VOCABULARY: HOW TO IMPROVE IT AND USEFUL LINKS

Struggling to learn English vocabulary? Want to know how to enhance your vocabulary?

Learning a new language isn´t easy when it comes to vocabulary. Of course, if you expand your knowledge and use of words, you´ll be able to speak and write well.

How can you improve your vocabulary every day?

Read, read and read as much as you can. Read not only books but also blogs, newspapers and magazines.

Audiobooks and podcast on different topics can help you both to improve your vocabulary and listening at the same time. Don´t forget to listen to music and watch films, television shows and cartoons with English subtitles.


By practising, you can make incredible progress in enhancing your vocabulary.

Here are some useful links for helping improve your vocabulary.
🔼LINKS 🔽

1. Place your cursor over an object, word or phrase to hear it pronounced aloud. BEGINNING, INTERMEDIATE AND ADVANCED LEVELS
2. Listen to the pronunciation of the words and do the exercises  BEGINNER VOCABULARY
3. Each Exercise centres around on topic:  ENGLISH EXERCISES

ADVERBS COLLOCATIONS TO IMPROVE YOUR WRITING

Writing implies using appropriate vocabulary. Adverbs can strengthen your compositions.

What is an adverb? They are used to modify verbs, adjectives and other adverbs.

Adverbs modify verbs for example thoroughly, swiftly and so on to describe the way something is happening.

Adverbs modify adjectives for example rather, unexpectedly, and so on to add more information to an adjective.

Adverbs modify other adverbs for example slightly, highly and so on to show a level of rapidity or to a degree of languidness.

Here are some videos on adverbs collocations:

C1: WRITING

ADVANCED OR CAE OR C1 WRITING TIPS

In the exam, you have 90 minutes to write two compositions, and each one has to have between  220 and 260 words. The first one is an essay while the second one you have a choice of three: report, proposal, letter, email or review. 

The examiner will assess your composition on four assessment criteria: contents (you have answered the questions), communicative achievement ( you have used the correct tone and writing features), organisation ( you have used the proper paragraphs and linkers) and language ( you have used a good range and accuracy of vocabulary and grammar). 

As there are 90 minutes to write both, you should spend the 45 minutes in each one. It could be a good idea to spend: 10 minutes planning, 25 minutes writing and 10 minutes checking and writing into the answer sheet. 

C1 ADVANCED (CAE): READING AND USE OF ENGLISH PART 3

1.  TASK INFORMATION:

a)    In part 3, you read a text containing eight gaps and one example (0). At the end of some lines, there is a word in capital letters for you to form one appropriate word to fill each gap.

b)   Part 3 mainly tests your ability to create a new word based on the word in capitals to fill the gap. You need to know how prefixes and suffixes are used in forming words and how compound words are formed.

c)    You also need to understand the text and recognise what part of speech is required for each gap, whether it has an affirmative or negative meaning, is singular or plural, etc.

d)   You Must spell each word correctly to get the mark.

2.  ACTION PLAN:

a)    Quickly read the title and the text before filling any of the gaps.

b)   Look at each word in capitals and the words before and after the gap. Is the missing word likely to be a noun, a verb, or another part of speech?

c)    If it’s a noun, is it countable or uncountable?

d)   If it’s an adjective, is it positive or negative?

e)   Does the word in capitals need more than one change?

f)    Check the word you have chosen fits the context and is spelt correctly.

g)   At the end of the text, carefully transfer your answers using capital letters to the answer sheet.

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