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We are considering stopping the sale of sugary drinks in all campus cafeterias from next term. Water, tea and coffee will still be available. Tell us what you think.e-TEP Writing Examples with Comments
The e-TEP writing part has two tasks. Below you can see one sample answer for each, with comments on why it works. The tasks come from Practice Test 5 on this site.
Task 1: Reply to a post and a comment (15 min, 120+ words)
DKDeniz Y.
I support healthy eating, but adults should be free to choose what they drink. Better information would work better than a ban.I can see why the university wants to stop selling sugary drinks. Too much sugar is bad for our health, and many students drink several cans of soft drinks a day without thinking about it. If these drinks are not available on campus, some students may simply choose water or tea instead.
On the other hand, I agree with Deniz that university students are adults and should be able to make their own choices. A complete ban may also not be very effective, because there are shops just outside the campus where students can easily buy the same drinks.
In my opinion, the university should try a middle way. It could make water cheaper and easier to find, put clear information about sugar on the drinks, and keep sugary drinks on sale but at a slightly higher price. This would encourage healthier choices without taking away students' freedom.
Why this answer works
- Paragraph 1 responds to the post: it gives a clear position (supports the idea) with a reason straight away.
- Paragraph 2 responds to the comment: it names Deniz, accepts the fair point and adds its own observation (shops outside the campus).
- Paragraph 3 offers a solution: concrete suggestions (cheaper water, labels, a slightly higher price) make the opinion balanced and persuasive.
- Language: linking phrases such as On the other hand, In my opinion, This would…; nothing is copied from the input, ideas are paraphrased.
- Length: about 150 words, comfortably above the 120-word minimum but realistic for 15 minutes.
Task 2: Summarise a podcast and connect it to a graph (30 min, 200+ words)
Where people aged 18–29 regularly get their news (%)
Podcast transcript
Host: How do young people find out what's happening in the world? The answer has changed a lot in the past ten years, and three points are worth highlighting. First, social media has become the main source of news for young adults. The problem is that social media platforms tend to show people the posts that get the most attention, not necessarily the ones that are most accurate. Second, traditional sources have lost ground, especially television and printed newspapers. These sources were never perfect, but their news was checked by editors before it was published. And third, young people haven't given up on trusted news brands completely. Many still visit established news websites and apps. That's why many experts believe the most important step now is teaching media literacy in schools, so that young people learn how to check where a story comes from before they share it.
The podcast explains how young people's sources of news have changed over the past ten years and makes three main points. The graph, which compares 2016 and 2026, supports each of them.
First, the speaker says that social media has become the main source of news for young adults, although these platforms often show the posts that attract attention rather than the most accurate ones. The graph clearly confirms this change: the percentage of people aged 18 to 29 who get news from social media rose sharply, from 38% to 66%.
Second, according to the podcast, traditional sources whose news was checked by editors have lost ground. This is reflected in the graph, since television fell from 52% to only 29%, and printed newspapers dropped from 15% to just 5%.
Finally, the speaker points out that young people still trust established news brands. The graph supports this, as news websites and apps remained fairly stable, decreasing only slightly from 45% to 41%. For this reason, the podcast suggests that schools should teach media literacy, so that young people learn to check the source of a story before sharing it.
In conclusion, both sources show that social media now dominates, but they also suggest that trusted news brands and better media education still have an important role.
Why this answer works
- The introduction names both sources (podcast and graph) and says there are three main points, so the reader sees the plan at once.
- Each body paragraph follows the same pattern: point from the podcast → evidence from the graph (The graph confirms this…) → figures for both years.
- Figures are accurate and comparative: rose sharply from 38% to 66%, fell from 52% to only 29%, remained fairly stable.
- The conclusion brings the two sources together without new information and repeats the podcast's suggestion (media literacy).
- No personal opinion: Task 2 is a summary task, so you do not need to add your own view.
Useful phrases for Task 2
- rose sharply / steadily from … to …
- fell / dropped from … to only …
- remained fairly stable at about …
- more than doubled / halved
- This is reflected in the graph, where …
- The graph confirms this clearly: …
- According to the podcast, …
- In conclusion, both sources show that …
Common mistakes
- Answering only the post in Task 1 and ignoring the comment.
- Copying sentences from the input word for word.
- Not using the figures from the graph in Task 2, or getting them wrong.
- Forgetting one of the podcast's three points.
- Writing fewer words than the minimum.