FOR BEN: Cambridge practice book page 86 writing part1

              Sports are an essential part of our life. In fact, sports allow improving everyone's mental and physical health. Most of the time, sports bring great results for people of any age, especially to young people. However there are not only benefits but also some drawbacks.

           To begin with, there can be lots of hidden expenses when you participate in sports. For instance, clothing, coaching costs and equipment. Practices can eat up  a lot of your time,especially if there is travelling involved so as  a result  you might loose a lots of events that you would like to attend as a teenager. Finally if practices get harder you may suffer from anxiety and have sleep problems.

           However, benefits overweight the drawbacks of participating in a sport. First of all, one of the most obvious advantages of a sport is increasing physical health. Additionally sports is a way to make friends as similar interst are shared. Moreover, it is believed that participation in sports can increase academic achievement. Finally, they will learn the value of teamwork ( depends on the sport ) and learn to select the trustworthy people.      

         So, do you think all young people should play a sport ? Personally, I think it is up  to them, Not anyone is made  to play sports, although everyone should give it a try because it is a real learning experience.

E-MAIL TO KEELY

Dear Keely,                

Thanks for your e-mail. You know you can always ask me anything.

Your idea sounds really interesting, but l can understand why you are unwilling to go. Being at that school, there is a small possibility you may feel lonely, and you might become antisocial by not having friends. Another thing that should be considered is the fact that (a little too formal here for a letter to a penpal) there is a chance of the new school (we need a subject for every gerund or infinitive) not growing on you and maybe not liking it. it not being to your liking.              

From the opposing point of view (this is not an essay- your writing must be informal!), it would be rewarding to be a student of this school because you will have the opportunity to have a good business/ professional future. And did you know that going to this school can be a good way to make new friends and socialize? So you never know, you might enjoy it.  (bravo, this is the appropriate tone)
                                                                                                                                                     
Overall, I think it's a good idea. If I were you, I would definitely go there at least once, just to see if you like it. But it's up to you and you should do what feels right. Let me know what you decide, and if you go, send me an e-mail to see tell me what is your first impressions are.        

Love,  ('Best Wishes' would be better for a penpal)                                                                   
Manolis

Bravo Manolis for your effort to use our new vocabulary and paragraph plan. Your advice is very good, too, and makes sense. Take a look at my corrections here as well as at your classmates' posts below and let me know if you understand or agree with my changes. Be careful with some essay expressions you keep using in informal contexts. This removes 'communication effect' marks from candidates. 

Content 5/5
Language 3/5
Organisation 4/5
Communication effect 3/5

Total score: 15/20! That is great! Keep up the effort, talented blogger! Christina 👌👏💪

Informal letter

Dear Keeley,

      Thanks for your email. I hope you are doing great. It is great hearing from you. I am so happy that you asked for my advice. You know that you can always ask me anything you want.I can totally understand the difficult situation  that you are in.It is hard to make such a tough decision, COMMA HERE especially if it is going to have an effect on your future.

    

       To begin with, COMMA I can understand how hard it is for you to leave your school, as you will have to start over and make new friends. Secondly, COMMA you might find it tough to adapt be adapted, due to the fact that (a little too formal here) everything is going to be new to you.

      However, there are many benefits of going to that music high school that you might not have thought about. First of all, you are going to meet new people that are devoted to music too. Additionally, you are going to have specialist teachers that will help you not only be a better musician, COMMA but also to try out new instruments. Finally, you may end up performing in concerts and maybe that will help you lead to a career.

   

      I hope that you found my advice helpful. If  I were you, I would take this opportunity without a second thought, but it is up to you. Let me know what you decide.

                                                                                                                          Take care,

                                                                                                                          Evridiki


*Remember: always use commas after linking expressions at the beginning of the sentence.

Great piece of writing! Friendly tone and loads of B2-level expressions. 

Content 5/5
Organisation 4/5
Language 4/5
Communicative effect 4/5 --> could be 5/5 

17/20 --> very close to 18/20!! Well done, amazing blogger! Christina 👍💕💟

ex. G, p. 111 Student's book (Letter/Email) B2 (lower)

Dear Keeley,

I'm glad to have received your email and I hope you figure something out after my suggestions, COMMA as that's a serious decision for your future.Also, you will certainly benefit from that school, COMMA since it is specifically designed for talented students, like you, COMMAS and many more who might not have the opportunity to have a learning experience like that.

To begin with, I can understand why you are not comfortable with this decision. I was in your shoes 9 years ago when I had to choose between the mathematic school and the normal/ conventional one, where most students used to be. So after a lot of consideration, I opted for the maths school and today I am one of the best mathematicians in the country, having a really well-paid job and a family, too. * So, if where you, I would probably opt for the music school for the simple reason that it will be one off of the most beneficial colleges high schools for you and for every talented musician to go to.

