This document provides guidance for writing for the First Certificate exam. It outlines the structure and content requirements for Part 1 and Part 2 of the exam. For Part 1, test takers must write either a formal or informal letter. Examples of letter styles, structures, and purposes are provided. For Part 2, test takers must choose between writing an article, essay, report, or review. Each genre is described in terms of appropriate style, content, and organization. Sample language for different parts of the texts is also included to help guide test takers' writing.

1. Writing for the First
Certificate
Yes! La Academia

2. Yes! La academia
Part 1 and Part 2 www.inglesmadrid.es
 Part 1: Letter or email
 Part II: To choose among article, essay, report, story
(don’t choose this option) and a review
 Do not spend more than 30 minutes in the first part.
 Remember to include all the information needed and
to use the appropriate style (formal, informal)
 Check grammar, spelling and punctuation

3. Yes! La academia
Part 1 www.inglesmadrid.es
 Formal letter
Dear Dear Mr/Mrs
Sr/Madam, Smith,
1. Why you are writing
2. Organize the
information of the
prompts
Yours 3. What do you expect
Yours faithfully
sincerely

4. Yes! La academia
Part 1 www.inglesmadrid.es
 Formal letter
TO REQUEST
INFORMATION TO MAKE A
COMPLAINT
•I am writing in
response to …… I •I am writing to you
would be grateful if about an unfortunate
you incident that ….
•I am writing to •To make matters
enquire whether you worse…
could… •I would be grateful if
•I would like to know you could….
more about

5. Yes! La academia
Part 1 www.inglesmadrid.es
 Formal letter
ORGANISING THE
INFORMATION
CLOSING THE
LETTER
•Firstly
•I am looking forward
•Secondly
to hearing from you
•In addition
soon
•Lastly

6. Yes! La academia
Part 1 www.inglesmadrid.es
 Informal letter
Dear Martin, 1. Asking personal
questions
2. Why you are writing
3. Answer the information
that you have been told
4. End your letter with an
Best wishes,
appropriate comment.
All the best,
Don’t stop abruptly
Love,
Lots of love,

7. Yes! La academia
Part 1 www.inglesmadrid.es
 Informal letter
TO BEGIN THE TO END THE
LETTER LETTER
•Thank you for your •That’s about all my
letter. It was great to news. Do write soon
hear from you and let me know
•Sorry I haven’t what you’ve been
written for so long. doing.
I’ve been really busy •I’m looking forward
just recently to seeing you on…
•Give my love to…

8. Yes! La academia
Part 1 www.inglesmadrid.es
 Informal letter
TO INVITE SOMEONE
TO APOLOGISE
•Why don’t you come….
•I’m really sorry that….. •We were wondering if…..
But unfortunately
TO CONGRATULATE TO RESPOND TO AN
SOMEONE INVITATION
•Congratulation on….. •Thanks for the dinner
•Well done on….. invitation…I would love to
•I just wanted you to know come
how pleased…. •It was really kind of you to
invite us for the….but I’m
afraid

9. Yes! La academia
Part 2 www.inglesmadrid.es
 Article
Don’t be too formal
The title should be interesting and
mysterious, write it at the end
Begin the first paragraph with a rhetorical
question

10. Yes! La academia
Part 2 www.inglesmadrid.es
 Article
DESCRIBING
PERSONAL
TO BEGIN THE
THINGS
ARTICLE
•Have you ever….?
•I will never forget
•There is nothing
the time when…
worst than…
•It happened to me
when…

11. Yes! La academia
Part 2 www.inglesmadrid.es
 Essay
You have to give
your opinion about
something
controversial.
It is formal
You have to give
examples and
reasons

12. Yes! La academia
Part 2 www.inglesmadrid.es
 Essay
1. Introduce the topic
2. Explain what are you going to do with your
essay
3. One side of the argument
4. The other side of the argument
5. Conclusion with your opinion

13. Yes! La academia
Part 2 www.inglesmadrid.es
 Essay
TO EXPRESS YOUR TO INTRODUCE A
OPINION CONTRAST
•From my point of •While it is true
view that….on the other
•In my opinion hand
•I reckon •However,

14. Yes! La academia
Part 2 www.inglesmadrid.es
 Review
You have to use a style
similar to an article
You have to describe the actors, the band
members, the music, etc
You have to give the positive and negative
things and finish with a final recommendation

15. Yes! La academia
Part 2 www.inglesmadrid.es
 Essay
TO
TO EXPRESS RECOMMEND
TO EXPRESS
THE POSITIVE THE NEGATIVE
THINGS •Overall I’d
THINGS
recommend
•On the plus side •I wouldn’t
•On the down side
hesitate to
recommend
•I wouldn’t
encourage
anyone to
On the one
hand, on the
other hand

16. Yes! La academia
Part 2 www.inglesmadrid.es
 Report
Don’t use the
pronoun I
Formal style
Description,
numbers, personal
recommendation

