If your English is at a B2, C1 level and you're wondering what it really takes to move towards C2, this lesson is for you.
This is the perfect place to begin.
Today we are going to review some of the core skills and grammar from the C1 level and take a look at what is needed in the C2 level.
We'll look at words that seem simple but carry far more complex meanings when used in the right way.
This lesson is all about giving you a clear idea of what to expect as you take that next step.
And speaking of next steps, I am just about to launch my most advanced programme ever.
I've already launched the B1, B2 and C1 Beautiful British English programmes.
Naturally, it's time for the Beautiful British English C2 programme.
It's launching in January, 2026.
Join the waiting list to be the first to know about the launch of the C2 programme, and you'll also get today's PDF ebook for free.
The link is in the description box, or you can scan the QR code there.
You join the mailing list, the PDF will arrive directly in your inbox and you'll automatically join the C2 program waiting list.
Now, take your time, enjoy the lesson, and start getting excited about what's to come.
Before we get into answering, how are you?
Let's talk about some different ways to ask this question.
There are a lot and there's nothing wrong with how are you?
It's appropriate in pretty much any situation.
But if you're trying to reach a C1 level in English, you need to add some more variety.
So let's see more ways to ask this question.
You could ask, how's it going?
How are you doing? or how have you been?
Did you notice the contractions?
How are often becomes howa with the schwa at the end.
How are you?
And how have becomes how've.
How've.
You'll also hear this pronounced as one syllable.
How've.
How've you been?
Other common questions you'll often hear are, how's life?
Or how's life treating you?
You'll also hear, how are things?
Or, How's things?
Now, how's things isn't grammatically correct because things is plural, but we say it a lot.
These phrases just mean how are you or what's been happening in your life.
You might also ask, been up to much?
This is more a question about what you've been doing.
Notice the ellipsis in that sentence.
We know who the subject is, so we can omit have you.
You'll also hear you been up too much with just have omitted.
You'll hear been pronounced with the long E sound and been with the short I sound.
Been up too much, been up too much.
Another informal way to ask how are you is all right.
All right?
This is very British.
We're going to talk about responding in more detail in a moment, but the response to all right can simply be all right.
It can be a greeting similar to hi.
All right?
All right.
What's up can also be used as an informal greeting with people you know well, and you'll often hear it pronounced what's up.
It can be shortened to sup.
Asking what's up can also be interpreted as what's wrong when not used as a greeting.
For example, what's up?
You don't look your usual self.
Now on the other end of the spectrum in terms of formality, we have, How do you do?
Now, this is very formal and quite old-fashioned.
It's actually a greeting and we use it when we meet someone for the first time.
You can respond with the same words.
I'm Lucy Simpkins.
How do you do?
How do you do?
I'm Mark Wright.
Note that you're not very likely to hear this in everyday conversation anymore.
Okay, now we've covered a lot of ways to ask, how are you?
Let's talk about how to respond to how are you.
First, we need to talk about something that can confuse English learners.
Sometimes when we ask someone how they are or how things are going, we don't really want an answer.
We call this phatic communication.
This is language used for social communication rather than to give information or ask questions that require an answer.
It can be really difficult to recognise phatic communication when you're learning English.
You need to rely on context to know how to respond.
For example, if you're at a conference and you meet a business associate you've only met once before, they might ask how's it going?
But they most likely won't expect a detailed answer.
An appropriate response would be, fine, thanks.
You?
You're not really exchanging any information.
But if you bump into a close friend and they ask the same question, they probably really want to know.
You might respond with, not bad, thanks.
Actually, I just got a bit of good news.
Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
Usually we answer fairly positively when someone asks how we are, unless we're sure they want to hear about our troubles.
Okay, we'll start with three of the most common ways to respond.
We have, I'm fine, thanks.
I'm well, thanks.
And this one is a little more formal, and we often use it to refer to our health rather than giving a general answer.
And I'm good, thanks.
People sometimes say, I'm good isn't correct, but it's very widely used.
I use it.
It's just considered a bit less formal than I'm fine.
You'll also often hear these sentences without I'm.
Fine, thanks.
Good, thanks.
This is another example of ellipsis. it's obvious who we're referring to.
You will also hear people answer questions like, how's it going?
Or how have you been?
With, yeah, good, thanks.
Now these aren't yes or no questions, but yeah is a really common filler word and it's a way to quickly acknowledge the question.
Finally, you will also hear, I'm doing well or I'm doing great and I'm doing good.
Now, doing good is not grammatically correct here, but we use it all the time.
Technically, if you are doing good, you are doing something positive like giving to charity or volunteering.
I volunteer at the shelter because I enjoy doing good.
Now you might be aware that British people tend to be quite understated, so slightly more nuanced responses include pretty good, not bad or not too bad.
Yet another very common response is can't complain.
