C1 Advanced (CAE) Formal Letter/Email: Useful phrases

Useful phrases for a formal letter: (use as set phrases in the exam, don´t
experiment with new vocabulary or grammar)
Greetings

Dear Sir or Madam

Dear Mr Jenkins
Beginning:

With regards to the letter/email on…

With reference to your letter/email…
After having received your letter/email…
I received your address from … and would like …
Thank you very much for your letter/email on…
I have been given your contact details by… and I would like to…
In reply to your letter/email of…
Reason for writing

I am writing with regard/reference to …

I am writing to express (my concern about/ disappointment with/disapproval
of/apologies for)
I would like to draw your attention to/point out …
Referring to their letter

As you stated in your leter, …

Regarding… Concerning … With regard to…
Complaining

I am wiing to compiain about …

You said …but in fact what happened …
Introducing points

(I feel) I must also (dis)agree with …

I should also like to point out that …
Your (article) states that … However,…

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Request for action

I would appreciate it/be grateful if you would …

I look forward to receiving/seeing …
I trust/very much hope you will …
Ending:

I hope to hear from you soon…

If you require any further information, feel free to contact me
Should you require anything else, do not hesitate in contacting me
Regards
Yours faithfully
Yours sincerely
(signature)

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 C1 Advanced (CAE) Essay: Writing Structure

1. Introduction
Present and develop the essay question in your introduction

2. Main content: Paragraphs 1-2

Describe the first point/argument from the notes (most important)
Describe the second point/argument from the notes.

3. Conclusion
A summary of what you have said.

Step 1: Introduction
The first paragraph of an essay provides the introduction. It states what is to be
discussed and why. Your main points are briefly introduced. This paragraph need
not be lengthy.
Step 2: Main content

Paragraph 1

In this paragraph, more background information is provided in greater detail. Your

first, often the strongest main point is expanded upon. Bring in and refute any
arguments against your point of view.
Paragraph 2

The second paragraph provides your second key point, lying it into the theme of
your essay. Again, bring in opposing points of view and support your second key
point with Information and background.

There are two approaches you can choose to write your essay professionally.
1. For and against

This is the traditional approach where a writer discusses points in favour of their
position and against. Typically this means that one point will be used to contrast
the general position. There are advantages to this method.

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Firstly, candidates are often more familiar with it and find it easier to write.
Secondly, it gives them more scope to use a wider variety of linking words “On the
other hand.. ,In contrast…”.
2. One side only

Writing an essay like this means that all points will be commented on one by one
and the writer takes a single-minded position. This may limit the language you
use somewhat, as it won’t need to convey differences or contrast, but some people
may like it.
Step 3: Conclusion
The final paragraph is used to summarise or conclude your essay. It shows how
the two key points you have presented compare or relate to each other. It also
clearly re-states your initial position from the introductory paragraph.

C1 Advanced (CAE) Essay: Useful Phrases, Words & Expressions

To start essay: Introduction

It is often said that …

….is a hotly-debated topic that often divides opinion.
….is a topic that is often discussed but rarely solved.
Many people feel that …
We live in an age when many of us are…
More and more families/people are choosing to …
The trend nowadays is towards +ing
Over the past/last ten years or so, …
Recent research indicates that the number of …is increasing.
Statistics indicate that—
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
Topic sentences

First Paragraph

…. clearly/undoubtedly has an impact on…

It is common knowledge that… plays a crucial role in…
It is undoubtedly the case that…
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There is little doubt that…
… is widely believed to contribute to…
It is generally considered that…
Recent research suggests that…
Studies have shown that… has an impact/influence on…
Few people would contest/dispute the fact that…

Second Paragraph

Another factor to consider is…

On the other hand/In contrast…
It is often claimed that…
All the evidence suggests 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

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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 ……………
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 ……………..
To conclude an essay: Concluding

In light of the above,

Taking all this into consideration/account,…
As far as I am concerned, / in my opinion, / as I see it, etc.
… is the most effective way to… due to the fact that…
Despite the fact that… undoubtedly plays a role in… I firmly believe that… is more
effective due to the fact that… its advantages outnumber/ outweigh those
All in all it seems to me that ………..
The obvious conclusion to be drawn is that …………………..
All things considered! ………….
On balance! , tend to believe that …………
The world would surely be a better place to live in if …………..

