C2 Use of English – Easy methods to ACE this A part of C2 Proficiency

In current instances, I’ve taken to testing myself as a trainer by finishing observe examination questions on the C2 Use of English part of what’s a particularly difficult Cambridge English examination. The Use of English part seems along with the Studying part of the examination in what is named the Studying and Use of English Paper. 

What’s within the Use of English part of the C2 Proficiency examination?

The paper accommodates seven elements. The Studying part consists of Components 1, 5, 6 and seven of the paper. The Use of English part consists of Components 2, 3 and 4:

2. an open cloze process

3. a phrase formation process

4. a key phrase transformations process

Primarily, the Use of English part exams your capability to display your management of English by doing completely different duties at each textual content and sentence stage. You’re given the possibility to indicate your information of a spread of grammatical types and lexical gadgets, and your capability to use them accurately and appropriately.

There are three texts within the Use of English part. These texts are mainly modern and brought from tutorial, journalistic and literary sources. The titles are supposed to give candidates an early thought of what to anticipate from the textual content, and to assist them apply their predictive studying expertise.

Candidates are in a position to take Cambridge exams both digitally (typing solutions straight onto a pc) or in paper format.

C2 Use of English – Half by Half

Now that you’ve got been acquainted with the forms of duties you’ll encounter within the Use of English part of the C2 Proficiency examination, let’s focus our consideration on every particular person process kind. I’ll describe the duty varieties in additional element and provides some ideas as to how one can obtain the very best marks attainable. 

Half 2 – Open Cloze Activity

Half 2 of the C2 Studying and Use of English paper is an open cloze process. In a nutshell, the duty consists of a brief textual content with EIGHT gaps. There’s additionally an instance firstly (0). One mark is awarded for every right reply.

You need to fill every hole by figuring out the lacking phrases. Word {that a} SINGLE WORD is required to fill every hole – by no means a contraction or phrase. There could also be multiple acceptable phrase for a spot. These phrases seem within the mark scheme compiled by Cambridge English.

In contrast to half 1, this isn’t a multiple-choice process. You should utilise your information of the construction of English and talent to understand the context of the textual content with a purpose to fill the gaps.

For half 2, it’s very important that you just write/kind your solutions IN CAPITAL LETTERS. Every phrase have to be accurately spelt.

What does the open cloze process take a look at?

The open cloze process of the Use of English part usually exams a candidate’s consciousness and management of grammar. Nonetheless, the main focus of the gapped phrases may be lexico-grammatical. In different phrases, the lacking phrases may be vocabulary gadgets, though that is uncommon.

Because the gapped phrases are usually grammatical in nature, they’re normally brief and easy, resembling prepositions (in, on) and articles (a, the). Nonetheless, these ‘easy’ phrases will likely be positioned inside a comparatively advanced setting.

What widespread elements of speech are sometimes examined partially 2 of the C2 Studying and Use of English paper?

Components of speech which can be usually gapped embrace:

• Prepositions – with out, end in, no matter
• Multi-word prepositions/prepositional phrases – aside from, aside from, out of order
• Subordinating conjunctions – though, whereas, until, till, with a purpose to
• Multi-word conjunctions – so that, so long as, in order to, offered that
• Relative pronouns – who, which
• Linkers – furthermore, not to mention
• Phrasal verbs – set somebody aside, flip up
• Mounted phrases – on no account, in terms of, to such an extent, as a rule
• Graded quantifiers – many, fewer
• Idioms/collocations – (it) goes with out saying, (in) a method or one other, on the horizon, kill time, happen

How lengthy ought to candidates spend on half 2 of the C2 Studying and Use of English paper?

I like to recommend candidates to spend now not than FIVE minutes on half 2 of the C2 Studying and Use of English Paper.

An Instance of an Open Cloze Activity

Options to pattern duties might be discovered on the finish of this publish.

Ideas for acing half 2 of the C2 Studying and Use of English Paper

1. To start with, have a look at the title and briefly skim your complete textual content with a purpose to grasp what the textual content is about.

2. Learn the entire textual content once more ignoring the gaps.

3. Learn the textual content once more sentence by sentence, versus line by line. Take note of the phrases and constructions earlier than and after every hole as they could kind a part of a phrase or expression which is accomplished by the lacking phrase.