This is the same as I'm all right.
In the UK, particularly in the north, you might also hear, mustn't grumble.
Grumble means complain.
An example, how are things?
Yeah, mustn't grumble.
You'll also hear people say, hanging in there and getting by.
These phrases mean that you're surviving and so you're fine.
And they are obviously used humorously.
How's it going?
I'm hanging in there.
You can also use them more seriously if you're going through a challenging time and you want to answer honestly, but your tone of voice will be different.
Another classic understated response is same old or same old, same old, meaning that nothing or not much has changed in your life since the last time you spoke with that person.
This is a great response to how's life or been up to much.
Now, after you've responded, you'll probably ask the other person how they are.
And we very often simply ask you or yourself, for example same old you or not?
Bad thanks yourself.
Now, using yourself like this isn't entirely grammatically correct, but again, it's very common.
You might also ask how are things on your end?
Or how are things at your end?
This is more informal.
Now for our final section.
We're going to talk about how to give a more honest answer when you're not doing too well.
A common response is, been better or been better, to be honest.
These sentences also contain an example of ellipsis.
I've is omitted.
We can also simply say, oh, you know, and then continue with more details.
For example, how's it going?
Oh, you know, Alan's not well again.
You might also say it hasn't been the easiest week or month.
It hasn't been the easiest is a bit softer than saying it's been the hardest or worst week or month.
You can also say, it's been some day, and this means I've had a rough day.
And finally, when you're not feeling well, you might say Bit under the weather, or an informal, very British one, not too clever.
Okay, let's actually end on a positive note.
One of the most positive ways to answer how are you is never been better or just never better.
So I now have a question for you.
How are you?
Choose one of the phrases in this video and respond in the comments, giving context if you wish.
Have you ever felt awkward when it comes to introducing yourself?
Maybe you look online for a video on how to introduce yourself, but it's at a very basic level.
I mean, introducing yourself in another language is one of the first things they teach you.
But how do we introduce ourselves at an advanced level of English, let's say C1 or even C2.
I'm going to help you today.
I'm going to train you to introduce yourself in English in a very natural, advanced way.
I'm going to give you lots of options, so they will definitely apply to you and your situation.
Introductions are so important.
I want to help you get it right.
Let's get started with the lesson.
So in this lesson, you're going to listen to two dialogues.
The first one is going to be fairly simple.
You'll hear two people introducing themselves at a cheese convention.
This is my dad's dream situation.
Later in the video, you'll hear a much more advanced version.
Hi, I'm Alex.
Nice to meet you.
Claire, nice to meet you too.
What are you doing here?
I sell cheese.
You?
I'm with the marketing team.
Now, I want to make this clear.
There is nothing wrong with that exchange.
In fact, I've had hundreds of conversations like that, but today we're focusing on C1, or advanced English.
So, let's learn some more advanced phrases.
So, how do you begin?
You could say, I don't think we've been introduced. or, I'm not sure we've met before.
You can use these phrases if you're fairly sure that you haven't met the person before.
They're just polite introductory phrases.
If you want to introduce someone else, you might say, I'd like to introduce my colleague, Carlson Cheng.
This is more formal.
A less formal way to do this would be, have you met Julie?
She's a mate from school.
Okay, when you introduce yourself, you need to share your name.
That's probably the most important thing.
It's fine to just say I'm Lucy, but you could expand a little, especially if you use a shortened version of your name or you have a nickname.
Here are some phrases to use.
I'm Magdalena, but most people call me Magda.
Or my name's Roberto, but I usually go by Beto.
I go by means I use this name.
Or please, call me Patty.
It's short for Patricia.
Or a longer, more advanced one.
Bartholomew's my given name, but only my grandmother calls me that.
I've always felt more like a Bart.
You could also inject a little humour.
I respond to William or Will, but never Bill.
Now, let's say you know you have a mutual connection with someone.
You could say, I'm a friend or colleague of Keiko's.
You might add, she speaks very highly of you.
This means that Keiko says very nice things about you.
And this is a very flattering thing to say when you first meet someone.
Nearly everyone loves a compliment.
Another common phrase is, I've heard a lot about you.
And the most common responses are all good.
I hope, or should I be worried, or don't believe a word of it.
You could also say, it's good to put a face to the name.
This means it's good to finally see the person whose name I've heard many times.
Now, let's say you might have met someone before, but don't remember clearly.
You can say, I think our paths have crossed before.
This phrase is perfect when you vaguely recognise someone but aren't entirely sure where from.
When you cross paths with someone or your paths cross, it means you've met by chance at some point.
If you're in a similar social or professional circle, you could say we must move in the same circles.
And if you're surprised that you haven't met sooner, you might add I can't believe we haven't crossed paths before.
So next, you might want to ask someone where they're from.
