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Module 3 · Reading & The Article · Lesson 10

Writing the Article

Write an article that sounds like a person, not an essay. Hook, voice, recommendation. 4 paragraphs. 140–190 words.

CEFR B260 minWriting — ArticleCore

Get talking · Section 1

5 min

activity
Hook or homework?

Read this opener aloud: 'Have you ever wondered why we always queue in the wrong supermarket lane?' Now this one: 'In this article I will discuss queues.' Which one would YOU keep reading?

discussion
Magazine vs essay

In pairs, list 3 differences between an article you'd read on a website and a school essay. Voice? Length? Reader address?

reflection
Your reader is bored

Imagine your reader is scrolling on the bus. You have 5 seconds. What's the first sentence?

Grammar focus · Section 2

8–10 min

The 4-paragraph article frame

Open Grammar Reference
Grammar focus

Every article uses the same 4 paragraphs:

1. HOOK — grab attention (a question or surprising fact).

2. SET UP — say what the topic is and why it matters.

3. BODY — give two examples or two sides.

4. ADVICE — talk to the reader and tell them what to do.

Learn this frame once and reuse it in every article.

Examples

  • → ¶1 Hook: 'Imagine waking up at 5 a.m. just to watch the sun rise — voluntarily.'

  • → ¶2 Set up: 'That is exactly what thousands of teenagers around the world are now doing.'

  • → ¶3 Body: 'On one hand, the experience can be magical… On the other, it is exhausting.'

  • → ¶4 Recommendation: 'So if you've never seen a sunrise from a hilltop, set that alarm. You won't regret it.'

  • → Voice features: rhetorical questions, direct address ('you'), short punchy sentences mixed with longer ones, contractions ('it's', 'won't').

Word bank — no clues, retrieve it

Rhetorical questions and direct 'you'Semi-formal with voice — contractions, direct address allowedAddress the reader and give a recommendation140–190 wordsHave you ever asked yourself why…?

Question 1.How long is the FCE article?

Question 2.Best opener for ¶1 of an article:

Question 3.Which register fits an FCE article?

Question 4.What does ¶4 typically do?

Question 5.Best voice tool to engage the reader:

Answer all items, then check.

Quick check 1.Is a TITLE required in the FCE article?

Quick check 2.Best way to fail an article:

Answer all items, then check.

Vocabulary · Section 3

5–7 min

Words & phrases to own

Open Vocabulary Bank
1

to grab the reader

to catch attention immediately: 'A good hook GRABS the reader.'

Use it now

Say one true sentence about your own life using "to grab the reader".

2

hook

the opening line that pulls the reader in — usually a question, scene or surprising fact.

Use it now

Finish this out loud: "For me, hook is …" — then give one reason.

3

voice

the writer's personality on the page — sounding like a person, not a textbook.

Use it now

Finish this out loud: "For me, voice is …" — then give one reason.

4

to address the reader

to speak directly using 'you': 'You probably think…'

Use it now

Say one true sentence about your own life using "to address the reader".

5

rhetorical question

a question with no expected answer, used for effect: 'Who hasn't lost their keys at least once?'

Use it now

Finish this out loud: "For me, rhetorical question is …" — then give one reason.

6

anecdote

a short personal story used as an example: 'Last summer, I tried it myself…'

Use it now

Finish this out loud: "For me, anecdote is …" — then give one reason.

7

takeaway

the one idea the reader keeps after reading: 'The takeaway? Start small.'

Use it now

Finish this out loud: "For me, takeaway is …" — then give one reason.

8

to recommend

to suggest the reader try something — typical close: 'I'd highly recommend…'

Use it now

Say one true sentence about your own life using "to recommend".

9

engaging

interesting, keeps the reader reading: 'Examiners reward an ENGAGING tone.'

Use it now

Finish this out loud: "For me, engaging is …" — then give one reason.

10

to spark interest

to make the reader curious: 'A surprising fact SPARKS INTEREST.'

