FCE Course Lesson 13 – First Certificate Writing skills with
examples and exercises 4.
In this lesson we listen to a dialogue Liverpool, the fourth bigges
t city in England. We will also see the characteristics of an article
(structure, purpose and linguistic register). You have to indicate
the purpose of an article: you usually talk about a subject you are
an expert at or that you like, respect a certain register (formal
or informal) and number of words (140-190 words), and practise
with common topics such as well-being, internet, technology, hobbies,
music etc.
Dialogue lesson 13: Liverpool
Liverpool is the 4th biggest city in England, a place full to the brim
with character, renowned for its history and culture in things like
football and music. However, prior to the decade of the 1990’s, it
suffered a period of economic underdevelopment compared to its
regional counterparts. This underdevelopment was determined
by a decline in key industries, lower property value than in
comparable areas such as Manchester and Leeds and low levels
of external investment.
A)____________________________
Furthermore, there was an increasing rate of outmigration of large financial companies from this city.
Thankfully during the 1990’s, there was an economic turnaround and things began to work in Liverpool’s favour. There were a number of
factors which contributed to the development of the city.
These included
the fact that because Liverpool’s economy had been so bad compared to that of other UK cities, land and property were undervalued and investment was lower than its’ potential. Therefore,
it was inevitable that there would be a period of increasing
sustainability in this sector as Liverpool was able to cram in a
few decade’s worth of growth into a 5 year time slot. Also, it is
without doubt that there was a period of national economic growth
as well. So, investors had more confidence in this city and were
willing to invest in lower estimated properties in the city centre. B) ______________________________
Also, with the change in political party and the introduction of New
Labour in 1997, there was more stability in the government and their policies focused on urban regeneration rather than large out-of-town commercial development. So Liverpool’s underused city centre spaces
were seen as profitable by investors who took advantage of their low
prices. As a matter of fact, there was a general consensus that Liverpool
was finally being paid the attention it deserved by the government,
after feeling like it had been ignored when the former conservative government was in charge. C) ______________________________
From then on, Liverpool was unstoppable. It’s value in key sectors and industries continued to grow and in 2008, it was voted
“Capital of Culture”. D) ______________________________
If we take a look at how this affected the city, we can recall the huge amount of construction that took place which led to the most
influential effect, the increase in tourism. Liverpool’s skyline was
boosted by 2 new skyscrapers which showcased beautiful architectural design. The city council of Liverpool deemed the three key factors of the culture of Liverpool to be shopping, restaurants and bars and the arts.
So, for the shopping sector, two new shopping centres were built. One of these was an enormous 3-storey outside shopping mall which is full of all the most popular high street shops. E) ______________________________
could cater to both those who wanted to splash out on more luxurious
items and those who were on a smaller budget.
As for restaurants and bars – F) ______________________________
their presence was implemented in the designs of the shopping centres. Suddenly there were so many to choose from, offering tons of different cuisines and experiences.
Finally, for the arts, the prominent desire of the council was to
draw on the popularity of the most famous group in the world
who hail from Liverpool, The Beatles. ‘The Beatles museum’ was
built and was a success amongst tourists who would flock from
around the world to see exhibitions and learn more about their
favourite musicians.
A huge music arena was also built, G) ______________________________
Kings of Leon were now coming to Liverpool to perform, instead
of having to rely solely on Manchester to satisfy their North West fans.
5 years later, the economy of Liverpool continues to soar. Its rates of tourism has increased and now, more than ever, big financial companies are happy to reside in this city.
Vocabulary first certificate writing Skills 4
| ENGLISH | SYNONYM or DEFINITION |
| to the brim | (figurative) to the very top |
| a counterpart | matching person, an equivalent |
| to cram in | to force into a space |
| to underuse | to use below the optimum level |
| to showcase | (figurative) to show to advantage |
| a storey | a floor, a level of a building |
| to splash out on | (slang, figurative) to spend extravagant sums of money |
| to soar | to go up rapidly |
Exam tips First Writing Skills 4
EXAM TIP FOR first certificate writing Skills 4.
How to write an article ARTICLE? Reviews are articles expressing a clear opinion and where in order to convey your interpretation of the facts, humorous ways such as tongue-in-cheek can be used. Articles will also address an audience using rhetorical questions and other forms to create effects or make a statement. Getting and maintaining your reader’s interest is your objective.
You must remember the following:
- 4 paragraphs minimum (1 introduction, 2 or 3 body paragraphs
- and 1 conclusion).
- Give your article a title.
- Speak directly to your readers.
- Give your opinion when appropriate.
- Give examples when appropriate.
You can use humour when appropriate Some more useful vocabulary:
| Rhetorical phrases | Have you ever…? Are you one of those people who thinks that…? What do you think about…? What would it be like if…? What would you say to…? Don’t you think it is…? |
| Introducing your first point | First of all… To begin with… Let’s start by… One important thing to consider… In the first place… |
| Introducing more points | Secondly… Apart from that… Added to that… Another aspect we have to mention here is… Another consideration… Furthermore… |
| Introducing your final points | To conclude… To sum up… In a nutshell… So… On the whole… In short… |
| Giving your opinion | In my opinion… My personal opinion is… To my mind… If you ask me… In my view… Personally I believe that… From where I stand… |
| Adjectives | gripping jaw-dropping absorbing riveting action-packed dull / uneventful / lacking variety colourless / nondescript |
Template Article:
Title: i.e. A transcendent experience
Introduction: I recently (summarise the film / experience etc. and give your general opinion) …………………………………………………………………………….
Paragraph 1: (your viewpoint on one aspect/theme) What I most liked was ………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Paragraph 2: (your viewpoint on one aspect) What I most disliked was ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Conclusion or recommendation(s): To conclude……………………………………………………………………………………………
I therefore recommend…………………………………………………………………………………….
CONSEJO PARA EL EXAMEN FCE LECCIÓN 13
¿Cómo escribir un artículo? Las reseñas son artículos que expresan
una opinión clara y en los que, para transmitir su interpretación
de los hechos, se pueden utilizar formas cómicas, como la irónica. Los artículos también se dirigirán a una audiencia utilizando preguntas retóricas y otras formas para crear efectos o hacer una declaración. Obtener y mantener el interés de su lector es su objetivo.
Debes recordar lo siguiente:
- Mínimo de 4 párrafos (1 introducción, 2 o 3 párrafos del cuerpo y 1 conclusión).
- Dale a tu artículo un título.
- Habla directamente con tus lectores.
- Da tu opinión cuando sea apropiado.
- Dar ejemplos cuando sea apropiado.
Puedes usar el humor cuando sea apropiado. Algún vocabulario más útil:
Plantilla de un artículo
Título: es decir, una experiencia trascendente.
Introducción: recientemente (resumí la película/experiencia, etc. y dí tu opinión general) ………………………………………………………………..
Párrafo 1: (tu punto de vista sobre un aspecto/tema) Lo que más me gustó fue………………………………………………………………………………………………
Párrafo 2: (tu punto de vista sobre un aspecto) Lo que más me disgustó fue……………………………………………………………………………………………..
Conclusión o recomendación (es): Para concluir ………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Por lo tanto, recomiendo…………………………………………………………………………………..
Grammar and Vocabulary recommended first certificate writing Videos.
Exercises First Writing Skills 4
Vocabulary Exercise
Reading and Use of English Exercise
Grammar Exercise
Previous lesson: FCE Lesson 12: How to write an essay, a letter or an article
Next lesson: FCE Lesson 14: How to write reviews