You could say, are you from around here?
And some different ways to answer, yep.
Portsmouth born and bred.
Or, yeah, I was born and raised just around the corner.
These phrases mean you were born and grew up in a place.
Here are some more.
Originally, but I've moved around a lot.
I'm based in Milan at the moment.
Or, I grew up here, but I've been living in Belfast for the past few years.
Or you could say, nope, just passing through.
To pass through means to stop in a place for a short time before going somewhere else.
Now let's say you want to introduce yourself to someone at an event.
You could ask, why are you here?
But that is very direct, so here are some alternatives.
What brings you here today?
What brings you to this part of the world?
What brings you to the conference today?
You might add, business or pleasure, for example.
What brings you to the World Coffee Championships today?
Business or pleasure?
And the answer could be, business, I'm with beans, beans, beans.
Or, oh, purely pleasure, I'm a bit of a caffeine addict.
Did you hear that additional detail?
I'm a bit of a caffeine addict.
We often add something about our likes, interests, and hobbies when we're introducing ourselves.
I'm a bit of a is a common expression used to soften a statement about ourselves.
It suggests we have a certain trait or interest, but in a more casual or modest way.
For example, I'm a bit of a foodie.
You might also say, I guess you could say I'm a bit of a bookworm.
Or I consider myself a bit of a language geek.
You'll often hear people refer to themselves as a geek, but I don't recommend calling someone else that.
You could also say that you have or have got a soft spot for something or someone.
It means I like it or I like them.
For example, I've got a soft spot for stray cats and now I have seven at home.
Or I've always had a soft spot for cheesy 80s music.
Okay, are you ready for a more advanced dialogue now?
You're not just going to listen.
There are some gaps in this dialogue, so you need to complete the phrases as we go.
Hi, I don't think we've been introduced.
I'm Alexandra, but I usually buy Alex.
What do you think?
Go.
I go buy Alex.
All right, let's continue.
Nice to meet you.
I'm Claire.
So, what You here today?
Brings.
Did you get that one?
I'm with the marketing team organising this event.
What about you?
Business or?
Business or pleasure.
Bit of both.
I'm here on holiday, but I sell cheese back in London, so I thought I'd pop in.
You know, I think I've crossed before, actually.
Were you at the Cheddar Together conference in Melbourne?
What about that one?
Paths.
Our paths have crossed before.
Yeah, it was.
We must move in the same.
So, are you a bit of a cheese addict too?
Yeah, you could say that.
They move in the same circles.
What is the ultimate goal in English?
For most, it's this. the C1 level.
Why?
Well, it's the advanced level of English, but C1 means having the freedom to express yourself.
It's the level where you can smoothly transition from giving an important presentation to cracking jokes with your friends.
We hear so much about C1 English, but what does C1 actually mean?
And what grammar do you need to know to reach an advanced level in English?
In this video, I am going to teach you about all the grammar you need for C1 level English.
We'll start with something that's usually new for C1 students, participle clauses.
We use participle clauses to make sentences more concise.
They are also a great way to add some variation and complexity to your sentence structure, which is important at C1.
Here are a few examples.
Frustrated by the lack of progress, CEO called an emergency meeting.
A longer version could be because he was feeling frustrated by the lack of progress or having signed the contract.
We went out to celebrate.
A slightly longer version here could be after we had signed the contract.
You'll also need to look at some of the more advanced uses of relative clauses and how to use apposition at C1.
What is apposition?
Well, it looks like this.
Notice the two noun clauses next to each other referring to the same thing.
The new training programme, a vital component of our employee development strategy, will launch in April.
Let's move on to the next topic, conditional structures.
By the time you get to C1, you should be familiar with the zero to third conditionals.
You'll probably have already learned about mixed conditionals too, although using those accurately usually takes practise.
At C1, you're ready to dive into more advanced structures like these.
Were we to invest in the company, we would be taking a huge risk.
C1 students will also know the subtle difference between were we to invest and if we invested.
Or another example suppose we were to expand into the Korean market.
How would that impact our operations?
Notice the semicolon between the clauses when we begin with suppose.
Using punctuation accurately in more advanced structures will help you get to C1.
Moving along, our next topic is the passive voice.
Again, you should already know about the basic rules, but at C1 you'll learn how to use more advanced structures, like using ING forms in the passive.
For example, the issue lies in the funds not having been allocated correctly.
Not having been allocated is a passive ING form.
And you'll be introduced to impersonal passive structures.
For example, it is thought that the company will announce a new product line soon.
Okay, the next thing we're looking at is hedging, nothing to do with gardening.
Hedging is when you soften your message, making it sound less forceful or less certain.
You might do this in order to be polite, or to avoid being seen as arrogant, or to express ideas that you're not sure are accurate.
It's very useful.
