C1 Writing

Cambridge Masterclass

Margaret Cooze

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First published 2023

ISBN: 978-1-913825-81-2

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To infinity and beyond.

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 Contents

Introduction 5

Task type 1. Essay 17

Task type 2. Email 25

Task type 3. Letter 33

Task type 4. Proposal 41

Task type 5. Report 49

Task type 6. Review 57

Practice tests 65

Margaret Cooze holds an MA in Applied Linguistics and an MSc in English

Language Teaching Management, and has worked in senior roles at
Cambridge English Language Assessment and Cambridge Assessment
International Education. She is the author of several ELT resources published
by Cambridge University Press.

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 Introduction

Cambridge C1 Advanced Writing

Welcome to this book on the Cambridge C1 Advanced Writing paper. C1 Advanced is one
of the exams in the series provided by Cambridge Assessment – part of the University of
Cambridge. It is the fourth in the range of tests they provide in General English:

A2 Key (KET)
B1 Preliminary (PET)
B2 First (FCE)
C1 Advanced (CAE)
C2 Proficiency (CPE)

The references next to each test refer to the CEFR Level (Common European Framework of
Reference), and show the language level of each test.

For CEFR C1 Writing, you will be able to:

• communicate complex ideas effectively on a range of topics

• write clearly using a variety of cohesive devices and organisational patterns

• explain your viewpoint and communicate complex ideas effectively

• recognise the reader of texts, and use a consistently suitable register

• use a good range of simple and more complex grammatical structures with flexibility
and control

• use a good range of vocabulary, including less common lexis, correctly and with precision

• recognise the functional language needed, and select language to convey meaning
effectively.

How does the test work?

You can take the C1 Advanced exam on a computer or on paper. The content is the same
for both forms of the test. The C1 Advanced Writing paper gives you the opportunity to show
your language skills. The topics of tasks are chosen so that they are relevant to the typical
student taking this exam, so you should find that you have enough ideas to write about.
Each question will guide you by identifying the context, the purpose for writing and the target

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C1 Writing | Cambridge Masterclass

reader. It is important to remember that you aren’t being tested on the subject content of
the tasks. So, if the topic of the Part 1 question, for example, is voluntary work, you aren’t
expected to be an expert about this topic. The test format is:

Time allowed 1 hour and 30 minutes

Number of parts 2
Number of questions Part 1: one compulsory question
Part 2: one optional question from a choice of three
Task types essay, letter, email, proposal, report, review
Length each answer should be 220–260 words long

Task type 1: Essay

Part 1 (Question 1) of the Writing paper is always an essay written for your teacher; the
format of the question is always the same and consists of three sections. Firstly, the topic
and explanation are stated. The topic is based on an academic activity, such as taking part
in a seminar or discussion. This is followed by three bullet points relating to the topic, and
then three short comments related to the bullet points:

Your class has […topic and explanation…]. You have made the notes below:

• Bullet 1
• Bullet 2
• Bullet 3 “Comment 1”
“Comment 2”
“Comment 3”

Write an essay discussing two of the points in your notes. You should explain
which [points from question], giving reasons in support of your answer.

The emboldened words in the question provide a focus for your answer.

• You must cover two of the ideas in the bullet points (but you can say whether you agree
or disagree with them) or, alternatively, you can discuss both sides.

• You must come to a decision to address the question prompted by the ‘which’ in the
instructions.

• You must support your answer with reasons.

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 Introduction

You can also add your own opinions. To complete the task you must include two points
from the question, however, so make sure that you don’t forget this if you also include your
own ideas. The purpose of the essay is to allow you to show that you can select relevant
information and can back this up with a supporting argument. Remember, you don’t have to
tell the truth! The examiners won’t know, so if you don’t have experience or an opinion you
can make something up.

Your essay should be well-structured with clear and appropriate organisational features.
Suitable introductions and conclusions should be included, and the structure of the essay
and its paragraphing should guide the reader through the content, helping them understand
the argument. Essays are written in a semi-formal register as you are writing for your
teacher.

Task types 2 and 3: Letter/email

You may have the option of writing an email or letter in the C1 Advanced Writing paper. The
two task types are very similar in that they require you to respond to a prompt or message
given in the question. You don’t need to worry too much about the layout – you won’t be
tested on whether the email has a ‘To/From’ line, for example. However, you should think
about how to open your email or letter and what opening salutation and closing to use.

