Writing is difficult even in one's native language You are right Students need a good strategy and a cold head and inclination to a good and clear picture in their head
I felt compelled to share this comment because this topic is rarely discussed. Although I consider myself proficient in English, both in speaking and writing, I encountered a significant setback during the CPE exam few years ago . My major error was neglecting to read the essay task thoroughly, which resulted in me writing about an entirely incorrect topic. I only realized this mistake three minutes before submission. Consequently, I missed passing the exam by just two points. To avoid such pitfalls, my advice is to always allocate a few minutes to carefully read and understand the task before beginning your response. 😂
I would like to add some of my advice here after recently passing the CPE with grade A (😆)! My scores were quite decent but my writing one was noticeably lower, and I believe it was caused by my 'planning'. So instead of planning out the structure of my text in the second part of the test, I sort of just brain stormed and basically wrote anything that came to mind 😅. I thought that would inspire new ideas and such but instead just wasted all my time on trying to organise it all. Don't make the same mistake as I did guys, and good luck on your exams!!
Hey there! I am here to thank you Ben for all the invaluable materials and resources you give. Frankly speaking, when I was anxious about my forthcoming exam(CAE) at that time(about 4-5 months ago), I would always go on CZcams and search for your videos about the preparation for Cambridge exams and there was always a part of me that was constantly telling me I haven’t still done enough whenever I saw some of your student’s results and each time I realized how prepared I should be. I’m grateful for that, because now I AM AMONG THE PEOPLE WHO PASSED CAE. I got C1 and got 207 points for speaking part. All I can say is thank you!
Hi Ben, Thanks so much for the reminder, gone through your B2 first course there was nothing new for me but sometimes you need to go over it again, and I must admit I really struggle with commas and the use of advanced vocabulary. Sometimes I want to use advanced vocabulary when I translate my story but then I'm to afraid of making mistakes and use the vocabulary I am familiar with, I'm much more confident now using English but I think I want to be to perfect and that holds me back sometimes. You're absolutely right when you say practising the writing task is essential , the more you do it the better it gets. This is completely consistent with my experience. Have a nice evening 👋 🤗
Hey Ben, I’ve finally taken my CAE and I received a 193 grade B, which I’m really happy about. I had been under so much pressure and stress, but I feel like binge watching your videos were incredibly helpful to me and I wanted to expire my genuine appreciation and thanks to you for aiding me with the CAE ❤ Much love, Alinia
Congratulations on passing the C2 Proficiency exam! 👏👏👏 I'm glad my videos helped, but it's your achievement. Thank you so much for the gift, I really appreciate it
I may be too old to take an exam Ben. However, there is always room for improvement. Many thanks for your time as well as your tremendous lessons that are always appreciated. Ciao for now. Greetings from Casablanca. I 'll catch you in the next one as usual.
Hi!! I will be taking my exam tomorrow, and your channel has been my main source of preperation :) I'm 16 and still in school, so it was hard to focus at both the exam and schoolwork at once, but I managed. I'm already past the speaking part and currently very nervous about writing. I'll make sure to share my results here if I don't forget :) Thank you for all the help!!!
I think that what I find most intimidating is the time pressure.... I am able to write about most topics and in different forms, but my brain needs time :D I mean - no matter what the language is - my mother tongue or English... 10 more minutes would help so that I could check and make some corrections/improvements ....
Same here. I recommend you to take computer based exam, as a person who has the same issue with you, writing with keyboard helps a lot and you will have more time as a consequance.
Great advice! I think it's clever to approach it as a puzzle rather than a means to present your ideas... As a creative person I've always struggled with it. I guess I wanted to astound with my brilliant thoughts :D But I was wrong obviously. It took me many years to understand and once I accepted it, the exams became a lot easier :D
I feel that my writings have a clear structure as I use a wide range of connectors and conjunctions, as well as variated gramatical structures. However, I would like to use a more appropriate vocabulary, and your videos are helping me out to build up my vocabulary. Thank you ❤ I have my C1 exam in a week. Although I feel quite nervous, I have to say that I'm confident and I'm sure that I'll pass the exam
Thank you for the great tips, Ben! 😊 I completely agree with #1. My students usually jump straight into the writing itself without proper planning beforehand. I always show them how important careful planning is, even if it’s a short, and thus apparently simple, text.
Watching this less than a day before my CAE exam 😱 Hope I manage to put my ideas across effectively, your videos have helped me so much with finding the right vocabulary for different topics! The actual struggle is the time limit, especially for the speaking part of the exam. Can’t wait to let you know how it went!
