C2 Grammar: Subtleties of Idiomaticity

C2 Grammar: Subtleties of Idiomaticity
ESL Structure Curriculum

ESL Grammar Course

C2: Mastery

A person speaking with a natural, flowing speech bubble, contrasted with a robotic, stilted one

Subtleties of Idiomaticity

Idiomaticity is the final frontier of language learning. It’s the difference between speaking correct English and speaking natural, native-like English. It involves understanding collocations (words that naturally go together), register (formality), and the cultural connotations of word choices.

Key Concepts

1. Collocations: Words that frequently appear together. Using the right collocation makes your English sound much more natural.

  • Example: We say “heavy rain,” not “strong rain.” We “make a mistake,” not “do a mistake.”

2. Register: Choosing the right level of formality for a situation.

  • Example: To a friend: “Can you give me a hand?” To a professor: “I was wondering if you could assist me.”

3. Connotation: The emotional or cultural idea connected to a word. `Cheap` and `inexpensive` have similar meanings, but `cheap` can have a negative connotation of low quality.

Which sounds more natural?

1. Which is the most common and natural collocation?

2. Which phrase is more idiomatic to describe a very busy street?

3. If you agree with someone completely, you might say:

4. Which is the most natural way to express a strong interest?

5. To describe a very high temperature, you would say: