What is the first thing you need to know about writing a proper review? Discover how to establish your authority. Experiment and surprise your audience by including a revelation that you had thanks to the very same thing that you are reviewing. Invite your reader to come with you on that journey of discovery.  As you move through this episode, you will learn how to include adverbial starts, inversions and verb patterns. You will see: punctuation, meaning and syntax will come together to...

Is there a strategy that can help you producing the perfect review? What are the main communicative functions that we need to portray when we are writing an excellent one? How can we optimize them so that in a few sentences we can produce a memorable review?   Whether you are trying to write about a product on Amazon, or a hotel on booking.com, an experience in a travelling website, or just writing for an exam, there is a way to make sure that all your semantic, grammar and vocabulary needs...

What is the secret to writing a successful job application letter? Find out in today's episode. SAMPLE TASK Wanted Friendly, English-speaking people to work as restaurant and bar staff on our Mediterranean cruise ships. Tell us about Why you would like to work for us Any relevant experience you may have Personal qualities that would be useful on board Email your little of application to info@cool blue.com, post reference PM44. Cool Blue Cruises, Southampton *** SAMPLE LETTER...

Do you know how to begin and end a formal letter (or email) correctly? Find out in today's episode   THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO THIS EPISODE Thank you for listening to this episode. I hope that it helped you discovering something about writing that you did not know,  or that it helped you looking at things from a different perspective. If you enjoyed it, you might consider leaving a positive review wherever you are listening. It might seem simple, but it really helps.     If you know...

What are the key ingredients of an informal email or letter? How can you approach this task? From planning to finished product, find everything you need in this episode. INFORMAL EMAILS: SAMPLE TASKS You have just received this email from Jo, a friend in Canada. From: Jo Subject: Help me! I really want to be selected for the college ice hockey team, but I know I'm not fit enough. There are only four weeks until the trials take place. What should I do between now and then? Please, give...

Can you write an impressive email? Do you know how to include good content, score high in communicative achievement, show good organization and structure, and display appropriate language control? Find out in today's episode.   THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO THIS EPISODE Thank you for listening to this episode. I hope that it helped you discovering something about writing that you did not know,  or that it helped you looking at things from a different perspective. If you enjoyed it, you might...

How do Cambridge examiners mark papers? Find out about "Content", "Communicative achievement", "Organisation and structure" and "Language control". Discover what each one of them entails. Understand how grammar, syntax, punctuation, format, tone and ideas are assessed.   THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO THIS EPISODE Thank you for listening to this episode. I hope that it helped you discovering something about writing that you did not know,  or that it helped you looking at things from a different...

A big thank you. I am going to introduce some changes into this podcast so that I can help you with your writing in a better way. Basically, I want to include more resources, better quality notes and a platform for us to learn together. If you are interested in taking part in the discussion about future episodes (or are at least curious about it), head over to our Twitter page: @writinglabclub. I am looking forward to meeting you there!

What are the key ingredients of a discursive essay? How can you approach this task? From planning to finished product, find everything you need in this episode.   SAMPLE ESSAY TASK In your English class, you have been talking about the benefits of regular exercise. Now, your teacher has asked you to write an essay. Write an essay using all the notes and give reasons for your point of view. "Should people who are studying or working hard take regular exercise." Notes Write about: 1....

What makes a good "agree/disagree" essay for the Cambridge exams, at a B2 level? Find out in today's episode. SAMPLE ESSAY TASK In your English class, you have been talking about wildlife conservation. Now, your English teacher has asked you write an essay. Write an essay using all the notes, and give reasons for your point of view. "Not enough is being done to protect endangered animals."  Do you agree? Write about: 1. which animals are under threat 2. why we need to protect these...

What makes a good essay for the Cambridge exams, at a B2 level? Find out in today's episode SAMPLE ESSAY TASK What can young people do to help the environment? Write about: 1. Recycling 2. Using cars less 3. Your own idea SAMPLE ESSAY (SIMPLE VERSION) There are many things young people can do to protect their local environment. Some of these are recycling, using cars less, and planting tress.  First of all, they can make sure that things such as plastic containers, glass...

What are the main communicative functions that you should ideally include in your conclusion? What is something that you should never include? Find out in today's episode.   THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO THIS EPISODE Thank you for listening to this episode. I hope that it helped you discovering something about writing that you did not know,  or that it helped you looking at things from a different perspective. If you enjoyed it, you might consider leaving a positive review wherever you are...

