USEFUL EXPRESSIONS FOR CAE WRITING

COMPLAINT LETTER
Opening paragraph
I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with/ to complain about.....I would like to draw your attention
to the fact/condition....
Making complaints
We were extremely disappointed with...I was appalled to (find)../dismayed by.....It was not to the
standard.....The........was so bad that........I was disheartened by the inconvenience caused.....
I regret............Your ............is deceitful ......We were thoroughly disgusted with.....Such careless
service, To make matters worse....;needless to say...The......claimed; Im going to put up with, to
accept; I would appreciate your looking into this matter;
Suggested actions
I suggest that in order to avoid......; should you not comply with this request; I shall be seeking legal
advice; Its high time you did something; we shall take matters further unless.....I assume you will
replace; I hope we can sort this matter amicably...
Linking devices-However, Although, Despite the fact that, Needless to say,.....

Application letter
Reasons
Im writing to apply for the post/position of.....as advertised in........
I m writing with reference/ in response to your advertisement which I saw..../in connection with your
advertisement
Qualifications /Experience
I gained some experience while..... I am currently working......I have been working.........My
qualifications include.....I graduated....Please find attached my CV...
Personal Qualities...
I see myself systematic, meticulous in my approach to work....../fair, single-minded, broad minded, an
ability to work with people from all walks of life., buoyant spirit (cheerful spirit)./I have a clear insight
of........./value time and not squander....../ tackle a problem...../ accomplish.../proactive.....team
spirit.../show initiative.......boost morale.......fit in.....encounter....
Closing remarksI would appreciate a reply at your earliest convenience/ please contact me any
queries you may have,/ I would be glad to attend an interview at any time convenient/ I look forward to
hearing from you in due course....

Opinion letter
Opening paragraph
I am writing-- to draw your attention to...../to bring.............to your attention...../to you on behalf of.......
To express my disapproval of/ approval of/ to support for....../ protest about

To state your opinion

In my opinion/ To my view/ it seems to me that/ I tend to..../I am totally opposed to..../in favour of/ it is
my firm belief/ I am under the impression/ My conviction is that...../ I frown on/upon(to disapprove)/ it
is frowned upon to.../ it baffles......./I am baffled.../ this/that hasty decision/ it is unbelievable../ I am
delighted.../ it provides valuable services.../it will help to enhance.....
To express cause
Because of/ owning to the fact/ due to the fact/ on the grounds that/ owning to/ for this reason
To express effect
Therefore/ consequently/as a result/ as a consequence
To end the letter
I look forward to hearing from you/ I hope you will give this matter your urgent/careful/further
consideration/attention

REPORT
It is a formal piece of writing concerning a person/place/situation/plan. It informs/evaluates a certain
situation. It is addressed to ones superior, colleagues, members of a committee
Introductory paragraph- you clearly state the purpose and the content of the report
The purpose/aim/intention of this report is to examine/inform/assess/ evaluate the suitability
of....for..../the advisability of....(v+ing)
As requested , this is a report concerning/regarding the matter/the subject of.......it contains the
assessment of....../ information/details concerning.../it outlines advantages and disadvantages..../it
summarises
Main bodythe relevant information is presented in detail under a suitable heading
Positive and negative features of the same aspect should be presented, use linking devices, use
passive voice, inversion
Useful verbs/expressionsto be held, to hold, it has been agreed, standards are/will be more than
satisfactory, it is/has been/will be provided/ to suggest/ a large number of people/ this is highlighted
by../to state/ to be content with/this fact indicates/implies/. stated that they would be keen forA
(fairly/ very/ extremely) frequent comment was thatA survey of. revealed that/After studying ,
it was found that Comments (from clients) have shown a need for

It was (also) suggested/ found thatThe vast majority of/ Most/ Several/ A few managers/ customers/
staff/ clients/ attendees/visitors considered them to be/ expressed/ requested/ mentioned
As for/Moving on to,/Finally,Firstly,With regard to,Mentioning other parts of the report
for the reasons given aboveAs I mentioned above, Despite the disadvantages/ problems I
wrote about above,the following
.is becoming (increasingly) popular/.remained (almost) the same (as)are expected to
(decrease to just 30%)....have risen (so) (dramatically) (recently)/It is predicted that
This has risen to (the present figure of)/The main/ most important reason for is
This would benefit the company/ by/I (also) suggest that (in future we provide)
I (strongly) recommend that we (choose)/I feel that it is important that we should...
I therefore feel justified in recommending that (we replace our current system with)
My second suggestion is that
Conclusion
it can (therefore) be concluded thatFor the reasons given above,...In conclusion,
It is obvious that.../It would be advisable/unadvisable/advantageous/wise to....Our recommendation/ I
recommend that the best course of action would be..../it would be a valuable......It would be fair to
conclude that...../on the basis of our findings/ on the whole......

PROPOSAL
It is a formal, informative piece of writing which outlines plans and/or suggestions for a future
course of action and is submitted for approval by a manager, bank or superiors at work.
Introductory paragraph- you state the purpose and content of your proposal
The purpose/intention/aim of this proposal is to outline / present / discuss / give a brief comment /
suggest / sum up the last...
This proposal contains the relevant details concerning the problem as you required.
It's based on my observations/extracts from the questionnaires / the feedback from participants...
As requested, I am submitting this proposal concerning...
This proposal is submitted in support of our request for...
Suggestions (Proposals)

I suggest ... as it would result in...Consideration should be given...It would be prudent /

inadvisable / advisable to ... on the grounds that it / owing to the fact that / due to the fact
that...I am opposed to the idea of...It would be mutually advantageous
I suggest that the problem of... can be addressed through...Therefore...For the satisfaction
of... the ... should be...Another problem was that...I would strongly recommend...More steps
also need to be taken to...

Conclusions/Recommendations

The obvious conclusion to be drawn from these facts is that...

I hope / believe / trust you will consider this proposal favourably / the proposal will be given
due consideration / the proposal will receive due consideration.
I feel certain/I believe that the course of action proposed above will achieve.../meet with
success../answer the needs of.....
I hope that the plan/scheme presented in this proposal meets with your approval/will receive
your serious consideration.

COMPETITION ENTRY
1.

Don't be afraid to attack the question. Get your nomination or idea in early. You don't need to

have a whole paragraph introducing your choice - get in there straight away!
2.

Catch your reader's attention. Add a clever title if you can, or a direct one if you prefer. Use a

subheading or two if you're doing it as an article.

3.

Giving opinions? Make sure there is a reason or consequence to help persuade the reader.

You need things like so, because, since, as a result, that's why, therefore, consequently.
4.

You don't need to give a balanced argument. This isn't an essay. You might be able to ignore

or, better, question what some people see as negatives. Even better, find positives in the negatives!
5.

In persuading your reader it will work better if it feels like you personally care about the topic.

Which is more involving? An academic discussion like a wikipedia entry or an emotional article like a
newspaper opinion piece?
6.

Make sure your formality stays consistent.

7.

You need to show that you know vocabulary connected to the topic you're writing about.

Remember a competition entry has to sell your idea, suggestion, opinion or recommendation to the
audience. Make them see your opinion and, if possible, agree with you.

CONTRIBUTIONS

Writing Contributions/Guide Book Entries

1. Don't mess about!

As we always say: Make your first sentence impress AND try to answer the question in it.
An introduction to three cities:
Oxford, Bangkok and Barcelona are three fantastic but very different city destinations.
A guidebook contribution about a rare animal
The giant panda is one of the most recognisable animals in the world, but sadly one of the most
endangered too.
Remember: Don't waste words. Get started straight away. No long unnecessary introductions.
2 The question is king.
If an instruction is there, follow it. If not, you have freedom to choose what to do. Don't add extra
information until you've done everything the question asks for.
3 You must inform.
You might be asked to give opinion, but that comes down to the question. If it's not there, you don't
have to do it!
4 Vocabulary.
It's an essential part of your writing. Show you have some command of what's relevant to the topic
you're doing. Avoid repitition. At CAE we're looking for good combinations - verbs and nouns, adverbs
and adjectives.
5 Format
Organisation and style. Use the question to help organise your attempt (one thing that's wise is to
answer the question in the order it's asked). Make sure your vocabulary (for example your linking
langauge) is suitable for the formality you think is best. Part of the CAE test is deciding how formal
your writing should be. If you have doubts, you'll need to trust your instinct.
6 Inspiration, not imitation
Look at examples around the internet for. I'd suggest something like http://h2g2.com/ is a good place
to try. But how formal is that site?

ARTICLE
What is an article?

An article :
is a piece of writing usually intended for publication in a newspaper, magazine or
journal
is written for a wide audience, so it is essential to attract and retain the readers
attention
may include amusing stories, reported speech and descriptions
can be formal or informal, depending on the target audience
should be written in an interesting or entertaining manner
should give opinions and thoughts, as well as facts
is in a less formal style than a report
An article can :
describe an experience, event, person or place
present an opinion or balanced argument
compare and contrast
provide information
offer suggestions
offer advice
A realistic article should consist of:
1. an eye-catching title which attracts the readers attention and suggests the theme of
the
article. (Think about why you read a magazine or newspaper article recently - what
made
you read it?) Articles can also have subheadings before each paragraph.
2. an introduction which clearly defines the topic to be covered and keeps the readers
attention.
3. the main body of two to five paragraphs in which the topic is further developed in
detail.
4. the conclusion - summarising the topic or a final opinion, recommendation or
comment.
REMEMBER
Before you begin writing it is important to consider:
where is the article going to appear - in a newspaper or magazine?
who are the intended readers - a specific group such as students or teenagers, or
adults in
general?
what is the aim of the article - to advise, suggest, inform, compare and contrast,
describe, etc.?
DO NOT use over-personal or over-emotional language or simplistic vocabulary.
DO NOT talk about yourself. You are writing for the general public, not a close circle of
friends.
Your opinions are only interesting to other people if you can make them amusing, justify
them or
explain them.

These days, many people say that . Nowadays, we often hear people say that ..

In the last few years it has become fashionable to say that . The question of whether very young
children should be taught a foreign language is one which is often discussed these days.
There are several arguments which can be made in favour of the statement. Opponents of this view
argue that . Another argument which is often put forward is that In support of this view it may be
said that ..
On the other hand, it can also be argued that In my opinion, . It is often suggested that .I agree
up to a point that . Another argument against teaching very young children a foreign language is
that This is true to a certain extent, but . There is a certain amount of truth in this argument, but
I cannot agree with this viewpoint, since In conclusion, I have to say that On balance,
therefore, I feel that .

THE KIND OF REGISTER TO BE USED IN ADVANCED AND PROFICIENCY ENGLISH EXAMS

About = an estimated, approximately, roughly

a bit=somewhat

do (research)=carry out, perform, undertake

enough=sufficient

find out=determine, discover, verify

Good=valid, legitimate
Happened=occurred, transpired
idea (of what we are) talking about=concept, notion;
discussing
hard=difficult, problematic,challenging
keep up=maintain

a lot=a substantial amount, a considerable sum

stands for=denotes, represents

next=adjacent

Seen=perceived, considered [no "as"])

Prove=confirm

Richer=more affluent, wealthier, more prosperous


Drink=beverage

the same as=equivalent to

think of=conceive of, imagine

Uses=employs, utilizes

had holes=was flawed

Small=minimal, limited, modest

Part=percentage, proportion, portion

Check=determine, ascertain, control, regulate, verify

Changes=revisions, modifications

Put=incorporated, placed

Tried=attempted, endeavored, strove

Rise=ascent