Ok I survived, the speaking part went great, the interlocutor seemed quite satisfied with what I said. However, listening was a shame since it was a paper based exam and the acoustics of the room I took the exam in were awful. Nevertheless, I’m overall happy with what I have done. Now we wait…
Writing is the hardest part becouse you have to manage grammar rules very well. 😂😂 When you speak and you make a mistake, you can smile... and the mistake disappears 😂😂😂
Hi Ben, I´m preparing for the C2 exam; and when talking about writing part 1, I find to extract the key points of each text of the Essay very difficult. Given that sometimes it is very complicated to differentiate them. Please, could you help me with some useful advice?. Thank you so much!.
This was a very helpful video and a wonderful quote, thank you. I agree that you can fix all those mistakes and still write a poor composition because you also need to think, at some length, about what it is you want to say. Mark Twain wrote some comments about popular authors who don't clearly make their point. Fenimore Cooper's Literary Offences." "12. Say what he is proposing to say, not merely come near it." Project Gutenberg and other sources.
Hey Ben, thank you so much for your useful videos💖💖💖 I have a question, could you correct me please, which one is correct: : what age does she think she have? : what age she thinks she has? : what age does she think she has?
Hello Ben! Please dont mind me commenting on this video, its just because its your most recent one. I just have the following auestion: Well todsy I took tge c1 speaking exam and I am wuite worried about something. I think I did well for the most part, I used many complicated phrases and words, good performance in communication with my partner as well as good grammar, used inversions as well as conditionals, etc. Its just that when I was comparing the pictures, I outlined what I see on them, answered the 1st question but they just did not let me say anything about the 2nd question. I suppose I ran out of time. Do you think this will affect my grade much? I was ready to answer and once again, I used properly many advanced vocabulary, grammar, interaction and pronounciation
Failure to complete the task will affect your grade a little, but the most important thing is that you spoke well and used appropriate vocabulary and grammar. Remember, the speaking paper is evaluated as a whole, so failure to complete one aspect of one task is unlikely to make a significant difference.
@tothepointenglishwithben. thank you for your response! Also, I have just one more question to ask. I chose to write a review and it turned out well in my opinion, but I sadly forgot to add a title... will that be a big problem considering that the rest of the structure is well set?
Ben, Is it correct to say that Part 1 of FCE Writing is always an essay? I mean, something like "your teacher asked...". So, in this case, I'll always use formal style because I'm writing to a teacher. Is it?
Hi Ben, I have a quick question cuz I’ve come across few videos explaining how to write a review. One said that the title is mandatory, whereas in the second vid the person didn’t even mention the title at all. So here’s my question, is title mandatory or not?
From all the educational content throughout CZcams, teacher Ben has the latest and most accurate tips and tricks to pass Cambirdge English exams with flying colours! We're so thankful for your advice. Teacher Ben, I was wondering if you could please comment or make a video about the C2 Speaking exam that was uploaded two months ago, the one with three candidates: czcams.com/video/cthTjcel5mg/video.html&ab_channel=EnglishwithCambridge I think those are some C3 level candidates! 😅What do you think?
Hi Ben I have the exam this Wednesday(C1) and I've been practising the writing part the most. Nevertheless I have very bad writing.Do examiners penalise that?
@@moler195 Good except listening, because someone sitting behind me started doing weird noises right after “you cant talk or ask any questions from now”. How bout u
Writing is difficult even in one's native language You are right Students need a good strategy and a cold head and inclination to a good and clear picture in their head
I thinks it puts you to your advantage if you are literary minded for CPE
I felt compelled to share this comment because this topic is rarely discussed. Although I consider myself proficient in English, both in speaking and writing, I encountered a significant setback during the CPE exam few years ago . My major error was neglecting to read the essay task thoroughly, which resulted in me writing about an entirely incorrect topic. I only realized this mistake three minutes before submission. Consequently, I missed passing the exam by just two points. To avoid such pitfalls, my advice is to always allocate a few minutes to carefully read and understand the task before beginning your response. 😂
That's sick bro
This sounds like a literature test rather than a second language exam.
I would like to add some of my advice here after recently passing the CPE with grade A (😆)! My scores were quite decent but my writing one was noticeably lower, and I believe it was caused by my 'planning'. So instead of planning out the structure of my text in the second part of the test, I sort of just brain stormed and basically wrote anything that came to mind 😅. I thought that would inspire new ideas and such but instead just wasted all my time on trying to organise it all.
Don't make the same mistake as I did guys, and good luck on your exams!!
Hey there!
