C1 Advanced Writing. In part 2 of the CAE C1 Advanced Cambridge exam, you have the option of choing between
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C1 Advanced Writing
C1 Advanced Writing. In part 2 of the CAE C1 Advanced Cambridge exam, you have the option of choing between writing a report, a letter or email, a review or a proposal. It can be confusing, knowing what to put and where. Here I have reduced the information into categories to help you remember.
REPORT
- In reports, remember to add:
- a title and sub-headings for each paragraph
- formal or neutral style as reports tend to be for work
- a beginning that clearly states the reason for writing the report.
- Finish off the report with a conclusion or a recommendation that specifically addresses the reson for writing the report.
PROPOSALS
- In reports, be sure to include:
- a title and subheadings for each paragraph
- a formal or neutral style
- a clear arguement that has reasons and examples backing it up. Remember RED.
- persuasive language which is key to writing the proposal.
LETTERS OR EMAILS
- for letter and emails, be sure to include:
- the receiver’s name in the correct style (use Mr, Ms, Miss or Mrs + full name for formal letters. Use person’s first name for informal ones.
- a formal, neutral or informal style depending on who you are writing to.
- correct openings and closings (Dear, Good Morning, Sincerely, Thanks, etc)
REVIEWS
- For reviews, remember to add:
- an interesting title
- formal or neutral style
- an interesting fact, a question or an antecdote to begin the review in order to capture the reader’s attention
- your opinion and back it up with clear examples.
- some factual informal
- persuasive language if want the reader to do read, listen, shop, etc to what you are writing about.
WRITING TIPS
I can’t stress enough how important it is to go back and re-read your writing. The most common errors to check for are:
- Subject-verb agreement (singular or plural)
- articles (a, the, some)
- prepositions
- use of correct tenses
- word order
- spelling mistakes
- over-all flow and organization of your writing.
WRITING RULES
Now that you have read C1 Advanced Writing, take a look at our other Writing Rules posts:
Writing Rules: Formal and Informal
Writing Rules: Giving Advice
English Vocabulary: Bargain
English Vocabulary: Bargain. You are familiar with the word negotiate, but bargain can also be used to discuss prices in an office or out on the street.
BARGAIN
- verb
- to try to convince someone to offer a service or do something for you at a cheaper price.
- Don’t be afraid to bargain for the price of the clothes.
- I really don’t feel comfortable bargaining for the price when it is already very cheap.
- noun
- something that is sold for less than it’s real value.
- I got the sofa for a real bargain.
- We should go shopping this weekend. There are lots of bargains for Christmas.
STRIKE A BARGAIN
- make a deal
- come to an agreement about what each party will be doing.
- The union finally struck a bargain with Michelin and the workers will go back to work next week.
- It is in their favor to strike a bargain before this gets messy.
Vocab Rehab
Now that you have seen English Vocabulary: Bargain, take a look at our other Vocab Rehab posts:
Vocab Rehab: inclusive language
Vocab Rehab: spot on
Cursos inglés
En la Escuela de Idiomas de la Cámara de Alava, tenemos cursos de inglés para todas las necesidades y niveles: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2
English writing: Formal and informal
English writing: Formal and informal. Truth be told, we are not as formal as you think, especially Americans. Not only that, but if you are still using very formal language with me after we have known each other for some time, I may feel offended. Formal language can be seen as cold and distant. So, I’m not saying forget everything your teachers have taught you, if you need to write a cover letter, a formal complaint or a first email to a new client, formal language is the way to go. But, once you have a relationship, lighten up.
REASON FOR WRITING
- Formal: In relation to our previous email…
- In relation to our previous email, we are willing to reduce the shipping charges.
- Informal: Just to follow up on our chat…
- Just to follow up on chat, we are happy to reduce the shipping charge.
- Formal: I’m writing to inform you…
- I’m writing to inform you that you have been accepted into the University of Chicago.
- Informal: Just to let you know…
- Just to let you know – I got in! I’m going to UofC!
- Formal: We are delighted to inform you that.
- We are delighted to inform you that your request has been accepted.
- Informal: Guess what…
- Guess what! We just got your package today.
ATTACHMENTS
- Formal: Please find attached
- Please find attached the documents you requested.