In addition to other structures, we often use modal verbs like may, might and could, combined with hedging adverbs like potentially or conceivably.
This really takes your language to a C1 level, Like in this sentence.
Opening an office in that region could potentially lead to lucrative partnerships polite and professional.
At C1, you'll learn about some of the more advanced uses of modals.
For example, you'll learn the difference between you might have told me that the meeting had been canceled and you might've told me that the meeting had been canceled.
So the first one means maybe you did, I can't remember.
And the second one means you should have told me.
The sentences are identical.
In speech the tone of voice would be different, but in writing you'd have to work out the meaning from the context.
Okay, onto the next grammar points, cleft sentences and inversion.
They're my favourites. and my students love learning these structures too.
Both are used for emphasis.
We'll start with cleft sentences.
With this structure, we take one message and we split it into two, emphasising a certain part by putting it in a separate clause.
They often begin with it.
For example, it's effective time management that sets top performing employees apart from the rest of the team.
You'll see similar structures beginning with what and all.
And now onto inversion.
You actually saw an example of this earlier in the video in the conditional section in the sentence were we to invest?
The normal subject verb order in a statement is inverted to were we.
At C1, you'll learn to use inversion in several ways. for example, after negative adverbials.
Rarely does an opportunity like this arise in such a saturated market.
Sounds so fancy, doesn't it?
And after other words and phrases like so and such.
So successful was the marketing campaign that sales doubled within a month.
I think those sentences just sound so beautiful and advanced.
Okay, we're moving on to the next point now, linking words.
At C1, you need to be able to produce extended, detailed texts that are well-structured and easy to follow.
One way to do this is by using linking words.
You'll have learnt a lot of the linking words you need by the time you reach B2.
In English, words like nevertheless and furthermore.
The key at C1 is revising linking words and ensuring you're using them effectively.
But there's always time to pick up some more advanced words and phrases like much as and notwithstanding.
I've put a couple of examples using those words in the PDF, so don't forget to download that.
Okay, we have two more topics to go.
The next is comparative and superlative structures.
You'll already know a lot by the time you reach C1, but at an advanced level you'll add in structures.
The faster we finish, the sooner we can leave.
We're on our last topic and we haven't talked about tenses yet, and I haven't forgotten about them.
You should already be a fairly confident user of a variety of tenses by the time you reach C1.
At the advanced level.
It's about practise and getting truly comfortable employing the right tense in different situations.
A C1 course will also teach you some of the more advanced uses of tenses, like using the present tense when narrating a story that happened in the past.
For example, so I'm in the middle of preparing a big presentation and suddenly my laptop crashes.
It makes it sound more dramatic.
And you'll learn some expressions that refer to the near future, such as be on the verge of.
The company is on the verge of making a big announcement.
Okay, there you have it.
That is all of the grammar that you need for advanced C1 level English.
Now, do you think that you know these words?
Well, think again, because these very simple beginner words actually have really advanced meanings.
And in today's lesson I'm going to teach you the advanced meanings of all of these super basic words.
Let's begin 10 basic words with advanced meanings.
First, I'll show you a word and an image that represents its basic meaning.
Then I'll give you a sentence using the word in a more advanced way and you'll have a moment to try to work out the meaning from the context.
At the end, we will have a quiz to see how much you remember.
Number one, clock.
This is probably the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word clock.
But do you know its advanced meaning when we use it as a verb?
Here's an example in a sentence.
I clocked Tim leaving the meeting early, but I didn't say anything.
We use clock as a verb, especially in informal British English, to mean notice.
I noticed Tim leaving the meeting early.
Number two, table.
I imagine we all know this meaning of the word table, but what does it mean when used as a verb?
Here's an example.
The teacher's union tabled a list of demands regarding working conditions and pay.
Well, in British English, if you table something like a proposal, an idea or a document, You formally present it for discussion.
I imagine people sitting around a table in a meeting and putting an idea on the table.
It makes sense, right?
Well, be careful because to table has the opposite meaning in North American English.
It means to postpone or suspend the discussion of something.
For example, let's table that proposal for now.
We have more important matters to deal with.
So now I imagine someone pushing a piece of paper to the side of the table and leaving it for later.
I guess they both make sense.
Be careful with the verb.
Number three, toast.
A great toast. breakfast food.
Here's a sentence with one of its more advanced meanings.
If mum finds out we broke the TV, we're toast.
I love this idiomatic expression.
Did you figure out what it means from the context?
Well, when we use toast with a person and the verb to be, it means that person is in serious trouble.
Deleted that important file, you're toast.
Jim missed the penalty, he's toast.
The teacher found out we copied during the exam, we're all toast.
Now we usually use this expression in a humorous and lighthearted way.
There are more advanced meanings of toast, I've included them in the PDF guide.
Now for number four, we have another breakfast staple, milk.