I am here to thank you Ben for all the invaluable materials and resources you give. Frankly speaking, when I was anxious about my forthcoming exam(CAE) at that time(about 4-5 months ago), I would always go on CZcams and search for your videos about the preparation for Cambridge exams and there was always a part of me that was constantly telling me I haven’t still done enough whenever I saw some of your student’s results and each time I realized how prepared I should be. I’m grateful for that, because now I AM AMONG THE PEOPLE WHO PASSED CAE. I got C1 and got 207 points for speaking part.
All I can say is thank you!
Hi Ben,
Thanks so much for the reminder, gone through your B2 first course there was nothing new for me but sometimes you need to go over it again, and I must admit I really struggle with commas and the use of advanced vocabulary. Sometimes I want to use advanced vocabulary when I translate my story but then I'm to afraid of making mistakes and use the vocabulary I am familiar with, I'm much more confident now using English but I think I want to be to perfect and that holds me back sometimes. You're absolutely right when you say practising the writing task is essential , the more you do it the better it gets. This is completely consistent with my experience.
Have a nice evening 👋 🤗
Hey Ben,
I’ve finally taken my CAE and I received a 193 grade B, which I’m really happy about. I had been under so much pressure and stress, but I feel like binge watching your videos were incredibly helpful to me and I wanted to expire my genuine appreciation and thanks to you for aiding me with the CAE ❤
Much love,
Alinia
How do you manage your time in the reading and uoe paper? I just can't still get the hang of it
Hello Ben. Partly thanks to your videos I have passed the C2 exam. A huge thank you and a gift is on the way. You trully are the best teacher.❤❤❤
Congratulations on passing the C2 Proficiency exam! 👏👏👏 I'm glad my videos helped, but it's your achievement.
Thank you so much for the gift, I really appreciate it
I may be too old to take an exam Ben. However, there is always room for improvement.
Many thanks for your time as well as your tremendous lessons that are always appreciated.
Ciao for now. Greetings from Casablanca.
I 'll catch you in the next one as usual.
Hi Ben, your videos are great! Could you please make a video on how to plan essays? Thanks a lot!
You couldn't have advised us better. Thank you, Ben.
Thanks Ben... you are the best!!
I enjoy your lessons..
You are always so " TO THE POINT " ..
Here from Argentina.... ❤
Hi Ben! Just got my CAE results today and I got 206 points (C2)!! I wanted to thank you so much for your videos, they were really helpful! 🙏♥️
Congratulations, Diana! What a great score! 👏
Hi!! I will be taking my exam tomorrow, and your channel has been my main source of preperation :)
I'm 16 and still in school, so it was hard to focus at both the exam and schoolwork at once, but I managed.
I'm already past the speaking part and currently very nervous about writing. I'll make sure to share my results here if I don't forget :) Thank you for all the help!!!
I think that what I find most intimidating is the time pressure.... I am able to write about most topics and in different forms, but my brain needs time :D I mean - no matter what the language is - my mother tongue or English... 10 more minutes would help so that I could check and make some corrections/improvements ....
Same here. I recommend you to take computer based exam, as a person who has the same issue with you, writing with keyboard helps a lot and you will have more time as a consequance.
Great advice! I think it's clever to approach it as a puzzle rather than a means to present your ideas... As a creative person I've always struggled with it. I guess I wanted to astound with my brilliant thoughts :D But I was wrong obviously. It took me many years to understand and once I accepted it, the exams became a lot easier :D
I feel that my writings have a clear structure as I use a wide range of connectors and conjunctions, as well as variated gramatical structures. However, I would like to use a more appropriate vocabulary, and your videos are helping me out to build up my vocabulary. Thank you ❤
I have my C1 exam in a week. Although I feel quite nervous, I have to say that I'm confident and I'm sure that I'll pass the exam
Thank you for the great tips, Ben! 😊 I completely agree with #1. My students usually jump straight into the writing itself without proper planning beforehand. I always show them how important careful planning is, even if it’s a short, and thus apparently simple, text.
@wx.8. Thank you very much for your kind words! 😊
Not me watching the bonus tip at 3 am the day before the exam.
Watching this less than a day before my CAE exam 😱 Hope I manage to put my ideas across effectively, your videos have helped me so much with finding the right vocabulary for different topics! The actual struggle is the time limit, especially for the speaking part of the exam. Can’t wait to let you know how it went!
Same here😭
Ok I survived, the speaking part went great, the interlocutor seemed quite satisfied with what I said. However, listening was a shame since it was a paper based exam and the acoustics of the room I took the exam in were awful. Nevertheless, I’m overall happy with what I have done. Now we wait…
@@ak-bx5zo Gald to hear that. I‘m done with the written part(also paper based). On thursday i‘ll have the speaking part.
@@AK-ku2ls Good luck!