At C1, emails or letters are not limited to just giving information but will also require you
to show some other functional language – for example, complaining or justifying a course
of action. Your email or letter may be addressed to the person who has written to you, but
could also be to an editor of a newspaper or the manager of a company, for example. It is
important that you identify who you are writing to before you start your response. It is also
important to decide on the register, and to write your email or letter in an appropriate way for
the recipient.

There is one letter and one email task included in the examples in this book, with one being
more formal and the other more informal (see pages 25 and 33).

Task type 4: Proposal

A proposal is written in response to a request for ideas from either a peer group, such as
members of a club, or a superior, such as a college principal or work supervisor. They may
also be written in response to a wider call for feedback on plans – for example, following an
announcement of funding for a project and requests for ideas on how to use the money. It
is often useful to include headings in proposals so that the different sections are clearly set
out. Language should be persuasive but polite, and proposals are semi-formal in register.

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C1 Writing | Cambridge Masterclass

Task type 5: Report

A report is usually written for a teacher or school principal, or a specific group such as the
members of a club of society to which you belong. Reports are mostly factual and need to
be based on the situation that is presented in the question.

Reports at this level go beyond those at B2 level, which are mostly descriptive. At C1, you
need to show that you can evaluate the information and use this to, for example, suggest an
alternative course of action or to say if an aim has been achieved.

Reports are typically semi-formal and often contain more impersonal language, such as
passive forms. As with proposals, headings can help to show the different sections of your
report.

Task type 6: Review

A review may be about a book, film, play, show or concert, but could also be about a product
(for example, a kitchen gadget), or a service, such as a tour of a museum. You will be
asked to give your opinion, but at this level you will also need to evaluate the subject of the
report for a particular group of people or reason. The target reader will be described in the
question, and you should make sure that you write your report with them in mind.

Reviews often include a range of different adjectives and, at C1, also include language of
justifying opinions.

How to use this book

The main section of this book focuses on
each task type individually, explaining its
characteristics and providing guidance on how
to plan a response to an example question.

For each task-type question, two responses

from different students are provided. One
response is very good and the other is less
good, identifying areas that the student could
improve on.

There are detailed comments on each

response, and a breakdown of the marks that

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 Introduction

the response could get in the exam. You should read these responses and commentary
before you write your own response to the question.

When you have written your response, look back at the comments and the mark scheme,
and think about what you did well and also how you could have done better.

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C1 Writing | Cambridge Masterclass

Preparing for the exam

It is important that you plan your time in the exam. You will need to complete both tasks
within the 90 minutes. It is sensible to divide your time equally between the two tasks: about
45 minutes each. You should make sure that you:

• Read all of the questions carefully to be certain you understand what they mean.

• Plan your writing.

• Write your response according to your plan.

• Check your writing for errors.

Read the questions

Read the Part 1 question carefully, and identify the two ideas that you want to focus on in
your essay. Read all of the Part 2 questions. There will be three questions, and you will
need to choose one. When making your choice, you will need to think about the task type,
the topic and the language that you will need. For example, there may be a question with a
letter to be written relating to a concert. If you know lots of high-level vocabulary relating to
music and the arts, then this could be a good choice. Another question might be a proposal
about how to use some funding for a project in the community. If you feel that organisation
of your writing isn’t your strength, then choosing such a question might help as you can
define the paragraphs by each funding idea. It is good advice to spend time thinking about
each question before you start writing. If you start one question and then realise that
you don’t feel confident about the ideas or language you need, you may need to change
question.

Plan your writing

It is tempting to start writing as soon as you decide what question to answer, but spending
some time planning is very sensible. Students plan their writing in different ways, but the
following is an example of a plan for the review response for the question on page 57:

Intro: long-awaited show ‘The Magician’ | posters around town | stars on TV recently | Is
it worth it?
Para 1: story well known | took a dislike | actor fantastic | character so arrogant | getting
more and more angry | infuriating | happy ending not believable
Para 2: All is all?? | I recommend it | keep silly storyline in mind | lighting & special effects
out of this world | made tricks seem real | you won’t be disappointed in that
Concl: Grab your ticket now!

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 Introduction

Here, the candidate has noted down some ideas and good vocabulary to use, and has
decided what will go in each paragraph.

