c1 vocabulary for essay

• How to write a C1 Advanced Essay

• Posted on 26/02/2020
• Categories: Blog
• Tags: C1 Advanced , Cambridge Exams , Writing

The Cambridge C1 Advanced is an excellent qualification to aim for if you’re thinking of studying or working abroad. It’s recognised by universities and governments all over the world and also helps you prove your language skills to future employers.

One of the most demanding parts of the exam is Part 1 of the Writing paper, which includes writing an essay. For many of you, this won’t come naturally… especially in another language.

So, to give you the best chance at success, we’ve created this in-depth guide full of Cambridge C1 Advanced Writing tips and useful language to get you producing excellent essays in no time.

So, pick up your pen, and let’s get started!

If you’d like to get more help with the C1 Advanced, consider our exam preparation class!

C1 Advanced Writing Requirements

The C1 Advanced Writing exam has two writing parts, which you must complete in 90 minutes. Both parts have a word limit of between 220-260 words. We recommend getting lots of writing practice under these conditions!

Part 1 is always a discursive essay . It requires you to think about arguments for and against a topic.

Part 2 is a situationally based writing task. This could be a letter , an email , a report , a proposal or a review and you have three options to choose from.

Today, we’ll be looking at how to do your best in part 1.

Before you begin

When you turn over the paper and begin Writing Part 1, take some time to read the task instructions. Identify all parts of the question, underlining which parts are obligatory and noting which parts are optional.

Let’s take a look at an example question!

Remember, you don’t have to use the opinions expressed in the box, but they may help you to get the ball rolling . Also, you only have to talk about two of the options given, not all three.

Make a plan

Take ten minutes to lay out your ideas. Make a pros and cons list for each of the three options and then decide which two you feel most confident with. Here’s some things you might come up with, can you think of any more?

Structure your essay

The essence of a good essay is a clear structure.

Introduction

Here you want to introduce the topic in your own words. Your first line should also grab the reader’s attention, then you should paraphrase the question. Finally, try using a statistic or a rhetorical question. This will make them want to read on, right?

Paragraph 1

Discuss the first option you’ve chosen. Include a good topic sentence and remember to give reasons for your answer. Describe some of the advantages, and even some of the disadvantages too. This will give a well-balanced argument.

Paragraph 2

Here’s where you introduce the second option. Again, try to present both sides of the argument and give reasons for your ideas. Gradually work towards the conclusion.

State your final opinion. This should be a summary of the rest of the essay and point clearly to which option you think is the most important. Do not introduce any new arguments at this stage. The conclusion is where you tie-up any loose ends .

This is an advanced piece of writing, so make sure your choice of language reflects it. You will get marked for accuracy, however, occasional errors can still be present as long as they do not impede understanding. So don’t play it too safe . This is your opportunity to show what you can do, so take some risks and have fun with it!

In the writing paper you should use a range of vocabulary, including less common lexis. Brainstorm some vocabulary related to the topic. Take your time to think of nouns and compound nouns that you know at C1 level. Really let your vocabulary sparkle .

No one likes a broken record . Find synonyms for simple words. You want to use a variety of language, and try not to repeat yourself too much. Check out these different ways of saying the same thing:

advantage = benefit, positive, upside

disadvantage = downside, drawback

effect = influence, impact, result, outcome

problem = issue, challenge, difficulty, obstacle, setback, complication

important = valuable, essential, beneficial

expensive = costly, dear, high-priced, extortionate

cheap = inexpensive, affordable, economical

big = great, large, sizeable, considerable, wide, vast

small = slight, tiny, little

Quick tip: Visit Thesaurus.com to study more synonyms!

Experiment with different grammatical forms. At this level you’re expected to have a good grasp on the grammar. You should use a range of simple and complex grammatical forms with control and flexibility. So challenge yourself with some of these…

• Participle clauses
• Conditionals
• Modal verbs
• Passive with reporting verbs
• Cleft sentences
• Comparatives
• Relative clauses

Useful expressions

To make your essay flow it’s best to use some key phrases. These will link all your ideas together, and help it sound semi-formal. Take a look at the expressions below. Why not use some in your next essay?

