Follow these tips to get top marks in the writing section of a certification exam. EOI, PACLE, CertAcles, IELTS, TOEFL, First Certificate

1. Writing tips for Certification
Exams
#WriteBetter
Miguel Angel Cortés Diaz

2. Planning your composition
Organisation of paragraphs:
How many paragraphs do you need?
Decide the content & list the main points
Use linkers to connect your ideas
Verb tenses:
Decide which tenses to use before writing
story film review article biography essay
Formal versus informal style
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3. 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 read
Give examples: back up your arguments in essays
References: refer to a previous piece of information
Word count: respect the word limit +/- 10%
#WriteBetter
A recent article on your newspaper has prompted me to…

4. Writing process
Avoid 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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5. 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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6. Checking for mistakes
Despite 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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7. 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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8. FOREIGN LANGUAGE COORDINATOR AT
CENTRE D’IDIOMES DE LA UNIVERSITAT DE VALENCIA
MIGUEL ANGEL CORTÉS DIAZ
@MigueCorDi | @centreidiomes
es.linkedin.com/in/miguelangelcortesdiaz
Mike’s Teaching Notes | elearningeproject.blogspot.com
#WriteBetter