{"id":45283,"date":"2020-10-19T09:54:56","date_gmt":"2020-10-19T07:54:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/?p=45283"},"modified":"2020-10-19T09:54:56","modified_gmt":"2020-10-19T07:54:56","slug":"passing-cambridge-c1-advanced-part-4-reading-and-use-of-english","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/passing-cambridge-c1-advanced-part-4-reading-and-use-of-english\/","title":{"rendered":"Passing Cambridge C1 Advanced: Part 4 Reading and Use of English"},"content":{"rendered":"

Okay, take a deep breath. We\u2019re about to enter the danger zone of the Cambridge C1 Advanced<\/a> exam – Reading and Use of English Part 4. That\u2019s right, this is the most feared part of the written test. Students groan<\/span><\/em> when they hear it mentioned. And they\u2019ll often say it\u2019s their worst part.<\/p>\n

It may be difficult, but it\u2019s definitely worth giving it your best shot. There are two marks up for grabs for each question. And with the right technique and lots of practice, you\u2019ll soon get the hang of it<\/span><\/em>. Believe it or not, It can actually be quite fun.<\/p>\n

How do I get to that stage? Well, we\u2019re here to help. We\u2019ll take you step by step through Part 4. We\u2019ll teach you what to expect in the exam, and how to answer the question. Then, we\u2019ll finish off with some tips and resources for success. Sound good? Okay, let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

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What\u2019s in Part 4?<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n

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Also known as Key Word Transformations, in this part you are given 6 pairs of sentences to complete. Bear in mind<\/span><\/em>, students often find Part 4 one of the most challenging, so we recommend you dedicate about ten minutes to this section. Remember, you are given 90 minutes in total for the whole Reading and Use of English paper.<\/p>\n

Each pair of sentences in Part 4 has a lead-in sentence, and a second one which contains a gap. You must complete the gapped sentence with between three to six words, so that it has a similar meaning to the first.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s an example from the C1 Advanced sample paper<\/a> on the Cambridge Assessment English website.<\/p>\n

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There\u2019s also a key word in bold that you have to use. That\u2019s why it\u2019s called a key word transformation. Note, the keyword must not be changed. So if you take the word \u2018nearly\u2019, you cannot then change it to \u2018near\u2019. It must stay exactly the same<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

As we\u2019ve already mentioned, each question is worth two marks. It\u2019s always worth trying to answer because you can still get one point, even if you only get part of the sentence correct.<\/p>\n

Take a look at how the above question would be marked. You get one mark for DOES NOT EARN and then a second mark for NEARLY SO\/AS. You\u2019ll also notice that sometimes there are two correct answers NEARLY SO or NEARLY AS.<\/p>\n

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What are they testing me on in this part of the exam?<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

Part 4 may seem like random sentences designed to make your head explode. But there\u2019s actually a lot of logic behind them. Here\u2019s what Cambridge Assessment English are looking for:<\/p>\n

Paraphrasing<\/strong><\/p>\n

They are testing you on your ability to paraphrase. In other words, can you say the same thing in a different way using synonyms? Or can you accurately change the grammatical structure from active to passive?<\/p>\n

Grammar<\/strong><\/p>\n

Luckily for you, Part 4 tests you on some set grammar points. This makes it easier to prepare for. They could test your knowledge of gerund and infinitives, reported speech, active and passive constructions, conditionals, wishes, perfect tenses or causative have. You can expect to see any C1 level grammar.<\/p>\n

Vocabulary<\/strong><\/p>\n

Part 4 also examines you on a wide range of vocabulary. This includes your knowledge of phrasal verbs, collocations, dependent prepositions, fixed expressions and idioms. Again, they\u2019re seeing how advanced your English really is. So make sure you\u2019ve got a lot of vocabulary under your belt<\/span><\/em>.<\/p>\n

Take a look at this example from the C1 Advanced sample paper<\/a> on the Cambridge Assessment English website.<\/p>\n

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The clue here is the keyword \u2018on\u2019. This is a dependent preposition<\/strong> which needs a specific verb to come before it. The only verb which fits that means \u2018would only\u2019 is \u2018insisted\u2019.<\/p>\n

They also expect you to know that prepositions are followed by the gerund<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

So in this case, the answer would be:<\/p>\n

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How should I answer the question?<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

It\u2019s easy to rush through<\/span><\/em> the questions if you don\u2019t think you can answer them. But if you follow these five simple steps, you can easily break them down into manageable chunks<\/span><\/em>.<\/p>\n