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• Guide to the Cambridge C2 Proficiency Writing Exam – Part 2: Review

• Posted on 02/08/2023
• Categories: Blog
• Tags: Cambridge , Cambridge Exams , Cambridge Proficiency

Are you working towards the Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE) exam? Have you been having sleepless nights thinking about what might appear on the writing exam? Do you need some tips to help you with your planning? If you’ve answered ‘yes’ to any of the previous questions, fear not – we’re here to help!

The review is just one of the options in Writing Part 2. However, you can’t guarantee which ones will be on the paper on exam day. Also, it’s not just the structure that’s important. If the topic really takes your fancy because you already know lots of C2 vocabulary, you might go for that one!

Above all, you need to feel prepared. That means understanding a task, planning effectively and having some CPE secret weapons at your disposal . By the end of this blog, you’ll know what a typical Cambridge C2 review question looks like, what to include in your plan, what grammar and vocabulary you could incorporate and how you can prepare for this part of the C2 Proficiency writing exam. Let’s start with the basics!

What is a review?

According to the Cambridge C2 Proficiency exam page :

The review is one of six options you can choose from in the C2 Proficiency Writing paper Part 2, along with the mandatory essay that you’ll complete in Part 1, which we covered in our Guide to the Cambridge C2 Proficiency Writing Exam – Part 1: Essay blog post. Don’t forget to revisit our Guide to the Cambridge C2 Proficiency Writing Exam – Part 2: Report too! Keep your eyes peeled for blogs about the rest!

Review format

• Word count: 280–320.
• Register: neutral – it depends on the target reader.
• Main purpose: describe, evaluate, recommend, suggest.
• General structure: title, introduction to the topic, three main paragraphs – one to describe, one to discuss in more detail, one to recommend.
• Common themes: films, books, restaurants, art, festivals, concerts.

Why choose the review task?

One of the main reasons a lot of students feel comfortable writing reviews is because we use them so often in everyday life. That is to say, we prefer to check opinions before committing to a product or an event.

However, it’s not as simple as giving stars! We need to make sure our writing is upgraded to C2 level. Check out the table below for examples of upgraded language. We’ve used four different review topics.

We’ve used two techniques here: In red , you can see examples of pseudo-cleft sentences . In blue , you can see examples of negative inversions . We’ve highlighted a nice phrasal verb in pink , and you can see lots of underlined examples of descriptive language .

However, it’s important to use these sparingly . In other words, use your planning stage to decide where you’re going to use them or your writing can seem too formal. Remember, you’re writing to convince someone, so you want to communicate on their level. Don’t go overboard !

How can I structure a review?

First, let’s look at a review task.

As the task asks you to do three things: describe the book you enjoyed, talk about the attractions it had for you as a child and explain why it’s relevant today, you’d probably want three paragraphs. Add a fourth for a short conclusion and you have your general structure. Your title can be the name of the book.

You should allocate at least 15 minutes to your plan. Think carefully about what you want to write about and how you can explain your ideas. Make a list of useful collocations connected to the topic. Then, think about how you can use excellent examples of C2 grammar. Plan how you’re going to connect your ideas with linkers. Vary your sentence structure and occasionally add a much shorter sentence in order to add emphasis. It really works!

Remember, your writing needs to have cohesion. The more time you spend planning, the more you can work on the structure. Try to visualise your paragraphs as rectangles. Within these rectangles there are smaller rectangles that vary in size and shape. Imagine that you have to decide on the perfect order and distribution. As a result, your paragraph will be stronger.

What does a review look like?

First, the writer introduces the topic of the review. This helps the reader know what he/she is about to read. Next, the writer gives a brief description of the story. No spoilers please! In the third paragraph, the writer comments on how the story is relevant today. To conclude, he/she links back to the original introduction and summarises the entire review in one neat little paragraph. Beautiful!

We’ve also highlighted some lovely collocations which are appropriate for this task about children’s books. You’ll find lots more inspiration for your reviews on sites like Goodreads , Metacritic , The Guardian and Rolling Stone .

What else can I do?

• Practise! Practise! Practise!.
• Don’t limit your English to a specific time. Instead, do as much of your daily life in English as possible.
• Read in English – it’s a fantastic way to consolidate grammar points and learn new vocabulary. It’s fun too!
• Listen to music in English. What better place to start than Rolling Stone’s 500 Best Songs of All time ?
• Practise! Practise! Practise! Did we mention that one already?! We’ve included some blogs below to keep you busy:

How to Write a Review for Cambridge C1 Advanced

6 Tools To Take Your Writing To The Next Level – general writing tips

Our Year In Review: Top 10 Blog Posts Of 2019 – a different example of a review!

5 Spelling Rules For Comparative And Superlative Adjectives – work on descriptive language

Looking for further support?

If you’re interested in preparing for the C2 Proficiency exam but don’t know where to start, get in touch with us here at Oxford House today! We offer specific courses that are designed especially to help you get ready for the exam. Let our fully qualified teachers use their exam experience to guide you through your learning journey. Sign up now and receive your free mock test!

Glossary for Language Learners

Find the following words in the article and then write down any new ones you didn’t know.

take your fancy (id): appeal to someone.

at your disposal (id): available to be used.

keep your eyes peeled (id): watch carefully for something.

sparingly (adv): in small amounts, without wasting any.

go overboard (id): do something too much.

allocate (v): to give a particular amount of time or money to something.

be about to do something (id): to be going to do something very soon.

neat (adj): tidy.

check out (pv): examine or investigate.

pv = phrasal verb

adj = adjective

adv = adverb

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9 Tips For Communicating With Locals In English-Speaking Countries

• By: oxfordadmin
• Posted on 21/06/2023

25 years of Oxford House – Our Own English Language Community

• Posted on 09/08/2023

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C2 Proficiency: Hooks for Articles & Reviews

My C2 proficiency students have just taken a full mock exam and one of the issues their writings had in common was the lack of “hooks” in their articles and reviews to draw the reader in an encourage them to keep reading. So, I put together this lesson plan, based heavily on this great article by Suzanne Davis.

The final task I set my students is on the topic of fame, so you might want to use my “The Life of a Celeb” vocabulary lesson before setting it. Download the handout below:

Have students read the opening paragraphs by Gary Provost to each other out loud and ask them to reflect on the message. Encourage them to attempt a similar range of sentence lengths in their own articles.

Have students refer to the 7 steps to success while writing their article for homework.

Lead students through the different types of hook and field questions.

Draw students’ attention to the need to use an engaging title.

Have students read the writing task and underline the content points. Then put them in pairs and have them discuss which hook would work best for this particular task. Then have them choose an expression about fame for their title.

Some possible answers could be:

Story hook: Imagine the scene, you just want to nip to the shops for a pint of milk but no sooner have you stepped out the door than a mob of paparazzi are hassling you. The constant click, click, click of the shutters, the blinding flashes fill your eyes, it’s enough to make you question if it’s all worth it.

Metaphor hook: Fame is, undoubtedly, a double-edged sword; while it bestows upon you all the riches your heart could desire, it slices away such basic comforts as privacy and anonymity.

Quotation hook: As Clive James once said “a life without fame can be a good life, but fame without a life is no life at all”

Writing Part 2 – 7 Steps to Success

• Read the task, underline content points.
• Organise content points into paragraphs.
• WHAT are you going to say? Add notes to paragraphs. STAY ON TOPIC!
• Register? Formal/informal?
• Inversions (not only/no sooner/not until/seldom)
• Inverted conditionals (Were I to…./Had they known…)
• Cleft sentences (What impressed me most was…)
• Participle clauses (Having visited the city before, I know what to expect. Being a massive fan of cheese, I had a whale of a time in France)
• Double comparatives (The more cheese I ate, the fatter I became. The more I studied the more I understood about French culture.)
• Phrasal verbs. (switch over, zone out, sit back)
• Idioms/similes (like watching paint dry/to be on the edge of one’s seat)
• Relevant vocabulary to the topic (chat show, current affairs, couch potato, remote control)
• Other expressions (Something for everyone, a smorgasbord of options, kill time, etc.)
• Forms and conventions: Report/proposal – paragraph titles, letter conventions.
• Punctuation

An Article “Hook”

Capture the reader’s attention with your introduction, draw them in and make them want to read more.

The Story Hook

Throw the reader straight into a narrative or story related to the topic. The story should be in the 1st person, be descriptive and intriguing:

I got off the train and pulled my luggage behind me.  A cab pulled up to the curb, and the driver got out.  He lifted my luggage and said, “Miss, I’m just going to put your stuff in the boot.”  I didn’t know what he meant until I saw him open the car’s trunk.  Then I realized the boot means car trunk.  I got in the cab, wondering how many other words would be different in England.

Start in the middle of the most exciting part, then go back later:

“Boom, boom, boom,” The sound of my heart beating faster and faster echoed in my ears. How on earth had I got myself into this situation? You might ask. Twenty feet underwater with nothing but a thin metal cage between me and perhaps the most terrifying apex predator on the planet, the great white shark….

