Top 200 Vocabulary Word List for Cambridge C1 Advanced | Must Know Words for Common Examination Instructions

The 200-word examination instruction list

Cambridge C1 Advanced instructions tell you how to complete, transform, compare, prioritise or respond. Reading and Use of English Part 4 has a three-to-six-word limit. The compulsory essay asks you to develop two points and explain which matters more. Speaking can ask you to compare two pictures and answer the questions printed above them.

The bank includes question instructions, answer-format phrases and vocabulary for reading the task. Check the official directions for the exact question and examination sitting.

Exam requirements · Worked examples · Fencing Method

Reading and Use of English task directions

No.	Instruction or term	What it asks you to do
1	C1 Advanced	Use the Cambridge English format and examples for the qualification on your entry.
2	Reading and Use of English	Work through both text comprehension and tasks testing grammar and vocabulary.
3	Cross-text multiple matching	Compare opinions or attitudes across four related texts.
4	Gapped text	Choose the paragraph whose references and logic fit the gap.
5	Key word transformation	Complete the second sentence with the same meaning using the given word unchanged.
6	Three to six words	Keep the transformation gap within the limit, including the given key word.
7	Word formation	Change the base word into the form that fits the sentence and meaning.
8	Multiple-choice cloze	Choose the option that fits the gap in meaning and natural usage.
9	Open cloze	Supply the word that makes the sentence and text work.
10	Multiple matching	Find the text, section or speaker that matches each question.
11	Multiple-choice reading	Choose the option supported by the text at the scope requested.
12	Do not change the key word	Use the exact form of the word provided.
13	Base word	Use the supplied word to derive the form required in context.
14	Match attitudes	Identify where authors agree or disagree in their treatment of a specific idea.
15	Paragraph cohesion	Check how references and the sequence of ideas connect the missing paragraph to the text.

Writing, Speaking and advanced language tasks

No.	Instruction or term	What it asks you to do
16	Word class	Decide whether the gap needs a noun, verb, adjective, adverb or other form.
17	220–260 words	Keep each Writing response within the specified range.
18	Compulsory essay	Complete the required first Writing task.
19	Discuss two points	Develop two of the points supplied, as the essay instructions specify.
20	Which is more important	Choose and justify a priority between the points you discuss.
21	Justify your opinion	Give reasoning that supports the preference or judgment in the prompt.
22	Write a proposal	Recommend an action to the intended reader and explain why it would help.
23	Write a report	Present relevant findings and make any recommendations the task asks for.
24	Write a review	Evaluate the subject for the stated audience and make the requested recommendation.
25	Letter or email	Address the identified reader using a tone and structure suited to the task.
26	Communicative Achievement	Use conventions, style and register that suit the task and audience.
27	Content coverage	Check that each requested point is addressed with relevant detail.
28	Organisation criterion	Arrange ideas clearly and connect them through the response.
29	Language criterion	Use a suitable range of precise grammar and vocabulary with control.
30	Long turn	Speak individually in response to the pictures and printed questions.
31	Choose two pictures	Select two of the three pictures for the specified Speaking Part 2 turn.
32	Compare and speculate	Pair relevant features and discuss plausible circumstances or reactions.
33	Answer both questions	Cover the two printed questions about the chosen pictures.
34	Collaborative task	Exchange ideas with a partner about the written prompts.
35	Decision task	Discuss the requested choice and work towards a decision with your partner.
36	Develop the discussion	Extend a point with a reason, example or response to your partner.
37	Discourse management	Sustain a coherent turn with relevant, connected ideas.
38	Interactive communication	Respond to the other speaker and help move the conversation forward.
39	Select one task	Complete one of the available Part 2 writing choices.
40	Listen twice	Use the two playings to identify and then check what the task asks for.
41	Strength of agreement	Check whether the writers agree fully or only under a stated condition.
42	Partial agreement	Identify the point shared while retaining the part on which views differ.
43	Reference chain	Follow related nouns, pronouns and repeated ideas through paragraphs.
44	Lexical cohesion	Notice how related words connect ideas across a text.
45	Nominalisation	Identify a noun form that expresses an action or quality when the context needs one.
46	Hedging	Use wording that makes the strength or uncertainty of a claim accurate.
47	Concession followed by rebuttal	Acknowledge a concern and explain why your main position still holds.
48	Implementation detail	Explain how a proposal could be put into practice.
49	Expected benefit	Describe who would gain and how the proposed action would help.
50	Evaluate feasibility	Consider whether a proposal can work under the stated constraints.
51	Appropriate recommendation	Make a suggestion that follows from your findings and suits the reader.
52	Follow-up comment	Respond briefly to the other candidate’s pictures when invited.
53	Speculate about motivation	Offer a plausible reason for the activity using what the pictures show.
54	Sustain a turn	Develop a relevant answer while keeping the ideas connected.
55	Collaborative decision	Respond to the partner and bring the discussion towards the requested choice.

