Exercise 6 is one of the most important writing tasks in Cambridge IGCSE ESL Paper 1. Candidates write a longer piece of continuous prose in response to a task. The response is usually more formal or semi-formal than the informal email in Exercise 5.

The task may ask for an article, report, review or essay. These text types overlap in some ways, but they do not do exactly the same job. A common mistake is to use the same paragraph plan for every task. Strong students adapt their structure, tone and language to the exact question.

Article writing

An article is usually written for a wider audience, often a school magazine. It should be semi-formal, lively and engaging. A good article has a clear title, an opening that catches the reader’s attention and paragraphs that develop a clear angle or opinion.

Articles can use rhetorical questions, direct address and a more conversational style, but they still need control. They should not become too chatty or vague. The best articles feel readable and purposeful.

Report writing

A report is usually written for a more formal audience, such as a headteacher, principal, manager or committee. It gives information about an event, situation or experience and often includes suggestions or recommendations.

Reports need clear organisation. Headings can help, but the content still needs to flow logically. The tone should be factual and balanced. Instead of saying, It was awful, a report might say, Several students felt that the waiting area was too crowded.

Review writing

A review describes and evaluates something the writer has experienced, such as a film, book, trip, workshop, restaurant, app, museum or sports centre. The audience is often a school magazine or general reader.

A strong review balances description with opinion. It should help the reader decide whether the thing is worth trying. That means the final recommendation matters. Students should make clear who would enjoy it and why.

Essay writing

An essay is usually more formal and more argument-based. It may ask students to discuss an issue, consider different viewpoints and reach a conclusion. Compared with an article, an essay is usually less conversational. Compared with a report, it is less focused on recommendations from findings.

Students should use clear paragraphs and linking phrases to guide the reader through the argument. They should avoid simply listing ideas. Each paragraph needs a point, development and a connection to the overall question.

What does the examiner look for?

Exercise 6 is marked for both content and language. Content means the answer fulfils the task, covers the required points and develops ideas. Language means the writing is accurate, organised and suitably varied for the task.

Students should therefore ask two questions before writing: What do I need to include? and How should this sound? Those two questions stop students from drifting into the wrong text type.

How to plan Exercise 6

1. Identify the text type: article, report, review or essay.
2. Underline the audience and purpose.
3. List the required content points.
4. Choose a structure that matches the text type.
5. Add useful language for linking, evaluating, recommending or contrasting.
6. Write clearly and leave time to check accuracy.

Final tip

The best Exercise 6 answers are not the most complicated. They are the clearest. If students cover the task, develop ideas, choose the right tone and organise their writing, they give themselves a much better chance of scoring well.