Hi there!
If you are or have been my student, I’d really like to hear your opinion about this blog and your learning process in my classes.
✨ Please answer the following question in the Reply section:
What is your opinion about your classes with Teacher Julieta and the materials that she shares in this blog?
for B2 Cambridge First
A report is another piece of formal writing. It is based on facts (you’ll probably have to invent those ‘facts’ for the exam, and that’s okay). By writing a good report in English you will demonstrate that you can organize and communicate factual information using a formal tone. As with other pieces of formal writing (for example, essays, formal emails, articles, etc.), there is a special format used to write reports in English.
This part will give the reader a general idea of the topic of your report.
Make sure that you follow the capitalization rules for titles. You can find more information about how to write titles in English here.
In this section, you should state clearly the purpose of your report and what information you are going to include.
Try to paraphrase (use your own words) to write the information given in the instructions.
In these paragraphs, you will give most of the information and details of your report. It should be factual and clear. It shouldn’t sound like a story or like a novel.
You should write at least 2 topic points. One topic point per paragraph. Each paragraph must contain a topic sentence.
A topic sentence is a sentence that includes the main point (idea) of a paragraph. It has the information that readers need to understand what is the most important point in the paragraph.
The topic sentences guide readers and protect them from confusion. They usually appear at the beginning of each paragraph.
Click here to learn more about topic sentences.
This is the last part of the report. You need to finish it up by writing your recommendations. You must base your recommendation on the facts that you wrote in the topic paragraphs.
Make sure that your recommendations are well-connected with the topic points that you wrote in the previous paragraphs.
Step 1: Make a plan
Step 2: Write it
Step 3: Check it
Now that you know the parts of a report and the steps to follow, let’s see an article sample for the B2 (FCE) Cambridge writing test.
For the introduction:
For the topic points:
For your suggestions/ recommendations:
Pro tips for writing reportsMake sure that you:
Practice timeYou have been asked to write a report about entertainment in your city for a travel magazine. Write your report in the comments below.
Presentations are very common in academic and work settings, and they can be a bit challenging.
Here you can find some sentence starters that will help you organize your ideas to sound professional and fluent.
“Sharing is caring” is a common English expression but do you know what exactly it means? 😕
It has a very profound meaning. It means that when we share something with someone else it is equal to caring them. Sharing ideas, thoughts, experiences, things that have helped us in our journey is a way to show care to our friends and people around us. 💖
That’s why I created this blog. The main purpose of it is to share tips, ideas, games and resources that will help you in your learning journey. 💡
Over the past months this community has grown so fast and I think it is a good idea that you also share tips and resources with other members of the community.
I’m inviting you to share with me and with other English learners tips and resources that have helped you improve your English. 😊
Things that you can post in the comments below: 🔗 💡👇
On behalf of this amazing community of English learners around the world 🌎:
Thanks for your generosity 🙏
An article is an informal/ neutral piece of writing that is written for a specific audience. The purpose of an article is to share an opinion, or knowledge on a particular topic, or offer suggestions and pieces of advice to the readers. Newspapers, magazines, and journals usually publish articles. For that reason, articles have to be easy to read.
1 Think of the topic that you are going to write about carefully.
2 Identify the target audience. Who are going to read your article: students, young people, adults, elderly people, or professionals?
3 Find the objective of writing the article. Do you want to give advice? Are you going to give some useful tips? Do you want to teach your readers how to do something?
4 Identify the details that are more significant and think of some examples.
5 Organize your ideas and arrange the information and the facts in a coherent and logical way.
Now that you know the parts of an article and the steps to follow, let’s see an article sample for the B1 Cambridge writing test.
You see this announcement in your English school magazine.
| Articles wanted! |
Write an article telling us how to make your home safer when children visit you. What are the most dangerous places in a house for children? Why? The best articles answering this question will be published next month. |
For the introductory paragraph:
Giving your opinion:
Giving advice:
Adding more details and examples:
Reasons:
Writing Practice 1You are going to write an opinion article for a school magazine about the best places to visit in your city.
