle and end), and using clear spacing to separate your paragraphs. Though (especially at advanced level) the main thing they’re looking for is that cohesion. That the whole text has a natural flow, nothing seems out of place or disjointed. Linking words/phrases are a part of helping you to achieve that.

It’s not only the writing part where linking words matter though. They should be a natural part of your speech for the speaking element (for many of the same reasons as your writing, especially in the collaborative parts (3 & 4) of the test. Not to mention the likelihood that they’ll come up Use of English. That’s still not all though, because not only do you need to be able to use them yourself, you need to recognise them when they are used and the reason for which they’re being used.

That brings us onto the listening part of the exam. Essentially, linking words/phrases are used in the listening exam as a sort of ‘misdirect’. Especially the contrasting type. The speaker will lead you down a path of thinking that one of your options must be the write answer, then they’ll use a contrasting linker to completely change the meaning of what they’re saying. You’ll have to recognise when they do this and quickly realise what the actual correct answer is. (Pro tip: In the parts of the test with multiple short pieces to listen to, wait until the speaker finishes what they’ve said before you choose your answer. That way you won’t prematurely choose the wrong answer and get caught out).

So, we’ve established that these linking words/phrases are essential for your exams. So, what will happen if you absolutely nail them in the exams? Well, anything could happen. You should at least get some good grades in the relevant sections! The examiners are always looking out for them, so you can dazzle them with your flawless use and really make them love you and reward it!

And now, it’s over to you.

Let’s have a go at a practice exercise. Below, you can see an example essay that uses a number of linking words/phrases. Try to identify the different linking words used and see if you can figure out exactly what they’re being used for to! Comment with your answers and we’ll let you know if you got it right!

Question: Is it better to take holidays abroad or in your own country?

As increasing numbers of people choose so-called ‘staycations’ over holidays abroad, this essay will consider environmental, economical and educational factors to assess which holiday type is best.

Firstly, as a recent UN report says we have only 12 years to save ourselves from global warming, environmental factors are hugely important. Travel abroad often means using highly polluting forms of transports such as planes, whereas staying in your country makes less harmful modes of transport a realistic option. This suggests that more people should choose to stay in their own country when holidaying.

A common argument for holidaying abroad is that it opens us to new cultures and experiences. Most holiday-goers focus on ‘tourist’ locations (e.g. Benidorm) and experiences though, rarely experiencing the true culture of a country.

Another argument for holidaying abroad is that it helps economies that are dependent on tourism for their income, however with debts increasing in many places the expression ‘charity begins at home’ applies. We must prioritise helping ourselves first in order to help others effectively.

In conclusion due to the environmental damage and limited benefits, holidays abroad are unsustainable so we should choose staycations.

Remember to comment so we can have a look at your answers and let you know how you did. And don’t forget to keep an eye out for other videos in the series. Thanks for reading, let us know if you have any questions 🙂

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CAE Writing Phrases

Just a quick note…

Before you use these materials… We’ve created a new podcast aimed at B2+ level English students and teachers alike. You can listen for free at our SoundCloud page below. We have released 5 episodes so far and you can download teacher’s notes to accompany them from our Facebook page or from this blog. All comments and feedback welcome! Give us a like and a share 😉

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I stumbled across this amazing and exhaustive list of phrases for advanced writing. I don’t know who made it but a big thank you to whoever it was! It’s gold dust!

You can download it here:

https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=79CFF252BEEA0A7D!439&authkey=!AHr7Ja0Lshhl2Y0

CAE – WRITING AND VOCABULARY

1)  FORMAL WRITING (Reports and proposals)

Making recommendations and concluding

– Do not use contractions.

-Use passive forms whenever possible.

-Use relative clauses to join ideas: The period during which he lived was full of uncertainty.

-Use these formal words:  like à such as   /   kids à children

a lot (of) à many / a large number of  + countable noun

a lot (of) à much / a great amount of / a great deal of + uncountable

a lot (intensity)à very much / significantly / dramatically

– Avoid using the word things / something,  etc. Use a more specific word ( problems, situation, solutions,

  subjects , and so on).

2)  SEMI-FORMAL WRITING

Adressing  the reader

-Have you ever wondered (what the college would be like if)…? If the answer is (yes)…, you…

–If you want a different kind of experience,… / As you know,…

-Doesn’t it just make everyone feel (positive about…)?

-If you have a few hours to spare,…is worth seeing.

-Never omit the subject pronoun: Many people

believe IT is important to…    I believe IT is a good  idea

  study…

– Do not use unnecessary subject pronouns: This is a problem which  it  is essential to solve.