Introduction:

It is often said that…

Many people feel that…

We live in an age when..

More and more…

Introducing & Addition:

Firstly, secondly, thirdly…

On the one hand…

In addition…

What is more…

For example…

For instance…

As a case in point…

Contrasting:

In contrast…

On the other hand…

Alternatively…

However…

Conclusion:

All things considered…

As far as I’m concerned…

In light of the above…

What the examiners are looking for

When writing your essay, bear in mind what you’ll be marked on:

Have you answered all parts of the question? Is everything relevant to the question?

Communicative Achievement

Is the style and tone appropriate? Remember it should be semi-formal and neutral.

Organisation

Does it follow a logical order? Have you used paragraphs and linking devices?

Are you using a variety of grammar and vocabulary? Is it accurate?

Now your masterpiece has come together. Remember to take time to check your work. Here’s the official Writing Checklist from Cambridge Assessment English . And our list of the most common mistakes:

• subject + verb agreement
• singulars / plurals
• question formation
• variety of tenses
• dependent prepositions

Some final tips

Avoid contractions (I’m, they’re, we’re) as this is a formal writing.

Don’t use first person pronouns (I, my, our, us).

Practise under timed conditions.

Use model answers to practise fixed expressions.

——

Looking for more help with your Cambridge C1 Advanced exam? Here are our other guides from our blog:

C1 Advanced Reading and Use of English – Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3

And if you are not sure if you’re ready for the C1 Advanced, check out our article Am I ready for the C1 Advanced exam? to find out!

Glossary for Language Learners

Find the following words in the article and then write down any new ones you didn’t know.

Get the ball rolling (exp) : to start something.

Lay out (v): to explain something in detail.

Paraphrase (v): to say the same thing in a different way.

Tie-up any loose ends (exp): to resolve issues.

Play it safe (exp): to act cautiously.

A broken record (exp): when someone repeats themself.

Sparkle (v) : to shine.

Good grasp (exp): a good knowledge.

Bear in mind (exp) : to consider.

Masterpiece (n): an incredible work of art.

exp = expression

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Small Talk For Business English

• By: oxfordadmin
• Posted on 19/02/2020

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How to Write an Essay for C1 Advanced (CAE)

Luis @ kse academy.

• diciembre 21, 2022

As I’m sure you already know, Cambridge exams have several papers (Reading, Writing, Use of English, Speaking and Listening), and each of these components is divided into different parts. In this post, I want to focus on Writing Part 1 of the C1 Advanced, that is, how to write an Essay for the CAE . Because, remember, C1 Writing Part 1 will always be an essay 🙂 

Sample C1 Essay

New C1 Writing Guide out now!

• 3 examples of every task type
• Essay, Review, Formal and Informal Email and Letter, Report & Proposal
• 500+ useful phrases ready to use in your writings
• 95 pages of exclusive and original writing content
• Description of the C1 Writing paper
• Detailed description of each part of the Writing paper
• Assessment criteria and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

See sample or Buy on Amazon

What are the parts of the C1 Advanced Writing?

The C1 Advanced (CAE) Writing, as we have already seen in another article, has 2 parts , and for each one you will have to write a text according to the exercise instructions. What you should know is that there is a limited range of text types that you may be asked to write in each part, so let’s see: 

• Writing Part 1: In this part you will always have to write an essay, and you will have no other options to choose from. That’s why it is really important that you pay attention to this article and learn how to write an essay for C1 Advanced to the best of your ability. 
• Formal letter/email
• Informal letter/email
• Review 
• Proposal 

Each writing task you do should be between 220 and 260 words long, approximately, and, as they are different types of writing, you should take into account the peculiarities of each one in terms of structure, register, grammar and vocabulary, etc. 

So let’s start with the one that concerns us in this article: Essays! 

What is an essay ?

