15 CELPIP Writing CLB7+ Vocabulary (Part 4)

Repeat after me: memorizing is not the goal — mastery through practice is.

10. Nevertheless / Nonetheless

These two words both indicate contrast. More specifically, they are used to show a contrast or something unexpected — essentially a reversal in logic.

Example:
The traffic was heavy due to the construction. Nevertheless, she managed to arrive on time for the meeting.

(Construction caused serious traffic congestion; however, she still arrived on time.)

11. Extremely / Really / Greatly / Considerably

These words can replace “very” or “very much.”

For example, in Part 1 of my test, I wrote a complaint letter. I was frustrated because my supervisor kept assigning me extra tasks outside my responsibilities. After describing the situation, I added the sentence:

“…which concerns me considerably.”

This helped me avoid repeatedly using “very much.”

Lexical variety is an important scoring criterion in writing.

12. Mind-blowing (adj.)

Meaning: extremely impressive; astonishing.

Note that this is an adjective.

Example:
The advancements in technology are mind-blowing; I can’t believe how much things have changed in just a few years.

(Technological progress is astonishing — it’s hard to believe how much life has changed in just a few years.)

When using vocabulary, don’t use words just for the sake of using them. During exam preparation, focus on mastering usage and nuance. When you truly understand a word, you’ll naturally think of it at the right moment — instead of writing something and thinking, “I haven’t used ‘mind-blowing’ yet, I should force it in somewhere.”