FCE CREATIVE WRITING - 1

A letter to a friend giving advice about a job in the USA

Instructions
Last summer you worked at a summer camp in the USA. A friend of yours is thinking of
applying for a similar job this year and has written to you asking for your advice about it.

Read your friend's letter, the job advertisement and your handwritten notes. Then write the
letter in reply to your friend.

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 FCE CREATIVE WRITING - 1

A letter to a friend giving advice about a job in the USA

Writing plan
This is a letter to a friend so the style should be fairly informal.

Don't forget that your letter must be between 120 and 180 words. Do not write any
addresses.

 Mention the good things about the job.

 Talk about the job's drawbacks.
 Make a recommendation.
 Finish the letter by wishing your friend good luck.

Language notes
Giving opinions and advice

You can use these words and expressions to give your balanced opinion:
On the whole, ...
Overall, ...
On balance, ...

You can use these words and expressions to contrast advantages and drawbacks:
On the other hand, ...
But ...
However, ...

You can use these expressions to give advice:

If I were you, I'd ...
You could do worse than ...
You should ...

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 FCE CREATIVE WRITING - 1

A letter to a friend giving advice about a job in the USA

Sample Sentences

 On the other hand, the company was brilliant.

 We spent a lot of time hiking in the mountains.
 Good luck with the application!
 If you want to be in the mountains and you like being with children, then you could do
worse.
 I have mixed feelings about my time in Colorado but overall I enjoyed myself.
 Make sure they pay for your air fare in advance.
 Give me a ring if you want any more information.
 That was wonderful.
 I only had five days off in the entire two months I was there and as you are living in the
camp you never really get a break.
 It was very hard work too.
 The accommodation they provided was in old tents, but it was perfectly OK.
 They did not pay for my flight until six months after I got back from the States.
 The pay wasn’t very good but I didn’t have to spend much.
 The landscape is superb and the children were nice.

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 FCE CREATIVE WRITING - 1

A letter to a friend giving advice about a job in the USA

Model answer
Dear ...

I have mixed feelings about my time in Colorado but overall I enjoyed myself. The landscape
is superb and the children were nice. We spent a lot of time hiking in the mountains. That was
wonderful.

On the other hand, the company was not brilliant. They did not pay for my flight until six
months after I got back from the States. It was very hard work too. I only had five days off in
the entire two months I was there and as you are living in the camp you never really get a
break. The pay wasn't very good but I didn't have to spend much. The accommodation they
provided was in old tents, but it was perfectly OK.

If you want to be in the mountains and you like being with children, then you could do worse.
Make sure they pay for your air fare in advance.

Good luck with the application! Give me a ring if you want any more information.

Best wishes,