The argumentative essay, step by step
Russian school and exam essays follow a five-part shape. Each part has a stock phrase that announces it. Tap a phrase to hear it. For the English-language side of the same skills, see our guides to writing style and formal letters.
A model essay, annotated
Topic: Мо́жно ли рабо́тать из до́ма так же эффекти́вно, как в о́фисе? “Can you work from home as effectively as in an office?” Each sentence is labelled with its job in the essay. Tap one to hear it.
Formulas of a formal letter
Use these in emails to a university, an employer or an official. Address the person with Вы written with a capital В: in letters it signals respect to one person. See ты and вы.
| Where | Formula |
|---|---|
| Greeting | |
| Purpose | |
| Replying | |
| Request | |
| Thanks | |
| Sign-off |
From casual to formal
Register is how formal your language is. These swaps lift a text from a message to a friend to a letter or an essay. The left column is correct Russian, but only in speech and informal writing.
Summarising someone else’s text
A summary (изложе́ние at school, резюме́ or аннота́ция in academic work) reports what an author says without your own opinion. These four frames carry almost any summary. The verbs report in the present tense, as in English.
Three tasks to write
Exam-style prompts at C1. Write your answer on paper or in a document first, then open the model outline to compare structure and phrases.