Use it now

Say one true sentence about your own life using "to spark interest".

Matching
Match each phrase to the paragraph (¶) it belongs to in the 4-paragraph frame.

Tap an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.

Answer all items, then check.
Categorise
Sort these phrases by writing register.
Answer all items, then check.

Pronunciation · Section 4

3–4 min

Reading your own article aloud — the voice check

Say it aloud

  • • Read this aloud: 'Have you ever wondered why we queue in the slowest lane?' — natural rising intonation on 'wondered'.
  • • Read this aloud: 'In this article I am going to discuss queues.' — flat, robotic. That's the essay voice.
  • • Drill: read your hook aloud 3 times. If you stumble or sound bored, rewrite.
  • • Contractions test: replace 'do not / it is / will not' with 'don't / it's / won't' — your voice improves immediately.
  • • Punchline rhythm: end ¶1 with a short sentence (3–6 words). 'Trust me.' 'You'd be amazed.' 'It works.'

Reading · Section 5

8–10 min

What examiners actually reward in the FCE article

Read the passageTap to open

Of the five Part 2 writing options, the article is the one candidates pick most often and lose marks on most reliably. The reason is not that they cannot write — by B2 they very much can — but that they have spent years being trained to write essays, and an article, examiners insist, is not an essay.

What the examiners reward, under the heading Communicative Achievement, is a piece of writing that 'holds the target reader's attention' and 'communicates straightforward and complex ideas' in a register that fits a magazine, website or school newsletter. In practice, that translates into three habits that the strongest scripts share. First, the opening grabs. A hook is a question, a scene, an anecdote or a surprising fact — anything except 'In this article I am going to discuss…'. Second, the writer is visibly present. There is a voice on the page. The writer uses contractions, direct address, the occasional short punchy sentence and, in the strongest scripts, a touch of humour. Third, the article ends with a recommendation, not a summary. 'So next time you find yourself…' beats 'To conclude, in this article we have seen…' by several marks.

The trap most candidates fall into is treating an article task as a chance to recycle an essay they once wrote. The structure that scored well in Lesson 04 — introduction, two body paragraphs, conclusion — survives, but the voice does not. Examiners are trained to spot it. A script that opens 'In today's modern society there are many people who believe…' will be marked down on Communicative Achievement before the marker has reached the second paragraph, regardless of how good the rest is.

The practical move is to write the hook last. Drafting the body first, then going back and constructing a hook that points to the body, almost always produces a stronger opening than trying to be witty cold. And the final move is even simpler: read the draft aloud. If it sounds like a person, you have an article. If it sounds like an exam answer, rewrite the openings of every paragraph until it does.

Reading & Use of EnglishPart 5 · Multiple choice1 mark per question

For questions 1–5, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.

  1. 1Which Cambridge marking heading covers 'holding the target reader's attention'?

  2. 2According to the text, what kills an article in the first sentence?

  3. 3What should the article END with?

  4. 4What does the writer recommend writing LAST?

  5. 5The writer's overall attitude is best described as…

    6. Answer all items, then check.
Reading & Use of EnglishPart 6 · Gapped text2 marks per question

Sentences have been removed from the text. Choose from the sentences A–E the one which fits each gap (1–4). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.

Exam conditions: keep “Read the passage” closed while you do this task.