- Informal: I’m attaching / I’ve attached
- I’m attaching the documents to asked for.
- I’ve attached the documents here.
REQUESTS
- Formal: Please take into account…
- Please take into account that the meeting starts at 10 am.
- Informal: Don’t forget to…
- Don’t forget to join the meeting at 10.
CLOSING AN EMAIL
- Formal: I look forward to seeing you on Monday.
- Informal: See you on Monday. Hope to see you on Monday.
English Writing
Now that you have seen English writing: Formal and informal, have a look at our other Writing Rules posts:
Writing Rules: Gerunds that follow to
Writing Rules: Giving advice
English Expression: Level the playing field
English Expression: Level the playing field. This week in class we are talking about inclusive language. This is hard to do with idioms, as they are notoriously not inclusive. In the example given today, someone may say that it is NOT inclusive because it uses sports and so you may need to understand baseball, in this case, to understand the meaning. However, I am using it today because I think it has an important message.
LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD
- Make a situation equal so that everyone has the same opportunity
- Adjust a situation so that everyone has the same chance of succeeding.
- Quotas were created at businesses to level the playing field for women.
- In order to level the playing field, we need to make the class financially accessible to everyone.
A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD
- Conditions that allow everyone to have the same opportunity to succeed in a situation.
- It’s not a level playing field. How can children play in the same tournament as adults?
- We have put quotas in place in order to create a level playing field.
English Expressions
Now that you have seen English Expression: Level the playing field, take a look at our other Expression Session posts:
Expression Session: turn over a new leaf
Expression Session: have skeletons in one’s closet
Cursos inglés
En la Escuela de Idiomas de la Cámara de Alava, tenemos cursos para todos los niveles y necesidades para mayores de 16 años.
English: Inclusive language
English: Inclusive language. As society evolves, so does language. It’s important to make sure that you are using language that is inclusive and does not discriminate against individuals in and out of the office.
INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE
- language that does not discriminate
- language that represents different people in a positive way
GENDER INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE
- to refer to the male and female workers in your business, use workforce, personnel or staff.
- There are 200 men and women that make up our worforce.
- manpower is a sexist word that refers to a time when women did not work. It also sounds as if men are powerful and women are not.
- Other examples of gender inclusive language includes saying ‘Hello everyone’ instead of ‘Hello guys’ to refer to women and men.
- please stop calling women over the age of 18, girls. They are women. Calling them a girl sounds as though they are innocent or incapable.
- Women make up 50% of the Board of Directors.
- Refering to men and women as female or male staff members/members of staff is also an acceptable,
- The male members of staff are requesting a new changing room.
Inclusive language for people with disabilities
- Disabled member of staff or a person with disabilities, although is not a great alternative, it is what we have as of November 2023.
- If we want to invite Arantxa for lunch, we need to make sure that our house is accessible for someone with a disability.
- Handicapped and differently-abled were both terms that were used at one point and are no longer seen as positive.
- Know someone who has a disability? Ask them how they prefered to be called.
Age inclusive language
- nobody wants to be called old, so stop using this word and use elderly to talk about people over the age of 70.
- The elderly are often excluded from society.
- For those staff members who are up in age, try experienced worker, senior worker or senior member of staff.
- Our senior workers are our most valuable members of staff.
Inclusive language about one’s sexual orientation
- Don’t asume that the person in front of you is married and that they are to a man or a woman. Instead of asking about their husband or wife, ask about their partner.
- Don’t asume a man dates a woman and vice versa, ask if they are dating anyone.
- There exist lots of different ways in which LGBTQ+ liked to be addressed. If you aren’t sure how to address someone, ask them.
- Again, if you aren’t sure how to address people at work, at a bar or at the dinner table, ask them.
Vocabulary in English
Now that you have seen English: Inclusive language, have a look at our other Vocab Rehab Posts.
Cursos inglés
En la Escuela de idiomas de la Camara de Comercio tenemos cursos de inglés para todos los niveles y necesidades.
English Expression: turn over a new leaf
English Expression: turn over a new leaf. This seems like the perfect idiom for this time of year when the leaves on the trees are falling. Turning over a new leaf means starting fresh and changing your behavior.
