How confident are you in your English fluency and your knowledge of the Cambridge Advanced C1 exam? If you're like many, you might be scratching your head right now, but don't fret. This exam is a golden ticket to showcasing your mastery of the English language. It's not just about grammar, but also about having an extensive vocabulary.
It's a journey of discovering new ways to express complex ideas and nuances. In my posts, I'll delve into the structure of this exam and the crucial role grammar and vocabulary play. The Cambridge Advanced C1 exam is a robust assessment designed to gauge your proficiency in four key areas:
Reading and use of English
Writing,
Listening
Speaking.
Grammar and Vocabulary
Now you might be wondering about the place of grammar in this exam. Well, in some respects the expansion of your vocabulary plays A more crucial role in the exam than grammar does. There isn't a stand-alone grammar test, but that is not to say that new grammar structures - more than you have learned at the intermediate level, - are not important.
Of course, they are, and your knowledge of advanced grammar is woven into every segment of the exam. So, be prepared to deploy mixed conditionals, use the subjunctive mood, invert subjects, and auxiliary verbs for emphasis, and create cleft sentences for added impact.
I will return to grammar in future posts
When it comes to vocabulary,
remember that vocabulary VOCABULARY
is not just about isolated words
It's about lexis in a broader sense. It's about understanding and using lexical chunks which consist of fixed expressions, semi-fixed expressions, collocations, phrasal verbs, and idioms.
LEXIS
So, let's turn the spotlight onto the vocabulary and lexical chunks. The Cambridge Advanced C1 exam requires a sophisticated command of vocabulary and this extends far beyond individual words.
For a start, we have fixed expressions, but not only those that seem obvious like, As a matter of fact". "By the way". but other 'utterances' that come naturally to native English speakers, such as:
You're telling me!
I wouldn't have thought so
Well, fancy that!
I'm thrilled to bits.
See if I care!
It's not as bad as all that.
Could be better!
I'm all over the place.
When and how do you use them?
Then we have semi-fixed expressions which are fixed expressions that can be added to/extended, depending on the situation and context:
They are more a case of ...
Have you considered...?
The thing is ...
You'll have to make do with ...
It gets in the way of ...
You'd better ...
I'd have thought that ...
Then there are collocations, those words that just seem to belong together. Like when we say, of utmost importance, rather than of the biggest importance; binominals like 'back and forth rather than 'forth and back, that would sound odd to native English speakers' ears.
And of course, phrasal verbs like put someone up, meaning to offer someone temporary accommodation in your house or apartment, and put off, which can mean to postpone, but can also be used to say cause to dislike to something or someone, as in, I was put off that restaurant after I had a stomach upset after eating there.
And of course, phrasal verbs like put someone up, meaning to offer someone temporary accommodation in your house or apartment, and put off, which can mean to postpone, but can also be used to say cause to dislike to something or someone, as in, I was put off that restaurant after I had a stomach upset after eating there.
And of course, phrasal verbs like put someone up, meaning to offer someone temporary accommodation in your house or apartment, and put off, which can mean to postpone, but can also be used to say cause to dislike to something or someone, as in, I was put off that restaurant after I had a stomach upset after eating there.
And let's not forget idioms, those peculiar expressions that learners seem so fond of learning.
But here, at Advanced level, I'm not thinking of the old ''standards'.
, I'm thinking of my advanced idioms such as "pull out all the stops", meaning to make a great effort, and "You have to hand it to her" meaning you have to admire her, even though perhaps at other times you do not like her much and "taking us for a ride: meaning tricking us.
But why is lexis so important at the C1 level?
Firstly, a broad and sophisticated vocabulary allows you to express complex ideas and nuances.
Secondly, these lexical chunks or groups of words that we often use together enhance your fluency, making your language sound more natural and idiomatic. Moreover, understanding the context in which these expressions are used is vital. For instance, knowing when to use "fend off". Instead of defend against in a conversation really shows off your English proficiency.
Lastly, your exposure to these advanced lexical chunks through in-depth reading and listening practice and speaking with native English speakers and others at advanced and proficiency levels will help you better understand and reproduce them.
It is about understanding and using them within the right context.
LEXIS is the main focus of this poar.
Although in future posts I will cover the grammar requirements of the Cambridge Advanced Exam, my chief aim is to introduce you to new lexis and to demonstrate how it is used by native English speakers. That is not best effected by using lists of phrasal verbs and idioms (although I do produce them because they do serve a purpose as a source of reference). Helping you to become familiar with words and expressions is best done by introducing you to them along with 'real life', natural examples of how they are used in conversations. I will do that not only by using text but also videos and audio so you can hear how they are used - and sometimes attempt to understand before you see the transcript.
Here arThe Cambridge Advanced C1 exam is not always easy, but it's definitely worth it - and for those not intending to actually take the exam, practising using the exam material and structure will aid you in your quest for fluency.
As we've seen, the exam tests not just your grammar, but places great emphasis on vocabulary/lexis in context, with a focus on advanced language forms. The complexity of the English language is its beauty, and this exam represents a real mastery of it.
