C1 – Mastering Paraphrasing (Use of English Part 4)

Description

A C1-level CAE Use of English lesson on mastering paraphrasing through real exam-style sentence transformations.

Students review common grammar structures, phrasal verbs, collocations, and fixed phrases through short dialogues, analysis tasks, and a mini-exam. Includes practice with writing paraphrases using three to six words, peer-to-peer rephrasing, and structure identification. Ideal for building confidence and precision in Use of English Part 4.

Warmer: The Importance of Paraphrasing

Start the class with a warmer activity. Show two quick dialogues of someone trying to reword what they just said. Have the students analyse the sentences and discuss whether they mean the same thing. It’s a great way to highlight why paraphrasing is important, not just for tests but in real life too. For example, it’s a big part of writing academic papers! A lot of the time, students don’t even realize how much they paraphrase on a daily basis.

Task 1: Choosing the Best Reworded Sentence

In the next part of the class, students check out two more sentences and three options for how to rephrase them. They need to pick the best option and explain why they think it’s the best choice and why the other two are wrong. The goal of this task is to show the students that their answers should be concise while maintaining the original meaning. Let’s take a look at the following sentence and see how the paraphrasing differs.

I regret not going to the concert with you.

1. I wish I would have gone to the concert with you, as I regret missing out on it. – Too long. This option expresses regret, but includes additional phrases like ‘missing out on it,’ which add unnecessary length without adding to the meaning.
2. I wish I had gone to the concert with you.
3. It’s unfortunate that I couldn’t have gone to the concert with you. – Different meaning. This option implies that attending the concert was not possible, rather than expressing true regret. It changes the original meaning slightly by focusing on inability instead of regret.

Task 2: Sentence Transformation Practice

To check if students are picking up the new phrases, give them three they’ve just seen. Ask them to fill in the blanks, similar to a CAE Use of English Part 4 task. Complete the phrases and figure out what strategy might work best for this part of the test. I suggest they underline the parts of the sentences that are the same in both examples. Then, pinpoint which part needs to be reworded and identify the key word that has to stay the same. After they fill in the missing words, count how many they wrote down. Remind them that in the exam, they should write between three to six words. This makes it pretty easy to catch any mistakes in their thinking during the test.

Understanding CAE: What This Part of the Exam Tests

Remind your students that this part of the exam focuses on checking what they know about phrasal verbs, common collocations, fixed phrases, and different grammar structures like the passive voice and reported speech. A focused CAE paraphrasing practice activity helps them see how these elements are tested. Look at some phrases and the way they’re reworded. Figure out the paraphrased parts of the sentence and what they’re testing. For example, take They are currently renovating the hotel. When it changes to The hotel is currently being renovated, it tests the knowledge of the passive form in the continuous tense.

It’s time to put students’ skills to the test with the Use of English Part 4. To make things easier, they’ve been introduced to all the transformations they are about to encounter in this part of the exam, which can be found and downloaded in Advanced Sample Papers 1. They should approach this like it’s the actual exam – underlining the parts of the phrases that need rewording and thinking about how to use the given words in a sentence. For example, the sentence below focuses on testing their understanding of phrasal verbs with insist.

Extension: Writing and Paraphrasing Practice

If you’ve got bigger groups, you can wrap things up by having the students write a sentence using the structures you went over in class. Once they’re done, they can swap their sentences with each other and paraphrase them. Make sure to check for any spelling and grammar mistakes, then finish up with a general chat and reflections about this part of the CAE exam.