An Essay is a text of opinion in which we analyse a topic, a situation or a problem from different points of view or by considering several points or solutions to the problem. In each of the paragraphs, we deal with each point and express different facts, considerations and opinions. 

Now that we know what an essay is, let’s look at how to write an essay and its characteristics. 

How to Write an Essay for CAE Writing

Here are the main characteristics of a C1-level essay so that you can keep them in mind when writing: 

• Purpose: With an essay, what we do is evaluate a topic, situation or problem that is of some interest or controversy (e.g. teenage mobile phone use ). Often, the Writing activity is set as a task that takes place after a class debate. In an exam, you will have to imagine the debate for yourself (duh!).
• Tone and register: As it is a text on a serious or controversial topic, the Essay is always written in a formal context, so we must use an objective tone. Furthermore, the linguistic register should always be formal, avoiding common words such as things , stuff , get , etc.; contractions ( can’t , don’t , won’t , etc.); or expressions that may sound informal. 
• Structure: Like all writing tasks, an essay has a fairly well-defined structure, although it is not 100% fixed and immovable. To begin with, we can choose to give it a title or not, but, personally, I find it more appropriate to write an Essay with a title. Have you ever seen a text published without a title? Probably not.  As for the body of the essay, it should be divided into the following paragraphs: introduction, point 1, point 2 and conclusion. In other words, in general, a Cambridge C1 Essay should have 4-5 paragraphs.
• Opinion: This is where we have the most leeway when writing an essay for C1. There are many ways of expressing your opinion in an Essay, so you should choose the one that best suits your Writing approach. What I usually recommend, however, is that you remain impartial throughout the whole text and only express your opinion at the end, in the last paragraph, as a conclusion. As always, the most important thing is that you justify everything you say in your writing and that your conclusion answers the main question of the assignment.
• Coherence and progression: Coherence is essential in all Writings, but especially in the essay. As it is a supporting and argumentative text, you cannot write unconnected sentences and paragraphs; the ideas must follow a logical and well-connected order, using connectors appropriate to C1 level, in this case. Furthermore, the reader must perceive a logical progression of paragraphs, without losing the thread of what you are trying to argue. Otherwise, when they get to the last paragraph, they won’t know what you are talking about and our writing will have failed catastrophically. 

CAE Writing Essay Example

Now that we are familiar with the main features of an essay for Cambridge Advanced (CAE) Writing, let’s look at a sample essay at C1 level, both the sample instructions and a possible answer.

C1 Essay Instructions

In the picture below you can see an example from the Cambridge website. 

From these instructions, we must always extract the essentials: 

• Topic: facilities which should receive money from local authorities
• sports centres
• public gardens
• «Museums aren’t popular with everybody!»
• «Sports centres mean healthier people.»
• «A town needs green spaces – parks are great for everybody.»
• Address only 2 of the 3 points given. 
• Answer and justify the main question (« to which facility is it most important that local authorities give money «).
• Justify your answer (« giving reasons in support of your answer «)
• Use your own words (« use your own words as far as possible «)

According to the task model outlined above, we can approach out writing with the following structure: 

• Introduction
• Point 1 (museums)
• Point 2 (sports centres)

Although it is not set in stone, you will normally get 4 paragraphs. So now let’s look at an example Essay for CAE Writing: 

At first glance, we can see that this Essay for C1 has an introductory title and 4 paragraphs ( introduction , museums , sports , conclusion ). In addition, if we read the text carefully, we can see the following aspects: 

• Title: The title perfectly summarises for the reader the topic to be covered in the text. Sometimes, a title in the form of a question such as « Which facilities should receive funding from local authorities? » can be a good idea, although I always prefer more concise titles.
• Introduction : introduces the topic and mentions the two options we are going to discuss in the following paragraphs. 
• Museums : Discusses the benefits of museums and the benefits of investing money in them. 
• Sports centres : Discusses the benefits of sports centres and the consequences of investing money in them. 
• Conclusion : In a very clear way, museums are seen as the ones that should receive the investment for certain reasons that are well justified. 
• Connectors: Connectors are used that clearly define the coherence and progression of the text.: on the one/other hand, in addition, ultimately, however, while, etc. 
• We do not use contractions or catch-all words.
• When it comes to
• comes to mind
• valuable cultural resource
• heritage 
• generating income
• engage in physical activity
• positive outlet for energy
• Grammar is also advanced (E.g.: Not only can…, but they also… )