Plan the content
1 Think of at least 2 interesting/ touristic places
2 Think of an interesting introductory paragraph
3 Write your introduction
4 Write your descriptive paragraphs. Write one paragraph per place
5 Write your conclusion
6 Type your answer in the box below, and I’ll give you personalized feedback.
Writing Practice 2You are going to write an article for a school magazine. Choose one of the titles below>
Plan the content
1 Think of at least 3 useful tips
2 Think of an interesting introductory paragraph
3 Write your introduction
4 Write your descriptive paragraphs. Write one paragraph per tip.
5 Write your conclusion
6 Type your answer in the box below, and I’ll give you personalized feedback.
A short story is a piece of fiction that has a limited number of words and a few characters.
Let’s see a short story sample for the B1 Writing test
Time expressions:
Adverbs and adverbials to spice up your story
Finishing your short story
Short stories usually take place in the past, for that reason, the most common narrative tenses you should use for your short story are:
Writing Practice 1You are going to write a short story about a past mistake you have made.
Plan your story
The following questions can help you make your own story
Write your story in about 100 – 120 words in the comment section below.
If you use this list, you can check that you have included everything you need to in your short story.
This will help you create a story that makes sense and is interesting for people to read. In addition, if you include all the items from the checklist, you will get an EXCELLENT writing score.
Type your story in the “LEAVE A REPLY” textbox and you will receive feedback directly to your email.
I will post your final story after you have received feedback.
So your dream is to improve your English. But how many times have you failed?
You have spent a lot of time dreaming, thinking or talking about what you want. But you haven’t taken the necessary steps to achieve it.
It’s not because you are lazy or incapable. It’s because perhaps you are confused or you don’t know where to start. You don’t have a PLAN yet.
English learning plans, can serve as a roadmap or guide to making your dreams a reality.
An English learning plan can help you if:
An English learning plan is both a roadmap and a reminder of your goals. It helps you realize your dreams and the things that you need to do to make them true.
An English learning plan can help you to become aware of your strengths and your weaknesses.
Your English learning plan doesn’t need to be super detailed. It should be flexible so you can adapt it according to the circumstances.
Don’t forget that LIFE IS UNPREDICTABLE. Things happen. Your plan needs to leave room for unexpected changes and crises.
Making English learning plans can help you achieve your goals easier than if you are confused and have no idea what to do.
An English learning plan gives you the confidence to take action and be proactive.
Making an English learning plan helps you identify what you want and focus on things that move you in the right direction
When you know your goals it is easier to make the right decisions that help you accomplish your goals
When you write down your goals it’s easier to stay focused and motivated.
An English learning plan is a tool that makes you think critically and reflect on your learning needs. It helps you identify the skills that you master and the skills you need to improve to achieve your goals.
1. The most important thing to making any plan is, to BE HONEST with yourself.
2. Take a moment to reflect on your habits, your learning story, your circumstances, your strengths, and your weaknesses.
3. No one but you can identify the things that are easy for you and the things that are challenging for you.
4. You are the only one that can identify the things/ habits/ beliefs that are preventing you from moving forward.
5. Finally, remember that becoming fluent in English is a goal that will require that you spend a lot of time and resources. If you are not willing to pay the price then it will always be a DREAM.
6. If you are not willing to organize your life, give up unhealthy habits or if you can’t change your lifestyle to accommodate time to practice, then it’s going to be very difficult to improve your English.
Below you can see a template that will help you reflect and create your own English learning plan.
Formal emails are the ones that people write to people they don’t know well. The language used in these types of emails is more formal and polite.
| informal email | formal email |
| friends family members people we know well | people we don’t know bosses or managers doctors, teachers and professors |
Formal emails have a standard format, so they must include the following parts:
We say hi to the other person. Depending on the kind of relationship we have with the person we are writing to, we can use the following greetings:
For example: Dear Mr. Smith,
If you don’t know the name and last name of the recipient
This is a more generic formulaic expression.
2. Introduction
In this part, we must indicate briefly and clearly the reason for writing. It should be consistent with the subject of the email. We can use the following introductory phrases:
3. Body
There are no formulaic expressions or conventional formulas for the body of the text because the information that we share in the body of the email varies according to what you need to communicate.
There is one general rule for this part: it should be divided into short paragraphs.