Example

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 Your class has attended a panel discussion on facilities that should receive money from local
authorities. You have made the notes below:
Which facilities should receive money from local authorities?

 museums
 sports centres
 public gardens
Some opinions expressed in the discussion:

 “Museums aren’t popular with everybody!”

 “Sports centres mean healthier people.”
 “A town needs green spaces – parks are great for everybody

Write an essay discussing only two points.

You should explain which point is more important, giving reasons in support of
your answer.

In regard of a recent discussion about the facilities, which are financially supported
by local authorities, I would like to write a few of my personal thoughts. Whether
we are talking about sports centres or public gardens, there is no doubt that they are
both a good thing to have in the city and should both be supported somehow. The
only question then is which one of these is more important, what are the pros and
cons of each one?

Let me start with the sport centres as I think these are a bit more problematic.
Obviously, in our times where lots of people spend days sitting in their office
staring at a computer, some sort of physical training is very important. We have to
balance that shift in our lifestyles. The problem I see with supporting the sports
centres is the number of activities that you can do at these days. There is almost
countless list of either individual or team sports that we can think of, and each
centre is usually designed for a specific type or at least a group of sports similar in
its nature. Therefore I think that it is too difficult to support them equally and we
can’t say which activity is better than the others either. Another reason for not
financing sports as much as green parks is their commercial use. What I mean by
that is that we usually pay for everything the centre offers us to do and therefore
they are more able to last from their own money than gardens.

Regarding of the green spaces, the situation is much clearer I think. Every city
needs gardens where people can sit and relax, but nobody is going to pay a tax for
just walking around.

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These factors lead me to my conclusion, that the public gardens are definitely a
facility which should be financed from public money, whereas in the case of sports
centres, the situation is questionable.

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C1 Advanced (CAE) Report: Structure

1.Introduction
The purpose of this report is to….

2.Main content
Paragraph 1 – Subheading
Give the relevant facts

Paragraph 2 – Subheading
Give the relevant facts

3. Conclusion
Make your recommendations

Step 1: Find the topic points & topic

Step 2: Title
The report should start with the title it could be something like:

 Report on ……. and then you write the topic of what you’re reporting.
 or you can write the topic and end it with phrase : a report
Step 3: Introduction

The introduction must contain all the necessary information covered by the report:

1. appropriate beginning in which you should explain your purpose for

writing your report
The purpose of this report is to…..
2. The topic of the report
3. The three main key points that you discovered
Step 4: The body paragraphs (main content)
In the main content, you should comment on/answer the main key points that
you discovered in the task (see step 1) under
suitable subheadings (positive/negative points), and each is placed in a separate
section/paragraph.
Step 5: Conclusion
The conclusion should contain a final assessment of the report, providing
information, conclusions and giving a final answer.
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Eg. You have just completed six months in a new job. In preparation for a progress
meeting, you have been asked to write a report to your manager.

Your report should explain what you feel you have achieved in the job so far,
describe an problems you have had, and suggest any future training that would be
suitable.

Write your report (around 220 – 260 words)

Report on six-month progress as a teacher

Title: Report on six-month progress as a teacher

Title: Six-month teacher progress: a report

The purpose of this report is to (appropriate beginning) evaluate the progress

following the first half year in my current position as an English Teacher (topic) as
well as enumerate achievements (point 1), outline issues (point 2) and make
suggestions (point 3) for professional development measures.

Achievements add heading

Throughout the first six months of employment at XYZ School, I have
made important strides in professional development by incorporating several new
methods such as the task-based approach in daily teaching practice, which
has improved my students’ experience tremendously. Apart from personal
progress, numerous students have achieved their goals and advanced to higher
education providers under my guidance.

Problems add heading

Despite all of this organisation of internal exams is underdeveloped as there does
not seem to exist policy and students have expressed their displeasure with other
groups at the same level receiving easier or more difficult questions in their
tests. Additionally, my mentor has not always been available even though a certain
level of guidance in specific areas, for example developing teaching materials, is
still required.

Future opportunities – add heading

Considering all of the above, two main areas of possible improvement can be
identified. Firstly, student and teacher satisfaction could be increased by
establishing a resource bank for tests and exams and by training all the teachers to

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use them so as to ensure a consistent experience for our students. Secondly, regular
meetings with a mentor should be mandatory in order to provide guidance and to
help teachers become independent and confident with teaching materials.
Conclusion – add heading
In the final analysis, the situation of the teachers and students at our school is very
likely to improve and overall satisfaction will probably increase due to more
efficient work processes if ideas included in the report are implemented.

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