Without much embellishment, we can say that in the USE exam in English language essay is the most difficult task. How can you correctly express your thought, give it logical arguments, support them with examples and explanations, and at the same time format the text correctly and without errors, and even not go beyond the number of words? In this article, we will try to analyze the structure of the essay and give tips on improving the quality of your essay.
Let's start from the end. Your essay will be judged on the following criteria:
The maximum number of points you can get for an essay is 14 points.
Before thinking about the correct fulfillment of each criterion, first let's make our essay in English testable. The most important thing here is volume.
Formally, your essay in English should fit into 200-250 words. This is not to be taken literally and to panic if you have written 198 words. However, keep in mind that the essay will not be checked if the number of words in it is less than 180. If you get more than 275 words, then the reviewer will count 250 words from the beginning of the essay, draw the rest and check everything up to the line. That is, in the first scenario, you lose the entire essay; at the second, most likely, you will lose the conclusion, which is also important.
First of all, your essay in English should cover ALL aspects of the assignment, and should also be written in an appropriate style (neutral). It should be logically divided into paragraphs and correspond to the plan proposed in the task.
In order not to get confused in the process of writing your essay, you need to spend 5-7 minutes thinking about the plan and preparing all the arguments. Traditionally, we will divide the essay into five paragraphs.
Paragraph 1. Introduction
There should be a problem statement here. Since the statement of the problem has already been stated in the assignment, your task is to correctly retell it. It is to REPRESENT, not to paraphrase.
Tip: Do not reread the task 10 times until the wording is hammered into your head. Then writing an introduction in your own words will be very, very difficult. Read the given situation in the task once or twice, make sure you understand it correctly. Close the prepared situation and try to retell it in English exactly as you understood it, as if you were telling a friend about it who did not understand what it was about. ATTENTION: after you have done this, be sure to open the situation and make sure that your retelling essentially matches the situation given to you. Now you can go further.
Instead of the banal Some people think ... Others think ..." can be used:
Some people claim that ..., while others argue that ...
After you have described the essence of the problem, you can directly ask the question, which you will answer in your essay. For example: “What is better: ... or ...?”, “What should we do: ... or ...?” etc. In 2018, a clarification was released that classified rhetorical questions as stylistic errors. Therefore, we do not use them.
In the last sentence of the introductory paragraph, you should state the purpose of your essay. This can be done, for example, like this:
In this essay I will try to look upon this issue.
In this essay I will try to express my opinion on this issue.
In this essay I would like to express my point of view on this issue.
In this essay I will try to answer this question.
(This is the easiest option, if it will be difficult for you to remember the previous two, remember it)
Paragraph 2. Your opinion
It is most logical to start this paragraph by expressing your position on this issue. Useful phrases (be sure to follow this punctuation!):
In my opinion...
From my point of view, ...
To my mind...
Personally, I think that...
I am sure that...
(Please note! We do not abbreviate: we write I am...)
As far as I am concerned, ...
Next, you need to give 2-3 arguments confirming your point of view. Arguments can be any, if you correctly interpret them. That is, such that it would be difficult to argue with them (within reasonable limits, of course).
Tip: It is better to give 2 arguments and justify them in detail and give examples in support of them than 3 short and not fully disclosed. Remember that the number of words in an essay is limited.
Here we should not forget about the means of logical connection of sentences. The first argument is good to start with:
Firstly...
To start with, ...
To begin with, ...
First of all...
After you have formulated the first argument, you need to confirm it and / or give an example to support it. Here are the simplest models for how this can be done:
<аргумент>because...
<аргумент>. That is why...
<аргумент>. For example, ...
If you started with “Firstly...”, then the second argument should begin with the word Secondly...
If the first argument came with the phrases “To start with, ...”, “To begin with, ...”, then the second one can be started with the following words:
Moreover, ...
Furthermore, ...
Besides, ...
In addition,...
The second argument must also be supported by an example or proof.
Paragraph 3. Contrasting opinion
You will begin the paragraph with the statement of the opposite opinion on the proposed topic or issue. You can do it like this:
Others believe that ...
Some people argue that ...
However, some people think that ...
This is followed by 1-2 arguments confirming the opposite opinion. I advise you to think of two first. And how much to write in the end: 1 or 2 - decide in the process, based on the resulting size of your essay.
