Exercises C1 : practice Lexical nuances in English (answers)

These exercises will help you internalise the subtle lexical nuances covered in the course, from connotation and register to intensity, so you can choose words with confidence and precision.

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Exercise 1 : Choose the Most Precise Word

Choose the word that best fits the context, paying attention to connotation, register, and intensity.

1. The minister's speech was widely criticised for being ___. Which word best conveys a formal, negative connotation of unclear and evasive language?
   • wordy
   • ambiguous
   • nebulous
   • unclear
2. She felt a ___ sense of unease as she read the letter. Which word conveys a subtle, creeping feeling rather than a sudden or strong one?
   • strong
   • nagging
   • violent
   • obvious
3. He ___ his way through the negotiation, never committing to a firm position. Which word suggests deliberate, skilful evasion with a slightly negative connotation?
   • talked
   • argued
   • manoeuvred
   • discussed
4. The new policy was ___ by the opposition as an attack on civil liberties. Which word suggests a strong, public, and somewhat dramatic condemnation?
   • mentioned
   • noted
   • denounced
   • discussed

Correction

1. The word 'nebulous' best fits, as it carries a formal register and implies vagueness that is frustratingly intangible, beyond mere ambiguity.
2. The word 'nagging' best fits, as it describes a persistent, low-level feeling that quietly refuses to go away, unlike a sudden or intense emotion.
3. The word 'manoeuvred' best fits, as it implies calculated, strategic movement through a situation with a subtly manipulative edge.
4. The word 'denounced' best fits, as it carries a high-intensity, formal register implying open and forceful public condemnation.

Exercise 2 : Match Words to Their Nuance

Match each word on the left with the description on the right that best captures its specific nuance in meaning, register, or intensity.

1. Match the following words to their nuance: (A) frugal, (B) miserly, (C) economical, (D) thrifty — with these descriptions: (1) neutral and practical, suggesting efficient use of resources; (2) positive, implying wise and careful saving habits; (3) positive-neutral, often applied to spending habits without excess; (4) negative, implying an unpleasant unwillingness to spend even when necessary.
2. Match the following words to their nuance: (A) inquisitive, (B) nosy, (C) curious, (D) prying — with these descriptions: (1) neutral and widely used, suggesting a general desire to learn or know; (2) positive-intellectual, suggesting an eager and enquiring mind; (3) negative-informal, implying intrusive interest in others' private affairs; (4) negative-formal, implying persistent and unwelcome investigation into private matters.
3. Match the following words to their nuance: (A) renowned, (B) infamous, (C) celebrated, (D) notorious — with these descriptions: (1) positive, suggesting wide admiration, often in cultural or artistic contexts; (2) positive-formal, implying wide and well-deserved recognition; (3) negative, suggesting fame specifically derived from bad or criminal acts; (4) negative, implying fame for something deeply shameful or scandalous.
4. Match the following words to their nuance: (A) slim, (B) slender, (C) scrawny, (D) lean — with these descriptions: (1) neutral-positive, suggesting a fit, muscular thinness without excess fat; (2) positive-aesthetic, implying an elegant and graceful thinness; (3) positive-neutral, a common and generally flattering word for being thin; (4) negative, implying an unattractive, unhealthy, or bony thinness.

• The correct matches are: (A) renowned → (2) positive-formal, implying wide and well-deserved recognition; (B) infamous → (4) negative, implying fame for something deeply shameful or scandalous; (C) celebrated → (1) positive, suggesting wide admiration, often in cultural or artistic contexts; (D) notorious → (3) negative, suggesting fame specifically derived from bad or criminal acts.
• The correct matches are: (A) inquisitive → (2) positive-intellectual, suggesting an eager and enquiring mind; (B) nosy → (3) negative-informal, implying intrusive interest in others' private affairs; (C) curious → (1) neutral and widely used, suggesting a general desire to learn or know; (D) prying → (4) negative-formal, implying persistent and unwelcome investigation into private matters.
• The correct matches are: (A) slim → (3) positive-neutral, a common and generally flattering word for being thin; (B) slender → (2) positive-aesthetic, implying an elegant and graceful thinness; (C) scrawny → (4) negative, implying an unattractive, unhealthy, or bony thinness; (D) lean → (1) neutral-positive, suggesting a fit, muscular thinness without excess fat.
• The correct matches are: (A) frugal → (3) positive-neutral, often applied to spending habits without excess; (B) miserly → (4) negative, implying an unpleasant unwillingness to spend even when necessary; (C) economical → (1) neutral and practical, suggesting efficient use of resources; (D) thrifty → (2) positive, implying wise and careful saving habits.

