How to write a formal letter for FCE?

Hi everyone!

As I said in my previous post, today I will talk about another type of writing commonly asked in FCE: FORMAL LETTER

Dear Mr/Ms (surname)  -  Dear Sir/Madam  -  Dear Sir or Madam,

Reason for writing

I am writing to …
I am writing with regard to …
I am writing on behalf of …

Asking questions

I would be grateful if …
I wonder if you could …
Could you …? Could you tell me something about …?
I would particularly like to know …
I would be interested in having more details about …

Referring to their letter

As you stated in your letter, …
Regarding … Concerning … With regard to …

Complaining

I am writing to complain about …
You said … but in fact what happened …
We were supposed to stay with British families whereas we actually stayed in a guest house.

Closing

If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Please contact me if you have any further questions.

Signing off

Yours sincerely, (If you started with 'Dear + surname') or Yours faithfully, (If you started with 'Dear Sir/Madam') 

    First name + surname

How to write an ESSAY for FCE

Hi dear ones,

This week and the following one I will be writing about the types of text a student can be asked to write about in FCE test. Also I will share some key vocabulary to help you organize it. So today let's take a look at ESSAYS.

Essay

Making points

Many people feel that ...
First and foremost, ...
It is widely believed that ...
It would be ideal if ...
Another argument in favour is ...
It is clear from the facts that ...
The benefits of ... outweigh the disadvantages.
On the whole, I think ...

Contrasting points

On the other hand ...
Other people think ...
An opposing argument is ...
Giving opinions
I personally feel that ...
I find it hard to see why ...
I certainly don't believe that ...
It is difficult to believe that ...
I object to the cloning of animals.

Organising and linking your ideas

First of all, … Secondly, … In addition, …
Moreover, … Furthermore, …
So … As a result, … Therefore, …
However, … On the one hand…/On the other hand …
On the whole … While it is true to say …
Finally, … To summarise, … In conclusion

Formal Writing: forbidden words

Hi everyone,

We all know that formal writing is more strict than casual writing. Some  

vocabulary that is accepted in regular speech, have no room in formal writing. So take a look at this list and make sure you are not making any of these
1. Alot
2. Let's
3. Gonna
4. Wanna
5. Ain't
6. Could of
7. And etc.
8. Furthest
9. Its'
10. Cause (meaning because)

Using whatsapp as a tool for diverse grouping arrangements

Hi fellow colleagues,

You know how hard it is to separate those students who insist on always sitting together. So to give your lesson a more dynamic pace and student-centered interaction as advocated in CLT approach, I will share with you a paper-free and very simple way to group students in different settings.
Preparation before class: make whatsapp groups with your students.
In class give each student a number according to the number of students you have in class.
And now, use your imagination to create the grouping settings and share with your students.
I share below two ideas. One with numbers snd the other using Avengers characters.
I am sure your students will be very engaged and your lesson will be very dynamic .