Breadth and depth

B1.2

B2.1

B2.2

Prefixes and suffixes

Linking words

Paragraph structure

Sentence structure

Easier (can start at 1-star B1):

• Comparatives and Superlatives: The rules are predictable and foundational.

• Simple Prefixes and Suffixes: Many are intuitive or can be learned through common examples.

Intermediate (starts around 2-star B1):

• Synonyms: The core concepts are easy, but the nuance of choosing the right word is a significant and ongoing challenge.

• Linking Words: Basic ones are simple, but the variety and subtle differences between them quickly escalate the difficulty.

Challenging (starts at 3-star B1):

• Paragraph and Sentence Structure: This is the most complex topic. It requires students to apply knowledge of grammar, vocabulary, and logic simultaneously. The "1-star" level for sentence structure is almost a prerequisite for B1, not a new skill for them to learn at this stage. It's more about refining and building upon existing knowledge to create more sophisticated structures.

Difficulty Levels:

• ⋆ (Beginner - B1): Simple matching or multiple-choice questions with very common words and their close synonyms (e.g., "happy" - "joyful," "big" - "large," "walk" - "stroll," "car" - "automobile"). The context is clear and doesn't require much nuance.

• ⋆⋆ (Low Intermediate - B1): Introducing synonyms with slightly different connotations. Students must choose the best word from a list to fit a sentence's tone (e.g., "gaze" vs. "stare" vs. "look").

• ⋆⋆⋆ (Intermediate - B1/B2): Incorporating less common synonyms and those with more significant differences in meaning. Contextual exercises where students must replace a simple word with a more precise or formal synonym.

• ⋆⋆⋆⋆ (High Intermediate - B2): Using synonyms to improve text cohesion and avoid repetition. Tasks involve rewriting sentences or short paragraphs to demonstrate a wider vocabulary. Students should be able to identify which synonym has a positive, negative, or neutral connotation.

• ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆ (Advanced - C1): Complex sentence transformation and text analysis tasks where students must select the most appropriate synonym for a specific rhetorical purpose (e.g., formal vs. informal, poetic vs. scientific). Analyzing the subtle differences between very close synonyms, like "mistake," "error," and "blunder."