Using Synonyms in Speech and Writing
One of the things that you will be marked on in the exam is your vocabulary. This comes under the category of Language in the Writing, and Grammar and Vocabulary in Speaking. If you want to do well, you need to use a variety of words and phrases which are reflective of C1 level English. You also need to make sure that you are not repeating the same words so it’s, therefore, necessary to have a bank of synonyms in mind when you go into the exam. Any good online dictionary, such as Longman, will have a thesaurus section and is a great place to look. However, you need to make sure that any synonyms you learn fit in the context that you want to use them. Therefore, make sure you always double check by looking at example sentences. You also need to be careful that you adapt any words according to their verb patterns or any dependent prepositions. Below is an example of alternatives for important, all of which have examples in context.
Let’s start by matching the words on the left with their synonyms, or near synonyms, on the right. Any necessary changes have been included. If you are unsure, use the online dictionary link above.
For some further practice, complete the following crossword. The synonym of each answer is in brackets and all this language is very useful for your exam so make sure you take time to learn anything new in context.