Text organisation and language choices

No.	Instruction or term	What it asks you to do
56	One word in each gap	Use one word for each blank when the open-cloze instruction applies.
57	Same meaning	Preserve the original relationship, tense and other relevant meaning.
58	Word form	Decide which grammatical form the surrounding sentence needs.
59	Fixed phrase	Complete the expression with its conventional wording.
60	Review	Describe and evaluate the subject and make the recommendation the task requests.
61	Language	Use clear and suitable vocabulary and grammar with appropriate range and control.
62	Sentence completion	Fill the Listening gap with the required detail from the recording.
63	Compare the photographs	Use paired similarities or differences and answer the question above the images.
64	Invite an opinion	Ask your partner to contribute a view during collaborative practice.
65	Support your view	Give a reason or example relevant to the discussion question.
66	Exchange views	Give an opinion and respond to what your partner says.
67	Word ending	Check which form or ending fits the surrounding grammar.
68	Word family	Use related forms to decide whether the sentence needs a noun, verb, adjective or adverb.
69	Cohesive reference	Work out what a linking expression or pronoun refers to.
70	Spoken detail	Listen for the particular fact the item asks about.
71	Speaker attitude	Use the speaker’s wording and tone to infer their stance where asked.
72	Sentence stress	Give appropriate prominence to important words in spoken language.
73	Word order	Arrange the pieces so the sentence works grammatically.
74	Academic tone	Use clear, respectful language appropriate to an academic exchange.
75	Support with an example	Add an example that demonstrates the reason you gave.
76	Main purpose	Identify what the text as a whole is trying to accomplish.
77	Most directly supports	Pick the evidence with the clearest connection to the named claim.
78	Function of a detail	Decide how a detail supports or develops a larger point in the material.
79	Words in context	Choose the sense or expression that fits the local wording and purpose.
80	Reference within the text	Resolve a reference by locating the word or idea it points back to.
81	Transitions	Identify the relationship between ideas before choosing a connecting expression.
82	Illustrative example	Choose a particular case that demonstrates a broader point.
83	Sentence conventions	Choose grammar and punctuation that make the constructed sentence clear.
84	Clause boundary	Identify where one clause ends and the next begins before arranging the sentence.
85	Sentence structure	Use word order and grammatical roles to make a complete sentence.
86	Independent clause	Identify words with a subject and verb that can stand as a sentence.
87	Dependent clause	Identify a clause that needs a main clause to complete its function.
88	Sentence fragment	Recognise words punctuated as a sentence without a complete main clause.
89	Pronoun reference	Match the pronoun to the person or thing it represents.
90	Rhetorical purpose	Identify the job a detail does in the author’s argument.
91	Nonessential clause	Identify a clause that can be removed without changing the intended reference.
92	Parenthetical detail	Identify supplementary information set off from the main sentence.
93	Detail	Find the particular fact needed to answer the question.
94	Writer’s view	Identify the opinion the writer expresses.
95	Contrast	Show how the items differ on a shared point of comparison.
96	Support	Supply evidence that helps establish the claim.
97	In context	Use the meaning that fits this passage or situation.