Tip: You will then have to challenge the opposite arguments, so when you come up with them initially, think about how you will challenge them. If you have nothing to object to the invented argument, it is better to immediately replace it with another one so as not to do this while writing an essay. It's also limited!
Tip: When challenging arguments, you should not repeat anything written in the second paragraph. So if you can't come up with a counterargument without repeating yourself, try coming up with something else. Alternatively, you can come up with other arguments “for” while the essay has not yet been written. In any case, it's better to think it through initially while you are planning an essay, rather than in the process of writing!
Paragraph 4. Your counterarguments
The point of this paragraph is to explain why you disagree with the opposing opinion. You can start a paragraph, for example, with a sentence:
I cannot agree with this opinion because ...
I am afraid I cannot agree with this idea because ...
“I am afraid” sounds a little strange, and not “I"m afraid”, but it’s better not to shorten it, because you can pay for it with precious points.
ATTENTION: if you gave two arguments in the previous paragraph, then both must be refuted. They can be distinguished by the following phrases:
as for...,
speaking about...,
As far as ... is concerned,
Tip: When refuting opposing arguments, it is best to offer ways to solve them, and not prove their incapacity. For example, if someone believes that pets are dangerous, then one should not argue that they are, in fact, harmless. It is better to turn this disadvantage into dignity, saying that, on the other hand, they are excellent guards in country houses.
Paragraph 5. Conclusion
The most common mistake many students make is that they simply state their opinion in the conclusion. This is not enough. After all, the conclusion applies to the entire essay, not just the second paragraph.
Thus, in conclusion, it is necessary to summarize everything that was said in the essay and express your point of view. You can also give your recommendations on the existing problem. Most importantly, the conclusion should not contain any new information.
In conclusion...
To sum up, ...
To conclude...
Further, we let the reader understand that there are two points of view on this problem, and despite the opposite point of view, we still adhere to our own. For example, you can do this in the following way:
Despite the fact that ..., I am convinced that ...
Taking into consideration different opinions on this issue, I believe that ...
Essay language design
After you have written USE essay in English, be sure to review it again for possible errors. From my experience of the most common mistakes, I advise you to pay attention to the following things.
The time to complete the four written sections of the examination paper is 180 minutes.
oral part the exam is performed on a separate day, the time for completing tasks, including preparation time, is 15 minutes.
Total time to complete all sections of the examination paper: 195 minutes.
"Listening" - 30 minutes;
"Reading" - 30 minutes;
"Grammar and vocabulary" - 40 minutes;
"Letter" - 80 minutes;
The oral part of the exam is 15 minutes.
Task 39, formerly C1- this task basic level, and for its implementation the student can receive the maximum 6 points (20 min); task 40 (С2) is a high-level task, and for its completion the student can receive the maximum 14 points (60 min). Thus, the section "Letter" as a whole is estimated at a maximum of 20 points. Thus, the share of the "Letter" section is 25% of the maximum test score(100 points).
ü A feature of the assessment of tasks 39 and 40 is that when the examinee receives 0 points according to the criterion "Solution of the communicative problem", the entire task is evaluated at 0 points.
ü When evaluating tasks in the "Writing" section (39, 40), one should take into account such a parameter as amount of written text expressed in word count. Required length for personal letter in task 39 - 100–140 words; for a detailed written statement in task 40 - 200–250 words. The permissible deviation from the specified volume is 10%. If the completed task 39 has less than 90 words or task 40 has less than 180 words, then the task is not subject to verification and is evaluated at 0 points. If the volume is exceeded by more than 10%, i.e. if there are more than 154 words in the completed task 39 or more than 275 words in task 40, only that part of the work that corresponds to the required volume is subject to verification. Thus, when checking task 39, 140 words are counted from the beginning of work, tasks 40 - 250 words, and only this part of the work is evaluated.
ü When evaluating task 40, special attention is paid to the ability of the examinee to produce a detailed written statement. If more than 30% of the answer is of an unproductive nature (i.e. textually matches the published source), then 0 points are given according to the criterion "Solution of the communicative task", and, accordingly, the entire task is evaluated at 0 points.