What are the key ingredients that make for a fantastic body paragraph? Find out in today's episode   THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO THIS EPISODE Thank you for listening to this episode. I hope that it helped you discovering something about writing that you did not know,  or that it helped you looking at things from a different perspective. If you enjoyed it, you might consider leaving a positive review wherever you are listening. It might seem simple, but it really helps.     If you know...

Do you know how to write a good essay intro? What would you use as a "hook"? What is a thesis statement? How would you structure your arguments in order to defend your point? Find out in today's episode.   THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO THIS EPISODE Thank you for listening to this episode. I hope that it helped you discovering something about writing that you did not know,  or that it helped you looking at things from a different perspective. If you enjoyed it, you might consider leaving a...

What is an essay? What are their main functions? How are essays organised? What are their main features? Find out in today's episode.   THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO THIS EPISODE Thank you for listening to this episode. I hope that it helped you discovering something about writing that you did not know,  or that it helped you looking at things from a different perspective. If you enjoyed it, you might consider leaving a positive review wherever you are listening. It might seem simple, but it...

Do you know how to identify cohesive elements in texts? Listen to this episode to reflect upon some cohesive devices found in a short, given text.   THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO THIS EPISODE Thank you for listening to this episode. I hope that it helped you discovering something about writing that you did not know,  or that it helped you looking at things from a different perspective. If you enjoyed it, you might consider leaving a positive review wherever you are listening. It might seem...

What is cohesion? What is the connection between cohesion and coherence? What are some cohesive devices at your disposal? What would happen to a text if you used cohesive devices excessively!? Find out in today's episode.   THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO THIS EPISODE Thank you for listening to this episode. I hope that it helped you discovering something about writing that you did not know,  or that it helped you looking at things from a different perspective. If you enjoyed it, you might...

In today's episode, we are going to explore how to fix a faulty, incoherent sentence in which some piece of key information is missing.   THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO THIS EPISODE Thank you for listening to this episode. I hope that it helped you discovering something about writing that you did not know,  or that it helped you looking at things from a different perspective. If you enjoyed it, you might consider leaving a positive review wherever you are listening. It might seem simple, but it...

Can you identify what supporting sentences will increase your text coherence? And more importantly, why? Find out in today's episode with a little bit of guided practice.   THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO THIS EPISODE Thank you for listening to this episode. I hope that it helped you discovering something about writing that you did not know,  or that it helped you looking at things from a different perspective. If you enjoyed it, you might consider leaving a positive review wherever you are...

Can you identify what supporting sentences will increase your text coherence? And more importantly, why? Find out in today's episode with a little bit of guided practice.

What are the characteristics of coherent texts? How can you recognise them and use them to improve your writing? Find out in today's episode.   THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO THIS EPISODE Thank you for listening to this episode. I hope that it helped you discovering something about writing that you did not know,  or that it helped you looking at things from a different perspective. If you enjoyed it, you might consider leaving a positive review wherever you are listening. It might seem simple,...

Before we move any further into how to write a very good, decent paragraph, we need to consider two absolutely essential concepts: coherence and cohesion. They are transversal to all kinds of writing, and communication at large even. Any reader — examiners included — will notice immediately if any of this two aspects are missing. They might not be able to pinpoint what it is that is wrong with your text, but it will have a very negative impact on them. So, what is coherence, what is cohesion...

Do you know how to identify a faulty topic sentence? Would you know how to fix it? Can you do it so that the rest of your related ideas flow naturally? Find out in today's episode.   THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO THIS EPISODE Thank you for listening to this episode. I hope that it helped you discovering something about writing that you did not know,  or that it helped you looking at things from a different perspective. If you enjoyed it, you might consider leaving a positive review wherever...

What is the secret to the perfect topic sentence? Do you know how to build a topic sentence that is interesting, not too narrow, not too broad, and that is not a chunk? Find out all the yummy tricks of the trade in today's episode...   THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO THIS EPISODE Thank you for listening to this episode. I hope that it helped you discovering something about writing that you did not know,  or that it helped you looking at things from a different perspective. If you enjoyed it, you...

What is a paragraph? What are the main "ingredients" of a successful one? How can you control its structure? Do you know when to start a paragraph and when to finish it? Find out in today's episode.   THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO THIS EPISODE Thank you for listening to this episode. I hope that it helped you discovering something about writing that you did not know,  or that it helped you looking at things from a different perspective. If you enjoyed it, you might consider leaving a positive...