In short, this is a good example of an Essay for CAE Writing. It should be noted, however, that this writing is written to simulate a strong C1 level, perhaps without necessarily going into a C2 level.

Will I be penalised if I write less than 220 or more than 260 words?

This is the most typical question in this part of the exam and the answer is: yes and no. Let me explain. The assessors won’t count the words and penalise you according to the number of words only. There is a rumour going around among students and teachers that for every 10 words they take away X points, but this is not true. However, if you have gone over 260 words by 50 or 100 words, or more, there is probably some content that is not relevant to the assignment, and that is penalised. Likewise, if you write less than 220 words, you are probably missing important information or you are not covering it in the detail required by the task instructions.

For this reason, I always recommend going over 20 words at most. That way you won’t lose points if your assignment covers the required topics and points. 🙂

The best guide for C1 Advanced Writing with examples and useful expressions

Although I will be publishing more articles explaining how to do each type of task for C1 Advanced, the best thing you can do to get plenty of information and practice is to buy the official KSE Academy guide to CAE Writing. In this guide you will find the following:

I hope you found this post useful. If you did, don’t forget to share with your friends and family. 🙂

I’ll see you in the next post. Until then, don’t forget to keep smiling! 

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Useful phrases for your essays (advanced level)

Here you have some phrases to include in your essays (CEFR C1-C2). Hope you like it and find it useful !!

Introducing the phenomenon to be discussed

• More and more families are choosing to have only one child.
• The trend nowadays is towards having smaller families.
• Over the past ten years or so the media have frequently carried reports of ……………
• Recent research indicates that the number of teenagers who smoke is increasing.
• Hardly a week goes by without another report of …………….. appearing in the media.
• This raises the issue of whether ……………..
• Although most people would generally agree that …………… few would deny that …………….

Stating your opinion

• As I see it,
• It seems to me that ………… I would also say that ….
• I am convinced that ……………
• I am inclined to believe that ………………
• There is no doubt in my mind that ………………
• One of the drawbacks of ……. is ……….
• However, one of the benefits is that …………

Changing topic

• As regards the causes for this, …………..
• Concerning the causes for this, ………
• As for the causes, ………..

Presenting arguments

• One justification often given for ……….. is that……………..
• Advocates/Proponents would claim that ………………
• Those who object to …………….. often argue that ……………….
• Another objection is that ……
• However, it should not be forgotten that …………..
• ……….. are opposed to ……………. on the grounds that ……………..
• From the point of view of ……………..
• According to ………………..

Describing causes

• One factor which has led to ………… is …………..
• One of the factors which has brought this about is ………
• The problem often stems from ………………..
• The situation has been exacerbated by …………….
• ………….. has only made the situation worse.
• One consequence of ……………. is …………….

Proposing steps and measures

• As regards the most appropriate response to this situation, one suggestion would be to ………
• The first step to be taken would be to ……..
• To alleviate the situation people should ………..
• In addition they ought to ……………
• To begin to tackle this situation society/individuals/the government need/s to ……….
• ………….. would certainly ameliorate the situation.
• This can only be dealt with if …………
• To overcome this problem, …………..
• Were the government to ……………, the situation would doubtless improve.
• Individuals can do a great deal to …………
• The burden of responsiblity lies in the hands of ……..
• It is vitally important that ………
• Legislation should be introduced to control ……………..
• It would be a grave error if we ……………..
• All in all it seems to me that ………..
• The obvious conclusion to be drawn is that …………………..
• All things considered, ………….
• On balance, I tend to believe that …………
• The world would surely be a better place to live in if …………..
• If people stopped ….ing, we would have/ we could look forward to a ……………
• The prospects for the future will be bleak/grim unless ……………….