Write your response

Use your notes to assemble your ideas from your plan into a well-organised piece of writing
with a suitable tone and good, accurate language. With good planning technique, this will
be easier. Of course, you will also be thinking about the functions, grammar and vocabulary
that you considered before you started to produce your plan. This is the best way to make
sure that you show the examiner as much of your language ability as possible.

It is a useful skill to paraphrase language that you find in the task. So, if the task says ‘Have
you seen a show at the theatre recently where you disliked the main character?’, you could
answer by saying ‘I saw a show where I disliked the main character...’. But it would be better
to paraphrase and say something like ‘I really couldn’t stand the leading character in a
musical I watched the other day...’.

What language do you need?

There are three things to consider when you have read the questions. There is some
overlap between them, but it is still a good idea to think about all three.

1. What functions does the task need?

For example, do you need to make a suggestion, evaluate something or justify a decision?

2. What grammar can you use in the task?

This may be linked to the functions of the question. For example, if you are asked to give or
justify a decision, you can use the infinitive to show purpose and cohesive devices like ‘due
to this’ or ‘as a result of…’. Sometimes the grammar you use will be your choice. If you
know that you are confident when using complex conditional sentences, can you include
one in your response? If you know that you don’t feel confident about using relative clauses,
how can you avoid trying to use one and show some other impressive language instead?

3. What vocabulary is related to the task topic and links in with the functions?

If you are giving recommendations in the task (for instance, maybe in a report), you should
think about what phrases you can use to make sure that there is variety. For example, it is
better not to start each idea with ‘I think…’. You could use ‘One perspective I have
considered…’ or ‘It cannot be denied that…’ as alternatives to make sure that you show the
examiner a good range of different phrases.

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C1 Writing | Cambridge Masterclass

Check your writing

You should always leave five minutes to read through each response you write. Check that
you haven’t left anything important out, but also check the language for errors.

For example:

• Have you used the right tenses?

• Have you used linking devices?

• Are there any spelling errors?

It’s a good idea to make your own checklist while you prepare for the C1 Advanced Writing
paper. It will help you to think about what to check for, and also to think about mistakes that
you often make.

Here is a suggested checklist to use, but it’s a good idea to add things that you know you
sometimes make mistakes with.

What would you add to this checklist?

✔ ✖

Does your response cover all of the content points in the task?

Is your response in the right style for the task type?

Have you used the right register for the task?

Have you used paragraphs to separate different ideas?

Have you used linking devices correctly?

Have you got a range of linking devices?

Are all tenses correct?

Have you used articles with nouns where needed?

Are the prepositions correct?

What about errors you’ve made in the past?

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 Introduction

The assessment criteria

Each piece of writing is marked against four assessment criteria, each carrying a maximum
of five marks.

Content

This criterion focuses on whether you have answered the question and whether the
reader would have all the information they need. You must make sure that you identify
what the question is asking you to do and plan your answer so that you stay on the topic.
In Part 1 you must cover two ideas from the question, make a choice from them and give
reasons for your choice. In Part 2 questions you must identify what you will need to write
about from the question.
Max. 5 marks

Communicative achievement

This criterion focuses on how well you communicate with the reader. This includes
whether your writing is suitable for the task you are writing and that it also involves
register. Register means whether your writing is more formal (e.g. writing for someone you
don’t know) or less formal (e.g. writing for your classmates).
Max. 5 marks

Organisation

This criterion focuses on how your ideas are organised into paragraphs, if these are
needed. It includes the use of discourse markers (e.g. ‘and’, ‘but’, ‘so’ at a basic level; and
‘therefore’, ‘despite this’ at a higher level). It also includes things like how pronouns are
used to refer to nouns to avoid repetition. For example: ‘He never liked school and hated
going there...’. In this sentence ‘there’ means that the student doesn’t repeat the word
‘school’.
Max. 5 marks

Language

This criterion focuses on vocabulary and grammar. It isn’t just about using vocabulary
and grammar without making mistakes. It also considers whether your writing uses more
difficult grammar and more unusual words and phrases. It is sometimes hard to focus on
both, and, of course, it’s great if you don’t make any mistakes! However, if this means that
your language is very simple, it may mean that you can’t get to the top marks here.
Max. 5 marks

When all four criteria have been assessed your total mark is given out of 20.