On the other hand, you may lose some friends and won't you may not be able to communicate with them in person when you are used to, in the mornings before the school ring rangs bell rings and start the lessons start. Nevertheless, (that is a little too formal for a letter to a friend- you can still use however) you will be able to chat with them, COMMA using the social media or even having video chats with them providing you have a smartphone or a tablet. Besides, you could meet them at cafés and talk about the news in their school, as you will be absent.

In conclusion, that's a great opportunity for you το expand your knowledge on music and try to study it at the future.Nonetheless, (too formal again) it's up to you what you choose and I hope that you are well-informed about the music school and what it will imply.

Love/ Best wishes is more appropriate for a penpal,
Anderson-> you must sign off with your first name

*Jim, you are supposed to be a student with an English-speaking friend. You don't have to assume the role of a successful adult just to convince your friend to follow your advice. You have to be you and that is enough! (Good life advice, by the way!) So you are just a student choosing to pursue Maths and you recommend this kind of special school to your penpal. Simple as that!  

Your attempt at writing the letter was a great one! Some words could be a little less formal, but still you proved you can use advanced vocabulary and grammar. Your sympathy towards your friend and good advice also gave you marks. Pay attention to my corrections, which we can discuss in person or in the chat group with the rest of your class. 

Communicative effect 4/5 (because of the way you signed off and your new identity!)
Language 4/5
Organisation 4/5
Content 5/5 

17/20!!! Well done, Jim! Keep up the effort! Christina 💪😏👍

RECYCLING

                 Nowadays, many people believe that recycling is a good way of protecting the environment, but other humans argue that it is useless.                                                                                             There are some reasons why people don't recycle. First off all, a lot of them cannot be bothered because they are sometimes bored to recycle their trash and they throw it all in the same bin. Secondly, they often don't believe it will make any difference because if they only recycled, then the planet wouldn't be saved from global warming. Another reason would be that they complain that separating waste is too difficult and that there are no recycling bins near their house so they do not want to walk a long distance for rubbish.                                                                                                                    There are a lot of ways that we would encourage people to recycle. The first aspect that should be considered is to increase the number of recycling bins, so people would have the opportunity to recycle more easily. Another proposal would be to start an information campaign in the media, to open no-waste stores so people could bring their bag and save the planet at the same time and to people give people a reason or the benefits of recycling.                                                                         This problem should be solved as soon as possible, because our planet will be destroyed in some decades. I am looking forward to seeing an increasing number of people recycling. 

Recycling

                                                 Recycling

  In modern society, most people try to protect the planet, so the next generation has a better place to live in.Not recycling has a negative impact on the environment.On the other hand, recycling ought to save energy,save money and reduce the pollution which is cauced by waste.

   One of the most common excuses people use to avoid recycling is that it is too time consuming, as some people claim that recycling takes too much time and they have more important things to do.Additionally, other people say they cannot be bothered and they do not want to be the ones who make the effort first because they think if an action is too small it will not make a difference.

   The question is what we can do to encourage people to start recycling.Actually I think there many ways, such as opening shops that are based on no-waste products.Or even publishing articles in the media, for instance putting an article on a newpaper about recycling as a good way for people to understand how important recycling is.

   To sum up, Recycling can impact in a positive way on the environment, as if we give people incentives to recycle, more of them will understand how in danger our planet is.   

FCE writing tips

Having a pet is not as easy as you might imagine

                        (Well done, blogger!)                                              
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Ηaving a pet is not as easy as you might imagine.Having previously owned a cat, I can confirm that there are many difficulties to confort in your everyday routine, however pets can offer you a large number of memories, and positive things.

First of all one of the worst drawbacks of owning a pet is their death, it is painful because after a while they become a part of your family and daily life.So their death can be truly traumatic experience and change your whole life and feel heartbreaking.Secondly travelling is another problem, as you need someone to keep them, when you are away, and it needs to be a trustworthy person, but it is also the emotional pain that you will get through.

On the other hand, there are many more benefits. For instance, if you live by yourself, it can get lonely at home, but pets make good company, and they make sure that you are not lonely. Moreover,   they help you if you have a mental illness. Pets are a relief from social anxiety or depression.Especially if it is a dog it will make you go out more often and meet new people.

In the view of the above, I think pets can contribute your happiness as they give you emotion support, but you also have many obligations to be awe of, as you need to keep them happy and clean too.

 

Teens' communication

 Many teens have conversation with their friends by social media or face to face. Here are some advantages and drawbacks of those two types of communication.                                               

Face to face communication is very good because you spend time socializing, talking to people, making friends and not looking all the time at a screen. Face to face communication also has some disadvantages like the fact that it is difficult to meet people who live far away. 

Social media are very good because they are convenient if you are short of time and you can also communicate with humans that are far away. But social media have some drawbacks that should be mentioned. Firstly, it is very easy to get addicted to it so you probably never meet 'real' people.                 

If you are a sociable person, it is probably better to have conversations face to face, but if you are a person that loves chatting, you are better of having conversations via social media.