ü In accordance with the Procedure for conducting the state final certification for educational programs middle general education(Order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia dated December 26, 2013 No. 1400 was registered by the Ministry of Justice of Russia on February 3, 2014 No. 31205)
“61. According to the results of the first and second checks, the experts, independently of each other, set points for each answer to the tasks of the examination USE work with a long answer...
62. In the event of a significant discrepancy in the scores given by two experts, a third test is scheduled. A significant discrepancy in scores is determined in the assessment criteria for the corresponding academic subject.
The expert who carries out the third check is provided with information about the scores given by the experts who previously checked the examination paper.
When evaluating the performance of tasks in the written part, the third expert is appointed in the following cases.
1. If the discrepancy between the sums of points given by two experts for task 39 for all (three) positions of assessment of this task is 3 or more points, then the third expert gives points for all three positions of assessment of task 39.
2. If the difference between the sums of points given by two experts for task 40 for all (five) items of assessment of this task is 5 or more points, then the third expert gives points for all five items of assessment for task 40.
STRATEGIES FOR COMPLETING THE TESTS OF THE SECTION "LETTER"
Personal letter
When reading the stimulus text, highlight the main issues that should be disclosed in the response letter;
· compose different types of questions to request information;
Plan your response letter
Do not forget to write the address and date in the upper right corner of the letter;
In the introductory part of the letter, express gratitude for the received letter and, possibly, an apology that the answer was not written immediately;
· in the body of the letter, answer all the questions asked and ask the necessary questions to a pen-friend;
· in the final part of the letter mention future contacts, sign the letter;
Correct use of language tools;
· verify
- compliance of the content of your response letter with the letter-stimulus (set communicative tasks),
- correct organization and consistency of the text;
- the correctness of the language of the text.
Written statement with elements of reasoning;
general strategies:
build a statement in accordance with the proposed plan;
The introduction should begin with a general presentation of the topic and a sentence that reflects its problematic nature;
· in the introduction, rephrase the topic/problem given in the assignment without repeating it verbatim;
When planning a written statement, first think over the key phrases of each paragraph;
Divide the text into paragraphs that reflect the logical and meaningful structure of the text;
Each paragraph should be written accordingly (it is recommended to express its main idea in the first sentence of the paragraph and further develop it, support it with examples and arguments, etc.);
Introduction and conclusion should be approximately the same in volume;
in the main part should be least two paragraphs, approximately the same size;
The total volume of the main part should not be less than the total volume of the introduction and conclusion;
Pay special attention to the means of logical connection of the text, both within sentences and between sentences.
Correct use of language tools.
USE in English in 2019 still remains a subject of choice, but there is already a decision of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation that from 2022 the unified state exam in English will become mandatory along with the Russian language and mathematics.
Schools participating in the pilot project were even less fortunate: their graduates will take English mandatory as early as 2020.
“Well, tests ain "t fair. Those that study have an unfair advantage. It" s always been that way.”
Well, the exams aren't fair. Those who teach have an unfair advantage. And so it has always been.
~ Allan Dare Pearce, Paris in April
Despite the growing popularity, USE in English is considered one of the most difficult exams for school graduates and university entrants. Even careful preparation and availability of Cambridge Exams certificates do not guarantee you a high score on the exam. “How so?” - you ask.
The fact is that, like any other international exam (FCE, KET, IELTS, etc.), the USE in English has its own structure, typical tasks and assessment criteria that directly affect your result.
Today we will try to tell you what exactly you need to know for everyone who plans pass the exam in English in 2019-2020
USE in English:
The USE in English is taken in the 11th grade and is the final exam for graduates of Russian schools.
Unified State Exam (USE)- this is the state final certification of students in the eleventh grade of Russian schools. USE results give an opportunity during the year when the exam was taken, and the next 4 years to choose and enroll in a specialized secondary or higher educational institution.
USE in English divided into two parts: written and oral. Written part of the exam last 3 hours (180 minutes), and oral only 15 minutes including preparation time.
At the Unified State Examination in English, graduates are invited to complete only 44 tasks, namely:
● 38 closed tasks in which you only need to choose the correct answer
● 6 tasks with a detailed answer, where you need to write or tell yourself.
Maximum Points, which can be scored for all tasks (oral and written) on the exam in English - 100 points(80 points for writing and 20 points for oral).
