Speaking: Grammar in Speaking C2 - Lesson 1: Flawless Command & Stylistic Use of All Grammatical Structures

Speaking: Grammar in Speaking C2

Flawless Command & Stylistic Use of Grammatical Structures

Listen to the dialogue example here.

What you will learn: This lesson moves beyond *correctness*. You will learn to *manipulate* advanced grammatical structures (Inversion and Clefts) to add emphasis, nuance, and rhetorical flair to your speech.

Scenario: The Power of Emphasis 💬

At C2, *how* you say something is as important as *what* you say. Notice how two colleagues discuss a failed project. Speaker B uses stylistic grammar to add professional and dramatic emphasis.

Speaker A (B2/C1): The project failed. I've never seen such a bad proposal. It was also poorly researched.

Speaker B (C2): The project failed. Never have I seen such a bad proposal. (Inversion: Adds strong, formal emphasis to "never")

Speaker A (B2/C1): The team is responsible for the failure.

Speaker B (C2): It's not the team I blame, it's the leadership. (It-Cleft: Specifically focuses blame on "leadership," not the team.)

Speaker A (B2/C1): We need to focus on fixing the budget.

Speaker B (C2): What we need to focus on is *why* the budget was miscalculated in the first place. (What-Cleft: Reframes the priority to the *reason* for the problem.)

Your C2 Grammatical Toolkit 🛠️

Mastering C2 grammar means using structures to control your listener's focus. Here are two key tools.

Tool 1: Inversion (for Rhetorical Effect)

Used after negative or limiting adverbs to add strong emphasis or formality. Common in debates and formal speeches.

• Never have I... (seen/heard/felt)
  (Plain: "I have never...")
• Rarely do we... (find/see)
  (Plain: "We rarely...")
• Not only did they... (but they also...)
  (Plain: "They not only...")
• Under no circumstances should you...
  (Plain: "You should not...")

Tool 2: Cleft Sentences (for Focus)

Used to "split" a simple sentence to put a "spotlight" on one piece of information.

• It-Cleft: It's the deadline I'm worried about.
  (Plain: "I'm worried about the deadline.")
• What-Cleft: What we need is more time.
  (Plain: "We need more time.")
• All-Cleft: All I'm saying is that we need to be careful.
  (Plain: "I'm just saying we need to be careful.")

Pronunciation Tip

🗣️ Prosody of Emphasis

These structures are useless unless your pronunciation supports them. The entire point is emphasis, so your voice *must* show it.

• For Inversion: The primary stress hits the negative word (NEVer, RAREly, Not ONly) and the main verb, with a clear, falling tone at the end to show finality.
  Example: "NEVer / have I SEEN / such a THING. ↘"
• For Clefts: The intonation *peaks* on the single piece of information you are focusing on.
  Example: "It wasn't his WORDS I objected to, / it was his ATTITUDE. ↘"

Practice Your C2 Grammar 🎯

Activity 1: What's the Implied Meaning? (Self-Check)

Choose the correct implied meaning for each stylistically-phrased sentence. Click "Check Answers" when done.

1. Speaker: "It's the DEADLINE I'm worried about, not the work."

What is the speaker's real meaning?

• A) They are worried about both the deadline and the work.
• B) The work is easy, but the time is the specific problem.
• C) They are not worried at all.

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2. Speaker: "Rarely do we see such a clear case of mismanagement."

How does this feel compared to "We rarely see..."?

• A) More formal, more dramatic, and more critical.
• B) More informal and casual.
• C) Less certain and more doubtful.

---

3. Speaker: "What I don't understand is why he resigned."

What is the speaker emphasizing?

• A) They don't understand anything.
• B) They understand *that* he resigned, but the *reason* is the specific part they find confusing.
• C) They are asking if he resigned.

Activity 2: Transform the Sentence

Read the "plain" sentence. Rephrase it using the C2 structure in parentheses. Click to reveal a possible answer.

1. Plain: "I have never witnessed such incompetence." (Use Inversion)

Answer: "Never have I witnessed such incompetence."

2. Plain: "The high price is the main problem, not the quality." (Use It-Cleft)

Answer: "It's the high price that's the main problem, not the quality."

3. Plain: "They didn't just miss the deadline; they also lost the data." (Use Inversion)

Answer: "Not only did they miss the deadline, but they also lost the data."

Key Vocabulary (Click 🔊)

• Prosody (Noun) | ngữ điệu
  The patterns of stress and intonation in a language; the "music" of speech.
• Nuance (Noun) | ភាពខុសគ្នា
  A subtle difference in or shade of meaning, expression, or sound.
• Rhetorical Flair (Noun Phrase) | ទេពកោសល្យវោហារសាស្ត្រ
  A skill for speaking or writing in a special way that is effective or persuasive.
• Inversion (Noun) | đảo ngữ
  Reversing the normal order of words (e.g., verb before subject) for emphasis.
• Cleft Sentence (Noun) | ល្បះបំបែក
  A sentence that is split (cleft) to put a spotlight on one part (e.g., "It was... that...").
• Mismanagement (Noun) | ការគ្រប់គ្រងខុស
  The process of managing something badly or wrongly.

Your Mission: The Politician's Speech ⭐

Your mission is to use these structures to make a point sound more powerful and persuasive.

Prompt: Imagine you are giving a short speech (60 seconds) about a problem in your city (e.g., traffic, pollution, lack of parks). Your goal is to persuade the audience that this problem is urgent.

Your speech must include:

1. At least one example of inversion (e.g., "Never before have our streets been so congested...").
2. At least one Cleft sentence (e.g., "It isn't just the inconvenience we should worry about; it's the pollution that is poisoning our air.").

Record yourself and listen back. Does your intonation match the power of the grammar?