Tipos de writing Advanced

Your class has attended a panel discussion on how cities can improve the daily life of their inhabitants. You have made the notes below.

Ways to improve daily life in cities: • public transport • green spaces

Write an essay for your tutor discussing the two ways in your notes. You should explain which way is more important, giving reasons to support your opinion.

Write your essay in 220-260 words.

Improving Daily Life in Cities

Cities offer many opportunities, but they also create daily difficulties for their inhabitants. Two of the most commonly discussed solutions are better public transport and more green spaces, and both deserve serious consideration.

Efficient public transport affects almost every aspect of urban life. When buses and trains are frequent and affordable, people spend less time travelling to work and less money on private cars. Consequently, traffic and air pollution are reduced, which benefits the whole community. Furthermore, good transport gives all citizens, including those on low incomes, access to jobs, education and health services.

Green spaces, on the other hand, contribute mainly to wellbeing. Parks and gardens offer a place to relax, exercise and meet other people, and there is evidence that contact with nature helps reduce stress. That being said, their impact is less direct, since a park cannot solve the problem of a long and expensive journey to work.

Taking everything into account, I believe that public transport is the more important of the two. It improves the practical side of daily life for a far larger number of people and indirectly supports health and the environment. Nevertheless, a city that wishes to be truly pleasant to live in should not neglect its parks, and should aim to combine both improvements in a balanced way.

Esquema para practicar: essay

Título

Introducción: Nowadays, there is an ongoing debate about ____. Two aspects that deserve attention are ____ and ____.

Punto 1: First of all, ____ is significant because ____. This is particularly important because ____. A clear example of this can be seen in ____.

Punto 2: On the other hand, ____ also plays an important role, since ____. However, ____ may lead to ____.

Conclusión: Taking everything into account, I believe that ____ is more important than ____ because ____. Nevertheless, ____.

You have seen an announcement from your local council about a new community arts centre. The council wants residents to say how the centre should be used.

Write a letter to the director, Ms Navarro. In your letter, you should suggest what activities the centre could offer, say who it should be for, and recommend suitable opening hours.

Write your letter in 220-260 words.

Dear Ms Navarro,

I am writing in response to your announcement about the new community arts centre, as I would like to offer my views on how it could best serve local residents.

Firstly, I believe that the centre should offer evening courses. Many people in this neighbourhood work during the day, so classes in painting, music or photography after six o’clock would allow them to take part. Moreover, a varied programme would attract people of different ages, which would help to build a stronger sense of community.

Secondly, I would like to suggest that part of the building be reserved for young people. At present, teenagers in the area have very few places to meet, and a small studio with equipment for recording music would give them a constructive way to spend their free time.

Finally, regarding the opening hours, I would recommend that the centre open at weekends, when residents have more time available. If this is not possible, even a few hours on Saturday mornings would be appreciated.

In my view, these changes would not require a large budget, yet they would make the centre far more useful to the people who live nearby. I would be grateful if you could consider these suggestions. I would also be happy to help in any way, for example by organising a meeting with other local residents.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Carlos Ruiz

Esquema para practicar: email informal

Apertura: Hi/Hello ____, It was great to hear from you! I hope everything is going well with ____.

Tema principal: As for ____, I think that ____. One of the best things about it is that ____.

Sugerencias: If I were you, I would definitely ____ because ____. Another good idea would be to ____.

Información extra: By the way, ____. I also wanted to mention that ____.

Cierre: Anyway, I have to go now, but let me know what you decide! I’m looking forward to hearing from you soon. Best wishes / Take care, ____

You see this announcement in an online magazine for readers.

Reviews wanted: A book that surprised you

Write a review of a novel you have read recently. Describe the story, say what you liked and disliked, and explain whether you would recommend it and to whom.

Write your review in 220-260 words.

A Gentle Story with a Powerful Message

Few novels manage to be both simple and deeply moving, but «The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter» does exactly that. Set on a remote island in the 1920s, it follows a young girl who decides to keep her father’s lighthouse running after he falls ill.

What impressed me most was the way the author builds the atmosphere. The descriptions of storms and long, silent evenings are so vivid that the reader almost feels the cold wind. Moreover, the main character is entirely convincing: her courage develops gradually, and her doubts make her feel like a real person rather than a hero.

However, the book is not without weaknesses, and some readers will notice them quickly. The middle section moves rather slowly, and some secondary characters are not developed enough to be memorable. In addition, the ending may seem a little too tidy for readers who prefer more realistic conclusions.