4. If it helps, learn the sentences each earlier than and after the entire sentence with the hole in it. Many solutions could require you to recognise the movement and connections between concepts and data within the textual content. Certainly, consciousness of the author’s practice of thought and logical argument performs a considerable position within the C2 Proficiency Studying and Use of English paper. In case you take into account every hole in isolation, you might produce a solution which seems to make sense throughout the slender context of the few phrases both facet of the hole. Nonetheless, you will see that the reply doesn’t make sense throughout the context of the textual content.

5. If you’re struggling, it could aid you to learn by means of the entire article rigorously and determine which sort of phrase is lacking from every hole, e.g. a query phrase, a preposition, a verb or a noun and many others. You may also attain the conclusion that the lacking phrase makes up a phrase or idiom.

Within the pattern textual content above, it’s apparent that hole 9 is a query phrase (why?) due to the query mark. 

6. Search for a referent (e.g. names; locations; pronouns, he/they, and many others.) in one other a part of the sentence. Guarantee that the phrase you write within the hole agrees with the topic.

7. When you may have completed, learn the entire textual content once more to ensure that it reads nicely and is smart.

Within the lead as much as taking the C2 proficiency examination, how are you going to enhance your possibilities of getting a high mark for half 2 of the Studying and Use of English Paper?

Maybe greater than the rest, this process revolves across the information and recognition of grammatical patterns, mounted phrases, prepositional phrases and multi-word conjunctions.

I are likely to advise candidates to hunt out as many tutorial and journalistic articles as attainable and provoke the method of noting down the numerous grammatical patterns and multi-word phrases they arrive throughout. If it helps, these articles can relate to an space of private curiosity. It will even be a prudent transfer to hunt out as many pattern/previous C2 (beforehand CPE) Studying and Use of English papers as attainable for the needs of selecting out phrases.

The next paragraph is from an article titled ‘The Position of Constructive Feelings in Constructive Psychology: The Broaden-and-Construct Idea of Constructive Feelings’  by Barbara Fredrickson (2001):

Evidently, this paragraph is simply what the physician ordered in terms of making ready for half 2 of the Studying and Use of English Paper. Remembering that the lacking phrases are usually grammatical in nature, and are thus relatively brief and easy, it might be price taking a be aware of the next grammatical patterns and phrases: 

• On first consideration
• serve as
• characterised by
• in which
• Constant with this
• In accordance to
• the entire story
• inside the current (second)
• over the long run
• not simply as
• in themselves
• as a way to

All the phrases in daring are the type which you might have to hole. The following step could be so as to add these phrases/chunks of phrases to a desk. For instance, you are able to do this on a Google Doc. After that, I might suggest you to attempt to discover synonyms for related multi-word gadgets. For instance, I’ve a sense that in response to could also be a bit too easy to look in a C2 Use of English process. Nonetheless, this doesn’t imply you can not seek for equal phrases in a great on-line dictionary. I’ve discovered the next synonyms for in response to:

• in accordance with
• in conformity with
• in step with
• as claimed by

You too can add these synonyms to the entry for ‘in response to’ in your desk. For some entries, you might want to add entire sentences containing the goal phrases so that you’ve got larger context and as a possible reminiscence assist for the goal phrases. You will discover instance sentences in any respected on-line dictionary, resembling Cambridge Dictionary.

Half 3 – Phrase-Constructing Activity

Half 3 of the C2 Use of English paper is a Phrase-Constructing process. Candidates ought to learn the textual content and full the EIGHT numbered gaps with a type of the phrase in capitals on the finish of the road. This phrase on the finish of the road is named, amongst different phrases, a stem phrase. There may be an instance firstly of the textual content. This instance is taken from the pattern Phrase-Constructing process which follows under:

As you may see, the stem phrase is EFFECT (a noun). You would need to change impact into EFFECTIVE (an adjective) to finish the hole.

ONE mark is awarded for every right reply. Every phrase have to be accurately spelt.

What does the Phrase-Constructing Activity take a look at?

The main target of the Phrase-Constructing Activity is especially lexical (e.g. compounding, affixation, suffixation).

How lengthy ought to candidates spend on half 3 of the C2 Studying and Use of English paper?

I like to recommend candidates to spend now not than FIVE minutes on half 3 of the C2 Studying and Use of English Paper.

An Instance of a Phrase Formation Activity

How are you going to maximise your possibilities of getting a high mark partially 3 of the C2 Studying and Use of English Paper?

