1. Before Writing

• Make sure you are familiar with the exam requirements (see below).

• Read the instructions carefully.

• Decide your position (your personal opinion).

• Think of a third point you can add to the two given.

• Make a plan, deciding what ideas will be included in each paragraph.

• Choose connectors to avoid repetition.

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2. While Writing

• Stick to your plan and keep your ideas logical.

• Make sure your layout is clear.

• Be concise — avoid going on a tangent.

• Use a neutral/formal style.

• Support your ideas with reasons and examples.

• Use varied sentence lengths.

• Include a range of grammar and vocabulary.

• Revise your work carefully, as if you were an editor.

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3. Useful Language for Essays

Starting

• Many people think/feel that…
• It is often said that…
• It is widely believed that…
• In recent years, the topic of … has become increasingly important
• The question of whether… has caused a great deal of debate.
• While some people argue that…, others believe the opposite.

Organising ideas: paragraph-to-paragraph linking phrases

🔹 Introducing a new idea/paragraph

• Firstly (Secondly / Thirdly)
• First of all
• To begin with
• One important point to consider is

🔹 To move to the next main point

•  Another key aspect is…
• Another important point to mention is…
• A further aspect worth considering is…
• In addition to this,

🔹 To show contrast between paragraphs

• However,
• On the other hand,
• Despite this,
• Even though the previous point is important,
• Although / Even though …
• While it is true that…
• In contrast,

🔹 To add supporting ideas

• What is more,
• Furthermore,
• Besides this,
• Moreover,
• In addition,

🔹 To show cause/effect between paragraphs

• As a result,
• Therefore,
• Because of this,

🔹 To link to your conclusion

• Taking all these points into account,
• All things considered,
• For these reasons,

Other functions

🔹 Giving examples

• For example,
• For instance,
• Such as
• Like

🔹 Giving your opinion

• In my opinion,
• I believe that …
• From my point of view,
• Personally, I think
• The way I see it,

🔹 Concluding

• In conclusion,
• To sum up,
• All things considered,
• To conclude, it seems clear that…

4. Training for Exam Day

After writing an essay, consider these questions before handing it in:

Content

• Have you included everything you are asked to?

• Is your writing too long or too short?

Communicative Achievement

• Have you justified each point?

• Have you started the essay with an appropriate phrase?

• Have you expressed your opinion in both the introduction and conclusion (using different words)?

• Have you used an appropriate register?

Organisation

• Is your writing divided into clear paragraphs?

• Have you used linking words to connect ideas and paragraphs?

Language

• Have you checked spelling carefully?

• Have you used a range of grammar structures and vocabulary?

• Have you avoided repetition?

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5. Important Resource: Cambridge Self-Study Writing Activities PDF

Additionally, get a copy of this PDF document and go through it carefully:
B2 First for Schools – Self-Study Writing Activities (Part 1)

This guide is packed with golden information for Writing Part 1.

Here are some Key Takeaways 

1. Format & Requirements

   • Writing Part 1 is always an opinion essay.

   • You are given two ideas in the prompt, and you must add one original idea of your own.

   • You must clearly state your opinion and support it with reasons.

   • The required length is 140-190 words.

   • Time-management tip: spend ~40 minutes on this task, because Part 1 and Part 2 of Writing are equally weighted and you have 80 minutes in total.

2. Assessment Criteria
   Your essay is assessed on four criteria:

   • Content: how well you answer the task.Communicative Achievement: appropriateness of style (formal vs informal) and how well you communicate for the essay.

   • Organisation: logical structure, paragraphing, use of linking words.

   • Language: grammar range, vocabulary range, and accuracy.

3. Useful Language / Phrases
   The PDF gives a lot of functional phrases to help with typical essay functions: 
4. Planning Techniques

• • Use a mind map to develop the two given ideas and your own third idea.

  • Make sure to fully develop each idea (with reasons, examples) in your notes before writing.

  • Plan the structure: decide the order of points, how they connect, and paragraphing. 

  • A strong plan helps with the Organisation score.

  • If you make a plan on exam paper, cross it out before handing in, so the examiner only grades your essay.

Why These Points Are “Golden”

• Knowing the exam format and word count helps you avoid basic mistakes (too short / too long).

• Understanding how you’re graded (the four criteria) lets you focus your practice on the areas that matter.

• Having a bank of useful phrases means you don’t waste time trying to think of how to link ideas in the exam.

• Planning with a mind map is a powerful way to make sure your essay is coherent and well-organised.

• Self-evaluation helps you learn from your writing, rather than writing blindly.

 

Thanks for reading!