-Make sure the subject and the verb agree: Attracting tourists involves improving local facilities.

  (SINGULAR SUBJECTà attracting tourists + SINGULAR VERBà involves)

Attitude clauses and phrases

Generally speaking,…

Annoyingly,…  Naturally,…  Strangely,… Surprisingly,… Evidently,…

Indeed,… In fact,… Admittedly,… Presumably,…

.  .   .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .   .  .  .  .  .  .  . .  .   .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .   .  .  .  .  .  .  .

RELATED WORDS AND PHRASES

-A great number of people share the view that tourism will have a negative impact on the island.

-Today there is general / widespread agreement that pollution from cars and planes is threatening the

future of our planet.

-I t is now widely accepted that the universe began with the so-called ‘big bang’.

Disagreement

– Opinions differ about the proper relationship between the mass media and society.

– There is considerable disagreement among experts about the usefulness of these tests.

– There has been a great deal of controversy over abortion in the US.

Advantages and disadvantages

-Regular exercise has many benefits , including reducing the risk of heart disease.

-Despite a few problems with the design, the car’s advantages clearly outweigh its disadvantages.

– The major drawback of this method is that it can be very time-consuming.

– The downside of running your own business is that you are responsible if anything goes wrong.

– lead to : The research could lead to a cure for many serious illnesses.

– result in : The fire resulted in damage to their property.

– be responsible for : He was responsible for the accident.

– bring about :The war brought about enormous social change.

– give rise to: Poor performance in exams can give rise to depression and even thoughts of suicide.

– trigger :to make something suddenly start to happen, especially a bad situation such as a crisis or a war, or

a medical condition: Certain foods can trigger allergies.

– contribute to : Passive smoking could contribute to the development of respiratory diseases among

nonsmokers.

– factor : Cost is often the deciding factor when choosing any product.

– impact on : His work has had an enormous impact on the study of genetics.

– influence on:   In his book, he examines the influence of the media on our society.

– affect : (v) The disease affects women more than men.

– influence : (v) She has influenced him a lot.

– implications :  The results of the study could have important implications for future educational policy.

Emphasizing

-I would like to stress that the research is still at an early stage.

– It should be noted that there are a number of alternative methods available.

– It is worth bearing in mind that 90% of the scientists researching herbicides in the US are employed by

  chemical companies.

-Factors such as temperature and acidity play a crucial role in determining how well the process works.

-These insects play a vital part in the food chain.

– It is essential that the work is carried out as soon as possible.

-The climate is much colder, especially in the far north.

– issue : Issue is used especially about problems that affect a lot of people in society:  International terrorism

  is the biggest issue (=the most important issue) facing the world today. Previous governments failed to

  address (=try to deal with) social issues such as unemployment and homelessness.

– challenge: something difficult that you must do or deal with, which needs a lot of skill, effort, and

  determination: She said she was looking forward to the challenge of starting up a new business on her

– difficulty :  The company has managed to overcome (=deal with) its recent financial difficulties.

  Many people experience difficulty in sleeping at some time in their lives.

– trouble:   a problem or several problems that make something difficult, spoil your plans etc:  Students of

  English often have trouble with phrasal verbs.  The company ran into trouble (=started to have problems)

  when it tried to expand too quickly.

– setback:   something that happens which stops you making progress or which makes things worse than

  they were before:  Despite some early setbacks, his campaign for the presidency was successful.

– obstacle:   Criminal gangs are the biggest obstacle to democratic reform.

– dilemma :  The doctors were faced with a moral dilemma.

– vicious circle :  Some developing countries get caught in a vicious circle. They cannot afford to pay their

  debt repayments, and so the debts get even bigger.

– complication

– increase by (percent) :  Last year, the number of burglaries increased by 15 percent.

– go up : Last month unemployment went up from 1.6 million to just over 1.7 million.

– grow:   The volume of traffic on our roads continues to grow.

– expand :  After two years of no growth, the economy started to expand again in 2003.

– double/triple/quadruple : Since 1950, the number of people dying from cancer has almost doubled.

-growth: (n) There has been a huge growth in sales of big 4-wheel-drive vehicles.

– decrease by (percent) :  The average rainfall has decreased by around 30 percent.

– go down : The percentage of fat in our diets has gone down.

– fall: The number of tigers in the wild has fallen to just over 10,000.

– drop:   At night, the temperature drops to minus 20 degrees.

– decline: decline is used about numbers or amounts, and also about the level or standard of something:

In rural areas, the standard of living continued to decline.

– respect / look up to

look up to : The children need someone they can look up to.