I think you should also have a few pages somewhere where you can keep a record of other useful essay phrases that you come across in your reading. Write them down and practise using them in your own writing.

Look out for more advanced expressions that you can use in place of phrases that weren’t even impressive at the B2 level – phrases like “solve the problem”. Here are a few alternative problem and solution phrases to get you going.:

a  crisis  in education which must be  addressed

something that must  be tackled  /  be dealt with

a  challenge  which must  be met

something must be done  to restore  law and order in the inner cities

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C1 advanced exam format.

C1 Advanced is a thorough test of all areas of language ability.

The exam is made up of four papers developed to test your English language skills. You can see exactly what’s in each paper below.

The formats below are the same for both the paper-based and computer-based exams and digital exams. Please note, during March 2024 we will be moving from our current computer-based exam delivery to Cambridge English Qualifications Digital, which will offer you even more benefits. Information on the switch and what this means for you can be found on our Cambridge English Qualifications Digital page.

• openbook Reading and Use of English
• compose Writing
• playlist Listening
• megaphone Speaking

openbook What’s in the Reading and Use of English paper?

The C1 Advanced Reading and Use of English paper is in eight parts and has a mix of text types and questions.

Part 1 (Multiple-choice cloze)

Part 2 (Open cloze)

Part 3 (Word formation)

Part 4 (Key word transformations)

Part 5 (Multiple choice)

Part 6 (Cross-text multiple matching)

Part 7 (Gapped text)

Part 8 (Multiple matching)

compose What’s in the Writing paper?

In the two parts of the C1 Advanced Writing paper, you have to show that you can write different types of text in English.

Part 1 (Compulsory question)

Part 2 (Situationally based writing task)

playlist What’s in the Listening paper?

The C1 Advanced Listening paper has four parts. For each part you have to listen to a recorded text or texts and answer some questions. You hear each recording twice.

Part 1 (Multiple choice)

Part 2 (Sentence completion)

Part 3 (Multiple choice)

Part 4 (Multiple matching)

megaphone What’s in the Speaking paper?

The C1 Advanced Speaking test has four parts and you take it together with another candidate.

There are two examiners. One of the examiners conducts the test (asks you questions, gives you the paper with things to talk about, and so on). The other examiner listens to what you say and takes notes.

Part 1 (Interview)

Part 2 (Long turn)

Part 3 (Collaborative task)

Part 4 (Discussion)

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• 6 Cambridge English Advanced: Writing Part 2 – Report
• 7 Cambridge English Advanced: Speaking Part 1 – Social interaction
• 8 Cambridge English: Advanced Practice Tests

Cambridge English Advanced: Writing Part 1 – Essay

By Russell Whitehead and Jo Kent

• No comments

This lesson aims to help students prepare for the essay section of the Advanced Writing paper.

Cambridge English Advanced: Writing Part 1 – Essay: Lesson plan

• British English
• Cambridge: C1 Advanced (CAE)
• Lesson Plan / Teacher's Notes
• Teaching Notes
• Up to 90 mins
• Upper-Intermediate

Cambridge English Advanced: Reading and Use of English Part 1

Cambridge english advanced: reading and use of english part 2, cambridge english advanced: reading and use of english part 3, cambridge english advanced: writing part 2 – report, cambridge english advanced: speaking part 1 – social interaction, cambridge english: advanced practice tests, related articles.

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Practice tests for all aspects of the Cambridge English: Advanced exam

This lesson aims to help students prepare for part 3 of the Advanced Reading and Use of English paper.

This lesson aims to help students prepare for part 2 of the Advanced Reading and Use of English paper.

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Vocabulary to Improve your Writing and Speaking in the CAE Exam

One of the things which you will be evaluated on in the Writing and Speaking parts of Cambridge Advanced exam is your use of English vocabulary.

