Essay

The compulsory Part 1 at B2 First, C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency. It is an essay at every level, but the input and the job change sharply as you climb.

Where It Appears

Exam	Paper and part	Questions	Marks	Counts towards
B2 First	Writing, Part 1	Q1	20	Writing
C1 Advanced	Writing, Part 1	Q1	20	Writing
C2 Proficiency	Writing, Part 1	Q1	20	Writing

What You See

Exam	Input	Your job	Words
B2 First	An essay question with two ideas given as notes	Discuss the question using both notes and an idea of your own	140-190
C1 Advanced	Notes from a discussion: three points and three short opinions	Discuss two of the three points and say which is more important, with reasons	220-260
C2 Proficiency	Two short texts, about 100 words each, with different views	Summarise and evaluate the key points of both texts, with your own view	240-280

An essay is written for a teacher or tutor, in a neutral to formal register. It needs an introduction, a clear line of argument, and a conclusion that answers the question.

Worked Example

A complete essay task at B2 First level. Work it with the answers closed, then open the key.

B2 First — Essay: free public transport

B2 FirstWriting, Part 1

You must answer this question. Write your answer in 140–190 words in an appropriate style.

Question 1

In your English class you have been talking about transport in towns and cities. Now, your English teacher has asked you to write an essay.

Write an essay using all the notes and giving reasons for your point of view.

Should public transport in towns and cities be free for everyone?

Write about:1. traffic and pollution2. who would pay for it3. ………… (your own idea)

Write 140–190 words.

Model answers

Model answer (high band) — Question 1 (essay) (189 words, 20/20 marks)

In many cities, buses and trams are overcrowded while the roads are blocked with cars carrying just one person. Making public transport free is an attractive idea, but I believe it would only work with careful planning. The strongest argument in favour is the effect on traffic and pollution. If people did not have to pay for a ticket, many drivers would leave their cars at home, at least for short journeys. This would mean cleaner air and less time wasted in traffic jams. On the other hand, someone has to pay for the service. If passengers no longer buy tickets, the money will have to come from taxes, and there is a real risk that the council will save money by cutting routes or keeping old, unreliable buses. A further point is that free transport would make a genuine difference to people on low incomes, such as students and pensioners, who often spend a large part of their budget on getting around. In conclusion, I think free public transport is worth trying, but only if the city can guarantee that the quality of the service will not fall.

Subscale	Band
Content	5 / 5
Communicative Achievement	5 / 5
Organisation	5 / 5
Language	5 / 5

Content: both notes are fully developed and the writer adds a clearly relevant own idea (people on low incomes), so the reader is fully informed. Communicative Achievement: the neutral, discursive register suits an essay, and the writer states a balanced opinion in the introduction and returns to it in the conclusion. Organisation: each paragraph has one clear purpose, linked with ‘On the other hand’, ‘A further point’ and ‘In conclusion’, and reference such as ‘This would mean’ connects ideas smoothly. Language: a good range of vocabulary (‘overcrowded’, ‘unreliable’, ‘make a genuine difference’) and grammar (second conditional, ‘there is a real risk that’) is used accurately.

Weaker answer (band 3) — Question 1 (essay) (174 words, 13/20 marks)

Nowadays, transport is a big problem in the cities. Some people think that public transport should be free for everyone. In this essay I will write my opinion. First of all, there is too much traffic and pollution in my city. If the bus is free, people who go to work by car will start to use it. So the air will be more clean and it is good for the health of the people. However, free transport is very expensive for the goverment. They need to pay the drivers and the petrol, and maybe they will take this money from other important things like hospitals or schools, which is a big disadvantage. Another idea is that the buses will be very crowded if everybody can travel free. Already in the morning I can’t sit in the bus because there are too many peoples, and it will be worse. In conclusion, I think there are advantages and disadvantages. In my opinion free transport is a good idea but it is difficult to do it.

Subscale	Band
Content	4 / 5
Communicative Achievement	3 / 5
Organisation	3 / 5
Language	3 / 5

Content: all three points are addressed, including a relevant own idea (crowded buses), so the target reader is informed, although each idea is developed only briefly and the final opinion is vague. Communicative Achievement: the register is suitably neutral, but the opening (‘In this essay I will write my opinion’) and conclusion are formulaic and the argument does not really lead anywhere. Organisation: paragraphing is clear and basic linkers are used (‘First of all’, ‘However’, ‘In conclusion’), but there is little variety in cohesive devices. Language: everyday vocabulary is used appropriately, and alongside simple sentences there are some complex forms (‘people who go to work by car’, ‘which is a big disadvantage’, conditionals); errors with comparatives (‘more clean’), plurals (‘peoples’), prepositions (‘sit in the bus’), spelling (‘goverment’) and phrasing (‘the health of the people’) are noticeable but do not stop the reader understanding.

The same task type at other levels: C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency.

Strategy

B2: one paragraph per note, one for your own idea, and a conclusion that gives your view. The third idea must be genuinely yours, not a rephrasing of the notes.
C1: choose the two points you can argue best, and make the "which is more important" decision explicit. Use the opinions as support, in your own words.
C2: summarise each text’s key points in your own words, then evaluate them. Copying phrases from the texts costs marks; the task is to show you have understood and weighed them.
Plan for five minutes, and keep five for checking.

Common Mistakes

At B2, forgetting the own idea; at C1, discussing all three points; at C2, summarising without evaluating.
Lifting whole phrases from the input.
A conclusion that sits on the fence when the question asks for a view.
An informal register (Well, I reckon…).

How to Practise

More practice at every level is on the Cambridge Writing samples page. The whole section in context is on the Cambridge Writing page, and how it is marked is on the scoring page.

Kirill O'Nayd, Cambridge English exams expert

Written by Kirill O'Nayd

English test expert and educator at TestSucceed. He has spent years preparing candidates for Cambridge English Qualifications from A2 Key to C2 Proficiency, and taking apart how each paper awards its marks. See all TestSucceed preparation materials.