TURNING OVER A NEW LEAF
- to say that someone is beginning to behave in a better, kinder way.
- to behave in a positive way
- I’m so glad that you spoke to Sarah. She’s really turned over a new leaf and even seems happier in her job.
- You can’t expect him to just turn over a new leaf if he doesn’t even know that he is behaving poorly. Talk to him.
Expression Session
Now that you have seen English Expression: turn over a new leaf, take a look at our other Expression Session posts:
Expression Session: have skeletons in one’s closet
Expression Session: bear in mind
Cursos de inglés
En la Escuela de Idiomas de la Cámara de Comercio de Alava, tenemos cursos para todos los niveles y necesidades. Para poder inscribirte en un curso o para recibir información, pinche aquí.
- Cursos para principiantes, nivel A1 y A2, inglés general y de negocios
- Cursos de preparación de exámenes de niveles A2, B1, B2, C1 y C2
- Inglés para negocios (grupales, individuales, presencial y online)
- Conversación, nivel B2, C1, C2
English: Regret + gerund or infinitive
English: Regret + gerund or infinitive. Again we are reviewing a word whose meaning changes depending on the use of the gerund or infinitve following it. Since regret is a word were we are already sorry about something, we don’t want to use it incorrectly.
REGRET + GERUND
- Use regret + gerund to express that you are sorry about something you have said or done.
- He really regrets not calling you. (He wishes he had called)
- My daughter regrets telling her best friend her secret. (She wishes she didn’t tell her)
REGRET + INFINITIVE
- Use regret + infinitive (without to) before giving someone bad news.
- I regret to tell you that your sister didn’t make it out of surgery. (I’m sorry, but…)
- We regret to inform you that your payment has not been accepted. (We have bad news…)
Practice
Now that you have read through the explanations, try answering the following sentences with the correct form of the verb. Check your answers at the bottom of the post
- We really reget ____ (tell) her that she was sick. I think she would have been better off not knowing.
- They regret ____ (lie) about the case because now they can be sued, not because they feel sorry.
- I regret ____ (inform) you that your payment is overdue.
- The letter stated, ‘We regret ____ (tell) you that you have not been accepted.’
- I don’t regret ____ (tell) her the truth. She deserved to know.
- Why do you regret ____ (move) here?
- On behalf of the airline, I regret ____ (inform) you that this flight is overbooked.
- She told me that she regrets ____ (be) my friend.
- I don’t regret ____ (inform) them about what happened on the trip.
- Do you regret ____ (go) on vacation?
Grammar
Now that you have seen English: Regret + gerund or infinitive, have a look at our other Grammar based posts:
Grammar: remember + gerund or infinitive
Grammar: transitive and intransitive verbs in less than 5 minutes
Cursos inglés
En la Escuela de Idiomas de la Cámara de Alava, tenemos cursos de inglés para todas las necesidades y niveles. Ponte en contacto con nosotros para recibir más información.
Answers
- telling
- lying
- to inform
- to tell
- telling
- moving
- to inform
- being
- informing
- going
Giving advice in English
Giving advice in English. There are only a few occasions when you should be using ‘have to’ with someone.
- You are a parent and you are telling your children what to do (and this concept is debatable)
- You have to clean your room before you leave this house.
- You are telling your friend in an exaggerated way what they need to do because it was fun, exciting, entertaining, etc.
- You HAVE TO see the last season of Stranger Things!
- You are seriously concerned about someone.
- We have to go to the emergency room now!
If you are not in one of these three situations, then stop telling people in English what they ‘have to do’. This is a strong statement for us and is usually used for children. So, when speaking or writing to adults, employees, etc, I soften my advice by using some of the following phrases. Why? Because they are adults and can make the best decisions for themselves. And yes! This included employees.
I RECOMMEND / SUGGEST…
- A polite way of giving advice to someone
- 1 Form: Person + recommend/suggest + gerund
- They recommend printing the file instead of sending it by email.
- She suggests charging them before sending anything out.
- 2 Form: Person + recommend/suggest + noun
- My doctor doesn’t recommend those pills for pain.
- Lucia suggests the white one because it is lighter.
I WOULD RECOMMEND / SUGGEST…
- A more polite way to give advice.