The oral part is optional, however, 100 points can only be obtained if you passed the speaking session on a separate day
In 2018 USE year 72,500 people passed in English, 15 people passed for 100 points. This represents 0.02% of the total number of participants and is the lowest in elective subjects.
Passing score when the English exam is considered "passed", in 2018 was 22 points, but for admission to good university or for a profile specialty, of course, this is not enough. The principle here is “the higher the score, the better”. Universities every year change their passing score from 60-80 points, and the more prestigious the university, the higher the score.
It is already known that in 2019, the USE in English will be held on the following days:
- Early period: March 27, 2019 (oral part) and 04/01/2019 (written part)
- Main period: June 5, 2019 (written), June 7-8 (oral)
Among the persons who can take the exam before the main period: graduates of previous years, participants in olympiads / competitions, schoolchildren who are sent to serve in the army or plan to study abroad, and many others.
In case of force majeure, there are reserve days when the exam can be held.
What level of English is required to pass the exam?
If you want to get a high score in the USE English, your level must be not lower than Upper-Intermediate level on the CEFR scale, but this does not mean at all that students with a lower level do not “shine” on the exam.
According to the regulatory documents, the USE tasks in English vary in complexity from basic (A2 / A2 +) to high (B2) and, accordingly, includes three levels:
- base: Elementary (A2) and Pre-Intermediate (A2+)
- elevated: Intermediate (B1), can be skipped
- high: Upper-Intermediate (B2)
However, in reality this is not always the case. For example, in 2018, the first listening task contained A2 material, and the reading text in task 3 was Advanced (C1). Therefore, the majority of applicants, even with level B2, could not get a high score on this task.
Sometimes compilers USE in English include tasks of the basic and high levels in one block, leaving the increased level (B1) behind. Jumping from easy to super complex can be confusing for anyone and affect their ability to comprehend more complex material.
CEFR scale of English levels for passing the exam
● degrees of comparison of adjectives
● ordinal numbers
According to the vocabulary, the participants incorrectly used polysemantic words in the context, did not know synonyms and antonyms, confused suffixes and prefixes when forming new words. And, of course, there were spelling mistakes!
Section "Letter" As expected, it turned out to be the most difficult test for those who pass the ZNO-2018 in English.
In the "Letter" task, participants lost points for:
- incorrect or inaccurate answers to questions
- combining the answers to two questions into one
- rhetorical questions to a friend
In the “Composition” task, for many, the loss of points was not related to the required volume, but to the following:
- non-compliance with the plan
- inability to reveal the topic
- unrevealed topics
- violation of the logic of the statement
- a large number of grammatical, lexical and spelling errors.
Well oral part of the exam, which was passed with an “excellent” 65%, was not without unpleasant errors. In task No. 1, the inspectors noted the wrong stress and incorrect logical intonation, in task No. 2 - grammatical errors in the construction of questions.
Task No. 3 from the “Speaking” section showed that the majority simply memorize school topics, and accordingly there is no spontaneity of speech. In task No. 4, participants often gave incomplete answers and inattentively read the task.
Tasks of the Unified State Examination 2019 in English with answers
Of course assignments for the upcoming USE-2019 in English cannot be freely available. Disclosure of such confidential information may result in criminal liability.
But, if you already know what to expect on the exam, have been trained in English and know how to fill out the forms correctly, then half the battle is already done. The rest depends only on your ability to concentrate in a stressful situation and have minimal knowledge of time management in order to properly allocate time.
We hope that the following videos will be useful to you in preparing for the USE-2019 in English.
Demo version of the exam (download)
To get to know the USE tasks in English more fully, you can download a demo version and then print it.
USE rules and procedures (video)
How to fill out forms for the exam (video)
And about the preparation for the USE-2019 in English, what to look for, we will tell in our next article.
Instead of a conclusion:
As you can see, the USE is a rather difficult exam, and in order to get a high score, you must have a very good level of English (Upper-Intermediate and above). If your level is low, and you are already in grade 9-10, you need to start preparing for the exam without delay.
Sign up today to pass the exam with a high score and enter the university of your dreams! We have already helped hundreds of graduates to enroll, and we will help YOU too!