17. Yes! La academia
Part 2 www.inglesmadrid.es
 Report
You have to use bullet
points
You have to make the paragraphs very clear:
Introduction, then you have to create other
headings related to the topic,
recommendations

18. Yes! La academia
Part 2 www.inglesmadrid.es
 Report
TO EXPRESS TO GIVE
THE RECOMMENDAT
TO GIVE
OBJECTIVES OF IONS
REASONS
THE REPORT
•In view of this I
•I found that
•The aim of this recommend
•As a result of my
report is… •I suggest
inquires
•The purpose of •I strongly
this report is… recommend

19. Yes! La academia
Good and bad examples www.inglesmadrid.es
 Report
A school in an English-speaking country is going to send a group of students to
stay in the area where you live for a month. Your teacher has asked you to write
a report describing the entertainment, sports and transport facilities in the area.
Write your report.
In this report I would like to tell you about Almaty. And describe 3 main things
which can be interesting for foreghn student. First entertainment. In the
Almaty there are a lots of interesting places for all groups of age. For students
there are many pubs, restorants wich are open hole day. Most of them are in
the city center. For elderly people we have 10 museums and theatres. Now I’ll
tell you about sports. For those who are interested in sports, we have a lots of
Gym classes. Also Almaty is one of the best place for those who like ice-
skating, since there is a big skating – rink not far from the city. Almaty
surrounded by mountains so for those like skiing it is takes only 20 min to get
there. Almaty is very crowdy city and the streets are very small, so most of
time it is very hard to drive. To travel by bus is not comfortable, because
usually there are more people on the bus than it should be. There fastes and
the most comfortable transport is a taxi.

20. Yes! La academia
Good and bad examples www.inglesmadrid.es
 Letter
You see this advertisement in an international student magazine.
HOST FAMILIES WANTED
We are inviting applications from families who would like to offer
accommodation to
international students during their stay in your country. If you are
interested, please write answering the following questions:
􀁸 What do you think are the advantages for a student of staying with a host
family compared with college accommodation?
􀁸 What qualities is it necessary for a successful host family to have?
􀁸 Why would you like to host international students?
Mr S Martin
Hosts International Ltd.

21. Yes! La academia
Good and bad examples www.inglesmadrid.es
Dear Mr S. Martin,
My name is Holly Parker and I’m writing this letter as a response to your latest
add in the ‘Student International Magazine’.
We are a family of four: my husband Gregory, forty-five, working as a consultant
manager for a tourist agency; our two sons Eric, 18 years old, and John, 16 years
old; both students; and of course myself, 43 years old and working as an account
manager. We have a 5 bedroom and 4 bathroom cottage and we live at a short
distance from the best tourist attractions in the region and within walking distance
from the nearest bus and rail-way station. We would be more than happy to
wellcome amongst us a male foreign student, to live with us as a part of our
family, for the duration of two years.
Besides lodging we offer three meals per day and he would be more than
wellcome to any family outings and activities.
We are making this application because we would like to experience living with
someone coming from another culture and also because my boys are going to
leave soon to France as exchange students and I would like to know what would
be the best option for us as parents, to send them to college accomodation or to
families like us.
I sincerely hope my letter of application will be accepted and that we are found
suitable to host an international student.
Best regards

22. Yes! La academia
Good and bad examples www.inglesmadrid.es
 Article
Write your article.
An international guide book called A World of Traditions is being
produced, giving details of
places in different countries where visitors can learn about traditional ways of
life. You have
decided to write a contribution to the guide book. Your contribution should:
• describe one particular place in your country
• explain what visitors could learn there about traditional ways of life
• suggest why these ways of life are an important part of local or national
culture.

23. Good SPAIN, YOU WON’T REGRET THAT!
COME TO and bad examples
Yes! La academia
www.inglesmadrid.es
If you come to Spain, you will discover so many interesting things about different
topics: music, sport, dance, food, holidays in the beach .... You will realize all
these experiences just by the mere fact of living during ten days in July in
Pamplona. We have a lot of Hotels, Residences, Hostels .... which you can book
for the summer from now. You can make your reservations in www.spainhotel.es.
The 7th of July is the typical day of Pamplona: Sanfermin, and you can see the
bulls running in the streets. There are so many events programmed around that
day: the Pablo Sarasate’s Orchestra plays a very emotive performance which
consists on Spanish Composers, there is a football match between Real Madrid
and Barcelona every year, the Government of Navarra organises a festival where
dancers from every cities of Spain are invited to dance with the ‘regional’ music of
each city, restaurants have their best cookers and they prepare delicious typical
menus for people from other countries….
You can learn costumes from all different places of Spain if you come to
Pamplona in July!
It is possible also to rent a car and to go to San Sebastian just for a day. It is
wonderful! You will be able to swim in the sea while seeing the snow in the
Pyrinees Mountains.
These ways of life in Pamplona are very important because it is known in all the
World. People from America, Europe, Asia .... everywhere use to come, and
Pamplona becomes the ‘centre point’ in the news. Don’t forget to be dressed in

24. YES LA ACADEMIA
WWW.INGLESMADRID.ES