To get a higher mark in these parts you need to use a variety of words and phrases.

To help you do this, you'll find below a list of advanced synonyms that you can use for some common English words that you will already know and use.

Although all of these words/phrases are synonyms, some are used slightly differently to the main word (e.g. they could be used in a different part of the sentence etc...). So read the description below each synonym and read the example sentence to make sure that you use them correctly.

In addition to using the below advanced synonyms of commonly used words in your speaking and writing in the exam, there are other things you should improve for the exam in general, for instance, your knowledge of phrasal verbs and grammatical structures .

Practise using them

Before you see the list of synonyms, there is one thing you need to know. In order to remember them for the exam, you need practise using them as much as possible. So make sure that you create sentences in your own words using them. You can either write these down or just say them, it's your choice, but try to make as many sentences as you can.

This is used to support an argument you or another person is making (to give extra reasons/examples) and to give extra information about a thing or person (e.g. 'I also play football')

Although these synonyms have the same meaning as 'also', what you say when using them is different to what you would say if only using 'also'. For many of them, you have to say what the previous reason or example was directly after using them (which you don't do when using 'also' by it self). In addition to that, many of them will also use 'also' later in the sentence (like this sentence for example).

In addition to

This is normally used to connect/link the information in two sentences together. You follow it by saying what the previous argument you made or piece of information about the thing was:

'Going to university is good for your job prospects in the future. In addition to improving your job prospects, it also helps your intellectual development.'

'Going to university is good for your job prospects in the future. In addition, it also helps your intellectual development.'

This is used in exactly the same way as you use 'in addition to', but shouldn't be used when writing formal pieces of writing (e.g. essays, reports, proposals):

'Going to university is good for your job prospects in the future. On top of improving your job prospects, it also helps your intellectual development.'

This can be used to both connect/link two pieces of information together in the same sentence and connect/link the information in two sentences together:

'Going to university is good for your job prospects in the future. Besides improving your job prospects, it also helps your intellectual development.'

Not only..., but...also...

This is normally used to connect/link two pieces of information together in the same sentence. If you use it, you need to use a question like structure (e.g. 'did he...', 'were they...' etc...) directly after the 'Not only':

' Not only does going to university help your job prospects, but it also helps your intellectual development.'

This is normally used to connect/link two pieces of information together in the same sentence:

'Going to university is good for your job prospects in the future. Along with improving your job prospects, it also helps your intellectual development.'

This is normally used to connect/link two pieces of information together in the same sentence. This shouldn't be used when writing formal pieces of writing (e.g. essays, reports, proposals):

'Going to university is good for your job prospects in the future. As well as improving your job prospects, it also helps your intellectual development.'

The word 'although' is commonly used to say there is a contradiction between a situation ('it was raining') and what happened or will happen ('I went for a walk'). The word 'although' and its synonyms below are always used in front of the situation (e.g. 'although it was raining'). This is different to another word used for making a contrast, 'but'. With 'but', you use it in front of the what happened or will happen (e.g. 'but I went for a walk').

Despite the fact that

It is used in exactly the same way as 'although':

' Despite the fact that most people are very worried about global warming, very few people are willing to change things in their life in order to stop it.'

You can also just use ' despite '. But if you do, it should only be followed by a noun or noun phrase (e.g. 'the heavy rain'):

' Despite the film being nearly 3 hours long, I never looked at my watch while watching the film in the cinema.'

In spite of the fact that

' In spite of the fact that most people are very worried about global warming, very few people are willing to change things in their life in order to stop it.'

You can also just use ' in spite of '. But if you do, it should only be followed by a noun or noun phrase (e.g. 'the heavy rain'):

' In spite of the film being nearly 3 hours long, I never looked at my watch while watching the film in the cinema.'

Even though

' Even though most people are very worried about global warming, very few people are willing to change things in their life in order to stop it.'

It is used in exactly the same way as 'although', but shouldn't be used when writing formal pieces of writing (e.g. essays, reports, proposals):

' Though most people are very worried about global warming, very few people are willing to change things in their life in order to stop it.'

