Speaking: Grammar in Speaking C2 - Lesson 1: Flawless Command & Stylistic Use of All Grammatical Structures
Welcome to C2 Grammar! At this final stage, grammar is no longer a set of rules to be followed; it's a palette of artistic tools to be chosen. You have already mastered the structures. The C2 skill is about deploying them with flawless1 command and for a specific stylistic2 effect—to add emphasis, create a formal tone, or make your argument more persuasive.
The Principle of Stylistic Choice
For any idea, there are multiple grammatically correct ways to express it. An advanced speaker chooses the structure that best serves their immediate communicative goal.
Example: Expressing an idea in different styles
Core Idea: The company's new strategy was successful and increased profits.
- B2 (Clear & Correct):
- "Because the new strategy was successful, profits increased."
- C1 (Formal & Analytical, using Nominalization3):
- "The **success** of the new strategy led to an **increase** in profits."
- C2 (Dramatic & Emphatic, using Inversion4):
- "**So successful was** the new strategy **that** profits increased by over 50%."
- C2 (Focused & Emphatic, using a Cleft Sentence5):
- "**It was the new strategy that** led to the increase in profits."
Your Toolkit for Stylistic Variation
Here are key structures that signal a C1/C2 level of grammatical command.
- Inversion with Negative Adverbials
- Use: For dramatic emphasis or a highly formal tone.
- "Never before have we faced such a challenge." (Instead of: "We have never faced...")
- "Not only is it effective, but it is also affordable." (Instead of: "It is not only effective...")
- Cleft Sentences
- Use: To place a sharp focus on one piece of information, often to correct or contrast.
- "It wasn't the marketing that failed; it was the product itself." (It-Cleft)
- "What we need now is not more discussion, but clear action." (Wh-Cleft)
- The Subjunctive Mood
- Use: For formal recommendations, demands, or high-level hypotheticals.
- "It is imperative that the committee reconsider its position."
- "If I **were** to offer a single piece of advice, it would be this..."
Scenario: A Formal Business Briefing
Listen to a director, Ms. Chanlina, briefing her board. Notice how she uses a variety of advanced structures to sound authoritative, persuasive, and precise.
"Good morning. The purpose of this briefing is to address last quarter's disappointing sales figures. **What is clear is that** our traditional marketing approach is no longer effective. (Wh-Cleft)
**Not only did our competitor launch** a more aggressive campaign, but they also captured a significant portion of our market share. (Inversion)
I understand the financial constraints we are under. **Nevertheless, it is imperative that we be** more innovative. (Subjunctive)
**It is my firm recommendation that we allocate** a new budget for digital transformation. **It is this investment, and this investment alone, that will** secure our future in the market." (It-Cleft for emphasis)
The "Art" of Grammar
At this stage, think of grammar as a painter thinks of color. You can use many different colors to paint the same object, but each one creates a slightly different feeling or mood. Your choice of grammatical structure works in the same way.
Using inversion might be like using a bold, dramatic red. Using the passive voice might be like using a cool, objective blue. Using a simple sentence is like a clear, primary color. The art of C2 speaking is knowing how to combine these colors to create the precise effect you want.
Practice Quiz: Identify the Stylistic Effect
Read the sentence and choose the best description of its stylistic effect.
1. "Under no circumstances can we accept their offer."
A) This sounds like an informal, casual refusal.
B) This use of inversion creates a very strong, formal, and emphatic refusal.
C) This sounds like the speaker is uncertain about the offer.
→ Answer: B. The inversion with "Under no circumstances" is one of the most powerful and formal ways to state a negative, making it sound non-negotiable.
2. "What I find most challenging is not the work itself, but the lack of communication within the team."
A) This is a simple statement of a problem.
B) This is a way of asking a question about communication.
C) This use of a Wh-cleft sentence puts a sharp focus on "the lack of communication" as the single most important problem, making it more impactful than a simple statement.
→ Answer: C. The cleft structure is used specifically to isolate and emphasize one part of the idea.
Your Mission: The "Style-Flex" Challenge
Your mission is to practice expressing a single idea with different grammatical styles.
- Choose a simple, core idea. For example: "I was very surprised by the test results."
- Your Goal: Express this core idea in at least three different ways, using a different advanced structure from this lesson for each.
- Record yourself saying your three sentences.
- (Standard): "I was very surprised by the test results."
- (Inversion): "Seldom have I been so surprised by test results."
- (It-Cleft): "It was the test results that surprised me so much."
- (Wh-Cleft): "What surprised me so much was the test results."
- This exercise builds the mental flexibility to choose the perfect grammatical structure for any situation, a core C2 skill.
Vocabulary Glossary
- Flawless: (Adjective) - Perfect; without any mistakes or imperfections. ↩
- Stylistic: (Adjective) - Relating to the distinctive way a speaker uses language to achieve a certain effect. ↩
- Nominalization: (Noun) - The process of turning a verb or adjective into a noun (e.g., `decide` → `decision`). It often creates a more formal and abstract tone. ↩
- Inversion: (Noun) - A grammatical structure where the verb is placed before the subject for emphasis. ↩
- Cleft Sentence: (Noun Phrase) - A sentence that is split into two parts to put special focus on one piece of information. ↩