– think highly of:  Most of the students and staff think very highly of Dr. Smith.

– think highly of

have a high opinion of

– highly regarded/respected

highly regarded/respected : a highly respected surgeon

be an admirer of

– sophisticated / high-tech (equipment) / state-of-the-art (technology)

SURPRISING  (Avoid using “colourful” vocabulary in formal writing!)

– amazing / unbelievable / incredible / astonishing / staggering

– come as a surprise / come as a shock / amaze / astonish

SURPRISED  (Avoid using “colourful” vocabulary in formal writing!)

– amazed / astonished / speechless / be taken aback (He was taken aback by the news)

EXCITING  (Avoid using “colourful” vocabulary in formal writing!)

– thrilling / gripping / exhilarating / action-packed

– dull / tedious / monotonous / uninspiring

BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE     (Avoid using “colourful” vocabulary in formal writing!)

– attractive / good-looking / gorgeous / striking / stunning

BEAUTIFUL PLACES     (Avoid using “colourful” vocabulary in formal writing!)

– breathtaking / stunning / awe-inspiring / striking / spectacular

– spotless : very clean

UGLY PLACES / PEOPLE      (Avoid using “colourful” vocabulary in formal writing!)

– unattractive / unpleasant / unsightly / hideous (=extremely ugly)

– filthy : very dirty

IN BAD CONDITION  (PLACES)

-i n bad condition / dilapidated / run-down

– latest / brand-new / innovative (idea or system)

– old-fashioned / outdated / obsolete

– absolutely  / extremely / highly / incredibly / remarkably

GOOD PERFORMANCE / PIECE OF WORK

– excellent / outstanding / impressive / exceptional

GOOD FOR A PARTICULAR JOB, PURPOSE, ETC

– suitable / right / proper / appropriate / be suited to

WRONG INFORMATION / NUMBERS

– incorrect / inaccurate / misleading

NOT REASONABLE / NECESSARY

– unjustified / unreasonable / without good reason

– unwind / wind down : Set in spectacular countryside, the Shiga Hotel is the perfect place to unwind.

– make someone feel at ease

– relaxed / feel at ease / laid-back (not easily worried or annoyed) /

– tense / uneasy / anxious / be under stress

PUBLIC SERVICES

– facilities : The facilities at the hotel were excellent — tennis courts, swimming pool, several bars and a good

restaurant.

– amenities : things such as shops, parks, or restaurants that make living or working in a place more pleasant

I prefer this part of the city because there are plenty of good amenities.

COMPARISONS

– a great deal / far / much + comparative (cheaper / more economical than)

– a bit / slightly / barely + comparative (cheaper / more economical than)

– by far / easily the + superlative (This is easily the best solution we can think of)

VERY MUCH / NOT VERY MUCH

– dramatically / significantly / slightly

– As well (as) / in addition to :   Over 600 people will lose their jobs, in addition to the 400 people who left

the company last year.

– In addition : A fifth of the world’s population lives on less than $1 a day. In addition, over 100 million

children are living on the streets.

– Furthermore / Moreover :  used at the beginning of a sentence when adding an important fact that is

connected with what you have just said:  The drug has strong side effects. Furthermore, it can be

– as long as / on condition that / provided that

– alternatively : You can go up into the mountains. Alternatively, you can stroll around one of Switzerland’s

delightful cities where the old mixes with the new.

– on THE one hand … on the other (hand)

– As  / since :  As it was a hot day, they decided to leave all the windows open.  Since it is difficult to predict

how the climate will change, it is not possible to say which countries will suffer the most.

– thanks to

– due to/owing to + NOUN   

The delay was due to a problem with the ship’s engines.

– due to/owing to + THE FACT THAT + subject + verb

The men did most of the work in the fields. This was partly due to the fact that the men were stronger.

But/although

– While / whereas / by contrast

– However:   However is usually used in the middle of a sentence, separated from the rest of the sentence by

commas: Jack and his family managed to escape before the soldiers arrived. Other families in the village,

however, were less lucky. Or it comes at the beginning of a sentence: He began his academic career as a

mathematician. However, his main achievements were in the field of nuclear physics.

– Nevertheless : Nevertheless is usually used at the beginning of a sentence, or at the end.

– in spite of/despite + NOUN   

Despite his lack of formal education, he became one of the world’s leading mathematicians.

– in spite of/despite + verb + ING  

This was a dinosaur that weighed only 10 tons, in spite of being some 28 metres long.

– in spite of/despite + THE FACT THAT + subject + verb

Many people are worried that cellphones may be dangerous to health, despite the fact that most of the

research suggests that there is little risk.