Well, it had all started two weeks previously when….

The Descriptive Hook

Similar to the story hook but focus more on describing one moment/thing in great detail. Leave the reader wanting to know more about it.

The dog howled in pain and limped along the side of the road.  His leg was cut and blood streamed down his leg.

Doesn’t this scene make you curious about what will happen to the dog?

The leather strap of the ancient watch was creased and faded from long years in the sunlight. Down the glass of the face ran a long, roughly vertical crack, recalling the blunt impact which had stopped the hands of the timepiece dead all those years ago.

Don’t you want to hear the story of the watch?

The Metaphor/Simile Hook

The metaphor/simile hook engages your readers because it makes them think about a topic in a different way. 

A metaphor is a figure of speech that directly compares one thing to another, but these two things seem unrelated.  An example of a metaphor is: Her boyfriend is a rat.

The boyfriend is not really a rat, but he behaves like one.

A simile is like a metaphor.  Both compare two unrelated things to each other, but a simile uses the words like or as to connect them. For example:  Writing a research paper is like running a marathon when it’s 95 degrees Fahrenheit.

If your article topic is on business blogging you could write the metaphor hook:

A business blog is a magnet pulling clients to a company.

Or the simile hook:

A business blog is like a magnet that pulls clients to a company.

The Quotation Hook

This is a hook where you begin your article with a quotation.  The quotation could be from a famous person, but it doesn’t have to be. You can quote anyone if it connects to what you’re writing about.

If you are writing about the topic of education you could begin with: Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.”

If you want to use a quotation for a hook, make sure you quote the words exactly.  Choose quotations where the words are striking, powerful, and/ or memorable.

Famous quotes:

• “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” – Lao Tzu
• “That which does not kill us makes us stronger.” – Friedrich Nietzsche
• “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” – John Lennon
• “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” – Joe Kennedy
• “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi
• “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” – Mae West
• “You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take.” – Wayne Gretzky
• “Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” – Albert Einstein
• “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get.” – Forrest Gump

Article Titles – Keep it Catchy

Most proficiency articles require a catchy title, try to include:

• Taking the rough with the smooth
• Life in the limelight
• Coming face-to-face with a man-eater!
• The long arm of the law

You recently read an article from an online youth magazine on the pressures of fame for young celebrities. The magazine has invited readers to respond to the topic with a short article of their own, which answers the following questions…

• Is becoming famous worth it?
• Do male and female celebrities experience the same pressures?
• What can be done to shield young celebrities from the drawbacks of fame?

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Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE): How to Write an Article

Introduction

An article is written on a particular theme in a style which makes it suitable for publication in an English-language newspaper, magazine or newsletter. The question identifies the topic for the article, and the type of publication mentioned gives the candidate guidance as to the appropriate register to be used – for example, how academic or lively the article should be. The purpose of an article is to convey information; it may contain some description and/or narrative, and candidates should bear in mind the need to engage the interest of their readers. Source: Cambridge English Assessment: C2 Proficiency Handbook for teachers

Articles are for the creative among you

Writing an article is a great opportunity to be creative and show off your language skills because there are many great structures that you can include. Compared to an essay or report, articles are not as strict in terms of their structure and you can mold the text as you see fit. Obviously, there are certain things that you shouldn’t do, but in general, you can have some fun with your article.

What a typical article task looks like

How to organise your article.

This is where opinions might differ and I don’t want you to think that there is only one possible paragraph structure. At this level, you should be able to decide for yourself what works best for each individual task, but I have found over the years that the following option works most of the time:

Always plan your article

The different parts of an article, title & introduction.

The best journey of my life Back in the 20th century, flying was a luxury mostly out of reach for the average Joe while nowadays it is quite possibly the cheapest and most common form of long-haul travel. However, with all the security measures and long waiting times at the airport it begs the question if buses or trains aren’t as convenient if not even more pleasant an option as planes. My journey along the river Rhine would definitely suggest that the answer is yes.

As you can see, the article has a title to begin with just as every article should. I then decided to start by establishing some kind of context . Here, I compare what air travel was like 25 or 30 years ago (“Back in the 20th century, …”) to today to then contrast it with buses and trains (“However, …”). I ask a question (“… it begs the question …”) and hint at my own experience (“My journey …”). The reader now wants to find out why it was so enjoyable for me and with that I’ve accomplished the first part of my mission – engaging the reader from the beginning.