Of the five Part 2 writing options, the article is the one candidates pick most often and lose marks on most reliably. What the examiners reward, under the heading Communicative Achievement, is a piece of writing that 'holds the target reader's attention' and 'communicates straightforward and complex ideas' in a register that fits a magazine, website or school newsletter. In practice, that translates into three habits that the strongest scripts share. First, the opening grabs. Second, the writer is visibly present. There is a voice on the page. The writer uses contractions, direct address, the occasional short punchy sentence and, in the strongest scripts, a touch of humour. Third, the article ends with a recommendation, not a summary. 'So next time you find yourself…' beats 'To conclude, in this article we have seen…' by several marks. The structure that scored well in Lesson 04 — introduction, two body paragraphs, conclusion — survives, but the voice does not. Examiners are trained to spot it. A script that opens 'In today's modern society there are many people who believe…' will be marked down on Communicative Achievement before the marker has reached the second paragraph, regardless of how good the rest is. Drafting the body first, then going back and constructing a hook that points to the body, almost always produces a stronger opening than trying to be witty cold. And the final move is even simpler: read the draft aloud. If it sounds like a person, you have an article. If it sounds like an exam answer, rewrite the openings of every paragraph until it does.
Answer all items, then check.

Listening · Section 6

8–10 min

A Cambridge writing examiner gives feedback on two student articles (≈ 2:00)

Listening audio

Tap play to listen. Drag the timeline to jump anywhere.

Show transcript

Examiner (Ms Reilly):I've marked the two articles on 'A day I'll never forget'. Both candidates handled CONTENT well. What separated them was Communicative Achievement.

Student (Aisha):Candidate A scored higher, right? Their opener was 'Picture this: I'm fourteen, the lights go out, and the entire theatre starts singing my name.'

Examiner (Ms Reilly):Exactly. That's a hook — a scene, present tense, the reader is dropped into the moment. Candidate B opened with 'In this article I am going to write about a day I will never forget.'

I knew, within seconds, what band they were in.

Student (Marco):What about voice in the body? Both candidates told the story.

Examiner (Ms Reilly):Candidate A used contractions, the occasional 'I'd', a short sentence in the middle — 'It was terrifying.' Candidate B wrote 'It was an extremely frightening experience that I will remember for the rest of my life.' Same idea — but one sounds like a person, the other like a school report.

Student (Aisha):And the ending?

Examiner (Ms Reilly):Candidate A closed with 'So if you ever get the chance to perform — even if your knees are shaking — say yes.' That's a recommendation, addressed to the reader. Candidate B wrote 'To conclude, this was a day I will never forget.'

Polite, but it doesn't land.

Student (Marco):So: hook scene, voice with contractions, recommendation to the reader.

Examiner (Ms Reilly):Those three habits will move most B2 candidates up a band on Communicative Achievement. Drill them.

Question 1.Why did Candidate A score higher on Communicative Achievement?

Question 2.What problem did Candidate B's opener show?

Question 3.Which feature gave Candidate A a recognisable voice in the body?

Question 4.Best closing move, according to the examiner:

Answer all items, then check.
Tick what you hear
Tick every feature the examiner praises in Candidate A's article.
Answer all items, then check.

Exam skills · Section 7

5 min

Writing — the Article (4-paragraph frame)

Open Exam Strategy Centre

🎯 Article

Write 140–190 words. 4 paragraphs. Sound like a person.

  • Title — short and intriguing
  • ¶1 Hook — question, scene or surprise
  • ¶2 Set up — topic + why it matters
  • ¶3 Body — two angles or examples
  • ¶4 Recommendation — direct to the reader

Plan, draft, read aloud.

Quick Tip

Write the body first, then go back and write the hook — it will be sharper than anything you produce cold.

Exam Hack

Use contractions ('it's', 'don't', 'I'd'). They instantly add voice and cost zero marks.

Common Mistake

Don't open with 'In this article I will discuss…'. Examiners mark you down before the second paragraph.

Your task

Draft a 140–190 word article in 4 paragraphs using the frame: Hook → Set up → Body (two angles/examples) → Recommendation. Add a short title. Read aloud before submitting.

Example

TASK: Write an article for the school website on 'A weekend activity that changed my view of free time.' (140–190 words). HOOK: 'Until last summer, my idea of a great weekend was a sofa, a series and a snack.' SET UP: 'Then a friend dragged me out on a 20km hike — and I came back a different person.' BODY: two paragraphs covering (a) what was hard, (b) what I gained. RECOMMENDATION: 'So if your weekends feel a bit grey, find a friend with a map. Trust me — even one Saturday outside can change everything.'