98	Best supported	Prefer the conclusion backed most directly by the evidence.
99	Example	A particular case used to make a general idea clear.
100	Context	The surrounding information that helps determine meaning.
101	Option	One of the choices the question offers.
102	One word only	Enter exactly one word in the answer space.
103	Coherence	Make ideas easy to follow in a sensible order.
104	Cohesion	Link sentences and paragraphs so their relationships are clear.
105	Point of view	State your position on the issue when the prompt calls for it.
106	Relevant example	Use an example that genuinely supports the paragraph’s point.
107	Topic sentence	Open a paragraph with a sentence that identifies its main point.
108	Options may be used more than once	Reuse an option only when the question instructions permit it.
109	Words and phrases	Identify the language that carries the meaning needed for the answer.
110	Complete sentences	Use connected sentences where the writing task requires a full response.
111	Reason	The basis for a statement, choice or result.
112	Cross-text connections	Compare how two texts address the same point.
113	Refer back	Connect a word or phrase to the idea it refers to earlier in the text.
114	Communicative purpose	Identify what the writer or speaker is trying to achieve.
115	Cause and effect	Choose a link that shows one event producing or explaining the other.
116	Compare	Set the items side by side on the same relevant feature.
117	Refer to	Use the specified passage, figure or notes when responding.
118	Evidence	A fact, detail or observation that supports a claim.
119	Conclusion	The result reached after considering the reasoning or evidence.
120	Summarise a viewpoint	State the writer’s main position and retain qualifications that affect it.
121	Fit the missing paragraph	Use the lead-in and the following text to check the sequence.
122	Complete the gap	Supply the item in the form specified by the particular task.
123	Multiple Choice, Single Answer	Choose one option as the question directs.
124	Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers	Select the choices supported by the text or audio and check the scoring guidance.
125	Connected response	Use meaningful links between sentences to develop the task.
126	Paragraph options	Compare the supplied paragraphs for meaning, order and references.
127	Option fit	Check grammar, meaning and usage before choosing the answer.
128	Listening cue	Identify where the relevant detail or change of topic occurs.
129	Speaker contribution	Attribute a main point or viewpoint to the relevant speaker where helpful.
130	Discussion direction	Keep the exchange focused on the question and the partner’s contributions.
131	Select from the text	Use the interface to pick the exact visible item requested.
132	Relevant supporting point	Include a detail that helps explain the main message.
133	Example in a talk	Identify the point that the example helps explain.
134	Keep the original sense	Check the rewritten sentence for the same meaning and time relationship.
135	Hyphenated word	Check the official counting rule for words joined with a hyphen.
136	Distinguish the speakers	Identify how speakers agree, disagree or add to one another’s points.
137	Fluency and coherence	Keep speaking at a workable pace while organising ideas clearly.
138	Avoid unsupported selections	Check the evidence for each choice before selecting it in a multiple-answer item.
139	Synthesise the discussion	Combine related speaker points while retaining important differences.
140	Speaker’s intention	Identify what the speaker wants to happen in the situation.