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Author: Tim Warre

Barcelona based English Teacher, blogger and sometime actor and director. View All Posts

6 thoughts on “ CAE Writing Phrases ”

• Pingback: CAE Writing Phrases | STUDY CENTRE IH CÓRDOBA
• Pingback: Advanced Exam writing phrases | susiesays

I am blown away. This is one of the best and full documented list of phrases. Indispensable tool for people that are about to take the exam.

In case you are willing to check model answers of CAE essays you can click on http://examwriting.blogspot.com

Thank you very much. This list is very helpful for my studies.

pisha, que bueno e este sitio, felicitacione

Love this blog! Children need someone to look up to, a role model.

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• How to write a C1 Advanced Report/Proposal

• Posted on 16/11/2022
• Categories: Blog
• Tags: CAE , Cambridge Exams

Are you preparing for the Cambridge C1 Advanced exam and need a hand with writing your report/proposal for Part 2 of the Writing paper? Perfect! You’re in the right place.

By the end of this blog post, you’ll know exactly what the C1 reports and proposals are, how to structure them perfectly and what you need to do to get top marks in your exam.

Before we get started, if you’re looking for some help with Part 1 of the C1 Writing paper, check out our blog post here on how to write the perfect essay.

What is a Cambridge C1 Advanced report?

The objective of a report is to present factual information (you can invent the facts, but they must be presented as factual) and evaluate to what extent a particular aim has been achieved or make suggestions to improve something that has already happened.

Your reader may be a superior (such as a boss or school headmaster) or a peer group (such as club members or colleagues).

What is a Cambridge C1 Advanced proposal?

The objective of a proposal is to persuade your reader to take a particular course of action by making suggestions , supported by factual information (again, you can invent this).

Your reader may be a supervisor (such as a boss or school headmaster) or for a peer group (such as colleagues or club members).

So far, the report and proposal both sound pretty similar, don’t they? They are! However, there’s just one key difference between the two.

What is the difference between a report and a proposal?

Your report will always be written about something that has already happened . You will need to reflect and give your opinions and suggestions on how something from the past can be improved.

However, your proposal will always be written about the future and normally you will need to persuade your reader to take a particular course of action .

Three steps to write the perfect Cambridge C1 Advanced report/proposal

Reports and proposals follow exactly the same structure. To keep things simple, let’s just focus on an exam question for a report. You can practise analysing and writing a proposal later!

Step 1: Plan it

Let’s take a look at the exam question below.

Source: https://www.cambridgeenglish.org

First things first , you need to identify the topic of the report (this is underlined in blue below) as this will tell you exactly what you need to write. At this point, start thinking of the vocabulary and expressions you can use.

Next, you need to identify who your reader is. In this case, it’s the programme organiser, so you need to write in a formal style.

Lastly, you need to identify exactly what you need to include in your report. There are usually two or three points/questions to answer (these are underlined in orange below).

Now you know the topic, the questions you need to include, and who the reader is, it’s time to start writing!

Step 2: Write it

Your report/proposal must include a title, an introduction, topic paragraphs with subheadings and a conclusion.

Take a look at the example answer below.

This student has given their report a clear title.

In their introduction, they have stated the purpose of their report, which prepares the reader for what they are going to read in the following topic paragraphs.

The topic paragraphs all have subheadings and address each of the three key points from the exam question.

Finally, the conclusion gives suggestions to the reader on the improvements they can make on the programme.

Step 3: Check it

Now that you’ve written your text, it’s time to check it! A lot of students often skip this step, but make sure to give yourself at least 10 minutes to check your writing.

Here’s a quick checklist of things to look out for :

• Have you done what the task asked you to do and kept everything relevant?
• Is your tone, register, style and vocabulary appropriate?
• Is your writing clearly connected, logical and ordered?
• Have you accurately used a good range of spelling and vocabulary?
• Have you checked your spelling, grammar and punctuation?

Top tips and advice

• You have 90 minutes in total for the writing exam.
• For Part 2, use 10 minutes to plan , 25 minutes to write and 10 minutes to check .
• Your word count is between 220 and 260 . Don’t go too much over or under this as you’ll get penalised .
• Remember to plan! Plan the structure as well as the grammar and vocabulary you can use. Think ‘where can I use inversion?’, ‘what connectors can I use?’, ‘what C1 vocabulary can I use for this topic?’ and so on.

Time to practise your writing

Now it’s time for you to have a go at practising your writing skills!

Take a look at the exam question below for a proposal. Follow the same steps above. Just remember to write it for the future .

Here’s an example answer for you.

Looking for further help with your C1 Advanced exam preparation?

