C1 Advanced (CAE) Proposal: Structure
1. Title + Introduc1on
The aims of this proposal are to…
2. Main content
Subheading 1
Paragraph 1: Describe the current situation
Subheading 2
Paragraph 2: Describe the current situation
3. Final Recommenda1ons
Make your recommenda7ons /persuade the reader Write at least 2-3
sentences
C1 Advanced (CAE) Proposal: Writing Guide
We will use the example topic below:
There are plans to demolish an old and unused building in the town where
you are student. You feel that the building should be saved. You decide to
write a proposal for the town council explaining why you think the
building should be preserved, suggesting what could be done to modernise
it and saying how the building could benefit the local people.
Write your proposal (around 220 – 260 words)
Step 1: Find the topic points & topic
The first question you should ask yourself is what topic do I have to write
about in your proposal? Knowing the topic always gives you a general
idea as well as some inspiration for possible vocabulary that you might
want to include in your text.
The second question should be what exactly do I have to include in my
text? Here we try to filter out the specific topic points which we need to
address in our writing.
There are plans to demolish an old and unused building in the town where
you are student. You feel that the building should be saved. (topic: old
building that the city wants to demolish and you want to save it ) You decide
to write a proposal for the town council (target reader) explaining why you
think the building should be preserved,(topic point) suggesting what could
be done to modernise(topic point) it and saying how the building could
benefit the local people. (topic point)
Topic: old building that the city wants to demolish and you want to save it
Main key points:
1. why you think the building should be preserved,
2. what could be done to modernise
3. how the building could beneFit the local people.
Finally, you should always check who’s going to read your text knowing
the reader helps you choose the most appropriate style and register in our
example we are writing to the city council as these people are city officials
we should use a formal style for our proposal.
Target reader: town council
As soon as we’ve analyzed the task and extracted all the information that
we need we can start building our structure and writing a proposal.
Step 2: Title + Introduction
The title doesn’t have to be anything special, but it is important that you
include one as this is a typical feature of a proposal and it could be
something like:
§ Proposal to ……. and then you write the topic of what you’re
reporting.
§ or you can write the topic and end it with phrase : a proposal
in this way, the title will have an appropriately formal connotation. See
both examples below:
Title: Proposal to modernise the old brewery
Title: Old brewery modernisation: a proposal
The introduction must contain three main things that you should include:
1. purpose of your proposal in which you should explain your purpose
for writing
The proposal is intended to…..
2. you should restate the topic of the task (see step 1)
3. The three main key points that you discovered (see step 1)
See sample introduction & title:
Title: Old brewery modernisation: a proposal
This proposal is intended to (appropriate beginning) outline why the old
brewery on ABC Street should not be demolished (topic) and is worth
protecting, (point 1) how it could be turned into a valuable asset (point
2) for the town and in what ways it could be of use (point 3) for the
residents of the town.
TIP: Note that a proposal is written in the future tense or with reference
to the futurein that it differs from a report.
Step 3: The body paragraphs (main content)
Group your ideas under headings for each section of your proposal.
Remember to answer all the questions that you were asked (see step
1) You’re going to use some formal or semi-formal language and also
some passive structures such as “it is advisable that..” or “it is
recommended that….”
Main key points (see step 1):
1. why you think the building should be preserved,
2. what could be done to modernise
3. how the building could beneCit the local people.
See the example main content below, with additional annotations you may
find useful:
The brewery as an opportunity. – add headings/simple, informative,
formal
The old brewery building with its central location at ABC Street and unique
architecture is still considered a focal point of the town centre by the vast
majority of people. While it has not been in use for some years, It has great
sentimental value as indicated in conversations with local
residents. Therefore, it would be an unrecoverable loss to demolish the
building when there are other possibilities for using the facility.
[describes first point – why the building should be preserved,]
Modernization – add headings/simple, informative, formal
According to city conservators, (rely on sources, stats and experts) the
modernisation of a building this old can be a challenge as everything from
the ground up needs renovation. However, some local architects would be
willing to work together and develop a design that takes into account the
financial constraints of the public budget as well as environmental
factors. To illustrate,the initial estimated costs for modernization
are $300,000 and 6 months (add figures) of construction and design works.
It is strongly recommended (use passive voice) to turn the brewery into a
co-working space so the rent will offset 15-20% of the costs in order
to give the town a modern touch on a historic site.
[describes first point – what could be done to modernise]
Future benefits – add headings/simple, informative, formal
Considering all of the above, if the following suggestions were taken, (use
conditionals) there would be great benefits for
everybody involved. Moreover, the town would create another source of
income, the space would attract creative professionals and not only would
it benefit them, but local residents would also be able to keep their
brewery in the town centre.
[describes third point – how the building could benefit the local people.]
– statistics, details, relevant detailed information, sources of
information
– persuasive language
– transitional words, expressions and conjunctions, which link
the sentences and make the text more fluid
Step 5: Final recommendations
In the last section/paragraph of your proposal, we need to conclude our
proposaland make our final suggestions (after all that’s the main reason
for writing the proposal). Make sure that you include your final suggestions
in this last paragraph as well as some persuasive language.
Conclusion – add a heading
All things considered, the benefits and needs of the inhabitants speak for
the preservation of the brewery and its modernization into a co-working
space. On behalf of the residents, I strongly urge the council to
consider this proposal.
– persuasive language
Full Proposal
Old brewery modernisation: a proposal
This proposal is intended to outline why the old brewery on ABC Street
should not be demolished and is worth protecting, how it could be turned
into a valuable asset for the town and in what ways it could be of use for
the residents of the town.
The brewery as an opportunity
The old brewery building with its central location at ABC Street and unique
architecture is still considered a focal point of the town centre by the vast
majority of people. While it has not been in use for some years, It has great
sentimental value as indicated in conversations with local residents.
Therefore, it would be an unrecoverable loss to demolish the building
when there are other possibilities for using the facility.
Modernization
According to city conservators, the modernisation of a building this old can
be a challenge as everything from the ground up needs renovation.
However, some local architects would be willing to work together and
develop a design that takes into account the financial constraints of the
public budget as well as environmental factors. To illustrate, the initial
estimated costs for modernization are $300,000 and 6 months of
construction and design works.
It is strongly recommended to turn the brewery into a co-working space so
the rent will offset 15-20% of the costs in order to give the town a modern
touch on a historic site.
Future benefits
Considering all of the above, if the following suggestions were taken, there
would be great benefits for everybody involved. Moreover, the town would
create another source of income, the space would attract creative
professionals and not only would it benefit them, but local residents would
also be able to keep their brewery in the town centre.
