Useful Phrases for Proficiency Essays

Introducing the phenomenon to be discussed

More and more families are choosing to have only one child.

The trend nowadays is towards having smaller families.

Over the past ten years or so the media have frequently carried reports of ...............

Recent research indicates that the number of teenagers who smoke is increasing.

Hardly a week goes by without another report of ................. appearing in the media.

This raises the issue of whether .................

Although most people would generally agree that ............... few would deny that ................

Stating your opinion

As I see it,

It seems to me that ............ I would also say that ....

I am convinced that ...............

I am inclined to believe that ..................

There is no doubt in my mind that ..................

One of the drawbacks of ....... is ..........

However, one of the benefits is that ............

Changing topic
As regards the causes for this, ..............

Concerning the causes for this, .........

As for the causes, ...........

Presenting arguments
One justification often given for ........... is that.................

Advocates/Proponents would claim that ..................

Those who object to ................. often argue that ...................

Another objection is that ......

However, it should not be forgotten that ..............

........... are opposed to ................ on the grounds that .................

From the point of view of .................

According to ....................

Describing causes
One factor which has led to ............ is ..............

One of the factors which has brought this about is .........

The problem often stems from ....................

The situation has been exacerbated by ................

.............. has only made the situation worse.

One consequence of ................ is ................

Proposing steps and measures

As regards the most appropriate response to this situation, one suggestion would be to .........

The first step to be taken would be to ........

To alleviate the situation people should ...........

In addition they ought to ...............

To begin to tackle this situation society/individuals/the government need/s to ..........

.............. would certainly ameliorate the situation.

This can only be dealt with if ............

To overcome this problem, ..............

Were the government to ..............., the situation would doubtless improve.

Individuals can do a great deal to ............

The burden of responsiblity lies in the hands of ........

It is vitally important that .........

Legislation should be introduced to control .................

It would be a grave error if we .................

Concluding
All in all it seems to me that ...........

The obvious conclusion to be drawn is that .......................

All things considered, .............

On balance, I tend to believe that ............

The world would surely be a better place to live in if ..............

If people stopped ....ing, we would have/ we could look forward to a ...............

The prospects for the future will be bleak/grim unless ...................

Tip
You should have a few pages safe somewhere where you can keep a record of other useful essay
phrases that you come across in your reading. Note them down and practise using them in your own
writing.

Look out for more advanced expressions that you can use in place of phrases that weren't even
impressive at the B2 level - phrases like "solve the problem". Here are a few alternative problem and
solution phrases to get you going.:

a crisis in education which must be addressed

something that must be tackled / be dealt with

a challenge which must be met

something must be done to restore law and order in the inner cities

The "Aquila Nera" restaurant

The "Aquila Nera" is a newly-opened restaurant in the centre of town. It is also by

far the best place for families and friends to spend a nice and quiet evening eating
delicious home-made food.
I had the opportunity to go there to celebrate my father’s birthday and I had a
wonderful time.

As you enter the place you are welcomed by a familiar and cosy atmosphere. The
walls are made of stone, which gives the restaurant a vintage and traditional look,
and there are just a few tables. There is some soft background music from the 80s
and 90s.

Regarding the food, they offer a variety of focaccia bread rolls as a starter, with
tomato sauce, mozzarella, zucchini and almonds. They were my favourite part of the
meal. The main course that I had consisted of pasta: gnocchi with different sauces.
It tasted like heaven on earth. They also have desserts in the menú; I chose to have
creme brulee.
Slightly disappointing though, was the service. I had to wait twenty minutes for the
dishes to arrive, as there were only two waitresses. However, I have to say in their
defence, that both of them were very young, kind and friendly.

Despite the long wait for the food, it was absolutely mouthwatering, and the
atmosphere very pleasant. For this reason, I have no hesitation in recommending
going to the "Aquila Nera" restaurant. Judging on the tast of the dishes, I would give
it 5 stars!
The Open House Polo Restaurant

(Name/location)
The ‘Open House’ is a restaurant situated in the heart of a small village
between three national forests and close to the horse´s capital city, Chantilly. It is the
favourite hangout place for people from the polo, horse races, and golf world.

(Atmosphere/decor)
As you enter the place you are welcomed by a magnificent setting, a
delightful marriage of antique cut stones and the luxuries of modernity. Sitting in
any table you have a wonderful view of the workshop-like kitchen where you can see
the chefs working. For those who do not book a table and are waiting, there is a
cosy lounge with aged leather armchairs and pictures of polo players displayed on the
walls.

(The menu/dishes)
The menu offers a wide variety of mouth-watering starters. I had the white
asparagus accompanied by a mousseline sauce and poached eggs, while my friend
tried the zucchini carpaccio served with sundries tomatoes and a mozzarella strudel.
They were exquisite. The main course consisted of a risotto with scallop cooked
in cream and a cassolette of coley with mussels, which really thrilled us. It all was
followed by a delicious apple pie served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert.

(The ingredients/the wine/the prices)

All the products were fresh and the dishes had the warmth of home-made food.
The chefs take great care in selecting the best quality ingredients. The
restaurant also caters for all tastes by providing a large selection of the best
wines of the region, which are pricy but worth sampling.

(The service/the waiters/the owner)

What a pity that the service does not accompany the high quality of the cooking. You
can hardly get a smile out of the waitresses. Thankfully the owner and hostess, a
middle-aged charming woman, is always around willing to exchange some kind
words with all her clients.