If you’re looking for feedback on your writing and further guidance, why not check out our exam preparation courses ? Our classes are dynamic and practical and our friendly professional teachers will help you get the score you need.

Glossary for Language Learners

Find the following words in the article and then write down any new ones you didn’t know.

Need a hand with (id): to need help with something.

Course of action (ph): a way of proceeding.

First things first (idiom): to tell someone that there are more important things to be done first.

Skip (v): to pass something without mentioning.

Look out for (pv: to try to notice.

Penalise (v): to punish someone for breaking a rule.

Have a go at (pv): make an attempt.

ph = phrase

pv = phrasal verb

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5 of the best apps to improve your English listening skills

• Posted on 02/11/2022

5 Interesting Christmas traditions from around the world

• Posted on 07/12/2022

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How to write a proposal? | C1 Advanced (CAE)

• It starts with the relevant title and purpose of the proposal.
• The main content should be divided into sections with a headings and describe a situation (h ere you can include some imaginary questionnaires or surveys that you have carried out to prove your point.)
• It ends with recommendations which are going to persuade the reader and try to prove that you are right.

This may already seem familiar to you because it is quite similar to report writing in C1 Advanced CAE however, there’s one major difference:

Reports – are always written about something that happened in the past for example a survey that you’ve conducted or an excursion that you went on or some kind of panel discussion that you’ve visited.

Proposals – on the other hand, always deal with something in the present/future . The focus of a proposal is always on evaluating a situation as well as making a suggestion or recommendation for the future.

Read more about proposal vs report

C1 Advanced (CAE) Proposal: Structure

See structures based on real examples

FCE, CAE, CPE

Practice tests online, c1 advanced (cae) proposal: writing guide.

We will use the example topic below:

There are plans to demolish an old and unused building in the town where you are student. You feel that the building should be saved. You decide to write a proposal for the town council explaining why you think the building should be preserved, suggesting what could be done to modernise it and saying how the building could benefit the local people. 

Write your  proposal (around 220 – 260  words)

Step 1: Find the topic points & topic

The first question you should ask yourself is what topic do I have to write about in your proposal? Knowing the topic always gives you a general idea as well as some inspiration for possible vocabulary that you might want to include in your text.

The second question should be what exactly do I have to include in my text?   Here we try to filter out the specific topic points  which we need to address in our writing.

There are plans to demolish an old and unused building in the town where you are student. You feel that the building should be saved . (topic: old building that the city wants to demolish and you want to save it ) You decide to write a proposal for the town council (target reader) explaining why you think the building should be preserved, (topic point) suggesting what could be done to modernise (topic point) it and saying how the building could benefit the local people.   (topic point)

Topic: old building that the city wants to demolish and you want to save it

Main key points:

• why you think the building should be preserved,
• what could be done to modernise
• how the building could benefit the local people.

Finally, you should always check who’s going to read your text knowing the reader helps you choose the most appropriate style and register in our example we are writing to the city council as these people are city officials we should use a formal style for our proposal.

Target reader: town council

As soon as we’ve analyzed the task and extracted all the information that we need we can start building our structure and writing a proposal.

Practice, Write & Improve

Step 2: title + introduction.

The title doesn’t have to be anything special but it is important that you include one as this is a typical feature of a proposal and it could be something like:

• Proposal to …….   and then you write the topic of what you’re reporting.
• or you can write the topic and end it with phrase  : a proposal

in this way, the title will have an appropriately formal connotation. See both examples below: Title: Proposal to modernise the old brewery Title: Old brewery modernisation : a proposal

The introduction must contain three main things that you should include:

• purpose of your proposal in which you should explain your purpose for writing The proposal is intended to…..
•  you should restate the topic of the task (see step 1) 
• The three main key points  that you discovered   (see step 1)

See sample introduction & title:

Title: Old brewery modernisation: a proposal

This proposal is intended to (appropriate beginning)   outline why the old brewery on ABC Street should not be demolished (topic)  and is worth protecting, (point 1) how it could be turned into a valuable asset (point 2)  for the town and in what ways it could be of use (point 3) for the residents of the town.

TIP : Note that a proposal is written in the future tense or with reference to the future in that it differs from a report.

Step 3: The body paragraphs (main content) 

Group your ideas under headings for each section of your proposal. Remember to answer all the questions that you were asked (see step 1)  You’re going to use some formal or semi-formal language and also some passive structures such as “it is advisable that..” or  “it is recommended that….”