1. As with half 2, start by skim-reading the textual content, ignoring the phrases offered.

2. Step one within the word-building course of is deciding what a part of speech the lacking phrase in every hole needs to be. Extra of than not, you’ll have to kind a noun from a given verb or an adjective from a given noun. Much less generally, you might have to kind an adverb from a noun.

It’s best to possess sufficient fundamental grammatical information to work out from the context what a part of speech the phrase it’s important to kind have to be.

For instance, it needs to be widespread information that naked infinitives comply with modal verbs resembling could, might and, within the instance under, can. Subsequently, the one viable infinitive kind associated to the bottom phrase firm is accompany:

4. Having recognized what a part of speech the gapped phrase needs to be, you now want to think about the kind of phrase formation that’s required. The forms of word-building contain the next:

(a) Affixation:

Affixation refers back to the strategy of including affixes (specifically prefixes and suffixes) to a phrase to a base phrase to kind a brand new phrase. Frequent prefixes embrace un-, im-, dis- and over-. As for suffixes, widespread examples embrace -al, -ful, -ment and -tion.

At this stage, Cambridge English tends to demand that you just provide each a prefix and a suffix to kind the required phrase. Subsequently, it could be helpful to study that im- is used earlier than the letters m and p, as in motionless and impatient. Nonetheless, Cambridge English could also be extra inclined for candidates to produce a prefix and suffix for a damaging noun based mostly on a stem phrase that may be a verb.

Within the instance under, the verb orientate needs to be became a noun which requires information of each the required prefix (-dis) and required suffix (-ion). The gapped phrase is disorientation. 

This instance with disorientation proves the purpose that, even in case you don’t know what the gapped phrase is on the idea of the stem phrase, you may nonetheless draw in your information of English to supply a phrase which you are feeling sounds right. The verb forestall means that the next noun is damaging in its relation to awakening. Subsequent, you may take into account the primary letter of orientate – ‘o’. In an effort to create the damaging type of nouns starting with the letter ‘o’, resembling organisation, obedience and order, you usually want so as to add the prefix dis-. That’s one clue. The second clue for this explicit gapped phrase revolves across the suffix -tate. You’ll be able to seek advice from your information of English once more to work out that verbs ending within the suffix -tate, resembling imitate, are likely to take the suffix – tion within the noun kind (imitation).

Frequent affixes and modifications to phrase types

• verb to noun – act to interplay
• verb to plural noun – apply to candidates
• noun to adjective – flaw to flawless
• noun to damaging adverb – impact to ineffectively
• adjective to damaging adverb – particular to indefinitely
• adjective to verb – deep to deepened

(b) Inside/ Grammatical modifications

Phrase-building additionally includes making inside modifications to the stem phrase, for instance, robust to strengthened. Subsequently, any variety of modifications could also be made to the stem phrase, together with refined modifications in spelling. A refined change in spelling seems within the transformation of fluctuate to invariably with the ‘y’ in fluctuate turning into ‘i’ in the midst of invariably. As one other instance, altering doubt to undoubtedly quantities to 3 modifications, not forgetting that different letters have additionally been added (-ed) to kind a damaging adverb.

(c) Compounding

Often, you might have to alter the stem phrase to kind a compound phrase. Within the instance under, you would need to add -fall to rain to create the compound noun rainfall.

Have a go at finishing this C2 phrase formation train.

Closing Ideas and making ready for the Phrase-Constructing Activity earlier than the examination

Having accomplished a lot of pattern Studying and Use of English papers in current weeks, I discover it simpler to do word-building duties than Open Cloze (half 2) and Key Phrase Transformation duties (half 4). Frankly, I’m upset if I don’t get 100% on each Key Phrase Transformation process I do.

In fact, it’s mightily tough to organize for a C2 Phrase-Constructing process. In any case, it’s unattainable to get to know the vary of phrases that may be shaped from the numerous tens of hundreds of base phrases there are, together with all of the damaging types. Nonetheless, I’d like to depart you with one ultimate piece of recommendation. The stem phrases offered by Cambridge English are usually pretty widespread nouns and verbs. Often, Cambridge could present an adjective because the stem phrase. 

I’ve simply discovered stem phrases resembling break, shut, progress, repeat and common in pattern papers. This means to me that, whereas studying a textual content, you may attempt to decide which verbs, nouns and adjectives are ‘widespread’. 

I’ve simply discovered an artworkicle on the BBC web site about how vacation resorts are rethinking the all-inclusive vacation. If I have been making ready for half 3 of the C2 Use of English examination, I might do the next with this text: