Writing Practice (General)

WRITING
WRITING TASK 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
You and your family are living in rented accommodation in an English speaking country. You are not
satisfied with the condition of some of the furniture.
Write a letter to the landlord. In your letter
• introduce yourself
• explain what is wrong with the furniture
• say what action you would like the landlord to take
Write at least 150 words.
You do NOT need to write and addresses.
Begin your letter as follows:

Dear ..........,
Model answer
This model has been prepared by an examiner as an example of a very good answer. However, please note that this is just
one example out of many possible approaches.

Dear Mr Smith,

I am your tenant from Flat 3 on Riverside Street. We met each other when I signed the rental
agreement in your office.

I have lived here for 6 months now and I am writing to complain about some of the furniture. As you
may remember, the dining table is in very poor condition and has uneven legs. It also does not
match the dining chairs as these are too low to be comfortable for a table of that height. When I first
pointed this out to you, you agreed to provide a brand new dining set. However, you have not done
so and I would really like to resolve this matter as soon as possible.

If it is more convenient for you, perhaps you could simply replace the table by finding one of a
suitable height for the chairs. This would solve the problems without too much cost, so I hope you
agree to this proposed solution.

Looking forward to hearing from you,
Yours sincerely,
M.M. Egil


WRITING TASK 2
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:

Using a computer every day can have more negative than positive effects on your children.
Do you agree or disagree?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.



Model answer

This model has been prepared by an examiner as an example of a very good answer. However, please note that this is just
one example out of many possible approaches.

I tend to agree that young children can be negatively affected by too much time spent on the
computer every day. This is partly because sitting in front of a screen for too long can be damaging
to both the eyes and the physical posture of a young child, regardless of what they are using the
computer for.

However, the main concern is about the type of computer activities that attract children. These are
often electronic games that tend to be very intense and rather violent. The player is usually the
‘hero’ of the game and too much exposure can encourage children to be self-centred and
insensitive to others.

Even when children use a computer for other purposes, such as getting information or emailing
friends, it is no substitute for human interaction. Spending time with other children and sharing nonvirtual
experiences is an important part of a child's development that cannot be provided by a
computer.

In spite of this, the obvious benefits of computer skills for young children cannot be denied. Their
adult world will be changing constantly in terms of technology and the Internet is the key to all the
knowledge and information available in the world today. Therefore it is important that children learn
at an early age to use the equipment enthusiastically and with confidence as they will need these
skills throughout their studies and working lives.

I think the main point is to make sure that young children do not overuse computers. Parents must
ensure that their children learn to enjoy other kinds of activity and not simply sit at home, learning to
live in a virtual world.