Writing is the hardest part becouse you have to manage grammar rules very well. 😂😂 When you speak and you make a mistake, you can smile... and the mistake disappears 😂😂😂
I'm writing my C2 exam tomorrow. Thanks to you Ben, I am sure I will pass it with flying colors! However, you can still wish me luck
Good luck!
Easier said than done,jeje, thanks for the tips, though!
i just returned from my cpe cambridge exam i hope i did well your videos certainly helped though 😁
Hi Ben, I´m preparing for the C2 exam; and when talking about writing part 1, I find to extract the key points of each text of the Essay very difficult. Given that sometimes it is very complicated to differentiate them. Please, could you help me with some useful advice?. Thank you so much!.
I'm having my CAE exam in a week. Thank you for your videos. I will probably share my results here.
How did you do?
@@braduuuflaviusss I passed🥹 I haven’t got the best possible score, but 184 still not bad.
@@braduuuflaviusssI passed🥹 I got 184, not the best score ever, but still good.
This was a very helpful video and a wonderful quote, thank you. I agree that you can fix all those mistakes and still write a poor composition because you also need to think, at some length, about what it is you want to say. Mark Twain wrote some comments about popular authors who don't clearly make their point. Fenimore Cooper's Literary Offences."
"12. Say what he is proposing to say, not merely come near it." Project Gutenberg and other sources.
Your videos are helping me so much!
Writing was my highest score when I took the CAE exam. Listening was the lowest 🥲
Hey Ben, thank you so much for your useful videos💖💖💖
I have a question, could you correct me please, which one is correct:
: what age does she think she have?
: what age she thinks she has?
: what age does she think she has?
¡Gracias!
Grande
Thank you so much! 🙏
I'm not surprised by #1 because I suspected it was the lack of preparation 😢 which might be my case.
I have a question. What happens if we write over 200 hundred word in our FCE writting test part 1? Will we be deducted?
Hello Ben! Please dont mind me commenting on this video, its just because its your most recent one. I just have the following auestion: Well todsy I took tge c1 speaking exam and I am wuite worried about something. I think I did well for the most part, I used many complicated phrases and words, good performance in communication with my partner as well as good grammar, used inversions as well as conditionals, etc. Its just that when I was comparing the pictures, I outlined what I see on them, answered the 1st question but they just did not let me say anything about the 2nd question. I suppose I ran out of time. Do you think this will affect my grade much? I was ready to answer and once again, I used properly many advanced vocabulary, grammar, interaction and pronounciation
Failure to complete the task will affect your grade a little, but the most important thing is that you spoke well and used appropriate vocabulary and grammar. Remember, the speaking paper is evaluated as a whole, so failure to complete one aspect of one task is unlikely to make a significant difference.
@tothepointenglishwithben. thank you for your response! Also, I have just one more question to ask. I chose to write a review and it turned out well in my opinion, but I sadly forgot to add a title... will that be a big problem considering that the rest of the structure is well set?
Ben,
Is it correct to say that Part 1 of FCE Writing is always an essay? I mean, something like "your teacher asked...". So, in this case, I'll always use formal style because I'm writing to a teacher. Is it?
I've watched many of ur previous videos on B2 First and u kept saying - advices and direction [dai]. Is it correct?
"Advices" is incorrect, and I've never said it in any video. I don't know what you mean by "direction [dai]". Are you referring to the pronunciation?
Ben, is it true that the set text has been removed in the cpe exam? 😢
Yes, I'm afraid so
Hi Ben, I have a quick question cuz I’ve come across few videos explaining how to write a review. One said that the title is mandatory, whereas in the second vid the person didn’t even mention the title at all. So here’s my question, is title mandatory or not?
Yes, a review should have a title
Many thanks ❤
From all the educational content throughout CZcams, teacher Ben has the latest and most accurate tips and tricks to pass Cambirdge English exams with flying colours!
We're so thankful for your advice.
Teacher Ben, I was wondering if you could please comment or make a video about the C2 Speaking exam that was uploaded two months ago, the one with three candidates: czcams.com/video/cthTjcel5mg/video.html&ab_channel=EnglishwithCambridge
I think those are some C3 level candidates! 😅What do you think?
Yes, I'm planning to make a video on one of the new Cambridge speaking exam videos soon
Hi Ben
I have the exam this Wednesday(C1) and I've been practising the writing part the most.
Nevertheless I have very bad writing.Do examiners penalise that?
Mine is also tomorrow. I wish both of us good luck🤞
@@Rina-rd2lr How did it went?
@@moler195 sorry, but you ain't gonna pass C1 if you're saying "How did it went?"
@@dkoorse True.
How did it go?
@@moler195 Good except listening, because someone sitting behind me started doing weird noises right after “you cant talk or ask any questions from now”. How bout u