Main paragraphs

When I was at university I used to take the train for the 5-hour ride to visit my parents in the south of Germany. Once I was forced to take the slightly longer route along the river Rhine and I can’t even tell you how happy I am that I did it! Not only did the journey itself go really smoothly, but I also got to fully take in the stunningly beautiful scenery along the way with the river meandering past all these small towns famous for their wine and their architecture. It was a truly scenic route that kept my eyes glued to the window, something rather unusual when flying. Apart from the breathtaking views, I have to say that I’d never arrived at a destination more relaxed than when I’d set off. Without the typical airport security checks and periods of simply sitting around and waiting I found myself actually enjoying the experience and in the end, I think I wouldn’t even have been able to reach my destination faster by plane either.

In my example paragraphs, I start by telling the story of a journey I experienced during my time at university. I use this anecdote to answer all the questions of the task and I’m able to include a lot of good language like interesting adjectives and adverbs as well as some good grammatical structures.

Final paragraph

For me, going on this journey was a truly gratifying experience and I hope this anecdote will serve as a reminder for you to slow things down from time to time and to enjoy the process of travelling instead of being too focussed on just reaching your destination. I promise life isn’t too short.

Final thoughts

Now, of course, it is time to put in the work and get better at it. I can help you with my writing feedback or private preparation classes that put you on the right track to success in the exam if you are interested in working with me. Until then, all the best.

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Cambridge c2 proficiency (cpe): how to write a review, are native speakers better language teachers, cambridge c2 proficiency (cpe): how your writing is marked, cambridge c2 proficiency (cpe): everything you need to know, cambridge c2 proficiency (cpe): how to calculate your score, how to stay calm on your cambridge exam day.

Geography, History, Art, ESL Learning 

Useful phrases for your essays (advanced level)

Here you have some useful phrases for your essays (advanced level). Hope you like it and find it useful !!

Introducing the phenomenon to be discussed

• More and more families are choosing to have only one child.
• The trend nowadays is towards having smaller families.
• Over the past ten years or so the media have frequently carried reports of ……………
• Recent research indicates that the number of teenagers who smoke is increasing.
• Hardly a week goes by without another report of …………….. appearing in the media.
• This raises the issue of whether ……………..
• Although most people would generally agree that …………… few would deny that …………….

Stating your opinion

• As I see it,
• It seems to me that ………… I would also say that ….
• I am convinced that ……………
• I am inclined to believe that ………………
• There is no doubt in my mind that ………………
• One of the drawbacks of ……. is ……….
• However, one of the benefits is that …………

Changing topic

• As regards the causes for this, …………..
• Concerning the causes for this, ………
• As for the causes, ………..

Presenting arguments

• One justification often given for ……….. is that……………..
• Advocates/Proponents would claim that ………………
• Those who object to …………….. often argue that ……………….
• Another objection is that ……
• However, it should not be forgotten that …………..
• ……….. are opposed to ……………. on the grounds that ……………..
• From the point of view of ……………..
• According to ………………..

Describing causes

• One factor which has led to ………… is …………..
• One of the factors which has brought this about is ………
• The problem often stems from ………………..
• The situation has been exacerbated by …………….
• ………….. has only made the situation worse.
• One consequence of ……………. is …………….

Proposing steps and measures

• As regards the most appropriate response to this situation, one suggestion would be to ………
• The first step to be taken would be to ……..
• To alleviate the situation people should ………..
• In addition they ought to ……………
• To begin to tackle this situation society/individuals/the government need/s to ……….
• ………….. would certainly ameliorate the situation.
• This can only be dealt with if …………
• To overcome this problem, …………..
• Were the government to ……………, the situation would doubtless improve.
• Individuals can do a great deal to …………
• The burden of responsiblity lies in the hands of ……..
• It is vitally important that ………
• Legislation should be introduced to control ……………..
• It would be a grave error if we ……………..
• All in all it seems to me that ………..
• The obvious conclusion to be drawn is that …………………..
• All things considered, ………….
• On balance, I tend to believe that …………
• The world would surely be a better place to live in if …………..
• If people stopped ….ing, we would have/ we could look forward to a ……………
• The prospects for the future will be bleak/grim unless ……………….

I think you should also have a few pages somewhere where you can keep a record of other useful essay phrases that you come across in your reading. Write them down and practise using them in your own writing.