Main key points  (see step 1):

See the example main content below, with additional annotations you may find useful:

The brewery as an opportunity. – add headings/simple, informative, formal The old brewery building with its central location at ABC Street and unique architecture is still considered a focal point of the town centre by the vast majority of people. While it has not been in use for some years, It has great sentimental value as indicated in conversations with local residents . Therefore , it would be an unrecoverable loss to demolish the building when there are other possibilities for using the facility.

[describes first point – why the building should be preserved,]

Modernization – add headings/simple, informative, formal According to city conservators, (rely on sources, stats and experts) the modernisation of a building this old can be a challenge as everything from the ground up needs renovation.  However , some local architects would be willing to work together and develop a design that takes into account the financial constraints of the public budget as well as environmental factors. To illustrate, the initial estimated costs for modernization are $300,000 and 6 months (add figures) of construction and design works.

It is strongly recommended (use passive voice) to turn the brewery into a co-working space so the rent will offset 15-20% of the costs in order to give the town a modern touch on a historic site.

[describes first point – what could be done to modernise]

Future benefits – add headings/simple, informative, formal Considering all of the above , if the following suggestions were taken , (use conditionals) there would be great benefits for everybody involved. Moreover , the town would create another source of income, the space would attract creative professionals and not only would it benefit them, but local residents would also be able to keep their brewery in the town centre.

[describes third point – how the building could benefit the local people.]

                  – statistics, details, relevant detailed information, sources of information

                   – persuasive language

                    – transitional words, expressions and conjunctions, which link the sentences and make the text more fluid

Step 5: Final recommendations

In the last section/paragraph of your proposal, we need to conclude our proposal and make our final suggestions (after all that’s the main reason for writing the proposal). Make sure that you include your final suggestions in this last paragraph as well as some persuasive language.

Conclusion – add a  hea ding  All things considered, the benefits and needs of the inhabitants speak for the preservation of the brewery and its modernization into a co-working space. On behalf of the residents, I strongly urge the council to consider this proposal.                    – persuasive language

See full proposal…

Full proposal.

Old brewery modernisation: a proposal

This proposal is intended to  outline why the old brewery on ABC Street should not be demolished and is worth protecting, how it could be turned into a valuable asset for the town and in what ways it could be of use for the residents of the town.

The brewery as an opportunity. The old brewery building with its central location at ABC Street and unique architecture is still considered a focal point of the town centre by the vast majority of people. While it has not been in use for some years, It has great sentimental value as indicated in conversations with local residents. Therefore, it would be an unrecoverable loss to demolish the building when there are other possibilities for using the facility.

Modernization According to city conservators, the modernisation of a building this old can be a challenge as everything from the ground up needs renovation. However, some local architects would be willing to work together and develop a design that takes into account the financial constraints of the public budget as well as environmental factors. To illustrate, the initial estimated costs for modernization are $300,000 and 6 months of construction and design works.

It is strongly recommended to turn the brewery into a co-working space so the rent will offset 15-20% of the costs in order to give the town a modern touch on a historic site.

Future benefits Considering all of the above, if the following suggestions were taken, there would be great benefits for everybody involved. Moreover, the town would create another source of income, the space would attract creative professionals and not only would it benefit them, but local residents would also be able to keep their brewery in the town centre.

Submit your (CAE) Proposal for review

C1 advanced (cae) proposal: sample answers, cae proposal sample 1, proposal subject:.

Language students – let us improve what we do for you! Unfortunately, we can’t spend much money, but we’d like to improve what we provide for our language students. Submit proposals to us explaining what is useful about the current facilities we provide, describe any problems you have with them and make recommendations for how we can improve them, giving reasons to support your ideas.

Student’s CAE Proposal Answer:

How to improve the quality of language classes: a proposal

The principal objectives of this proposal are to  describe the current state of language teaching at the Pennsylvania State University, identify areas for improvement, and offer recommendations on exactly what improvements can be achieved.

Current situation

At the present moment, Penn State offers courses of several languages on three different levels. One can study modern languages such as French, German, Italian Russian as a beginner, intermediate or upper-intermediate student.

Following a final year survey among students taking language courses, the following areas for improvement can be highlighted:

1. the number of languages in offer: undoubtedly narrow and restricted to European languages; 2. the structure of the courses is flat: no advanced level 3. little innovation in the language methods utilized: simple, old-fashioned grammar-translation method still reigns supreme.

Recommendations

It is vital to address the issues raised in the student survey. Therefore, the following actions ought to be performed with a view to improving the quality of the courses and their reception:

A. The offer should be increased to include other widely-spoken languages, especially non-European ones, such as Chinese, Arabic and Hindi. These languages are real challenges for the speakers of European languages.