Core instructions and response checks

No.	Instruction or term	What it asks you to do
141	Recognise	Find a familiar feature in a new example.
142	Identify	Name or pick out the item the question specifies.
143	Select	Choose only the number of options requested.
144	Choose	Commit to the option that fits the stated criteria.
145	Match	Pair each item with the option that corresponds to it.
146	Complete	Fill in what is missing while keeping the supplied structure.
147	Label	Attach the correct name to the indicated part.
148	Locate	Find the specified detail, point or region.
149	Indicate	Make the chosen feature or answer clear.
150	Record	Write the result in the space and form provided.
151	Answer	Respond directly to the question being asked.
152	Give	Supply the requested fact, example or result.
153	State	Express the required point directly and clearly.
154	Name	Supply the correct term, person or item.
155	List	Set out the requested items separately.
156	Define	Give the precise meaning used in the subject or question.
157	Describe	Report the relevant characteristics, events or pattern.
158	Outline	Give the main steps or points in brief.
159	Summarise	Select the central points and leave out minor details.
160	Explain	Connect the result to its cause, mechanism or reasoning.
161	Analyse	Break down the evidence and explain how its parts relate.
162	Interpret	Say what a statement, result or display means in context.
163	Infer	Use clues to reach a conclusion the material implies.
164	Suggest	Offer a plausible answer suited to the information given.
165	Justify	Give evidence or reasoning that supports your answer.
166	Evaluate	Weigh relevant evidence or criteria before reaching a judgment.
167	Assess	Judge the extent, value or strength of something using evidence.
168	Discuss	Develop a structured response that considers the relevant issues.
169	Distinguish	Give the feature that lets the reader tell two things apart.
170	Illustrate	Make an idea clear with a relevant example or diagram.
171	Demonstrate	Show how a fact, process or result can be established.
172	Determine	Work from the given information to establish an answer.
173	Check	Test the answer against the original instruction or condition.
174	Correct	Repair the specific error while preserving the intended meaning or result.
175	Revise	Change a response so it better meets the task.
176	Arrange	Put items into the order or grouping requested.
177	Sequence	Put stages into a meaningful order.
178	Classify	Assign each item to a category using the stated rule.
179	Group	Put items with a shared feature together.
180	Order	Sort items by the criterion given in the prompt.
181	Insert	Place the requested word, symbol or number at the indicated point.
182	Replace	Swap the specified part for a suitable alternative.
183	Omit	Leave out the indicated item or detail.
184	Include	Make sure the requested part appears in the response.
185	Exclude	Keep the named item or category outside your answer.
186	Underline	Draw a line under the exact word or phrase requested where instructed.
187	Based on	Ground the answer in the material named in the question.
188	According to	Use what the specified source says.
189	Most likely	Choose the conclusion with the strongest support among the options.
190	Relevant	Connected to the specific question or criterion.
191	Specific	Precise enough to identify a particular fact or example.
192	Explicit	Stated directly in the source.
193	Implicit	Suggested by the source and recoverable from clues.
194	Claim	An assertion that can be tested against evidence or reasoning.
195	Assumption	A premise taken as given for the purpose of the question.
196	Condition	A requirement that must be satisfied.
197	Constraint	A restriction that shapes the possible answers.
198	Criterion	A standard used to choose or judge an answer.
199	Source	The particular text, figure, notes or data supplied for use.
200	Passage	A stretch of text provided for reading and answering questions.

What the examination requires

Four papers with separate jobs

Cambridge English lists Reading and Use of English at 1 hour 30 minutes, Writing at 1 hour 30 minutes and Listening at about 40 minutes. Speaking is normally 15 minutes per pair. The paper-based and digital versions share the task format. Use the official sample for the delivery mode you booked.

Reading and Use of English has eight parts

Read the gap instruction before choosing, supplying or forming a word. Part 4 asks you to complete a second sentence in three to six words, including the unchanged key word. Part 6 asks you to compare opinions or attitudes across four texts. Part 7 asks you to fit missing paragraphs into a text using structure and development.

Write two responses of 220–260 words each

Part 1 is a compulsory essay. Develop the required two points and explain which you think is more important. Part 2 asks you to choose one of three tasks. The requested proposal, report, review or letter or email has its own reader, purpose and style. Use the content requirements and marking criteria as separate review checks.

Listen twice and respond to the Speaking questions

The Listening recordings play twice. Some items ask for what was said, while others ask for why a speaker said it. In Speaking Part 2, choose two of three pictures and speak for one minute. Address the printed questions. In Part 3, discuss the prompts and then work with your partner on the decision the examiner asks for.

