Writing tips for Certification Exams

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Miguel Angel Cortés Diaz

Planning your composition

Organisation of paragraphs:How many paragraphs do you need?Decide the content & list the main pointsUse linkers to connect your ideas

Verb tenses:Decide which tenses to use before writingstory film review article biography essay

Formal versus informal style

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Writing process

Language: use adverbs and adjectives to make a text come alive.It was raining heavily. A tall middle-aged man was walking quickly along the wet pavement. Suddenly he looked round and saw that an attractive dark-haired woman was following him.Varied vocabulary: more interesting text to readGive examples: back up your arguments in essays

References: refer to a previous piece of informationWord count: respect the word limit +/- 10%

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A recent article on your newspaper has prompted me to…

Writing processAvoid wordiness: simplify your sentences to reduce the number of words you use and be more concise.

Connectors: link ideas between paragraphs and sentences to add sophistication to your text.

Despite his age, he could finish the marathon.The store is closed on Sundays because the owner plays football.

The young boy refused to obey the teacher. Therefore, he was sent home.We wanted to go camping. However, the weather was terrible.

Despite being short, James plays basketball very well.

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Checking for mistakes

Spelling: careful with the spelling when writing

Grammar: tenses, word order, articles, gerunds & infinitives

Vocabulary: verbs+prepositions, false friends, confusing verbs

Connectors: level of formality, structure…

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Checking for mistakesDespite the rain, we decided to go jogging in the park.We went to the beach and it was fun.The book which I’m writing is quite weird; when you receive it, tell me if it’s useful.The students don’t tend to study for the exams.On the one hand, people are worried they will lose their jobs.The teacher told me I had to improve my writing skills.I missed my connection at Heathrow airport and arrived in Valencia one day later.Planes are more faster than helicopters.You think we should buy a new car but I don’t agree.We usually go to the cinema once a week.In spite of his height, he became a great basketball player.I have worked in this company for 4 months ago.I’m looking forward to seeing you next week.We must to hand in the essay before Friday.That will depend on the number of students who do the exam.

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Assessment & evaluation

Task achievement: style, register, successful development of the task.

Cohesion: effective use of connectors, presentation of ideas, organisation of paragraphs.

Range: grammar structures and vocabulary appropriate for the level being assessed

Accuracy: overall correction of grammar & vocabulary

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FOREIGN LANGUAGE COORDINATOR AT CENTRE D’IDIOMES DE LA UNIVERSITAT DE VALENCIA

MIGUEL ANGEL CORTÉS DIAZ

@MigueCorDi | @centreidiomeses.linkedin.com/in/miguelangelcortesdiazMike’s Teaching Notes | elearningeproject.blogspot.com

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