Open Exam Strategy Centre

Practice · Section 8

8–10 min

Fill in the blank

Question 1.An article opens with a ___ — a question, scene or surprising fact.

Question 2.The FCE article is between ___ words long.

Question 3.'Have you ever wondered…?' is a ___ question.

Question 4.Strong articles use ___ like 'it's' and 'don't' to sound like a person.

Question 5.Close ¶4 with a ___ directed at the reader.

Question 6.Avoid the essay opener: 'In this article I will ___.'

Answer all items, then check.
Sentence transformation
Type a short answer (1–3 words)

Q1.Opening device that pulls the reader in (one word):

Q2.Closing move addressed to the reader (one word):

Q3.Short form of 'I would' that gives an article voice:

Answer all items, then check.

Writing · Section 9

5 min

Put it in writing

Your task

Write a 140–190 word article for an INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL WEBSITE: 'A free-time activity people in my country love.' Use the 4-paragraph frame (Hook → Set up → Body → Advice). Add a title.

Show model answer

TITLE: Forget the guidebook — follow the smell of grilled fish 1 HOOK — Ask anyone here what they do on a free Sunday and you'll get the same answer, usually with a smile: they cook outdoors with friends. 2 SET UP — The weekend barbecue is less a meal than a national habit. Families book the same riverside spot every year, neighbours arrive uninvited, and nobody looks at a clock. 3 BODY — Part of the appeal is cost: a bag of charcoal and whatever the market had that morning feeds a dozen people. The rest is conversation — long, slow and unhurried, the sort that rarely happens indoors. 4 ADVICE — So if you visit, skip one museum. Accept the first invitation you're offered, bring something to share, and you'll understand this country far better than any tour could explain it.

Speaking · Section 10

10–15 min

Make it a real conversation

Open Useful Expressions

Roleplay

Pair drill. A reads their hook aloud. B says, in one sentence, whether it sounds like an ARTICLE or an ESSAY and why. Swap. Then repeat with the recommendation paragraph.

Useful phrases

  • • Have you ever wondered…?
  • • Picture this: it's…
  • • Trust me — you'll be surprised.
  • • On one hand… on the other…
  • • I'd highly recommend…
  • • So next time you…, just try it.

Teacher notes

Optional · Teacher-led

Teacher Activities

Two short writing-focused extensions that work 1:1 online and scale to small groups. Both train the article voice in under 10 minutes. ~18 min total

FCE Exam Practice · Section 11

20–30 min

Real FCE tasks

Cambridge B2 First · Writing · Part 2 · Article. Plan, draft and check against the success criteria. Teacher Mode reveals the model and examiner commentary.

Cambridge B2 First · Writing
Article — 'A skill worth learning'
Article
Part 2 — choose one (Article)
140–190 words
Register: Semi-formal

Exam task

You see this announcement on an international students' website: ARTICLES WANTED — 'A skill worth learning' Is there one skill — practical, creative, social — that you think every young person should learn before they leave school? Tell us what it is, why it matters and how readers can start. The best articles will be published on our homepage. Write your article in 140–190 words in an appropriate style.

  • Name ONE skill — practical, creative or social.
  • Explain why it matters.
  • Tell readers how they can start.
Planning template
  1. 1. Pick ONE skill you can write about with conviction (cooking, coding, public speaking, basic first aid…).
  2. 2. Decide TWO angles: WHY it matters + HOW to start.
  3. 3. Draft ¶3 BODY first (two short paragraphs or one with two angles).
  4. 4. Write ¶1 HOOK — scene, question or surprising fact about that skill.
  5. 5. Write ¶2 SET UP linking hook to topic.
  6. 6. Write ¶4 RECOMMENDATION using 'you' / 'so next time…' / 'trust me'.
  7. 7. Add a short, intriguing TITLE.
  8. 8. Read aloud. Rewrite any essay-voice line.
Success criteria (Cambridge band descriptors)
  • Content: Names one skill, explains why it matters, gives readers a way to start. All three points covered.
  • Communicative achievement: Holds the reader's attention with hook, voice and a clear recommendation; register fits an international students' website.
  • Organisation: Four clear paragraphs (or three plus title) with smooth linking; ideas develop logically.
  • Language: Accurate B2 range; uses contractions, rhetorical devices, varied sentence length; minimal repetition; no major errors that impede communication.

