C1 – C2 Use of English – Part 1 – Multiple Choice

QUICK INFO ABOUT C2 USE OF ENGLISH PART 1: MULTIPLE CHOICE

• Estimated time to finish this part: 10 minutes max
• Number of exercises: 8
• Marks: 8
• Task: Choose the correct answer to complete the text given choosing from 4 possible options per blank

Many of our students tell us that one of the hardest things about Part 1 Paper 1 in the C1 Advanced and the C2 Proficiency Exam is the fact that all the answers are very similar in meaning. This is exactly where the problem begin.

In case you want to take a look at a really challenging part of the test, don’t forget to try Part 6 over here.

However, there are 6 phases your thought process needs to go through in the case you’re doubting between 2 or among all 4 answers.

These are the steps in your process that you need to keep in mind:

1. semantic precision
2. collocation
3. idioms
4. fixed phrases
5. phrasal verbs
6. linkers

Instead of giving you very long explanations of what each concept means, we have just included the examples that will help you understand all the things you need to keep in mind.

Semantic Precision: Let’s take a look at an example with the concept of PLACE

site      place     location     venue

Now let’s try and choose the correct option for this particular sentence:

The architect visited the construction _____ yesterday.

Which of the four options fits? site   —  place —   location  —  venue

If you’ve used your knowledge to complete this sentence, you’ve most likely chosen SITE as the correct answer. Yes, all of them have similar meanings, but only one matches with construction.

Collocation:

It’s how words go together in English. For example, we will always combine WORKING with – CLASS, CONDITIONS, BENEFITS. However, you won’t find combinations such as WORKING BUILDING. So, keep this in mind when figuring out the correct answer, when you aren’t very sure.

Idioms:

Always check that the missing blank isn’t part of an idiomatic expression. If for some reason none of the options and the surrounding words don’t make much sense, it could very well mean that it’s an idiomatic expression.

Fixed phrases:

These are phrases that we tend to use in just one way with a very clear idea, for example, ‘It’s only a matter of time’. Check if the missing blank is part of any fixed expression. Don’t forget to download a wonderful list of Fixes Phrases from here

Phrasal verbs:

The classic verb + preposition combination. Watch out for these too. These are an all-time C2 Proficiency classic.

Linkers:

Check that the missing word connects, opposes, or gives reasons. If it is so, you might need a linker. For this one you’ll need to understand what the text is trying to say.

After checking all these seven steps the las piece of advice we’d like to give you is…USE YOUR COMMON SENSE. You can always trust your ear and how thing sound to end up choosing the correct answer.

Remember that all of this works when you aren’t sure of what the correct answer is.

We hope you liked how we have broken down the way we complete C1-C2 Use of English Part 1. 😉