- 1. Form: Person + would recommend/suggest + gerund
- I would suggest calling the store first to see if it’s still open before you take a ride over there.
- I wouldn’t recommend eating there. It hasn’t got very good reviews.
- 2. Form: Person + would recommend/suggest + noun
- I wouldn’t recommend the beef to anyone. It was not their best dish.
- I think a doctor would suggest time off for that type of injury.
- Use the adverbs highly or stongly to give strength to your statement.
- I would highly recommend checking with your doctor before trying that medication.
- She would strongly recommend Paul’s garage for any problems you may have with your car.
IF I WERE YOU…
- A way of giving advice based on what you would do if you were in their situation.
- Form: If I were you + I + would + infintive (without to)
- If I were you, I would finish send the email out before the end of the day.
- If I were you, I would talk to my boss before jumpling to any conclusions.
HAVE YOU TRIED…
- An inoffensive way of asking what someone has already done.
- Form: Have you tried + gerund
- Have you tried turning it on and off again?
- Have you tried calling their main line and asking to speak to him directly?
Writing rules
Now that you have seen Giving advice in English, take a look at out other Writing Rules posts.
Writing Rules: I’m writing
Writing Rules: Gerunds that follow to
Cursos inglés
¡Ven a la Escuela de Idiomas de la Cámara de Alava para apuntarse a un curso de inglés hoy mismo!
English Expression: Have skeletons in one’s closet
English Expression: Have skeletons in one’s closet. It’s Halloween time, so let’s take a look at this very Halloweeny idiom.
HAVE SKELETONS IN ONE’S CLOSET
- to have a secret about something bad that you have done in the past
- I’m not sure I trust him. I think he has some skeletons in his closet.
- We all have skeletons in our closets. I promise I won’t judge you if you tell me them.
- to have a secret about something embarrassing that happened to you in the past.
- Don’t bring up all my skeletons in the closet in front of John. It’s too embarrassing.
- Nobody’s family is perfect. They all have skeletons in the closet.
SKELETONS IN THE CUPBOARD
- Has the same meaning as skeletons in the closet.
- I don’t like talking about my skeletons in the cupboard.
- He never talks about himself. I think he has some skeletons in his cupboard that he doesn’t want to talk about.
Halloween vocabulary
Now that you have seen English Expression: Have skeletons in one’s closet, take a look at our other Halloween-based posts:
How to carve a pumpkin
Vocab Rehab: synonyms for scary
Podcast: off the cuff: Halloween!
Cursos inglés
En la Escuela de Idiomas de la Cámara de Comercio, tenemos cursos de inglés para todos los niveles y necesidades. Ponte en contacto con nosotros: idiomas@camaradealava.com
Remember + gerund or infinitive
Remember + gerund or infinitive. Remember can be followed by either a geruna or an infinitive, but the meaning changes. It’s important to know the difference
REMEMBER + GERUND
- Use a gerund after remember to talk about memories or to recall someone or something
- He remembers wearing a suit but that really all he remembers from that day. (He can recall the memory of wearing the suit).
- I don’t remember talking to her, but I could be wrong. (Maybe I just forgot that we talked)
REMEMBER + INFINITIVE
- Use remember + infinitve to express that you have not forgotten to do something
- I didn’t remember to pay the fee, so we lost the membership. (I forgot to pay the fee).
- Many times we use remember + infinitive to give a stong suggestion to someone who should not forget to do something.
- Remember to take an umbrella. It’s going to rain later. (don’t forget your umbrella)
PRACTICE
Fill in the blank with the appropriate form of the verb in parentasis. Then check your answers at the bottom of the post
- Did you remember _______ John back about the meeting tomorrow? (call)
- I don’t remember ever _______ this city before? (visit)
- Doesn’t she remember _______ together as kids when they were younger? (play)
- I’m really sorry but I didn’t remember _______ the box from the office. (pick up)
- Why doesn’t she ever remember _______ her homework on time? (finish)
- Julie doesn’t remember _______ him at the fair. (meet)
- Remember _______ your driver’s license this year! (renew)
- I remember _______ to the store, but I don’t remember _______ the apples (go, buy)
- George, did you remember _______ the paper for the office? (order)
- I will always remember _______ it in the future after getting in so much trouble. (buy)
GRAMMAR POSTS
Now that you have seen Remember + gerund or infinitive, take a look at our other grammar posts:
Grammar: Would you mind?
