C1 Grammar — English But Better

At C1 you've mastered the rules. Now you learn to bend them — and know exactly why. The goal is not just to be understood, but to express the right shade of meaning at the right moment. This is the level of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE).

Stage 1 — Advanced conditionals and hypotheticals

01 Mixed Conditionals If I had studied, I would be a doctor now 02 Conditional Alternatives unless, provided that, as long as, supposing, in case 03 Wish, If Only, It's time, I'd rather Expressing regret and preference at a high level

Stage 2 — Advanced modal verbs

04 Modal Perfects (advanced) must have / can't have / may have / might have been… 05 Would (advanced uses) Typical behaviour, past habits, formal requests, distancing

Stage 3 — Sentence architecture

06 Inversion (advanced) Not until / Hardly had / No sooner had / Only when… 07 Cleft Sentences It was John who called · What I need is a holiday 08 Nominalization decide → decision · analyze → analysis (formal writing) 09 Ellipsis and Substitution Avoiding repetition naturally: "I will if you do"

Stage 4 — Discourse and register

10 Discourse Markers furthermore, nevertheless, in contrast, what is more… 11 Hedging Language It appears that · It would seem · There is a tendency to… 12 Register and Style Formal vs. informal · academic vs. conversational English

← B2 C2 coming soon

C1 — Advanced