Diagnostic: Where Are You Now?

Let’s see where your instincts already stand before Module 1 begins.

Notice

  • This diagnostic mixes review items from C1 with a preview of C2 skills like connotation and register.
  • It is ungraded — there is no pass/fail. It exists purely to help you notice your own strengths and gaps.

Rule

Read each sentence pair and decide which one fits the described context better. There is no single “correct” grammar rule being tested here — you are training your ear for nuance, which is what the rest of this course develops.

Practice

  1. Which sounds more diplomatic in a performance review: “You missed the deadline” or “The deadline slipped by a couple of days”?
    Answer: The second — softened, less directly blaming phrasing is more diplomatic in formal feedback.
  2. Which word carries a more negative connotation: “frugal” or “stingy”?
    Answer: “Stingy” — both describe someone careful with money, but “stingy” is critical while “frugal” is neutral-to-positive.
  3. Which register fits a text to a close friend: “I was wondering if you might be available” or “You free?”
    Answer: “You free?” — informal and appropriately brief for a friend; the first is unnecessarily formal.

Connect

Build a few sentences of your own and see how small word choices change the tone — try the Sentence Builder.

Try Sentence Builder →

CEFR: C2

Azizul Hakim
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