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C1 Writing | Cambridge Masterclass

Planning Guide
Write the question you are going to answer below, and underline or highlight the important
words that will help you to focus your response.

What functions does the task need?

What grammar could you use?

What vocabulary could you use?

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 Introduction

Bring your ideas together in a plan, and think about the organisation and register you need.

• How many paragraphs do you need? How will you link ideas?

• Who is your reader? What is your relationship to them?

• Do you need to use more formal or more informal language?

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C1 Advanced Writing
Text type 1: Essay

In Part 1 of the Writing paper you will have to write an essay. Remember:

• Include two points or ideas from the question material.

• Make sure that you support your opinion with other points and reasons.

• Write a plan to organise your ideas into a well-thought-out argument.

• Bring your ideas together in a clear conclusion.

Look at the following question. Think about:

• how you imagine you would feel about doing voluntary work

• What areas volunteers might get involved in

• The pros and cons of each point made.

Your class has listened to a radio discussion about the value of young people doing
voluntary work in the community. You have made the notes below:

Benefits of voluntary work:

• Meet different people
• Gain work experience Some opinions expressed in the discussion:
• Contribute to society “It might be a good thing if you don’t have lots of friends!”
“A good idea for young people to gain work experience but
what about the cost?”
“I’m sure it must feel really satisfying to have done your bit
and contributed to something which helps people.”

Write an essay discussing two of the benefits of voluntary work. You should explain
what the most significant benefit of voluntary work is, giving reasons in support of
your answer.
You may, if you wish, make use of the opinions expressed in the discussion, but you
should use your own words as far as possible.

Read the following sample answers and see how two students have answered this task.

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C1 Writing | Cambridge Masterclass

Student Response A

In recent times the idea of volunteering has become This is a straightforward

more and more popular. There are various benefits introduction that clearly
sets out what the essay
to volunteering, but also some downsides. is going to be about.

While I agree that it’s a positive thing to have on

your CV when you apply for jobs, it isn’t always a
straightforward thing. It may depend on what the
voluntary work is, and how well organised it is of
course. If there isn’t a good structure to it, then
it is possible that the volunteers will not gain as
This short sentence
much as they wanted. In fact, they may be seen makes the student’s
point strongly and is very
as a replacement for a member of staff in some
effective.
situations. This should not happen.

Doing volunteering in some place like a hospital,

where you can help the sick with things like getting
things from a shop and maybe reading to the old
people would seem a very good idea though. This
shows an employer that you have skills to get on The language used is
generally very accurate
with people and are compassionate. I think any
and there is some good
employer would see this as a plus point. vocabulary used, like
‘compassionate’.
However, the most important benefit of
volunteering is that society benefits as a whole.
The skill of helping others makes you into a good
citizen who knows that it is important to look at the
situation of others as well as your own. In these The student has covered
two ideas from the
days when young people in particular are often told
question, but not very
they are selfish, this must be seen to be the greatest evenly. They wrote about
the idea of getting work
benefit.
experience at great
length and so may have
run out of time, and
words, for the second
point. Nevertheless, this
is a strong essay.

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 Text type 1: Essay

Content

The essay covers two of the bullet point areas indicated in the task: gaining work
experience and the benefit to wider society. The student has drawn on the comments
in the task but has also included their own ideas. They have fully addressed the task
requirements.
5/5

Communicative achievement

The tone and register of the essay are entirely appropriate, and the student has
considered the target reader in their writing. The essay ends slightly suddenly with the
answer to the final part of the task about what the more important point is. With a slightly
stronger conclusion this would have achieved the full 5 marks.
4/5

Organisation

The essay is well organised with a short but relevant introduction to lead into the main
part of the essay. The student has used cohesive devices with flexibility to introduce
ideas (e.g. ‘while I agree…’, ‘In fact…’) and has made use of referencing and elision to
make the writing flow well.
4/5

Language

The grammar used in the essay is very accurate. There are some complex sentences
with a number of clauses. The student has used a conditional form, modal verbs and
a relative clause with good control but could have shown a wider range of language.
There is some good vocabulary used which is relevant to the task (e.g. ‘downside’,
‘straightforward’, ‘a plus point’, ‘citizen’).
4/5

Total marks: 17 / 20

Overall, this is a strong essay that fully addresses the task and communicates with the
target reader well. The student has expanded on some of the points in the task and
has included their own opinion.