I'm sure you agree.
It's a fairly basic word in this context, but here it is in a sentence with its advanced meaning.
He's really milking that ankle injury for all it's worth.
He hasn't done any housework for months.
So if you milk something, you try to get as much advantage from a situation as possible.
We often use it to talk about someone trying to gain sympathy, money or attention from a situation, sometimes dishonestly.
For example, those scammers milked me of every penny I had.
Number five.
Here is a bottle.
But did you know there's an advanced meaning too?
What does it mean in this sentence?
It takes a lot of bottle to stand up to bullies.
In British English, we can use bottle to refer to courage or confidence.
You'll often see it in the structure, to have the bottle to do something.
For example, I don't have the bottle to ask him out on a date.
I don't have enough courage or confidence to do this.
A synonym in this context is nerve.
I don't have the nerve to ask him out on a date.
Now it's time for a quiz to test you on the first half of the lesson.
Do you have the bottle to give it a go?
Here are the five words we've seen so far.
Clock, table, toast, milk, and bottle.
Can you match these basic words with their advanced meanings?
We have courage or confidence.
Notice be in big trouble, formally discuss and get advantage of a situation.
Pause the video and match them.
Okay, did you manage to match them?
We have clock to notice.
Table, to formally discuss or postpone if you're in North America.
Toast, to be in big trouble.
Milk, to gain advantage from something.
And bottle, meaning courage or confidence.
Let me know your scores in the comments.
Right, let's move on to our next five basic words with advanced meanings.
Number six is Sleep.
I need to sleep more.
I need to get more sleep.
This is a very common basic word that we can use as a noun and a verb, but it has an interesting advanced meaning when used as a noun.
Here's an example.
You've got a bit of sleep in the corner of your eye.
Did you guess the meaning from the context?
Sleep is the stuff that can form in the corners of your eyes after you've been sleeping, the gunk.
And yeah, you should definitely tell someone if they have sleep in their eye.
Number seven, this is a brush.
But do you know more advanced meaning of this word?
Here's an example.
Sally had a brush with death when a tree branch fell just inches from where she was standing.
We use the phrase a brush with something to say that we almost experienced something, usually something bad.
Sally had a brush with death means that she nearly died.
We often talk about a brush with danger or a brush with disaster.
You might have also heard the phrase, a brush with the law.
For example, I had a brush with the law when I was caught shoplifting in my early teens.
In this case, a brush with the law means that the encounter with the legal system was brief or minor.
I didn't get into serious trouble with the police.
Okay, number eight, this is a good one.
Game.
We all know about video games and board games, but what does game mean in this sentence?
First, Liz completely ignores me, and then suddenly, she's all friendly.
What's her game?
In British English we can ask what's his, her or anybody's game when we want to know the real reason someone is behaving the way they are.
It's like saying, hmm, I'm suspicious as to why Liz is suddenly being friendly.
What is her true motive?
And a bonus point if you can tell me what it means in this sentence when used as an adjective.
I love Pippa, she's game for anything.
To be game for something means to be willing to do it, especially if we're talking about something new, exciting or potentially dangerous.
An example, we need a volunteer to feed the lions.
Who's game?
Now that's quite funny because game also means wild animals that people hunt for sport or food.
So you could be asking here, who's food for the lions?
That's an example of word play.
Okay, we're onto the last two now.
We have the basic word sport, as in football and tennis, but it can also be used as a verb with a much more advanced meaning.
Can you figure out the meaning from the context?
He showed up to the party sporting a brand new pair of designer sunglasses.
Yep, we can use sport as a verb with the meaning of wear.
And we use it when a person wears or displays something very proudly, perhaps even in a way that is showing off a little like you're boasting, you're sporting your new designer clothes.
And finally, number 10, this is a school.
But what does it mean in this sentence?
I snapped a load of pictures of a huge school of fish when I was scuba diving.
School can be used as a collective noun for a group of fish.
And we can also use it with other sea animals swimming together, like whales and dolphins, but pod is a more common collocation for them.
Okay, it's time for your final quiz to see how much you remember.
Today, we're going to mix it with some pronunciation practice.
Here's a short text.
I'm going to read it out loud.
I want you to replace the highlighted words with one of the words from the top of the screen.
Those are bottle, sporting, milking, toast or clocked.
Are you ready?
Speak along with me to practice.
I noticed Dan sneaking out of the office at 3 p.m., wearing a huge smile on his face.
Third time this week.
If the boss finds out, he's in big trouble.
I'd never have the courage to do anything like that.
But somehow, Dan always gets away with it, and he's been gaining advantage for that back injury.
You know he hasn't lifted a single box for months.
Okay, you should have, I clocked Dan sneaking out, sporting a huge smile on his face.
Yep, we don't just sport clothes, we can sport a facial expression, a smile.
