Register and Style: Choosing the Right Word
Register and style at C1 is where vocabulary precision becomes band-defining. The same idea has multiple lexical realisations across register: say → state → claim → assert → argue → maintain; show → demonstrate → indicate → illustrate → exemplify; find → discover → identify → establish → uncover; get → receive → obtain → acquire → procure; use → utilise → employ → deploy → leverage. The choice signals not just meaning but also formality, certainty, and stance. C1 writers know which verb fits which context; B2 writers default to say, show, get.
This worksheet builds C1 fluency with register-shifting and stylistic precision in academic writing.
Worksheet preview
What’s inside:
- Vocabulary box with 25+ verb sets paired with register markers (informal / neutral / formal / academic)
- Register-sort task: classify each verb by formality level
- Sentence-rewriting: convert informal sentences into formal academic register
- Multiple-choice items targeting precise verb choice in context
- Full Answer Key plus Teacher Notes on Cambridge band-criteria and academic-writing relevance
Common challenges: Overformal register can feel forced — utilise used everywhere sounds stilted; use is fine in most contexts. Strength of claim: argue / claim / suggest / posit / contend signal different levels of speaker commitment to the truth. False friends in formal English: actually (Eng: in fact) vs actuellement (French: currently). Hedging vocabulary at C1: appears to, seems to, tends to, suggests moderate certainty without weakening overall argument.
For: Adult and teenage learners (14+) at CEFR C1, in advanced classes, 1:1 lessons, or self-study — particularly C1 Advanced (CAE) and C2 Proficiency (CPE) candidates and learners pursuing academic study in English. The band-discriminator in advanced-level Writing. Part of the Education & Academic collection — the natural next step is Collocation in Academic Writing, which deepens the formal-precision work.
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