4. Closing paragraph
There are various ways to end your email. The most common formulaic expressions are the following:
5. Goodbye
Here you can find a list of the most common phrases to end a formal email:
6. Signature
We write our full name (name + last name)
Now that you know which parts should be included in a formal email, let’s see an example:
Ana has read an ad about some English courses on a school website.
| Language School Come and study English at our school! Summer and winter intensive courses Highly experienced teachers One month courses for all levels Reasonable prices Accommodation with host families |
Pro tips for writing formal emails Time to practiceThe best way to improve your writing is to practice. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Remember that practice makes progress.
Write an email to get more information about the following course:
| Computer courses in Canada One -or two-week courses in different parts of Canada (Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, and Halifax) Professional instructors Morning and afternoon classes All levels, beginners to advanced Small groups or private lessons For more information email Robert Anderson at info@academy.com |
Don’t forget to explain why you are writing and give some personal information
Ask your questions, and ask them to send you information
Although, though, even though, in spite of, and despite are words that help us connect contrasting ideas clearly and fluently. We use them to introduce a clause in a sentence which is in contrast to another clause in the same sentence.
You already know how to use basic connectors such as so and but. In the example below, but is a contrast connector.
Now, it’s time to learn other connectors that help us communicate more complex ideas.
NOTE: A dependent clause is NOT a full sentence. It is a phrase (group of words) that is incomplete, in other words, it is an incomplete thought. We need to complete the idea by using a connector and an independent clause.
An independent clause is a phrase that contains a subject and verb and expresses a complete thought.
Time to practiceThe best way to improve your English is by practicing. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Remember that practice makes progress.
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
for the B1 Cambridge test (PET)
In some English exams you have to speak or write about photos or pictures.
Here is a list of useful vocabulary and expressions for describing pictures or photos for oral/written exams.
| What is there in the picture? (people, things, animals, places, etc) | In the picture I can see … There is a/ an +(adjective)+ singular noun There are (a couple/some/ a lot of) + (adjective) + plural noun There isn’t a + (adjective) + singular noun There aren’t any + (adjective) + plural noun |
| What is happening? (actions & weather) For actions use present continuous | The person/ animal is +verb-ing The people are + verb-ing It’s raining/ snowing, etc. It’s bright/ dark/ sunny/ cold/ hot, etc. |
| What might be happening? (If something in the picture is not clear you can make a guess) | It looks like a + noun It looks as if + person/animal + verb … It looks as though + persona/animal + verb … It seems that person/animal is … Maybe the person/animal is + verb-ing The person/animal might be +verb-ing |
| What could have happened before? (You can use your imagination and make a guess about the actions that happened before the picture was taken) | The person/animal might have + past participle … The person/animal may have + past participle … The person/animal could have + past participle … The person/animal couldn’t have + past participle … |
| Where in the picture? (location/ position) | At the top/bottom of the picture … In the foreground … In the background …. In the middle/ center of the picture … On the left/right of the picture … next to in front of across from behind near on top of under |
Now that you know the vocabulary and phrases that should be included in picture description, let’s see an example:
| I think this is a family photo. There are five people, and all of them are smiling. They are having lunch in the dining room. The dining room is so bright and modern. In the background, we see the kitchen and some appliances. For example, a microwave and a coffee maker. In the foreground we see the mother sitting at the head of the table. It seems that she is taking a selfie. Her children are sitting around the table. On the left side of the photo, there is a boy and a girl. The girl is smiling. The boy has his mouth open, and he looks as if he is going to eat the whole spaghetti. There are two teenagers sitting across from the children. The young man is smiling, and the young woman is posing for the photo. The young man has his arm around the young woman. There are five plates with spaghetti, three glasses of orange juice, and two glasses of red wine on the table. There might be some bread in the middle of the table. The food looks very delicious. They might be having a video call with the father. The father could have travelled for work to a different city. It looks as though they are having a good time. This photo reminds me of when I was younger, and I used to have lunch with my family every Sunday. |
Writing practiceThe best way to improve your writing and speaking is to practice. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Remember that practice makes progress.
Choose ONE picture and describe it.
What can you see in the picture? Write your answer in the comments below
Leave a Reply