Writing - Something doesn't look right - Cambridge

What you're about to read may seem unfair, silly, and irrelevant to proving your English skills, but: Your writing has to look right. What do I mean by that? When an examiner or your teacher looks at your writing (without even reading a single word of it) it has to look like what you are writing. If you wrote an essay, it must look like an essay. If you wrote a letter, it must look like a letter. If you wrote an article, and there is no title, and no paragraphs, then it doesn't look like an article. You are being assessed on this. It's only a small part of the writing test, but they are easy marks, and if you don't do it, then you'll lose those marks. Besides, if you don't use the correct format and style, then you aren't as competent an English writer than people who do. 
Here are some frequent visual mistakes that students make:

1. PARAGRAPHS!!!
In every piece of writing that you do, you must seperate what you write into paragraphs. You must leave an empty line between every paragraph. Like this:

...and therefore we must enact more stringent policies to combat these effects.

(empty line)

Similarly, individuals need to be more strict with themselves and cut back on using single-use plastic items. For example...

This includes letters/emails:

Hi Sam!

(empty line)

Hope you're doing well. How did you find out I got the job? I start next Monday and I'm keen to get stuck into it. I've been doing the same job for years now and I'm eager to be moving on to something more challenging.

(empty line)

So, the position I've accepted is sales manager at a clothing store in a shopping centre. It's funny actually. I used to work in a similar store when I was still in high school! Anyway, ...

There must be an empty line between every paragraph.

2. No new lines within paragraphs
Sometimes I see students do this:

Firstly, I think that many of the solutions for reducing our carbon footprint are better than what we're used to doing. 
For example, making home appliances like fridges, dishwashers, and washing machines more energy efficient not only reduces carbon emissions, it also cuts the cost of our electricity bill every month.
Cutting down on electricity usage has the added benefit of saving money.
Who could argue with that?

(empty line)

Secondly, we have a moral obligation to restore what has been destroyed.
Our reckless use of the Earth's natural resources has resulted in...

You may write paragraphs like the one above in your country, and it may be true that it looks better and is easier to read, however we DO NOT do this in English so you must not do this in your writing exam. The above paragraph should look like this:

Firstly, I think that many of the solutions for reducing our carbon footprint are better than what we're used to doing. For example, making home appliances like fridges, dishwashers, and washing machines more energy efficient not only reduces carbon emissions, it also cuts the cost of our electricity bill every month. Cutting down on electricity usage has the added benefit of saving money. Who could argue with that?

(empty line)

Secondly, we have a moral obligation to restore what has been destroyed. Our reckless use of the Earth's natural resources has resulted in...

If you like, you could indent the first line, like so:

          Firstly, I think that many of the solutions for reducing our carbon footprint are better than what we're used to doing. For example, making home appliances like fridges, dishwashers, and washing machines more energy efficient not only reduces carbon emissions, it also cuts the cost of our electricity bill every month. Cutting down on electricity usage has the added benefit of saving money. Who could argue with that?

(empty line)

         Secondly, we have a moral obligation to restore what has been destroyed. Our reckless use of the Earth's natural resources has resulted in...

3. Formal writing - punctuation, and the Ego (I)
In formal writing, you must not use question marks (?) or exclamation marks (!).
This applies to formal emails, essays, and reports. I encourage my students to incorporate rhetorical questions in their writing, since, although they are relatively easy to make, they show a more complex understanding of English than what a B1 student can do. However, no question marks, so rhetorical questions do not belong in formal writing.

The other mistake that I often see is something that most of my students really hate. In formal writing, we avoid using the first person pronouns (I, My, Mine, We, Our, Ours). There are some exceptions: 
When you write a formal email, you will need to use the first person, particularly if you have to write about a problem to the local government, or for a job or university application. However, the use of the word I should be limited. 
The same goes for the reports: you need to use I when you mention how you collected the information. But still, find ways to avoid including yourself and focus just on the information.
But, and here's what my students hate most of all: NEVER USE I IN AN ESSAY. Never. Don't write, I think, or In my opinion, never never never.
Do not start the introduction with, I will talk about..., do not put in the second paragraph, The first thing I will talk about is, do not write, My next point is, etc. No I's. Zero. 
So how do you express your opinions without saying 'I'? Easy. Take the sentence:
In my opinion, the government should increase funding for homeless shelters.
To remove yourself from the sentence, simply:
In my opinion, The government should increase funding for homeless shelters.
Instead of:
I believe a cure for cancer will be discovered within the next decade.
Write:
I believe A cure for cancer will be discovered within the next decade.
Amazingly enough, you've just shared your opinion without saying I. It may seem unnatural, and you may be allowed to use the first person when you write formal essays in your language. But you are writing in English and you have to follow the rules of English.