Grammar: Multi Word Verbs
Answers
- to call
- visiting
- playing
- to pick up
- to finish
- meeting
- to renew
- going, buying
- to order
- to buy
English Vocabulary: Spot-on
English Vocabulary: Spot-on. Here is one of those words that really doesn’t have a specific translation in Spanish, although there are lots of words you could use in its place. You could say correcto (although correct exists in English), you could say precisamente (althouth precise exists in English). Basically spot–on is a way to say you are exactly right, emphasizing how impressed I am with how accurate something is.
SPOT-ON
- to describe something that is exactly right
- used to emphasize surprise at how accurate something is
- You were spot-on about Josh. He really is generous with everyone.
- Your predictions about the course were spot-on. The teacher is excellent and I am really enjoying it.
- Unfortunetly, your predictions about the end of the year sales were spot-on. We will have to lay people off next year.
Cursos inglés Vitoria
En la Escuela de Idiomas de la Cámara de Comercio de Alava, tenemos cursos de inglés para todas las necesidades y niveles. Puedes ver todos los cursos aquí. Para poder apuntarse a un grupo, pincha aquí o ponte en contacto con nosotros: idiomas@camaradealava.com, 945 150 190
English Vocabulary
Now that you have seen English Vocabulary: Spot-on, have a look at our other Vocab Rehab posts:
Vocab Rehab: foresight
Vocab Rehab: sign up
English Expression: Bear in Mind
English Expression: Bear in mind. When speaking to adults, you don’t always want to tell them to ‘Remember…’ or ‘Don’t forget…’. So, instead we can use this nice expression to tell someone to take something into consideration.
BEAR IN MIND
- to take something into consideration
- to remember something when you are making a decision.
- Please bear in mind that you only have 2 weeks to return the product.
- Before we buy the refrigerator we need to bear in mind that we may also need to buy a wash machine soon.
- Bearning in mind that she’s so young, she really knows how to play the violin.
KEEP IN MIND
- this expression is the same as bear in mind.
- Keep in mind that the plane leaves very late at night.
- He told me to keep him in mind if we have a job opening.
English Expressions
Now that you have seen English Expression: Bear in mind, take a look at our other Expression Session Posts:
Expression Session: brush up on something
Expression Session: neither here nor there
Cursos Inglés
En la Escuela de Idiomas de la Cámara de Alava tenemos cursos para todos los niveles y necesidades. Para recibir más información sobre los cursos, ponte en contacto con nosotros: idiomas@camaradealava.com, llamar a 945 150 190 o inscribirte aquí.
- Business English
- Preparación de Exámenes de Cambridge, EILTS, Oxford Test of English
- Inglés General
English Emails: I’m writing
English emails: I’m writing. When writing emails in Spanish, it’s quite common to use Present Simple: I write… However, in English we use Present Continuous to write about something that is happening in the moment. I’m writing this blog post right now, so I use Present Continuous.
EMAILS
Starting emails
Since I am writing an email in the moment, we use Present Continuous. To start the email, say:
- I’m writing you in reference to the conference that is taking place next month.
- I’m writing you in response to your questions about the fair.
Attachments
We can also use the present continuous to talk about an attachment to an email:
- I’m attaching the documents you requested earlier today.
- As requested, I’m attaching a copy of the budget.
Talking about yourself
Remember, we use Present Continuous to talk about things we are doing in the moment, so if you are talking about something happening now in your life, use present continuous:
- I’m working a lot right now since I just started a new job.
- I’m living in a nice apartment about 15 minutes from the center.
Writing Rules
Now that you have learned about English Emails: I’m writing, take a look at our other Writing Rules posts:
Writing rules: Gerunds that follow to
Writing rules: B2 Writing tips: RED
Cursos inglés
En la Escuela de Idiomas de la Cámara de Comercio de Alava, tenemos cursos de inglés para todos los niveles y necesidades. Para inscribirte en un curso o para recibir más información, rellena la hoja aquí.
