The essay is Part 1 of the C1 Advanced Writing paper, and it is compulsory. You get a title, three notes and often a few opinions voiced in a discussion. Your job is to discuss two of the three notes, decide which of the two is more important and explain why.
Your reader is your teacher, so the register is formal and academic: impersonal, measured and well argued. The opinions in the task are there to spark ideas; you may use them, but always in your own words.
Discuss two of the three notes and leave the third alone: a paragraph on it earns nothing and steals words from the two that count. Choose the pair you can develop best, with a reason and an example for each.
Then decide which is more important and say why. Many candidates forget this, yet it is part of the Content mark. Make your choice explicit in the conclusion, backed by an argument rather than a bare preference.
Write for an educated reader: no contractions, no chatty phrases, no questions aimed at you. Impersonal openings such as it is often argued that or there is little doubt that keep your tone objective.
Save I for the conclusion, where a personal verdict is expected. Even there, a measured in my view reads far better than I really think.
Give each note its own body paragraph, opening with a topic sentence that states your point. Develop it with a reason, a consequence and an example, and acknowledge the other side if that strengthens your case.
Link ideas within and between paragraphs with varied cohesive devices: by contrast, that said, this in turn, for this reason. Reference words such as this trend or such measures help you avoid repetition too.
The Language mark rewards a wide range handled accurately. Include a few advanced structures where they fit naturally: a cleft sentence, a negative inversion, a participle clause, an impersonal passive.
Choose precise words over general ones: detrimental rather than bad, a substantial rise rather than a big increase. One ambitious sentence full of errors does more harm than two clear, correct ones.
Examiners use four criteria. Content: two notes discussed and one judged more important. Communicative Achievement: a formal, persuasive essay that suits the reader. Organisation: clear paragraphs and smooth linking. Language: range and accuracy.
The four carry equal weight, so a brilliant argument in a casual tone still loses marks. Run through all of them before you hand in.
The most common ways to lose Content marks are copying the opinions word for word, writing about all three notes and forgetting to say which is more important.
Watch the length as well. Under 220 words usually means an idea is underdeveloped; well over 260 often means repetition. Aim for about 240.
Your class has attended a lecture on reducing traffic in city centres, with the notes public transport, cycle lanes and charges for driving into the centre. Write an essay discussing two of them and say which would do more to cut congestion.
Congestion has become one of the defining problems of modern urban life. Clogged roads not only waste time but also damage air quality and public health, so it is hardly surprising that local authorities are under pressure to act. Two measures in particular deserve consideration: better public transport and a charge for driving into the city centre. The most obvious solution is to make public transport a genuine alternative to the car. Many commuters drive simply because buses are infrequent, unreliable or expensive. If services ran every few minutes, at a fair price and on dedicated lanes, a considerable number of drivers would willingly leave their cars at home. However, such improvements require substantial investment, and the benefits may take years to materialise. A congestion charge, by contrast, produces results almost immediately. Several European cities saw traffic fall noticeably within months of introducing one. Critics claim that it penalises those on lower incomes, and this concern should not be dismissed lightly. Yet the revenue it generates can be reinvested in transport, which means that the charge, far from being a mere tax, can fund the very alternatives people need. On balance, while both measures have merit, I believe the congestion charge is the more important of the two. Better public transport is essential in the long term, but it is the charge that changes behaviour quickly and pays for the improvements. Only when driving carries a real cost will most people seriously consider other options.
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