Useful Languages.pdf

USEFUL LANGUAGE FOR B2, C1 1. Making an exception • She wrote all of the songs on the album except for the final track. • Apart from (Aside from) the final track, all of the songs on the album were written by her. • The songwriting – with a few minor exceptions – is of a very high standard. • With only one or two exceptions, the songwriting is of a very high quality. • The majority of the compositions are less than three minutes long, with the notable exception of the title track. • With the exception of the title track, this album is a huge disappointment. • Here is a list of all the band’s CDs, excluding unofficial ‘bootleg’ recordings. 2. Giving Proof • There is clear evidence that TV advertising influences what children buy. • It is clear from numerous studies that TV advertising influences what children buy. • Recent research demonstrates that TV advertising influences children’s spending habits. • The findings also reveal that most children are unaware of the persuasive purpose of advertising. • There is little evidence that children understand the persuasive intent of advertising. • The results contradict claims that advertising is unrelated to children’s spending habits. • Manufacturers argue that it is difficult to prove that advertising alone influences what children buy. 3. Describing a decrease • Car crime in Oxford fell significantly last year. • Car crime fell by about a quarter over a 12-month period.

• The number of stolen vehicles dropped from 1,013 to 780, a fall of 26 per cent. • According to this data, 780 vehicles were stolen, 26% down on the previous year. • There was an 11% drop in reported thefts from motor vehicles, from 1,871 to 1,727. • These figures show that, as far as car crime is concerned, the main trend is downwards. 4. Describing an increase • Student numbers in English language schools in this country increased from 66,000 in 2008 to just over 84,000 in 2009. • The number of students increased by almost 30% compared with the previous year. • Student numbers shot up (increased dramatically) in 2009. • The proportion of Spanish students rose sharply from 5% in 2008 to 14% in 2009. • The 2009 figure was 84,000, an increase of 28% on the previous year. • The 2009 figure was 84,000, 28 per cent up on the previous year. 5. Highlighting differences •

This survey highlights a number of differences in the way that teenage boys and girls in the UK spend their free time.

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One of the main differences between the girls and the boys who took part in the research was the way in which they use the Internet.

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Unlike the girls, who use the Internet mainly to keep in touch with friends, the boys questioned in this survey tend to use the Internet for playing computer games.

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The girls differ from the boys in that they tend to spend more time keeping in touch with friends on the telephone or on social networking websites.

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Compared to the boys, the girls spend much more time chatting to friends on the telephone.

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On average the girls spend four hours a week chatting to friends on the phone. In contrast, very few of the boys spend more than ?ive minutes a day talking to their friends in this way.

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The boys prefer competitive sports and computer games, whereas/ while the girls seem to enjoy more cooperative activities, such as shopping with friends.

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When the girls go shopping, they mainly buy clothes and cosmetics. The boys, on the other hand, tend to purchase computer games or gadgets.

6. Ways of saying “IN GENERAL” •

Women generally earn less than men.

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Generally speaking, jobs traditionally done by women are paid at a lower rate than 
 those traditionally done by men.

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In general/ By and large, women do not earn as much as men.

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Certain jobs, like nursing and cleaning, are still mainly carried out by women.

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Senior management posts are predominantly held by men.

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Most senior management posts tend to be held by men.

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Women are, for the most part, still paid less than men.

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Economic and social factors are, to a large extent, responsible for women being concentrated in low-paid jobs. 


7. Saying that something is necessary •

It is vital that journalists can verify the accuracy of their reports.

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Journalists play a vital/ crucial role in educating the public.

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Public trust is a crucial issue for all news organizations.

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The ability to write well is essential for any journalist.

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The Internet has become an indispensable tool for reporters.

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In journalism, accuracy is paramount./ ...is of paramount importance.

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It is imperative that journalists maintain the highest possible standards of reporting. 


8. Giving examples

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The website has a variety of interactive exercises (e.g. matching games, crosswords and quizzes).

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The website has a variety of interactive exercises, including matching games, crosswords and quizzes.

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Web 2.0 technologies, such as wikis, blogs and social networking sites, have changed the way that people use the Internet.

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Many websites now allow users to contribute information. A good example of this is the ‘wiki’, a type of website that anyone can edit.

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Wikis vary in how open they are. For example, some wikis allow anybody to edit content, while others only allow registered users to do this.

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Wikis vary in how open they are. Some wikis, for example/ for instance, allow anybody to edit content, while others only allow registered users to do this.

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More and more people read their news on the Internet. To take one example, over 14 million people now read the online version of ‘The Oxford Herald’. 


9. Explaining reasons •

The number of people with diabetes is growing, partly because of an increase in levels of obesity.

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The number of overweight children has increased dramatically in recent years, largely as a result of changes in diet and lifestyle.

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The increase in childhood obesity is largely due to/ the result of changes in lifestyle and diet over the last twenty years.

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Many obese children are bullied at school on account of their weight.

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Part of the problem with treating childhood obesity stems from the fact that parents do not always recognize that their children are obese.

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Childhood obesity may be caused by genetic factors, as well as environmentally ones.

10. X causes Y •

Childhood obesity can cause/ lead to long-term health problems.

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Changes in lifestyle and diet over the last twenty years have caused/ led to/ resulted in a sharp increase in childhood obesity.




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Several factors, including changes in diet and lifestyle, have contributed to the increase in childhood obesity.

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Research suggests that fast food and soft drinks directly contribute to childhood obesity.

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Genetics, lifestyle and diet are all important factors in cases of childhood obesity.

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Even small changes in lifestyle and diet can bring about significant weight loss.