Correction

1. Match the following words to their nuance: (A) frugal, (B) miserly, (C) economical, (D) thrifty — with these descriptions: (1) neutral and practical, suggesting efficient use of resources; (2) positive, implying wise and careful saving habits; (3) positive-neutral, often applied to spending habits without excess; (4) negative, implying an unpleasant unwillingness to spend even when necessary. – The correct matches are: (A) frugal → (3) positive-neutral, often applied to spending habits without excess; (B) miserly → (4) negative, implying an unpleasant unwillingness to spend even when necessary; (C) economical → (1) neutral and practical, suggesting efficient use of resources; (D) thrifty → (2) positive, implying wise and careful saving habits.
2. Match the following words to their nuance: (A) inquisitive, (B) nosy, (C) curious, (D) prying — with these descriptions: (1) neutral and widely used, suggesting a general desire to learn or know; (2) positive-intellectual, suggesting an eager and enquiring mind; (3) negative-informal, implying intrusive interest in others' private affairs; (4) negative-formal, implying persistent and unwelcome investigation into private matters. – The correct matches are: (A) inquisitive → (2) positive-intellectual, suggesting an eager and enquiring mind; (B) nosy → (3) negative-informal, implying intrusive interest in others' private affairs; (C) curious → (1) neutral and widely used, suggesting a general desire to learn or know; (D) prying → (4) negative-formal, implying persistent and unwelcome investigation into private matters.
3. Match the following words to their nuance: (A) renowned, (B) infamous, (C) celebrated, (D) notorious — with these descriptions: (1) positive, suggesting wide admiration, often in cultural or artistic contexts; (2) positive-formal, implying wide and well-deserved recognition; (3) negative, suggesting fame specifically derived from bad or criminal acts; (4) negative, implying fame for something deeply shameful or scandalous. – The correct matches are: (A) renowned → (2) positive-formal, implying wide and well-deserved recognition; (B) infamous → (4) negative, implying fame for something deeply shameful or scandalous; (C) celebrated → (1) positive, suggesting wide admiration, often in cultural or artistic contexts; (D) notorious → (3) negative, suggesting fame specifically derived from bad or criminal acts.
4. Match the following words to their nuance: (A) slim, (B) slender, (C) scrawny, (D) lean — with these descriptions: (1) neutral-positive, suggesting a fit, muscular thinness without excess fat; (2) positive-aesthetic, implying an elegant and graceful thinness; (3) positive-neutral, a common and generally flattering word for being thin; (4) negative, implying an unattractive, unhealthy, or bony thinness. – The correct matches are: (A) slim → (3) positive-neutral, a common and generally flattering word for being thin; (B) slender → (2) positive-aesthetic, implying an elegant and graceful thinness; (C) scrawny → (4) negative, implying an unattractive, unhealthy, or bony thinness; (D) lean → (1) neutral-positive, suggesting a fit, muscular thinness without excess fat.

Exercise 3 : Complete with the Right Nuance

Fill in each blank with the most appropriate word from the options provided, based on the connotation, register, or intensity required by the context.

1. The journalist's article was not merely critical; it was a ___ indictment of the government's handling of the crisis, leaving no aspect of their policy unexamined. Choose the word that conveys the sharpest and most biting intensity, suggesting a tone that burns rather than simply disapproves. (scathing / mild / measured / reserved)
   • reserved
   • The journalist's article was not merely critical; it was a scathing indictment of the government's handling of the crisis, leaving no aspect of their policy unexamined.
   • measured
   • mild
2. After years of ___ contact, they had lost touch entirely, their friendship reduced to a memory neither fully held onto. Choose the word that best suggests contact occurring at unpredictable, uneven intervals — neither regular nor simply infrequent. (sporadic / constant / frequent / sustained)
   • frequent
   • constant
   • After years of sporadic contact, they had lost touch entirely, their friendship reduced to a memory neither fully held onto.
   • sustained
3. The committee was asked to ___ every line of the financial report to ensure that no irregularities had gone undetected. Choose the word that implies the most rigorous and meticulous level of close examination, beyond a simple read-through or general overview. (scrutinise / skim / browse / glance at)
   • skim
   • browse
   • The committee was asked to scrutinise every line of the financial report to ensure that no irregularities had gone undetected.
   • glance at
4. His tone during the meeting was not simply confident; it bordered on ___, as he dismissed every objection without consideration. Choose the word with a clearly negative connotation, suggesting an offensive excess of self-importance rather than a positive form of confidence. (arrogant / assertive / self-assured / bold)
   • assertive
   • self-assured
   • bold
   • His tone during the meeting was not simply confident; it bordered on arrogant, as he dismissed every objection without consideration.

Correction

1. The journalist's article was not merely critical; it was a scathing indictment of the government's handling of the crisis, leaving no aspect of their policy unexamined.
2. After years of sporadic contact, they had lost touch entirely, their friendship reduced to a memory neither fully held onto.
3. The committee was asked to scrutinise every line of the financial report to ensure that no irregularities had gone undetected.
4. His tone during the meeting was not simply confident; it bordered on arrogant, as he dismissed every objection without consideration.