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C1 Writing | Cambridge Masterclass

Student Response B

Thinking of doing voluntary work? Well… The student has

approached this essay
…really you should! In my experiences, the best more like an article.
The heading would
thing about volunteers is that they learn a lot of new
be good for an article
skills and this is useful in your career in the future. but not an essay. The
tone throughout isn’t
For some people the best thing is to work in the appropriate for an essay.

industry or job that you want to work. You can

maybe contact a big company and see if they need
The student has
an intern. This will mean that you work alongside the misinterpreted the
other people in the company and learn direct from focus of the essay, and,
although they started well,
them. This is very valuable and you may make some the essay starts to move
contacts to get a paid work there later. away from the focus of
volunteering here.

At a minimum, you should learn from this

experience what it is like to work in this company. Is
it a good fit for you later? Maybe you will find from
There is some confusion
doing this that the job you think you wanted isn’t so
with the use of tenses
good. You won’t waste a lot of time apply for this job here.
in this case.

For some people, they maybe get some money

to pay for their travel to the company and their
The student uses the
lunch maybe. You shouldn’t expect this though and same word ‘maybe’ a
number of times in this
you maybe have to work without money for a few
paragraph. Remember to
months as an intern. try to vary the language
you use to show a range.
But all in all, it is the best way to discover your true
job ambitions. I think the idea of doing voluntary
work in a company and learn about work skills is
very precious. Do it!

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 Text type 1: Essay

Content

The student has started to write about doing voluntary work, but has slightly
misinterpreted the focus of the task. They have focused on being an intern instead of
doing voluntary work in a wider sense, and so have missed the opportunity to use the
bullet points given to expand on the topic well. This has limited the development of the
task.
3/5

Communicative achievement

The student has written the essay to sound more like an article, with a heading and
matching closing comment. This doesn’t communicate well and the tone and register
they have used are not suitable for a semi-formal essay. They have also made their
writing more informal by referring to ‘you’ a number of times (e.g. ‘You can maybe
contact…’, ‘you should learn from…’). Essays are usually less direct in their referencing.
2/5

Organisation

The essay is organised and has clear paragraphs. The last paragraph is also introduced
by a suitable phrase to sum up ideas (e.g. ‘But all in all…’). In some places in the essay
the student has used more basic connecting devices and could have shown a range of
different ways to make the essay flow well.
3/5

Language

The student has made some more basic errors in their writing (e.g. ‘…get a paid
work…’). There is some lack of control of tenses as well. There are some instances
where the phrasing doesn’t read very naturally, but overall the meaning can always be
understood. However, the language the student has used in fairly simple and doesn’t
quite reach the level required for C1.
2/5

Total marks: 10 / 20

The task has not been fully understood by the student and by producing an article
style they have not written appropriately for the target reader – their teacher. Their
writing moves slightly away from the focus of the task by concentrating on working for
a company rather than volunteering in a wider sense. The student’s range of language
is not at the appropriate level for C1, despite the fact that all of the essay can be
understood.

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C1 Writing | Cambridge Masterclass

Now have a go at writing a response to this question yourself.

Your class has listened to a radio discussion about the value of young people doing
voluntary work in the community. You have made the notes below:

Benefits of voluntary work:

• Meet different people
Some opinions expressed in the discussion:
• Gain work experience
• Contribute to society “It might be a good thing if you don’t have lots of friends!”
“A good idea for young people to gain work experience but
what about the cost?”
“I’m sure it must feel really satisfying to have done your bit
and contributed to something which helps people.”

Write an essay discussing two of the benefits of voluntary work. You should explain
what the most significant benefit of voluntary work is, giving reasons in support of
your answer.
You may, if you wish, make use of the opinions expressed in the discussion, but you
should use your own words as far as possible.

Highlight or underline the important words.

Outline plan:

Refer to the Planning Guide on page 14 for guidance on how to plan your response.

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 Text type 1: Essay

Write your response (220–260 words).

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C1 Writing | Cambridge Masterclass

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✔ ✖
Does your response cover all of the content points in the task?

Is your response in the right style for the task type?

Have you used the right register for the task?

Have you used paragraphs to separate different ideas?

Have you used linking devices correctly?

Have you got a range of linking devices?

Are all tenses correct?

Have you used articles with nouns where needed?

Are the prepositions correct?

What about errors you’ve made in the past?

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