This is used to give a reason why something happened, happens or will happen.

Due to the fact that

It is used in exactly the same way as 'because':

'I don't think that many people would choose to stop using their car, due to the fact that public transport is slow and often dirty.'

You can also just use ' due to '. But if you do, it should only be followed by a noun or noun phrase (e.g. 'the heavy rain'):

' Due to public transport being slow and dirty, I don't think that many people would choose to stop using their car.'

Owing to the fact that

Is used in exactly the same way as 'because':

' Owing to the fact that public transport is slow and often dirty, I don't think that many people would choose to stop using their car.

You can also just use ' owing to '. But if you do, it should only be followed by a noun or noun phrase (e.g. 'the heavy rain'):

'I don't think that many people would choose to stop using their car, owing to public transport being slow and dirty.'

On account of the fact that

' On account of the fact that public transport is slow and often dirty, I don't think that many people would choose to stop using their car.'

You can also just use ' on account of '. But like the two previous synonyms, if you use this shortened version, it has to be followed by a noun or noun phrase (e.g. 'the heavy rain'):

' On account of public transport being slow and dirty, I don't think that many people would choose to stop using their car.'

Is used in exactly the same way as 'because', but shouldn't be used when writing formal pieces of writing (e.g. essays, reports, proposals):

' As university is now very expensive to go to, more and more young people are now choosing not to go.'

' Since university is now very expensive to go to, more and more young people are now choosing not to go.'

This form of 'because' is used as a preposition (i.e. it can only be followed by a noun or noun phrase):

' Because of public transport being slow and dirty, I don't think that many people would choose to stop using their car.'

Believe/think

The below synonyms of ' believe ' or ' think ' are used when expressing your opinion about something.

Used to give your opinion on something like 'believe' or 'think'. When you use 'consider', it sounds like you have thought a lot on the topic/subject/issue:

'I don't consider global warming to be such an important reason why people would choose to stop using their car.'

Used to give your opinion on something like 'believe' or 'think':

'I don't regard global warming to be such an important reason why people would choose to stop using their car.'

It is my view

'It is my view that if most people were given the choice, they'd prefer to travel by their own car than by public transport.'

Used to give your opinion on something like 'believe' or 'think', but shouldn't be used when writing formal pieces of writing (e.g. essays, reports, proposals):

'I reckon that if most people were given the choice, they'd prefer to travel by their own car than by public transport.'

'I feel that if most people were given the choice, they'd prefer to travel by their own car than by public transport.'

But (meaning 1)

This first use of the word 'but' (there are synonyms for another meaning of it after this) is used to say there is a contradiction between a situation ('it was raining') and what happened or will happen ('I went for a walk'). The word 'but' and its synonyms below are always used in front of the what happened or will happen (e.g. 'but I went for a walk'). This is different to another word used for making a contrast, 'although', which is always used in front of the situation instead (e.g. 'although it was raining').

In addition, it is also used when you want to contradict what you or another person has said or written before.

Is used in the same way as 'but', but it is generally followed by a comma and is normally used (but not always) at the beginning of a sentence to contrast what was stated/said in the previous sentence:

'Most people are very worried about global warming. However , very few people are willing to change things in their life in order to stop it.'

Nevertheless,

Used like 'however'. It can used in both the middle of a sentence (to connect the two parts/clauses) and at the beginning of a sentence to contrast what was stated/said in the previous sentence:

'Most people are very worried about global warming, nevertheless very few people are willing to change things in their life in order to stop it.'

Nonetheless,

Is used in exactly the same way as 'nevertheless':

'Most people are very worried about global warming, nonetheless very few people are willing to change things in their life in order to stop it.'

Despite that,

Is used in exactly the same way as 'however':

'Most people are very worried about global warming. Despite that , very few people are willing to change things in their life in order to stop it.'