If the boss finds out, he's toast.
I'd never have the bottle to do something like that.
And he's been milking that back injury, right?
If you know and can use these 15 incredibly advanced English words and phrases, then you are working towards the C2 level of English.
This is the maximum level of English.
Today's lesson is going to be seriously advanced.
We're going to go through the 15 words and phrases in the form of a quiz.
So grab a pen and share your score at the end.
Lots of the questions are multiple choice questions.
Let's get started with the lesson.
Number one, the kids keep hassling us to get a dog.
Does the verb hassle mean A to repeatedly annoy somebody, often by asking them to do something many times, or B to hurry or rush somebody?
The correct definition is A, to repeatedly annoy somebody.
You'll often see the structure to hassle somebody to do something, like we have in the example sentence, or to hassle somebody for something.
For example, the kids keep hassling us for a dog.
Number two, look at this sentence.
Let's just get the main bullet points down for now.
We can flesh out the ideas later.
Does the phrasal verb to flesh out mean A to add more detail or information to something, or B let people know about something?
The correct answer is...
A again, to add more detail or information to something.
We often talk about fleshing out ideas, details, and plans.
Three, take a look at this sentence.
Her excuse about the dog eating her homework just doesn't hold water.
Does the idiom not hold water?
Mean A not believable or convincing, or B not creative or inventive enough.
The answer is A, again, I'm noticing a trend here.
Not believable or convincing.
So if something doesn't hold water, it's not believable or convincing.
We often use it with the nouns excuse, statement, and argument.
Number four, take a look at this sentence.
That 12-hour flight has left my body clock totally out of kilter.
Does this idiom mean A experiencing jet lag for the first time, or b not working properly or in its usual state?
The correct answer is B, finally a B. It means not working properly or in its usual state.
We can also use this idiom to mean that two things do not agree or match each other.
For example, the government's policy is out of kilter with public opinion.
And notice the preposition there, out of kilter with something.
Okay, the last question in this first round.
Number five, have a look at the sentence.
She was trying to help. but her suggestions just muddied the waters.
Does the idiom to muddy the waters mean A to make a simple situation more complicated and less clear than it was before, or B to bring hidden problems to the surface?
A, to make a simple situation more complicated and less clear than it was before.
I love how visual this idiom is.
If you muddy the waters, you add mud to water and make it, less transparent, less clear.
You can muddy the waters both intentionally and unintentionally.
Notice how we use the plural, muddy the waters.
We can also say muddy the issue.
Okay, that brings us to the end of round one.
How many have you got right out of five so far?
Keep a note of your score so that you can let me know in the comments.
Okay, now it's time for round two and we are increasing the difficulty.
This round, you will get a gapped sentence with three possible answers.
You ready?
Number six, what phrase best completes this sentence?
Let's just split the bill four ways.
It's not worth over a few pounds.
Is it A, quibbling?
B, niggling?
Or C, quivering?
The correct answer is quibbling.
Can you guess the meaning from the context?
It means to argue or complain about small unimportant details.
We quibble over or about something.
It's often a number or an amount.
Question seven, which word best completes this sentence?
The twins exchanged Glances across the dinner table which made their parents suspicious they were up to no good.
Is it A, fussy, B, furtive, or C, frail?
It is B, furtive.
This is a gorgeous adjective used to describe suspicious or secretive behaviour.
It collocates strongly with the nouns glance and look.
Number eight, which word completes this sentence?
I don't find the prospect of camping in a field for a week in this terrible weather, particularly What
Is it A, alluring?
B, eluding?
Or C, enduring?
It is...
A alluring.
This means attractive or exciting.
A less formal alternative that would work well in this sentence is appealing.
I don't find the idea of camping in the rain appealing.
Alluring collocates strongly with words like prospect and offer, but we also use it to talk about a person's attractiveness.
For example, an alluring smile, scent, or voice.
Number nine.
Which word best completes this sentence?
The last question completely me.
I didn't have a clue how to answer.
Is it A, flattered, B, duped, or C, flummoxed?
It is C, flummoxed.
Oh, such a good word.
To flummox somebody means to confuse somebody so much that they don't know what to do or say.
We also say to leave someone or be left flummoxed.
For example, that last question left me completely flummoxed, or I was left utterly flummoxed by the packet instructions.
Okay, last word in this multiple choice round, number 10.
Which word best completes this sentence?
Don't listen to her.
What she's saying is a load of old what.
Is it A, rigmarole?
B, hogwash?
Or C, pragmatism?
Three gorgeous words.
I'll talk about them more in the PDF.
The correct answer is B, hogwash.
Not to be confused with Hogwarts.
Have you heard this word before?
It's an informal noun for an idea or talk that is stupid.
Nonsense and rubbish have similar meanings in this context.