The writing style is simple but elegant, and the short chapters make the story easy to read in the evening. On balance, though, its strengths are far greater than its flaws. Despite these reservations, I would thoroughly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys quiet, thoughtful stories. It is particularly suitable for readers who appreciate strong characters and a sense of place, but those who prefer fast-moving plots may find it less satisfying.

Esquema para practicar: review

Título. Ejemplos: A Film Worth Watching? / The Perfect Place for a Weekend Getaway / Is This Book Really Worth the Hype?

Introducción: Recently, I had the opportunity to experience ____, and I was pleasantly surprised by ____.

Descripción: One of the first things that caught my attention was ____. The atmosphere was ____.

Aspectos positivos y negativos: What I appreciated the most was ____. However, there were also a few drawbacks. For instance, ____.

Recomendación: Overall, I would definitely recommend ____ to people who enjoy ____. If you are looking for ____, this is an option you should consider.

You work as a student representative at a language academy. The director has asked you to write a report about the facilities available to students.

In your report, you should evaluate the facilities, explain what problems students have, and recommend improvements.

Write your report in 220-260 words.

Report on Study Facilities at the Language Academy

Introduction

The purpose of this report is to evaluate the facilities available to students at the academy and to recommend improvements. It is based on conversations with students and teachers over the past month.

Current facilities

Overall, students expressed a high level of satisfaction with the quality of teaching. The classrooms are generally comfortable and well equipped, and the staff are widely regarded as helpful. Nevertheless, two main problems were frequently mentioned. Firstly, the self-study room is too small, so students often cannot find a seat before exams. Secondly, the wifi connection is unreliable, which makes it difficult to use online resources during lessons.

Recommendations

In order to address the first problem, it would be advisable to convert one of the little-used meeting rooms into a second study area. This would be relatively inexpensive and would be appreciated by most students, particularly during the weeks before exams, when demand is highest. As regards the internet connection, I would strongly recommend upgrading the equipment as soon as possible, since this affects almost every class.

Conclusion

In general, the problems identified are practical rather than serious, and both can be solved quickly. The academy already offers a good learning environment. If the changes above are introduced, it would become considerably more attractive to current and future students.

Esquema para practicar: report

Introduction: The purpose of this report is to evaluate ____. This report will examine ____ and provide recommendations for improvement.

Main findings: Overall, ____ has had a positive impact on ____. One of the main strengths is that ____.

Problems identified: Despite these positive aspects, several issues still need to be addressed. One of the most significant problems is that ____.

Recommendations: In order to improve the situation, it would be advisable to ____. Another possible solution would be to ____.

Conclusion: To sum up, although ____ has several advantages, some areas require improvement. If the recommendations are implemented, it is likely that ____.

Your neighbourhood library wants to attract more visitors. The head librarian has asked for proposals.

Write a proposal for a reading programme. In your proposal, you should describe the activities you suggest, explain why they would be useful, and say what resources would be needed.

Write your proposal in 220-260 words.

Proposal for a Neighbourhood Reading Programme

Introduction

This proposal outlines a plan to start a reading programme in our neighbourhood library. It describes the activities suggested, the likely benefits and the resources required.

Suggested activities

Firstly, I propose a monthly book club for adults, where participants would discuss a chosen book in an informal atmosphere. Secondly, a weekly story hour on Saturday mornings for children would encourage young readers and give parents a chance to meet. Finally, a reading challenge for teenagers, with small prizes, could motivate this age group, which tends to read less.

Benefits

These activities would bring the community together and make better use of a space that is often quiet in the evenings and at weekends. Moreover, there is a good chance that they would attract new members, which would help to justify the library’s budget.

Resources

The programme would require very little investment, which makes it a realistic option even with a limited budget. The library already has a suitable room, and local volunteers could lead the sessions. The only significant cost would be a small number of prizes and some publicity materials.

Conclusion

In short, the plan is simple, low-cost and flexible. I am convinced that this programme would be a worthwhile addition to the library, and I would be glad to help with its organisation.

Esquema para practicar: proposal

Introduction: The aim of this proposal is to suggest ways to improve ____. The following recommendations are intended to increase ____.

Current situation: At present, ____ has several positive aspects. However, one of the main issues is that ____.

Recommendation 1: One possible solution would be to ____. This would allow people to ____ and could improve ____.

Recommendation 2: Another suggestion would be to ____. Although this may require additional investment, the long-term advantages would outweigh the initial costs.

Conclusion: To sum up, the recommendations above would greatly improve ____. If these measures are implemented successfully, ____ will become more effective and accessible.