Is used in the same way as 'but'. You also can 'but' in front of it is you want (e.g. 'but even so'). It shouldn't be used when writing formal pieces of writing (e.g. essays, reports, proposals):

'Most people are very worried about global warming. Even so , very few people are willing to change things in their life in order to stop it.'

Is used in the same way as 'but':

'Most people are very worried about global warming, yet very few people are willing to change things in their life in order to stop it.'

But (meaning 2)

The second use of the word 'but' is used to say that there is a difference when directly comparing two things together (e.g. 'I like oranges, but my brother doesn't like them'). You can use these when comparing the photos or talking about the different options in parts 2 and 3 of the Speaking exam.

'The people in the first photo appear to be feeling frustrated. Whereas those in the third photo look like they’re more anxious.'

'The people in the first photo appear to be feeling frustrated. Whilst those in the third photo appear to be more anxious.''

'The people in the first photo appear to be feeling frustrated. However , those in the third photo look as though they’re more anxious.'

Conversely,

'The people in the first photo appear to be feeling frustrated. Conversely , those in the third photo seem to be more anxious.''

For example

Below are synonyms of 'for example' that you can use when wanting to give examples to support an opinion.

For instance,

Is used in the same way as 'for example':

'There are many things that you can do to reduce traffic in cities. For instance , charging drivers to enter it.'

Used as a preposition (so followed by either a noun or noun phrase). You can also end the sentence where you use it with 'for example' or 'for instance':

'There are many things that you can do to reduce traffic in cities, such as charging drivers to enter it for example.'

'There are many things that you can do to reduce traffic in cities, like charging drivers to enter it for instance.'

This is good for referring to things you or your partner said before (especially in the Speaking part of the exam).

Used with the same meaning of 'say' when you want to refer to what you or the other person said before:

'As you stated before, people will normally choose the thing which is the cheapest to buy.'

'As I remarked before, people will normally choose the thing which is the cheapest to buy.'

'As we commented on before, people will normally choose the thing which is the cheapest to buy.'

'As I mentioned before, people will normally choose the thing which is the cheapest to buy.'

Used with the same meaning of 'say' when you want to refer to what was said before. However, this should only be used to say what you talked about together (so you can only use 'we' in front of it):

'As we discussed before, people will normally choose the thing which is the cheapest to buy.'

Like with seem, the below synonyms are used when you want to express a bit of uncertainty when saying why some happened, what happened or when describing what you can see in the photos in the speaking part of the exam.

Used in the same way as 'seem':

'The people in the photo appear to be in a library or maybe a book shop due to their being a lot of books around them.'

'The people in the photo look like they are in a library or maybe a book shop due to their being a lot of books around them.'

Look as though

'The people in the photo look as though they are in a library or maybe a book shop due to their being a lot of books around them.'

It has many meanings. Below are the synonyms for 'so' when it is used with the meaning of 'as a result' or 'for this reason' (when you want to give or explain what the consequences or the results of something happening were, are or will be. For example, 'I was very tired, so I went to bed.').

Used in a similar way to 'so'. However, it normally starts a new sentence:

'It is still a lot cheaper and quicker to eat junk food than it is healthy food. Therefore , poor people especially continuing eating a lot of it in their diet.'

'It is still a lot cheaper and quicker to eat junk food than it is healthy food. Thus , poor people especially continuing eating a lot of it in their diet.'

As a consequence

Used in the same way to 'so':

'It is still a lot cheaper and quicker to eat junk food than it is healthy food. As a consequence , poor people especially continuing eating a lot of it in their diet.'

You can also use ' consequently ' in exactly the same way:

'It is still a lot cheaper and quicker to eat junk food than it is healthy food. Consequently , poor people especially continuing eating a lot of it in their diet.'

Hence that is why

'It is still a lot cheaper and quicker to eat junk food than it is healthy food. Hence that is why poor people especially continuing eating a lot of it in their diet.'

C1 CEFR Vocabulary Word List

Here are the words for C1 CEFR level. This list builds on the words that are in the B2 level word list .

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