Summer holiday fun

As a teenager,  I am a highly active and busy person, which means that I do not have so much time to get a rest or sleep during the day. However, since I have been exercising for all those years, I have got used to those everyday valuable pastimes.
Particurarly, I do not often keep on with the same summer activities in the whole summer, so I need to take up a "summer hobby". So the exceptional summer hobby I am passionate about is hiking. I commonly arrange to hike some mountains, during those two months when we do not have so much stuff to do, with my mates for a whole day (10-12 hours).
Firstly, we start hiking the huge mountain at 7:00 in the morning, since we all hate trying to cover all that extremely long distance in the heat. Then, we certainly have some food like bananas or even to drink a small amount of hydrolytes in case water cannot give us all the energy we need. Finally, when we achieve our goal, which by all means is to arrive at the top of the massive mountain we call my uncle, who is a hiking lover, but does not have the time to do it with us, in order to give us a lift to our homes, in order to have a rest for the next day.
I would surrely reccoment that sport, since it helps you keep fit and tone your muscles. Most importanly, it provides you with an insane physical fitness, which involves a very big amount of food after all that fatigue. Finally, a real example of that is my self.       

Face to face communication

   
     These days social media are all over the world, and many teens prefer to communicate via them, but it seems like it has started to effect to our own relationships.
    
     Face to face conversation seems more fun than texting from the phone.During face to face communication you can see the other person'expression and their body launguage but on the other hand sometimes it's pretty hard to find the time to meet with your friends, and maybe you will not be able to communicate with them.

    Social media are so helpful to find someone and it helps if you're short of time, but you can easily get addicted and never meet with your friends.Actually can change your relationships and cteate trust issues.

    Both ways of communicating have advantages and disadvantages but it's good to use both of them in moderation, and never get addicted. 

Social media and communication of face to face

                  Many teens have conversation with their friends by social media or face to face. Here are some advantages and disadvantages of those two types of communication.                                                           Face to face communication is very good because you spend time socializing, talking to people, making friends and not looking all the time at a screen. Face to face communication also has some drawbacks like the fact that it is difficult to meet people who live far away.                                                     Social media are very good because they are convenient if you are short of time and can also communicate with people that are far away. But social media have some disadvantages like the fact that it is easy to get addicted to it so you probably never meet 'real' people.                                                         If you are a sociable person, it is probably better to have conversations face to face, but if you are a person that loves chatting on the phone, you are better of having conversations via social media.

Notes on paragraph structure

Writing tips

Selected screenshots of a recent Cambridge English webinar on B2 writing.

Revising writing

Please read and reflect on these posts:

1) https://markaki-b2.blogspot.com/2017/10/webinar-on-ecce-writing-simplified.html

2) https://markaki-b2.blogspot.com/2017/10/ecce-writing-corrected-letters-and.html 

Writing an article

WRITING

ARTICLES

PLAN

• Opening- Paragraph 1                                       

Introduce the topic. 

• Body- Paragraph 2 

                  

Say how your interests developed 

•  Body- Paragraph 3               

Describe what you enjoy about it.

• Conclusion- Paragraph 4             

Sum up and make a recommendation  

OPENINGS

1. ask a question :What would you say if I told you my hobby was reading?   
2. gives a general statement about the topic: Many people believe you to have to be a gifted artist to enjoy painting 
3. says the task makes you think about the topic: It's not easy for me to decide what my favourite pastime is. 

DEVELOP YOUR IDEAS 

Try to support your ideas with examples from your own general  knowledge or personal experience.

IMPROVE YOUR STYLE 

Expressing your ideas in a variety of ways makes your writing more interesting. 

WRITING AN ARTICLE

1) Analyse the task: Who is going  to read the article? What kind of information should you include?

2) Brainstorm ideas: Where do you go in the summer? What do you enjoy doing? How often do you do this activity? Is this activity something you do alone or with others? Why does this activity appeal to others? 

3) Organize your article: Use the plan

 4) Write your article: Remember to write a catchy opening and to support your ideas with examples.  

FCE writing and reading tips

Letter of expressing a preference

Dear Editor,
     I read the article in your newspaper about the refreshment bar and the vending machines. As far as I know, it would be better to provide a refreshment bar.
     First of all, the refreshment bar will contain lots of healthy food for young people to eat. Moreover, eating healthy food and watching its benefits on them will probably make them want to buy and consume more and more. If that doesn't work and teenagers aren't buying this kind of food because they might prefer unhealthy snacks, classes should be set up about healthy eating and explain to them what is best for their diet.
     The vending machines would be a bad idea. The reason for this is that they sell junk food, such as fizzy drinks, potato chips, candy bars to name but a few. Furthermore, this food won't be nutritional and won't give them the energy that is needed to keep them focused, clear minded, energetic and healthy.
     To sum up, I believe that the best idea would be the refreshment bar. I hope my thoughts will be considered.

              Yours sincerely,
                     George Georgandelis

Webinar on ECCE writing: Simplified criteria and corrected samples

ECCE writing: Corrected letters and the marking criteria