English Composition and Written Expression
English Composition and Written Expression asks you to produce clear, organised English: a paragraph, a short essay, a letter or email, or a sentence-level rewrite. The exam values visible structure and accurate sentences more than ambitious vocabulary.
Build the paragraph before the sentences
Write a topic sentence that makes a claim, not an announcement. 'Japanese convenience stores are convenient' is weak; 'Convenience stores in Kochi have changed how rural residents shop' gives the paragraph a direction. Follow with two or three supporting sentences, each with a concrete detail, and close with a sentence that draws a conclusion rather than repeating the first line.
Cohesion without connectives
Use pronouns and repeated key nouns to link sentences. 'This change' can refer to the previous sentence; 'such services' can summarise a list. Add connectives only when the logical relation is real: 'however' for contrast, 'therefore' for a result, 'for example' for illustration.
Worked example
Weak: 'I think that recycling is very important. There are many problems. We should do something.' Revision: 'Recycling in our town has improved since the school started a collection day. Students bring paper once a month, and the town now recycles about twice as much paper as before. The programme works because it is regular and easy to join.' Reasoning: The revision replaces opinion with a specific claim, gives two supporting details, and explains the cause. It removes 'very' and 'I think', which add no information, and avoids a vague 'do something'.
Register
For a formal email, use 'I am writing to ask about ...' and avoid contractions and slang. For a personal message, contractions are natural.
Traps
- A comma splice: 'The plan was popular, it was expensive.'
- Answering the prompt only in the last line.
- Translating a Japanese sentence structure word for word.
- Overusing 'and' or 'also' instead of showing the relation.