It collocates well with the adjectives absolute, complete, and pure.
Okay, so that brings us to the end of round two of three.
How are you doing so far?
Honestly, I'd give yourself a big pat on the back if you've even managed to get a quarter of these ridiculously advanced words.
It's time for our final round.
I'll show you the word with an example sentence and I'll pause to see if you can come up with the meaning.
This round is going to be very challenging.
Are you ready?
Number 11, tantamount, tantamount.
Leaving your dog at home alone all day is tantamount to cruelty.
We always use this adjective in the structure tantamount to something.
It is generally used to say that something has the same or almost the same effect as something bad.
An example, copying another student's work is tantamount to stealing.
Copying another student's work is equivalent or nearly equivalent to stealing.
Number 12, strenuous.
Strenuous.
The doctor advised me to refrain from any strenuous exercise in the weeks after my operation.
If something is strenuous, it requires a lot of effort and energy.
For example, strenuous exercise, activity, or work.
We can also use it more figuratively to mean determined.
For example, the company is making strenuous efforts to cut its carbon emissions.
Propagate.
Propagate.
The internet has made it easier than ever to propagate misinformation.
Okay, here's another word with a couple of meanings.
In this context, to propagate means to spread.
It's often used with nouns like message, agenda or an ideology.
It often has a negative connotation to describe the spread of hateful ideas, beliefs and lies.
The second meaning is much more positive.
Have you ever had a go at propagating your plants?
This is when you take cuttings from a parent plant to grow new plants.
For example, you can easily propagate pothos by cutting the stem and placing it in water.
Okay, our penultimate word now.
The builder did such a shoddy job installing the kitchen cabinets.
Half of them didn't close properly.
This means poor quality work done carelessly, badly, or cheaply.
If we describe goods as shoddy, they're made with low quality materials or have been badly or carelessly made.
Okay, time for our final C2 word of the lesson.
I love this word, it's very fun.
It is nefarious, nefarious.
It was a nefarious scheme designed to trick people into giving up their bank details.
Nefarious means morally bad, evil or wicked.
We can use it to describe criminal acts.
Okay, there you have it.
15 C2 level words and phrases.
Hello lovely students and welcome back to English with Lucy.
Are you tired of using basic verbs like walk, jump and climb?
Today I am going to help you upgrade your English by increasing your vocabulary to talk about movement with some C2 level words.
This is the highest level of English.
So you can stop saying, I walked slowly, and start saying, I plodded along.
You'll also be able to replace climb with clamber.
Now, if this seems too advanced for you, don't leave.
I promise I will explain all the words clearly and give you easy to remember examples.
So stay with me.
This video is going to be especially important for you if you want to improve your creative writing.
The C2 level of English is all about nuance and using precise verbs to explain exactly what we mean.
We will start with some advanced ways to say to walk slowly.
Our first word is toamble to amble, meaning to walk in a slow, relaxed way.
For example, we ambled through the village, enjoying the quiet streets and fresh air.
Now notice the use of through after amble.
Amble through to amble, like many of the verbs we're looking at, should be followed by an adverb or a preposition.
Along, down and over also work well.
A similar one is tomosey.
This is a lovely word.
It means to walk or move slowly in a relaxed way, often with no special purpose in mind.
It's quite informal.
An example, we're going to mosey into town later to look around.
And in casual speech, we might say, mosey on down or mosey on over.
I'll mosey on down sometime in the afternoon.
Next, to saunter.
If you saunter, you tend to look confident or relaxed.
A verb with almost the opposite meaning is to slink.
And this means to move slowly, but it's also to move quietly, often as if you're trying not to be noticed or because you feel guilty.
This is an irregular verb.
The verb forms are slink, slunk, slunk.
I love saying that, it's satisfying.
Slink, slunk, slunk.
She slunk out of the room after her boss told her off.
Or carry off and slinks off to get coffee when she should be working.
Next, we have to trudge, to trudge.
Another great word, it reminds me of fudge.
I must be hungry, to trudge.
This means to move slowly, with heavy steps, often because you're carrying something heavy, It's difficult to walk or you're tired.
For example, we trudged home through the snow after a long day.
You often trudge through mud or snow.
A near synonym is to plod, and this is to walk with slow, heavy steps.
You might be tired or it might be very difficult to walk because of the environment.
He plodded through the mud, his boots sinking in every step.
We can also use plod figuratively meaning to work or do something slowly, especially something boring or difficult.
For example, if I ask, how are you doing with the report?
You might say, ah, plodding along.
I'm working slowly.
I'm making slow progress.
All right, our final one for moving slowly is to dawdle.
To dawdle.
I don't know if I'm in a particularly good mood, but I think all of these words have been so beautiful and satisfying to say.
To dawdle.
Can you guess what this word means from the sentence?
My children always dawdle on school days, often making us late.
