Exercises C1 : use Complex lexical fields in English (answers)

These exercises are designed to consolidate your command of complex lexical fields in English at C1 level. You will practise choosing precise vocabulary, recognising collocations and idioms, and adapting register across contexts.

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Exercice 1 — Choosing the Right Word: Synonyms and Register

Choose the option that best completes each sentence, paying attention to meaning, register, and collocations.

1. Despite the economic downturn, the company managed to ___ its market position by diversifying its portfolio.
2. The professor's lecture was so ___ that even the most complex theories seemed immediately accessible to the audience.
3. After years of negotiations, both parties finally ___ a compromise that satisfied their core interests.
4. The new policy is designed to ___ the gap between high-income and low-income households.

Correction

1. B. consolidate — 'Consolidate its market position' is the precise, formal collocation appropriate here; the other options are either too informal or semantically imprecise in this context.
2. A. lucid — 'Lucid' specifically conveys clarity of expression, which is the intended meaning; the other adjectives do not collocate meaningfully with the idea of making complex ideas accessible.
3. B. reached — 'Reached a compromise' is the standard formal collocation in English; the other verbs are either too informal or do not collocate correctly with 'compromise'.
4. A. narrow — 'Narrow the gap' is a fixed, high-register collocation used in formal and academic English; the other options are either unidiomatic or register-inappropriate.

Exercice 2 — Collocations and Idiomatic Expressions: Match and Explain

Match each sentence on the left with its correct paraphrase on the right, then verify that you understand the idiomatic or collocational meaning at stake.

1. She has a vested interest in ensuring the project succeeds.
2. The board decided to turn a blind eye to the minor irregularities in the report.
3. His argument was so nuanced that it defied any sweeping generalisation.
4. The government's new initiative is set to come to fruition by the end of the decade.

Correction

1. She has a personal stake in the project's success — 'a vested interest' collocates with situations where someone stands to gain personally, carrying a slightly formal or even suspicious connotation depending on context.
2. The board chose to deliberately ignore the minor irregularities in the report — 'turn a blind eye to' is a fixed idiomatic expression meaning to knowingly overlook something, used in both formal and semi-formal registers.
3. His argument was too carefully shaded and complex to be reduced to a broad, oversimplified statement — 'nuanced' belongs to a formal academic register and collocates with 'argument', 'analysis', and 'perspective'.
4. The government's new initiative is expected to reach completion and produce results by the end of the decade — 'come to fruition' is a formal idiom meaning to be successfully realised or achieved.

Exercice 3 — Precision in Context: Complete the Sentences

Fill in each blank with the most appropriate word or expression from your knowledge of C1 lexical fields, collocations, and register. Write the complete corrected sentence as your answer.

1. The researcher's findings ___ long-held assumptions about the relationship between diet and cognitive decline.
2. It is ___ to assume that all stakeholders will automatically embrace the proposed reforms without further consultation.
3. The report shed ___ on the underlying causes of the recurring infrastructure failures.
4. Her tone in the email was deliberately ___, carefully avoiding any language that might be perceived as confrontational.

Correction

1. The researcher's findings challenged long-held assumptions about the relationship between diet and cognitive decline — 'challenge assumptions' is a precise academic collocation; verbs like 'question', 'undermine', or 'overturn' are also acceptable at C1 level depending on degree of force intended.
2. It is naive to assume that all stakeholders will automatically embrace the proposed reforms without further consultation — 'naive to assume' is a formal evaluative collocation used in academic and professional discourse to signal unrealistic thinking.
3. The report shed light on the underlying causes of the recurring infrastructure failures — 'shed light on' is a fixed idiomatic collocation meaning to clarify or reveal information, widely used in formal written English.
4. Her tone in the email was deliberately conciliatory, carefully avoiding any language that might be perceived as confrontational — 'conciliatory tone' is a formal collocation used in professional and diplomatic registers to describe language intended to reduce conflict.