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The written part. It takes 180 minutes (3 hours) to complete.
Section "Auditing". Run time - 30 minutes
Exercise 1. There are 6 statements in the audio recording. It is necessary to establish a correspondence between the statements ( letters A-F) and statements expressing their main idea (numbers 1-7). One of the proposed statements is redundant. The recording sounds twice: first, 20 seconds are given to familiarize yourself with the statements; after the first and second listening, 15 seconds are given for reflection. Your answer is a sequence of seven digits. For each correct answer (one match) you get one point, maximum amount points - 6.
Task 2. It is necessary to listen to a short dialogue and read 7 judgments regarding this dialogue (A-G). After listening to the task, you will need to conclude which of the judgments is correct (1 - true), which is incorrect (2 - false), and which was not discussed at all (3 - not stated), i.e. Based on the text, neither a positive nor a negative answer can be given. Your answer is a sequence of six digits. For each correct answer (one judgment) 1 point is given, in total for the task - 7.
Tasks 3-9. Here you need to listen to the text (usually an interview) and answer 7 questions on this text, choosing the correct answer from the three options offered. For each correct answer, 1 point is given, in total for the task - 7.
Total: 9 tasks, 20 points per section.
Section "Reading" in the exam. Run time - 30 minutes
Task 10. The task contains 7 small texts (usually united by subject) and 8 headings. It is necessary to establish a correspondence between texts A-G and headings 1-8. One extra title! Your answer is a sequence of seven digits. For each correct answer (one match) 1 point is given, in total for the task - 7
Task 11. You need to read a coherent text in which parts of sentences are missing (total 6 gaps A-G), and fill in these gaps with the fragments proposed after the text (1-7), one of which is superfluous. It is necessary for each gap to choose a fragment that is suitable in meaning and in grammatical structure. Your answer is a sequence of six digits. For each correct answer (correctly selected part) 1 point is given, in total for the task - 6
Tasks 12-18. You need to read a text of 1-1.5 pages (as a rule, this is a journalistic text or an excerpt from a work of art). After the text, you are asked 7 questions, each of which has four possible answers. You need to choose only one answer. For each correct answer, 1 point is given, in total for the task - 7.
Total: 9 tasks, 20 points per section.
Tasks 19-25. Grammar assignments (inflection). You need to read 1-2 small texts with gaps. To the right of the gaps are the words in the initial form, which must be transformed so that they correspond grammatically to the content of the text. Attention: the FORM of the word changes (number, time, case, voice, etc.), and not the part of speech! For example, go-went, man-men, one-first, etc. For each correct answer, 1 point is given, in total for the task - 7.
Tasks 26-31. Vocabulary tasks. Similar to the previous task, you need to read 1-2 small texts to transform the proposed words so that they correspond grammatically and lexically to the content of the text. The main difference from the previous task is that you form a NEW word, a new part of speech: for example, there was a verb, it became an adjective (different-different). For each correct answer, 1 point is given, in total for the task - 6.
Tasks 32-38. Lexico-grammatical compatibility. You need to read a short text in which words are missing. In each of the tasks 32-38, you need to choose which of the 4 proposed words is missing.
For each correct answer, 1 point is given, in total for the task - 7.
Total: 20 tasks, 20 points.
Section "Letter" in the exam. Run time - 80 minutes
Task 39. Letter. In task 39, you need to write a personal letter to a friend, following the rules of writing. Volume - 100-140 words. Run time - 20 minutes. Maximum score – 6.
Task 40. Essay. In task 40, you write a detailed essay-reasoning on the proposed topic. In essence, you need to comment on the given statement in the task in accordance with the plan. The essay has a clear structure: an introduction, an expression of your opinion with 2-3 arguments, an opposing opinion with 1-2 arguments, an expression of disagreement with an opposing opinion (1-2 counterarguments) and a conclusion. Volume - 200-250 words. Run time - 60 minutes. The maximum score is 14.
Total: 2 tasks, 20 points.
USE 2018. English. Assignments of the oral part
Section "Speaking"
The oral part is given on a separate day. Delivery time - 15-20 minutes (at the same time, waiting for your turn in the corridor can last much longer). The oral part is optional, however without it (only for the written part) you will be able to get a maximum of 80 points for the entire exam.
Task 2. You have an advertisement in front of you. You need to ask 5 questions about this announcement (on 5 points of the plan). Preparation time - 1.5 minutes, 20 seconds are given for voicing each question. The maximum score is 5 (one point for each question).
Task 3. Here are 3 photos - supposedly from your photo album. You must choose one (only one!) of them and describe it to a friend in accordance with the proposed plan. Attention! In 2018, the wording of the task changed slightly: the word “imagine” was removed and the word “present” was replaced with “describe”. Thus, your answer should be as close to reality as possible and devoid of "fantastic elements". Preparation time - 1.5 minutes, execution - 2 minutes. The maximum score is 7.
Task 4. You have 2 photos. You need to compare these photos based on the plan given in the assignment. Preparation time - 1.5 minutes, execution - 2 minutes. The maximum score is 7. Total: 4 tasks, 20 points.
Let's present everything described in the form of a table:
The structure of the exam in English 2018
| Written part (180 min.) | Oral part (15-20 min.) | ||||||
| Chapter | Exercise | Time (min.) | score | Chapter | Exercise | Time | score |
| 1. Listening | 1 | 7 | 5. Speaking | 1 | 1.5 (preparation) +2 (answer) | 1 | |
| 2 | 6 | ||||||
| 3-9 | 7 | ||||||
| 2. Reading | 10 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1,5 + 1,5 | 5 | |
| 11 | 10 | 6 | |||||
| 12-18 | 15 | 7 | |||||
| 3. Grammar and vocabulary | 19-25 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 1,5 +2 | 7 | |
| 26-31 | 10 | 6 | |||||
| 32-38 | 15 | 7 | |||||
| 4. Letter | 39 | 20 | 6 | 4 | 1,5 +2 | 7 | |
| 40 | 60 | 14 | |||||
| Total for the written part | 80 | Total for oral part | 20 | ||||
| Total points for the exam | 100 | ||||||
Thus, the primary and final scores are the same. 1 correctly completed task = 1 point. This means that you need to concentrate extremely and try to complete all the tasks as best as possible!
"Hodograph" sincerely wishes you good luck in the exams!
The information is posted on the Rosobrnadzor website.
The duration of a single state exam(USE) in English (except for the "Speaking" section) is 3 hours.
The time set for completing the USE tasks in English was determined on the basis of research and experiments as optimal, since the purpose of the exam is to differentiate graduates by the level of mastering the federal state educational standard. Documents defining the structure and content of control measuring materials (CMM) of the USE in English, namely codifiers, specifications and demo options KIM USE, posted on the official website Federal Institute pedagogical measurements (FIPI).
In the classrooms of the examination point, hours should be prepared for additional control of the duration of the examination work by the USE participants.
According to the Procedure for conducting the state final certification for educational programs of secondary general education, 30 minutes and 5 minutes before the end of the exam, the organizers inform students, graduates of previous years about the imminent completion of the exam and remind them of the need to transfer answers from drafts and KIM to the examination paper.
On the official website of FIPI (http://fipi.ru/) posted open bank tasks of the USE, the tasks of which are used in the formation of variants of the KIM USE in all academic subjects.
Also, at the end of the early stage of the Unified State Examination in 2018, the KIM Unified State Examination for each academic subject, including English, is posted on the FIPI website. Early familiarization with CMM tasks allows you to correctly adjust the time for preparing and completing tasks.
All exams, regardless of the form of their conduct, are associated with unrest and stress. The exam, like any other exam, is no exception. The main task is to learn how to cope with excitement, and in stressful situations to show the acquired skills and abilities.
How can I change the date of passing the exam in English, if the schedule provides for two days of passing the exam?
When applying for participation in the Unified State Exam, the period of passage or specific dates for participation in exams in the relevant academic subjects is indicated.
Change of dates Unified State Examination in order not regulated. At the same time, the State Examination Commission of the subject Russian Federation(SEC) may decide to change the timing of the exam if the applicant has good reasons, documented. To do this, you must submit an application to the SEC indicating the terms of participation in the Unified State Examination and the reasons for changing the previously announced deadlines. This application must be submitted no later than two weeks before the start of the exams.
The final decision individually for each participant is made by the SEC.
