Writing - LanguageCert C2 Mastery
Writing in LanguageCert C2 Mastery assesses task achievement, organisation, range, accuracy and register. C2 tasks may require a discursive essay and a task-specific text such as a report, review or proposal; the reader, purpose and genre determine the shape.
Core rules
- Decode the prompt: topic, reader, purpose, genre and any required points. Missing one required point caps task achievement.
- State a clear position or thesis early, then develop it through criteria, evidence and evaluation.
- Use cohesion that reflects logic: concession, consequence, exemplification, contrast - not decorative linkers.
- Choose precise range over ornate vocabulary. One accurate technical term beats three near-synonyms.
- Match register: reports and proposals are typically impersonal and heading-friendly; reviews may be evaluative and lively.
Worked example
Prompt: 'Evaluate the claim that remote work has improved productivity.' Weak opening: 'Remote work is a controversial topic. In this essay I will discuss both sides.' Stronger: 'Remote work has raised productivity in some knowledge-intensive roles, but the claim is too broad: gains depend on task design, management and sector.' Reasoning: 'Evaluate' requires a judgement, not a survey. The stronger thesis sets a criterion ('knowledge-intensive roles'), concedes scope, and signals a nuanced conclusion. A paragraph can then test one criterion, use a counterexample, and return to the thesis.
Traps that cost marks
- Answering only the first half of a two-part prompt.
- Writing a memorised essay that only loosely fits the task.
- Listing advantages and disadvantages without reaching a judgement.
- Overusing formal linkers until the argument sounds mechanical.
- Mixing informal idiom into a report or proposal.