Updated
C1 B2 to C1
How to write at C1: the 21 skills
What C1 writing means: you can write clear, well-organised texts at every length, from one sentence to a short essay. The 21 skills run through five stages: Sentence (8-50 words), Linked sentences (25-90 words), Short paragraph (80-130 words), Full paragraph (150-220 words) and Short essay (220-280 words).
This guide is for B2 writers moving to C1. Each skill has a model text, useful language and a task.
Stage 1: Sentence
one sentence, 8-50 words
- Nominalisation: turning verbs into noun phrasesYou can turn an action like 'prices rose quickly' into one idea like 'the rapid rise in prices', and then say what it causes.
- Hedging in English writingYou can make a claim that is not stronger than you can show, so a careful reader agrees with it.
- Concession in essays: Admittedly, Granted, While it is true thatYou can say that the other side has one good point and still make your own point, in one sentence.
- Participle clausesYou can start a sentence with a short -ing or -ed phrase that gives the situation or the reason, like 'Faced with high rents, ...'.
- Collocations in English writing: natural word pairsYou can use exact words and word pairs that good writers use, instead of general words like 'good', 'big' or 'a lot'.
- Emphasis in writing: What ... is, It is ... that, Never ...You can make the most important part of your sentence stand out through the order of the words, not with 'very' or 'really'.
Stage 2: Linked sentences
2-3 sentences, 25-90 words
- Summary nouns: this trend, this shift, this developmentYou can link a sentence to the one before by summing up its idea in a few words, like 'this change' or 'such worries'.
- Cause and effect in essays: a chain of causesYou can explain how one thing leads to another, and then to another, with different linking words.
- Giving an example and commenting on it in an essayYou can support a point with a specific example and say why the example matters.
- Contrast linking words: however, neverthelessYou can show that your next sentence goes the other way, with the right linking word and the right punctuation.
- Punctuation for long sentences: semicolons, colons and commasYou can use commas, semicolons and colons so a long sentence is easy to follow.
Stage 3: Short paragraph
one short paragraph, 80-130 words
- Topic sentences: how to open a paragraph with a clear pointYou can write a paragraph whose first sentence makes one clear point, and every other sentence supports it.
- Counterarguments in essays: present the other side, then answerYou can describe what the other side thinks, fairly, and then explain why you still disagree.
- Problem and solution paragraphs: cause and solutionYou can explain a problem, say what causes it, and suggest a realistic solution, including what could stop it working.
- Explaining abstract ideas clearly in writingYou can explain an abstract idea: say what you mean by a key word, show how it differs from a similar idea, and link it to a real case.
Stage 4: Full paragraph
one full paragraph, 150-220 words
- How to write a fully developed argument paragraphYou can argue for one side in one well-organised paragraph: your point, two reasons with support, the other side answered, and a strong last sentence.
- Formal register in academic writingYou can write in a formal style, without 'you think' in every sentence, for teachers, examiners or work.
- Comparing two views and reaching a judgement in an essayYou can explain two opposite views fairly, compare them, and reach your own decision.
Stage 5: Short essay
a short essay (4-5 paragraphs), 220-280 words
- How to write a C1 essay introductionYou can write an introduction that says why the question matters, gives your answer clearly and shows where the essay is going.
- Essay paragraphs: how to organise and link body paragraphsYou can split an essay into body paragraphs with one main idea each, and link them so the argument flows.
- How to write an essay conclusion without repeating yourselfYou can end an essay by answering the question in new words and leaving the reader with a final thought.