English Vocabulary: foresight
English Vocabulary: foresight. someone who has foresight is not a magician or a fortune teller. It is simply someone who can read a situation, judge what the possible outcomes may be and learns to plan in a way for this situation. Some people may have foresight at work but not with relationships, or vice versa. Other people may be able to see what is going to happen but don’t know how to plan for that situation. Someone with foresight can do both.
HAVE THE FORESIGHT (noun)
- to have ability to understand a situation and it’s possible outcomes and
- be able to plan for this situation
- He had the foresight to leave his job before they went bankrupt.
- If Carol had the foresight to sell the house before the market crash, she should have had the foresight to save some money as well.
FORESEE (verb)
- to be able to judge a situation and make plans to deal with it.
- He didn’t forsee the divorce at all, so he was shocked when his wife told him.
- They forsaw the war and made plans to leave the country as soon as they could.
(UN)FORESEEABLE (adjective)
- foreseeable: an event or situation that can be predicted
- She will be working in the school for the forseeable future.
- unforseeable: an event or situation that can not be predicted.
- I lost my job last month, so for the unforseeable future, I will be unemployed.
Vocab Rehab
Now that you have seen English Vocabulary: foresight, have a look at our other Vocab Rehab posts:
Vocab Rehab: sign up
Vocab Rehab: steal vs rob
Cursos inglés
En la Escuela de Idiomas de la Cámara de Comercio de Alava, tenemos cursos de inglés para todos las necesidades y niveles. Mira nuestras cursos aquí.
Curso de inglés C1 Advanced
Curso de inglés C1 Advanced. En la Escuela de Idiomas de la Cámara de Alava ofrecemos cursos de inglés para adultos. Aprender con profesionales que te ayudarán a conseguir tus objetivos.
Curso C1
En el curso de C1 :
- Review more advanced grammatical features of the English language, specifically exam related tasks including inversions, mixed conditionals, and much more
- Build vocabulary and be able to express yourself in a more clear and advanced manner
- Use subtle differences to express a variety of emotions and understanding.
- Listen to authentic materials to be able to follow colloquial conversations
- Know when and how to use language to show formality or informality in different situations
- Write with confidence and clarity
Cursos inglés
En la Escuela de Idiomas de la Cámara de Comercio de Alava, tenemos una variedad de cursos para todos los edades y necesidades. Pincha aquí para ver nuestros cursos.
- Cursos de Preparación de Exámenes de nivel A2, B1, B2, C1 y C2
- Business English. Inglés para negocios, nivel B1, B2, C1
- Curso de conversación nivel B2 y C1
- Inglés General A2, B1, B2, C1, C2
Si estás interesado en el Curso de inglés C1 Advanced, ponte en contacto con nosotros: idiomas@camaradecomercio.com o llamando 945 150 190
Para inscribirte en el curso, pincha aquí
Curso de conversación inglés
Curso de conversación inglés. Los jueves de 17:30 a 19:00 empezamos cursos de conversación en inglés en la Escuela de Idiomas de la Cámara de Comercio de Alava en la Calle Manuel Iradier 17. Se consiste de un grupo reducido.
¿Que hacemos en un curso de conversación?
Primero te digo lo que no son los cursos de conversación. No son solo de conversar libremente. Por eso tienes amigos.
En los cursos de conversación:
- leemos artículos sobre current events y hablamos del impacto
- aprendemos vocabulario nuevo y lo ponemos en práctica
- vemos vídeos cortos y ofrecemos nuestros opiniones
- hablamos en confianza y sin ser juzgados por nuestro nivel de inglés
- recibimos feedback sobre la gramática, pronunciación y vocabulario que usamos
- incrementa nuestro nivel de fluidez
- trabajamos las dos áreas que nos cuesta más ya que no vivimos en un país donde se habla inglés habitualmente – la escucha y la habla
Cursos de inglés
Ya que has visto Curso de conversación inglés, puedes ver los de más cursos de inglés que ofrecemos aquí.
Inscríbete en nuestros cursos aquí o ponte en contacto con nosotros a idiomas@camaradealava.com
- Preparación de Examenes: B1, B2, C1, C2
- Business English: B2, C1, C2
- Inglés General: A2, B1, B2, C1, C2