Good morning everyone! Today we’re going to look at how to write a successful essay for the FCE exam. I know many of you feel nervous about this task, but I’m here to help you understand exactly what the examiners want.

Let’s start with the basics. When you get your prompt, you need to spend 5 minutes planning. The word count should be between 140-190 words, and you must use a formal register throughout your essay.

Your introduction needs to be clear and show the examiner you understand the task. I often tell my students – like Maria did well last week – to use the prompt words but change them slightly. This helps with task achievement.

For the main paragraphs, you need strong topic sentences that connect to your introduction. James, you asked about this yesterday – remember how we practiced making each paragraph link to the next? That’s what we call coherence.

Your conclusion is really important too. Ana made a good point in our last class – it should summarize your main ideas without adding new information.

Here’s a tip I learned as an examiner: students often forget to check their work. You should leave 5 minutes at the end to look for mistakes. Have you answered all parts of the prompt? Is your writing clear and organized?

Next week, we’ll practice writing introductions together, but for now, let’s look at some example essays that got high marks.