• Find the exact action before deciding on your answer.
• Check which passage, data, lines or choices the action applies to.
• Use the requested form and confirm any limits before moving on.

Worked examples of common examination instructions

These original examples use short passages and tasks so you can see what each instruction adds to the work.

Preserve meaning and keep the key word

The first sentence reads ‘The organisers had never dealt with such a large crowd before.’ The key word is FIRST. Complete ‘It was the ___ with such a large crowd’ with first time the organisers had dealt. The gap uses six words and the completed sentence preserves the original time relationship.

Compare attitudes, including their conditions

Four invented texts discuss remote work. One writer values it for focused tasks, and another values it only when workers have quiet space. If the question asks who regards access to a suitable workspace as essential, find the writer who makes that condition explicit. Agreement about the broad topic does not establish agreement about the condition.

Make a proposal work for its reader

A task asks you to propose a way for a college to increase club participation. A proposal could recommend a lunchtime trial because students who commute may find evening sessions hard to attend. Explain how the college could run the trial and what information would show whether it helped.

Explain a priority in the essay

A practice task asks you to discuss transport and opening hours as ways to improve access to a sports centre. If you prioritise transport, explain why long or expensive journeys may prevent attendance even when the opening hours are convenient. Give the hours argument fair consideration and state the criterion you use to compare them.

Compare photographs and then speculate

One practice photo shows volunteers planting trees beside a school. Another shows people clearing litter from a riverbank. If asked what motivates them, compare the aims and offer plausible reasons. The first group may be improving a shared space for children. The second may want to protect a local habitat. Use the evidence visible in each scene.

Use the Fencing Method to practise instruction words

Start with one accurate sentence, then add a specific detail. Add the reason, comparison or condition only when the instruction needs it. Transfer the same action to a new task. For selected-response questions, this is a short practice check to clarify what a good choice must do.

1. The college could trial lunchtime clubs.
2. A lunchtime trial could make clubs easier for commuters to attend.
3. A lunchtime trial could help commuters who cannot remain on campus after classes.
4. Transfer the same proposal pattern to another access issue. Name the action, the group it helps and the reason it should work.

Read the eduKate Fencing Method for Vocabulary.

Practise and check your answers

Practise four different checks on one passage

Find the author’s view, one qualification, one reference across paragraphs and one example supporting a point. Then say what each does in a short sentence. Use a second text to compare the views precisely, including any differences in scope.

Review your two Writing responses separately

Check that the essay prioritises one point and explains the choice. In a proposal or report, check what the target reader is being asked to do. Review length, register and coverage as separate decisions, then revise the detail that actually causes the response to miss the task.

Practice 1. Your Part 4 gap contains seven words. What needs attention?

Keep the key word unchanged and find an equivalent completion within three to six words.

Practice 2. A gapped paragraph starts with ‘This objection overlooks…’. What should be nearby?

Look for a preceding objection that the paragraph can answer. Check that the following paragraph still connects.

Practice 3. Your proposal contains a suggestion but no reason. What can you add?

Explain who benefits and how the suggestion addresses a specific part of the problem.

Practice 4. What should you compare across texts when the question asks about agreement?

Compare the exact point named in the question, including any conditions or qualifications.

Frequently asked questions

How is C1 Advanced Part 4 different from B2 First Part 4?

C1 Advanced uses three to six words. B2 First uses two to five. Check the printed instructions for your qualification.

Does Part 2 always ask for a proposal?

No. Read the choices and choose one of the available tasks. The task identifies the text type and reader.

Do I discuss every photo in Speaking Part 2?

Cambridge directs you to choose two of the three pictures for your long turn.

Official sources and next reading

• Cambridge English C1 Advanced exam format
• Cambridge English C1 Advanced candidate guide
• Cambridge English C1 Advanced handbook

Related guide in this series · Cambridge B2 First examination instructions

Read eduKateSG’s 200-word vocabulary guide for more ways to group and practise vocabulary.

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