B. It is advisable to expand the course options by offering lessons for advanced students. Only comprehensive offer can motivate students to immerse themselves in language learning.

C. Last but not least, some variety needs to be introduced into the array of teaching methods available to students, e.g. online multimedia lessons. The best method of language learning is using many various methods.

All of these measures, if promptly implemented, are surely going to increase student satisfaction in the area of language courses.

Get Your (CAE) Proposal Checked!

Cae proposal sample 2.

You go to a university that has a high amount of international students and you have realised that the website is not up to scratch. Write a proposal for the University Dean about how it could be improved.

Student’s CAE Proposal Answer:

This proposal is aimed at outlining the way in which the university website could be improved so that it is more user friendly for international students. It will suggest what improvements can be made and also set out how this would benefit the students themselves.

Problems with using the site

A recent study into how easy it is to get around the site has revealed that 70% of students whose second language is English find it difficult to find specific information about their courses. Because of the language barrier, they find it hard to make their search terms clear and this has become a cause for concern. Translating the site is not an option and this can be a big problem, especially at the beginning of the academic year.

Ways the site could address these issues

It has been well documented that the university website has neither a site map nor an introduction video to help novice students to find their way around it. It would make a huge difference if there were some simple instructions to indicate where to find information. It is a delicate balance as we, of course, want international students to learn English, but also want them to navigate the site with ease.

I would like to make the following recommendations:

• Invite students who are starting out at the university to a quick and informative seminar to demonstrate how to use the site.
• Provide language help and some useful resources for language learning and assistance.
• Provide a survival pack for students to take with them and know how to combat technological issues.

If these recommendations are in place, young people are bound to feel more prepared for their experience and take full advantage of this unique experience.

C1 Advanced (CAE) Proposal: Writing Questions

Proposal question 1.

There are plans to demolish an old and unused building in the town where you are a student. You feel that the building should be saved. You decide to write a proposal for the town council explaining why you think the building should be preserved, suggesting what could be done to modernise it and saying how the building could benefit the local people.

Proposal Question 2

Your college currently doesn’t provide enough support for students planning to spend time studying in another country. You see this notice in the library.

The college is planning to introduce a special course for students planning to spend time studying in-country. The college principal invites students to send a proposal outlining any problems students may face when studying abroad and suggesting ways in which the course could address these problems. A decision can then be made about what to include on the course.

Proposal Question 3

Students at your college have to give a spoken presentation as part of their final assessment and need some help. The school director has invited you to send a proposal outlining any problems students have with presentations and suggesting how these problems could be overcome.

Proposal Question 4

The company you work for is considering the idea of a flexible working day, where staff are able to vary their starting and finishing time. The manager of your department has asked you to write a proposal explaining why introducing a flexible working day could benefit both the company and its employees. You should also suggest how a flexible working day could operate in your own department.

C1 Advanced (CAE) Proposal: Proposal vs Report

Difference between proposal and report.

Proposals are often structured in a similar way to reports. But it’s very important that we make the distinction between the two as you can see from the pictures below.

Report (present/past)

If we follow the sequence here, a report is about something that has already happened and the function of the report is to communicate the information from the past , via you to a superior boss teacher member of the local council.

Proposal (future)

A proposal takes a slightly different sequence, in the sense that, you are going to your superio r directly to suggest something that could have in the future.

Looks quite simple in theory but we have to bear in mind that the use of language for this will be completely different:

• If you’re writing a report quite often you’re going to be using past tenses or present tenses as well as many passive forms
• for a proposal , you’re going to be looking at future tenses and conditionals , as well as a lot of modal verbs (could, would) and some passive forms

Although the difference is not huge the use of language will have to be completely different with respect to the tenses.

C1 Advanced (CAE) Proposal: Structure / Real Examples

Below are presented examples of proposal structure based on real exam tasks.

Example task 1:

As always we start by analyzing the task and finding the things we  have to do in this case there are two:

Write a proposal for your college principal in which you ask for support to travel (support needed) to another country for an internship. Explain what you would like from the college, and why would it be of benefit. (your expectations – > personal growth)

based on these two points, we can create this type of structure:

Introduction The aim of this proposal is to request assistance regarding an internship programme I am interested in.