0 words · saved automatically

Show upper-band model answer

TITLE: The skill that survives every job Imagine landing your first interview, your first date, or your first day in a new country — and having no idea how to start the conversation. Sounds painful, doesn't it? The one skill I'd insist every young person learns before leaving school isn't on any timetable: it's small talk. Knowing how to begin, hold and end a five-minute conversation with a stranger turns out to be the foundation of almost every adult interaction you'll have. It matters because the world doesn't run on perfect grammar; it runs on people feeling at ease with each other. And the good news is, it's trainable: pick one safe opener ('How was your weekend?'), one follow-up question, and one polite exit line — and practise the set on real humans, not in your head. So the next time you're stuck in a queue, try it. You'll feel awkward for thirty seconds and grateful for the rest of your life.

Examiner commentary

Hits Communicative Achievement firmly: scene-based hook + rhetorical question, visible voice (contractions, direct 'you', the closing punchline), and a reader-directed recommendation. Content covers all three task points (names the skill, gives a reason, tells the reader how to start). Organisation is 4 clean paragraphs. Language is accurate, varied and uses semi-formal register consistently. Likely band: upper.

Homework · Section 12

Take-home

Take it home

writing
Task 1· 140–190 words

Article — full Part 2 task under timing

Write an article in 140–190 words.

Use the 4-paragraph frame — Hook · Set up · Body (two angles or examples) · Recommendation. Add a short title. Read your draft aloud before submitting and rewrite any line that sounds like an essay.

You see this announcement in an international students' magazine: 'WANTED: articles about a place in your town that visitors usually miss. Tell us what makes it special and why visitors should go.' Write an article for the magazine. (Time yourself: 40 minutes.)

Finish the homework, then check.
reading
Task 2

Hook hunt

Find five opening lines from real online articles.

Open any English-language news/magazine site (BBC, Guardian, NYT). Copy the FIRST sentence of five different articles. For each, label the hook TYPE: question / scene / surprising fact / anecdote / direct address.

  1. question
  2. scene
  3. surprising fact
  4. anecdote
  5. direct address
vocab
Task 3

Voice rewriter

Rewrite five essay-voice sentences as article-voice sentences.

Use contractions, direct 'you', and at least one rhetorical question across the five. Keep the meaning identical.

  1. In this article I am going to discuss the benefits of cycling.
  2. It is an undeniable fact that many young people enjoy travelling.
  3. To conclude, this experience was very enjoyable for me.
  4. There are many reasons why people choose to live in the countryside.
  5. It can be argued that social media has both advantages and disadvantages.

Recap · Section 13

2–3 min

What you've learned

  • FCE article = 140–190 words, semi-formal, written to engage a real reader.
  • Use the 4-paragraph frame: Hook · Set up · Body (two angles/examples) · Recommendation.
  • Voice = contractions, direct address ('you'), rhetorical questions, the occasional short punchy sentence.
  • Write the body first, then craft the hook — it'll be sharper than anything you produce cold.
  • Close with a reader-directed recommendation, never 'To conclude, in this article we have seen…'.
  • Read every draft aloud. If it sounds like an essay, rewrite the openings.

Lesson progress

This lesson completes automatically once you finish every activity, or when you continue to the next lesson.

Lesson 09 · Reading Part 5Lesson 11 · Use of English Part 4