How to write a written production / written interaction task:
When taking
a final certificate test at EOI, you are often asked to write two texts: one for oral production and another one for oral interaction.
This can be either formal or informal and on a wide variety of topics.
There are a number of things you should take into consideration before
you write, while you write and after you´ve finished writing...
1. Before you write
Take a minute to read the task(instructions) carefully and decide what to write and in which style.
Ask yourself the following questions
What do I have to write about? (Content/ check task)
Who is it aimed at? (To decide on style/check task)
How many paragraphs am I going to write? (Organisation)
What kind of language should I use? (Language/grammar I am expected to use/ check task)
2. While you write
Have into consideration that depending on the writing task you have deal with, you may have to achieve two main purposes, to inform
and to entertain/interest the reader. Ideally after going through your
text, your readers should have the feeling that they have learnt
something or at least that they have had a good time.
In certain type of texts such as articles, it is always a good idea to start with an inviting title and a riveting introduction.
Something that makes your public continue reading. It could be a
question (that they will only be able to answer after reading the text),
or something intended to caputure the reader´s imagination. You are
free to be creative when choosing a title but make sure it reflects what
the text is about.
As you write remember to stick to your plan,
check that you are truly answering the task questions and that you have
clear well-organised coherent paragraphs (You shouldn´t start writing
about A and end up writing about Z.)
At C1 and C2 level it is also of vital importance to include some advanced examples of the use of grammar as well as lexis (idioms, collocations, sayings.) So
instead of saying something like "I had a lot of fun although I don´t
normally enjoy jazz concerts" say something like " I had a whale of a
time although jazz concerts are not my cup of tea" (idioms: have a whale of a time; not my cup of tea.).
3 After you write
Take your time to proofread. Check for spelling
mistakes and see if you have to make any corrections. Make sure
that you have used a wide variety of words and if you find one that has
been used more than once, replace it for a synonym.
Avoid repetition: Don´t say "I like history programmes, I also like music programmes."
Say: "I´m into history programmes and I also like music Tv shows."
Ask yourself the following questions:
- Have I completed the task? (Content)
- Is my article well-organised? (Organisation)
- Have I used a wide range of vocabulary? (Language)
- Have I used different grammar tenses? (Language)
- Is all the article writen in the same style? (Style)
- Is the article interesting enough? (Reader)
I hope this advice helps to write better and more effectively.
