C2 — MasteryVocabulary· Precision and style
Register, Nuance and Idiom
Choose the exact word for the exact situation, and use idiom without sounding dated.
22 min Challenging
At C2 the challenge is no longer correctness but appropriacy: the right word in the right register.
- Neutral: reduce — Formal: curtail — Informal: cut back on
- Neutral: problem — Formal: impediment — Informal: snag
- Neutral: explain — Formal: elucidate — Informal: spell out
Idioms carry attitude. To move the goalposts implies unfairness; to be in the loop implies inclusion. Using one wrongly changes your meaning, not just your style.
Learn idioms in context with their attitude attached, never as isolated vocabulary lists.