Support needed Comment on the first element…

Personal growth Comment on the second element…

Conclusion Having outlined needs and reasons, I am sure that…

Example task 2:

Again we start by analyzing the task and finding the things we have to do in this case suggest several places and provide recommendations:

You study at an international college in your country. Your history teacher is planning a one-day study trip (a trip) for your class and has asked the students for suggestions. Write a proposal considering two or three different places (provide places) for history students to visit in the area and recommend which one of these (add recommendation) places would be preferable for a one-day study visit. 

based on this short analysis, we can create this type of structure:

Introduction The aim of this proposal is to …

Place 1 Comment on the first element…

Place 2 Comment on the second element…

Place 3 Comment on the third element…

Recommendation Having outlined the example locations…

Example task 3:

You read the following announcement in your local newspaper.  There is a 200 m X 200 m piece of land in the centre of our town that can be redeveloped. What do you think this piece of land should be used for? (give development ideas) How will it benefit the people of our town and what other advantages will it bring? (provide benefits and advantages) Send in your proposals to us and we will present the best ones to the town council for consideration. 

Redevelopment ideas Comment on the first idea…

Comment on the second idea…

Benefits and Advantages Comment on benefits…

Conclusion Having provided the above…

C1 Advanced (CAE) Proposal: Writing Checklist

After writing your text, you can check it yourself using the writing checklist below.

How to do that? Simply check your text/email by answering the questions one by one:

• Have I covered all the key information required by the task?
• Have I written only information which is relevant to the task?
• Have I developed the basic points in the task with my own ideas?

Communicative Achievement

• Have I achieved the main purpose(s) of the text (for example, explaining, persuading, suggesting, apologising, comparing, etc.)?
• Have I used a suitable mix of fact and opinion?
• Have I used a suitable style and register (formal or informal) for the task?

Organisation

• Have I used paragraphs appropriately to organise my ideas?
• Have I used other organisational features appropriately for the genre of the text (for example, titles, headings, openings, closings, etc.)?
• Is the connection between my ideas clear and easy for the reader to follow? (For example, have I used appropriate linking words, pronouns, etc. to refer to different things within the text?)
• Are the ideas balanced appropriately, with suitable attention and space given to each one?
• Have I used a wide range of vocabulary?
• Have I avoided repeating the same words and phrases?
• Have I used a range of simple and more complex grammatical structures?
• Have I correctly used any common phrases which are relevant to the specific task or topic?
• Is my use of grammar accurate?
• Is my spelling accurate?

More than Practice Tests

C1 advanced (cae) proposal: things to focus on.

C1 Advanced (CAE) Proposal: Useful Phrases & Expressions 

Stating the purpose of the proposal

The principal objectives of this proposal are to The objective of this proposal is to… The purpose of this proposal is to examine / evaluate / explain / describe / analyse / present… This proposal aims to…

Rhetorical phrases:

Have you ever ……..? What do you think about ……..? Are you one of those people who thinks that ……? Are you one of those people who …….? What would life be like if ……? Will the future bring us ….. ?

Background information

At the present moment,… Comments made at the end of the questionnaires suggest… Following a survey among… Concerned members of the local community were invited to attend… A number of concerns with regard to XYZ were expressed by… The following areas for improvement can be highlighted

Introducing your first point:

Firstly In the first place First of all The first thing to consider is One thing to consider is To begin with

Introducing more points:

Secondly Another consideration Yet another consideration Another thing to consider is Added to that Apart from that In addition to this

Making recommendations and suggestions

A working group should be set up by… There should be an enquiry into… It would be advantageous to… It is recommended that… I recommend that a larger survey should be conducted before a final decision is reached…

Final recommendations

Implementation of the above ideas would result in… A working group should be set up by… There should be an enquiry into… I recommend that a larger survey should be conducted before a final decision is reached… The following actions ought to be performed with a view to (improving the quality of…)

C1 Advanced (CAE) Proposal: People also ask

What is a cae proposal.

This is one of the elective exam questions appearing in the second part of the C1 Advanced (CAE ) Cambridge English Language writing section of the exam.

It is usually a text written for club members, or for a boss or a college principal , which takes the form of a document whose purpose is to convince the target reader of the rightness of some action in the future. It could be a particular project or event.

Scroll to the top of the article to read more…

How do I write a proposal for CAE?

• Begin by stating the purpose of your proposal.
• Use an impersonal, semi-formal style.
• Use a clear layout with headings.
• Express opinions and make recommendations in the last section of your proposal.
• Include a final sentence summarising your opinion.

What is the difference between a CAE proposal and report?

Reports – are always written about something that happened in the past for example a survey that you’ve conducted or an excursion that you went on or some kind of panel discussion that you’ve visited.

Proposals – on the other hand, always deal with something in the present/future. The focus of a proposal is always on evaluating a situation as well as making a suggestion or recommendation for the future.

What is a proposal Cambridge?

It is one of the exam questions appearing in the second part of the Cambridge English Language writing section of the exam.

What is your level of English?