This set practises the skills from reports and extended responses: grouping findings, separating observations from suggestions, developing points, keeping a balanced register and checking the task form. All scenarios are fictional and written for this page.
Write your own answer on paper first, then open the worked answer and compare. Changing one thing at a time in your draft is more useful than rewriting everything. The writing revision compare view helps you see what changed between two versions.
Questions, easiest first
Q1. Sort these notes from a fictional sports day into two groups. Give each group a heading. “The first race started 40 minutes late”, “There was no shade for spectators”, “Races were not announced in advance”, “Drinking water ran out by 11 a.m.”
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Organisation: the first race started 40 minutes late; races were not announced in advance. Comfort: no shade for spectators; drinking water ran out by 11 a.m.
Each group answers one reader question (“How well was it run?” and “How comfortable was it?”), and each heading names its content. Other headings are fine if they do the same.
Q2. Which heading is most useful in a report on a school trip: “Things”, “Travel and timing”, or “Point 3”? Explain.
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“Travel and timing.” A reader can guess the content from it. “Things” and “Point 3” say nothing about what follows. See group findings under a useful structure.
Q3. Label each as observation (O) or suggestion (S).
- (a) “Twelve of 30 students said the hall is too cold.”
- (b) “The school could switch the air conditioning to a warmer setting.”
- (c) “The hall was used for three exams last week.”
- (d) “It would be worth asking students to bring a jacket.”
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(a) O: reports what students said. (b) S: could recommends an action. (c) O: states a fact. (d) S: it would be worth is a recommending phrase.
Q4. Split into one observation and one suggestion: “The recycling bins are rubbish, so the school must buy new ones.”
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One possible answer: “Five of the eight bins have broken lids, and students said they do not use them. The school could replace the broken lids or buy new bins.” The opinion word rubbish is replaced by facts, and must becomes could.
Q5. In a report on a school club, decide which of these belong in Findings and which in Recommendations: (a) “Meetings start at 4 p.m. and end at 5 p.m.” (b) “The club could meet once a week at lunchtime instead.” (c) “Nine of the 14 members said 4 p.m. is too late because of the bus.” (d) “A short survey of members should be held each term.”
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Findings: (a) and (c), because they report the current situation and what members said. Recommendations: (b) and (d), because they describe changes. Observations come first so that the suggestions answer a problem the reader has already seen.
Q6. Develop this point with a reason and an example: “The school should add more bicycle racks.”
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One possible answer: “The school should add more bicycle racks. At the moment there are fewer racks than cyclists, so students leave bicycles against the fence where they can be damaged or stolen. For example, six of the 25 students I asked said they stopped cycling because they could not find a safe place to park.” The reason adds new information, and the example has a number.
Q7. What is wrong with this support? “Homework is important because it is something students need to do.”
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The reason only repeats the point. A better reason names a benefit: “because it gives students practice after a lesson while the ideas are still fresh.” Then add an example, such as a short weekly vocabulary task. See develop a point with a reason and example.
Q8. Rewrite in a balanced register: “The school gym is a total mess, and the boys just leave their stuff everywhere.”
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One possible answer: “The gym is untidy, and students often leave bags and equipment on the floor.” Total mess and stuff are replaced with neutral words, and the boys becomes students to avoid blaming one group without evidence. The tone stays plain and polite.
Q9. Make this simpler without making it casual: “It is essential that substantial measures be instituted to ameliorate the situation.”
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One possible answer: “The school needs to take clear steps to improve the situation.” Better still, name the steps: “The school needs to add a second payment counter and more seating.” The plain version is easier to read, and naming the steps makes the recommendation useful. See use a balanced register.
Q10. You are given a practice task from a textbook that asks for a proposal, but your exam-year materials show a different form of writing. What do you do?
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Read the task wording and mark scheme in your own exam-year documents on the Cambridge syllabus page for your code. Keep the shared skills from the textbook task, but practise the form your paper sets. Ask your exam centre if you are unsure which code or series applies. See check the actual exam-year task types.
Q11. Improve this paragraph in three changes: “The library is bad and there are not enough books. Students can’t find books they want. The school should do something.”
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Change 1, observation: replace bad with facts: “Seven of the 20 students interviewed said the library has too few recent English books.”
Change 2, develop: add a reason and an example: “As a result, they cannot find suitable books for reading projects. For example, three students borrowed books from a public library instead.”
Change 3, suggestion and register: “The school could use part of its budget to add new titles each term.”
Result: “Seven of the 20 students interviewed said the library has too few recent English books. As a result, they cannot find suitable books for reading projects. For example, three students borrowed books from a public library instead. The school could use part of its budget to add new titles each term.”
If you got these wrong
Use your errors to decide what to revise next. Record each one by type in the mistake log and retest queue.
| Error type | Questions | Go to |
|---|---|---|
| Groups too many or headings unclear | Q1, Q2 | Group findings under a useful structure |
| Facts and suggestions blended | Q3, Q4, Q5 | Distinguish observations from suggestions |
| Points with no reason or example | Q6, Q7, Q11 | Develop a point with a reason and example |
| Tone too casual or too stiff | Q8, Q9 | Use a balanced register |
| Practice does not match your paper | Q10 | Check the actual exam-year task types |
The summary selection and paraphrase studio gives extra practice with plain, accurate rewording.
What next?
Redo the questions you missed after a few days without looking at the answers, then write one full piece for a fictional reader of your choice. If you want a teacher to read and respond to it, online one-to-one English as a Second Language tuition can work from your own writing.