(Recommendation)
Despite the high price of the food and the not so attentive waiters´ service, I had a
pleasant dining experience with food of the most exquisite flavours. For this reason I
highly recommend going to the Open House Polo restaurant.
CPE Review
Register: Informal/neutral
Use: all your colourful vocabulary:
Phrasal verbs/idioms/impressive collocations.
Planning, 6 step system:
1. Read task, underline content points.
2. Divide content points into paragraphs: Intro,
décor, ambiance, service, food,
recommendation.
3. WHAT do you want to say? Add your notes
to each paragraph in simple form.
4. HOW are you going to say that? Brainstorm
advanced grammar and vocabulary for each
note.
5. Forms and conventions: Title paragraph
titles, fixed introduction.
6. Write! Remember word limit is: 280-320
Book reviews:
Vocab to describe the book in general:
a page-turner / a white-knuckle ride / a tearjerker / a
laugh a minute / I couldn't put it down.
Vocab to describe specific parts:
a slow start / a gentle introduction /gripping climax /
nail-biting conclusion / cliff-hanger ending/ a
shocking twist in the tail
Setting:
The book is set in _______(place/time)
The action takes place in ______ (place/time)
the present day (now)
an alternate reality where vampires / wizards walk
the earth
a sleepy village in the USA
the bustling city of New York
Plot:
The plot centres around / focuses on (the adventures
/ lives of _________)
The plot follows the adventures of
_________(character name)
Characters:
Villain / hero / heroine / anti-hero / main character /
protagonist
The characters are believable / well-crafted / a bit 2
dimensional.
Forms and conventions:
Title: for films/books/restaurants use the
name/title or if think up an imaginative title
using an idiom/expression.
Introduction:
Personal anecdote to grab attention.
Introduce name of book/film, restaurant +
location, course, TV show etc.
Seldom do I find the time to…, however
when I do take time out of my hectic
schedule, I like nothing more than…
Being a bit of a film buff/book worm/foody,
the news that … had opened a new
restaurant/released a new film/book had me
itching to try/see/read it. So last week I
popped down with a friend to check it out.
Having never seen/read/tried… before I
approached … with a sense of trepidation,
not knowing what to expect. Soon however,
all my fears were allayed.
Film/TV reviews:
General:
An all-star cast
heavily influenced by the films of..
glowing reviews
startling originality
suspense builds up
a polished performance
a bold experiment
an accomplished actor
an unmitigated disaster (bad film)
a dazzling display of his/her talents
made a lasting impression on me.
Brought a tear to my eye
Like watching paint dry (boring)
I was on the edge of my seat (exciting)
A blockbuster (big commercial film eg
Superman)
… sets off an amazing chain of events
Gripping film (exciting)
The director/author evoked a magical
atmosphere
… awakened my interest in…
Hold my attention
Capture the audience’s imagination.
Spectacular set-pieces (main action scenes)
… is cast in the role of…
… is miscast in the role of…
…gives a(n) (un)convincing performance as…
The film is let down by a clichéd script.
Restaurant review: Restaurants cont.
Make a pig of one’s self
Hearty meal A plate To feast/gorge on (eat a lot of)
Wholesome food piled high To eat/drink to your heart’s content
Piping-hot with.. Devour/gobble up
Succulent/juicy (meat) Mouth- Savour
Creamy watering Nibble
With a kick (spicy) To die for Bite
Crunchy/crispy Heavenly Lick
Well-seasoned To lick your Aromas wafting from the kitchen
Packed with flavour lips in Cheap – economical/reasonably-priced
A steaming plate of.. anticipation Expensive – pricey/costs an arm and a leg
Hungry/starving/ravenous/famished Roast €20 a head (per person)
Bustling eatery(restaurant) Pan-fried
Lively atmosphere Grilled
Service with a smile Steamed
Freshly-
baked

Killer Lines: Grammar check list

Were I to sum up … in one word, it would be… Have you included?
… left a lot to be desired (wasn’t good enough)  An inversion (not only/no
…more than lives up to the hype (is as good as sooner/seldom)
everyone says it is)  An inverted conditional (Were we
… is by far and away the best … you’re likely to … this to…)
year  A participle clause (Being…/Having
… really raises the bar (sets a higher standard) gone…)
… sets the benchmark for other (others will be  A double comparative (The more
judges against how good it is) we… the more)
… ticks all the right boxes  A cleft sentence (What is most
… holds up well in comparison with … crucial is…)
…comes off badly in comparison with …  Idioms
 Phrasal verbs

The French Revolution museum

I have recently arrived from France where I was overwhelmed by its historic
and romantic museums. Had I known before how fascinating they were, I would
have asked for longer holidays and spent the whole summer learning about the
French history.

But my absolutely favorite was the Bastille Museum in Mademoiselle Street,

which is entirely dedicated to the French Revolution. As inquisitive as I am, I
stepped into the museum in a scorching morning of a summer day and left it
when the night was falling.
I was absolutely mesmerized by the works of art in the museum. There are
different rooms which depict the architecture and lifestyle of the 18th century.
There are enormous colorful canvas, amazing sculptures, exquisite silver and
gold jewelers and even kings and queens´ garments.
There is also multimedia and audio available for the visitors. They can put on
headphones and listen about this distant time, or they can use the computers to
embark on a fascinating trip to the past.
Another reason why I recommend going to the museum is because they have
very friendly and informative tour guides. There are big parking lots, spotless
bathrooms a big cafeteria and all kinds of facilities which make the place also
very attractive for school teachers visiting with groups of children.
To sum up, I would highly recommend visiting this gorgeous museum in the
heart of Paris. The works of art are definitely a must-see and I’m sure it is worth
a visit especially for children, who can have fun by learning about the history of
France.