Look out for more advanced expressions that you can use in place of phrases that weren’t even impressive at the B2 level – phrases like “solve the problem”. Here are a few alternative problem and solution phrases to get you going.:

a  crisis  in education which must be  addressed

something that must  be tackled  /  be dealt with

a  challenge  which must  be met

something must be done  to restore  law and order in the inner cities

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Want to write a college essay that sets you apart? Three tips to give you a head start

1. Keep it real. It’s normal to want to make a good impression on the school of your choice, but it’s also important to show who you really are. So just be yourself! Compelling stories might not be perfectly linear or have a happy ending, and that’s OK. It’s best to be authentic instead of telling schools what you think they want to hear.

2. Be reflective . Think about how you’ve changed during high school. How have you grown and improved? What makes you feel ready for college, and how do you hope to contribute to the campus community and society at large?

3. Look to the future. Consider your reasons for attending college. What do you hope to gain from your education? What about college excites you the most, and what would you like to do after you graduate? Answering these questions will not only give colleges insight into the kind of student you’ll be, but it will also give you the personal insight you’ll need to choose the school that’s right for you.

Have questions about college prep? We're here to help.

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As a student or prospective student at CU Boulder, you have a right to certain information pertaining to financial aid programs, the Clery Act, crime and safety, graduation rates, athletics and other general information such as the costs associated with attending CU Boulder. To view this information visit  colorado.edu/your-right-know .

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Published August 01, 2024

Announcing the 2024-2025 Common Application for NYU

Billy Sichel

Assistant Vice President of Undergraduate Admissions

It’s August 1st and that means the application at NYU has officially opened. This year, we’ve made some pretty big changes to NYU’s Common Application to simplify the process for our applicants, and to help us learn a little more about you!

When you start NYU’s member questions on the Common App, you’ll see 6 sections that you’ll need to complete. We give you a little bit of a head start by checking off the “Writing” section. This section is optional – but also new and exciting! More on that later.

The General Information Section

In the “General” section, you’ll be asked a few questions about how you want us to handle your application – Early Decision I, Early Decision II, or Regular Decision? – and which campus you want to apply to. As you (hopefully!) already know, NYU has three degree-granting campuses: in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai. Our Common App will let you apply to any combination of our campuses.

Once you make your campus selections, an additional set of questions will show up that are specific to your campus(es) of interest. Nothing too tricky here! You’ll be able to tell us about your academic area of interest for each campus, and a few other quick-and-easy questions about program eligibility, housing preferences, etc. so that we’re ready for you if you are ultimately admitted.

The Academics Section

Once you have those sections squared away, you’ll move on to the Academics section. This section will walk you through the information we’ll need you to submit outside of the Common App itself. Nothing to do here, except confirm that you’re clear on the next steps and additional requirements.

The Optional Supplemental Question

Now, the moment you’ve been waiting for: The optional, pre-checked-off Writing section. Last year, we made the decision to update our supplemental question. However, what we heard from our applicants was that people really wanted to tell us more! But the thing is…we already know why NYU is a great place to spend your 4 years, so we thought: if you want to tell us more about your passion for NYU, let’s make the question about you .

The new writing question says:

“In a world where disconnection seems to often prevail, we are looking for students who embody the qualities of bridge builders—students who can connect people, groups, and ideas to span divides, foster understanding, and promote collaboration within a dynamic, interconnected, and vibrant global academic community. We are eager to understand how your experiences have prepared you to build the bridges of the future. Please consider one or more of the following questions  in your  essay :

What personal experiences or challenges have shaped you as a bridge builder?

How have you been a bridge builder in your school, community, or personal life?

What specific actions have you taken to build bridges between diverse groups, ideas, or cultures?

How do you envision being a bridge builder during your time at our university and beyond?”

So, if it feels right for you to tell us a little more about yourself in the application, we want to know where you will turn to for inspiration, and what experiences have shaped you and resonate with you. Four years at NYU will propel you into a future you might not even be able to imagine yet, but take a minute (if you want – it really is optional!) to tell us about the ideas that have gotten you to this point, and those that might shape you into the person you’re about to become.

These are just a few of the changes we have made this year, so make sure to carefully read each question carefully before you answer them. If you ever have any questions for us about our questions, we are always here to help . We wish you the best of luck this application season, and can’t wait to learn more about you!

More from Billy:

How to Approach the Common Application

There’s no wrong way to approach the Common Application, but here’s two different strategies you might want to choose from when you apply to NYU.

Submitting a Transfer Application to NYU

Everything you need and everything you need to know about the transfer process.

Why You Should Start Your Common Application Early

There are many benefits to getting an early start on your Common Application to NYU.