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Topic 1 — Essay "Artificial intelligence will render human creativity obsolete." Discuss the extent to which you agree with this statement.
Introduction
The rapid proliferation of generative AI tools has sparked fierce debate about the future of human creative endeavour. While it is tempting to view artificial intelligence as an existential threat to artistic expression, a more nuanced examination reveals a far more complex relationship between technology and creativity.
Argument for
Admittedly, there is compelling evidence to suggest that AI is encroaching on domains once considered exclusively human. Sophisticated algorithms can now compose music, generate photorealistic imagery and draft literary fiction indistinguishable from human-authored work. As a consequence, industries such as graphic design and copywriting are already experiencing significant disruption, with many practitioners finding themselves undercut on both price and speed.
Counterargument
That said, one must question whether what AI produces constitutes genuine creativity. These systems are, at their core, sophisticated pattern-recognition engines trained on pre-existing human work; they recombine rather than originate. Furthermore, creativity is deeply intertwined with lived experience, emotional depth and intentionality — qualities no algorithm can authentically replicate.
Conclusion
On balance, rather than rendering human creativity obsolete, AI is more likely to reshape its expression. The most plausible scenario is one of collaboration, in which artists leverage these tools to augment their vision. Ultimately, what makes creativity distinctly human is not the output itself, but the meaning, intent and emotion behind it.
Examiner tip: Notice how each paragraph has one clear idea, a development and either evidence or an example. Never write a paragraph of fewer than three sentences in a C1 essay.
Topic 2 — Formal Letter / Report Your city council is considering closing all public libraries and replacing them with fully digital services. Write a report for the council assessing the potential impact of this decision.
Introduction — This report examines the consequences of replacing the city’s physical library network with a fully digital alternative. The findings draw upon community surveys, usage statistics and comparative studies from municipalities that have undertaken similar transitions.
Benefits of digitalisation — It is widely acknowledged that digital platforms offer considerable advantages in terms of accessibility and cost efficiency. Users would be able to access an unlimited catalogue of resources at any hour, thereby removing the geographical and temporal constraints associated with physical premises. In addition, operational costs linked to maintaining buildings, staffing and physical stock would be substantially reduced.
Areas of concern — Nevertheless, the proposal raises serious equity concerns. A significant portion of residents, notably elderly individuals and those on lower incomes, lack reliable internet access or the digital literacy required to navigate online platforms. Moreover, libraries serve as vital community hubs providing safe spaces and social support — functions no app can replicate.
Recommendation — In light of the above, it is recommended that the council pursue a hybrid model rather than wholesale closure. Specifically, this would involve retaining a reduced number of physical branches in underserved areas while expanding the digital offering. Such an approach would balance fiscal responsibility with social inclusivity.
Topic 3 — Article / Review Write an article for an international magazine exploring whether modern urban life is making people lonelier, despite unprecedented levels of connectivity.
Hook
Always Connected, Yet Profoundly Alone — There is a certain bitter irony in the fact that the most connected generation in human history may also be its loneliest. Paradoxically, as our devices multiply our social touchpoints, psychologists are sounding the alarm over what many are calling a global loneliness epidemic.
Evidence & analysis
To a considerable extent, the architecture of modern city life fosters isolation. High-rise apartments, long commutes and the decline of communal third places — the café, the local pub, the neighbourhood square — have eroded the informal social fabric that once bound communities together. Compounding this, the migration of social interaction onto digital platforms has subtly redefined what we mean by connection; a barrage of notifications bears little resemblance to shared physical presence.
Nuance
It would, however, be an oversimplification to lay the blame solely at technology’s door. Urban density creates genuine opportunity for connection; the challenge lies in designing environments and habits that convert proximity into community.
Conclusion
The crux of the matter is not the city itself, nor the smartphone, but how intentionally we inhabit both. Unless we consciously carve out space for authentic encounter, we risk building ever denser, ever lonelier worlds.
Three additional model answers — a fast fashion essay (which showcases the thesis–antithesis–synthesis structure that really impresses C1 examiners), a formal letter to an editor (a common Cambridge task type), and a magazine review with balanced praise and criticism.
Connectors now include example sentences — every entry shows the connector used in a real sentence, so you can see not just what it means but exactly how it sits in a paragraph.
New “Essay structures” tab — step-by-step breakdowns for all four main task types (discursive essay, report, formal letter, article/review), with specific phrases for each stage.
New “C1 vocabulary” tab — 24 word upgrades from B2 to C1 level, plus a section on rhetorical devices (tricolon, paradox, antithesis, anaphora) which can push a good essay into the top band.
Expanded marking criteria tab — eight common mistakes that cost marks, with fixes for each one.
Here’s the fully expanded guide! Here’s what’s new:
Three additional model answers — a fast fashion essay (which showcases the thesis–antithesis–synthesis structure that really impresses C1 examiners), a formal letter to an editor (a common Cambridge task type), and a magazine review with balanced praise and criticism.
Connectors now include example sentences — every entry shows the connector used in a real sentence, so you can see not just what it means but exactly how it sits in a paragraph.
New “Essay structures” tab — step-by-step breakdowns for all four main task types (discursive essay, report, formal letter, article/review), with specific phrases for each stage.
New “C1 vocabulary” tab — 24 word upgrades from B2 to C1 level, plus a section on rhetorical devices (tricolon, paradox, antithesis, anaphora) which can push a good essay into the top band.
Expanded marking criteria tab — eight common mistakes that cost marks, with fixes for each one.
Here’s the fully expanded guide! Here’s what’s new:
Three additional model answers — a fast fashion essay (which showcases the thesis–antithesis–synthesis structure that really impresses C1 examiners), a formal letter to an editor (a common Cambridge task type), and a magazine review with balanced praise and criticism.
Connectors now include example sentences — every entry shows the connector used in a real sentence, so you can see not just what it means but exactly how it sits in a paragraph.
New “Essay structures” tab — step-by-step breakdowns for all four main task types (discursive essay, report, formal letter, article/review), with specific phrases for each stage.
New “C1 vocabulary” tab — 24 word upgrades from B2 to C1 level, plus a section on rhetorical devices (tricolon, paradox, antithesis, anaphora) which can push a good essay into the top band.
Expanded marking criteria tab — eight common mistakes that cost marks, with fixes for each one.
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