It means to move or do something slowly in a way that wastes time.
If you dawdle, it takes you more time than necessary to do something.
If you don't want to go to school, you might dawdle over breakfast.
You might take ages to eat it.
Then you would dawdle over brushing your teeth and then simply dawdle along.
That's walking slowly.
Now, let's think.
If you were late to a meeting, would you saunter or slink in, or would you scurry in?
That's a great word.
Let's move on to ways to describe moving quickly, starting with scurry.
To scurry means to walk with small, quick steps, often because you are in a hurry or you're frightened.
For example, she scurried into the meeting room, hoping no one had noticed she was late.
We often say that small animals like mice, rats, and ants scurry.
He jumped up on the chair when he saw the mouse scurrying across the floor.
A very similar verb is to scuttle, scuttle.
Again, it's moving with short, quick steps, and it tends to be when you want to escape, are afraid or don't want anyone to see you.
Again, it's often used for small animals or insects.
A rat scuttled across the floor and disappeared under the fridge.
And another one we use to talk about animal movements is to dart.
This means to move suddenly and quickly in a particular direction.
You know what a dart is, the small pointed object we throw at a dart board during a game of darts.
Probably easier if I show you a picture.
Well, an animal or human could dart in a particular direction.
Some examples, a squirrel darted across my path.
We can also use it for human movement.
Amber darted forward and pulled her son away from the road.
We have a similar word now, to lunge.
And this means to make a sudden, strong forward movement, often to attack or grab something.
My brother lunged across the table to grab the last slice of pizza.
Our final verb in our move quickly category is to hurtle.
To hurtle, and this means to move very quickly, and usually it's in one direction.
My dog always hurtles towards me when I get back from a holiday.
Sometimes it can be in a dangerous way.
I think it implies a lack of control.
For example, the car hurtled around the corner and narrowly avoided hitting a tree.
Now let's have a quick fire round of five verbs to finish off.
Stop always saying jump. and start saying, vault, instead.
If you vault, you jump over something using your hands or a pole for support.
Kerry vaulted over the fence and retrieved the ball.
Next, you don't always need to hike you can always ramble.
This means to walk for pleasure, particularly in the countryside.
And to ramble is more common in British English than in American English.
I spent the afternoon rambling across the hills.
Now, instead of saying climb all the time, what about trying clamber?
This means to climb up, down or across something with difficulty.
Usually you clamber with your hands and feet.
For example, we clambered over the rocks to reach the seashore.
Or whenever I clamber up a ladder, I cling on and fight my fear of heights.
Okay, how about if you walk purposefully?
Well, that's already quite advanced with purposefully, but to stride is even better.
It means to walk with long, confident steps in a particular direction.
And this is an irregular verb and the past tense is not strided, it's strode.
The past participle is technically stridden, but I could probably count on one hand the amount of times I've heard it used in perfect tenses.
An example, he strode across the stage and began his presentation.
And finally, I've got another alternative for walk confidently.
It's to sashay.
What an elegant word, to sashay.
If you sashay, you walk confidently in a way that is intended to attract attention.
We might say that models sashay down a catwalk.
If anyone watches RuPaul, you might have heard the phrase sashay away when a contestant is eliminated, encouraging them to exit confidently.
Another example, he sashayed over to the dance floor, enjoying the attention.
That's very high level.
Okay, lovely students, it's not quite the end.
It's time for a little quiz.
Let's see if you can remember what you've learned from this lesson.
Keep score as we go.
There are five questions in total.
Number one, which verb means to move quickly?
Is it to saunter, to scurry, or to amble?
It is.
To scurry.
This is moving with short, quick steps.
Saunter and amble both mean to walk slowly.
To, which is the odd one out here.
To plod, to hurtle, or to scuttle.
It's to plod.
This means to walk slowly.
The other two mean to move quickly.
Number three, choose the best option to complete this sentence here.
I up the slope on all fours.
Is it vaulted, rambled, or clambered?
Clambered fits best as this means to climb using your hands and feet.
So you're clambering on all fours.
That's a good term for using both your hands and feet to move.
You're on all fours.
To vault means to jump over and to ramble means to walk across the countryside.
Number four.
Choose the best option for this sentence.
We up the hill carrying our suitcases.
Is it lunged?
Trudged or moseyed?
It's trudged.
To trudge means to walk slowly and with difficulty, often because you're carrying something heavy.
To lunge is to make a sudden movement forward and to mosey means to move slowly.
And finally, your last one, number five, replace.
Walked confidently, with a verb, from the video.
She walked confidently into the room.
So you could have sashayed, strode or sauntered.
All mean to walk confidently and remember to sashay is to walk in a way you want to be noticed.
To stride is to walk with long confident steps.
And to saunter is to walk in a relaxed but confident way.
