AULAFYCurso abierto de inglés C1
HomeCourseInternational Humanitarian Law & ConflictsGrammar Focus
International Humanitarian Law & ConflictsL02
grammar

Grammar Focus

Detailed explanation, examples and controlled practice for the unit grammar point.

60 minC1c1grammarinternational-humanitarian-law-conflictsformal registernominalizationpassive voicelatinate verbs

Lesson objectives

  • Recognise and control Formal vs informal language: lexical and grammatical contrasts.
  • Notice common errors Spanish-speaking learners make at advanced level.
  • Apply the structure in exam-style sentences related to international humanitarian law & conflicts.

Explicación (en español)

En el nivel C1 Advanced, la distinción entre el lenguaje formal e informal no se trata solo de "ser educado", sino de adaptar el registro al contexto (académico, jurídico, profesional o social). En temas de Derecho Internacional Humanitario y conflictos, es crucial saber pasar de un lenguaje coloquial a uno de precisión técnica. El lenguaje formal suele utilizar verbos de origen latino (establish, implement, violate), estructuras pasivas y sustantivación, mientras que el informal utiliza phrasal verbs y estructuras más directas.

Un error común entre los hispanohablantes es intentar traducir expresiones idiomáticas del español directamente al inglés formal, o usar phrasal verbs en ensayos académicos. Por ejemplo, en lugar de decir "the war broke out" (informal/neutro), en un contexto legal se preferiría "the conflict commenced". Asimismo, el uso excesivo de contracciones (don't, won't) debe evitarse en textos formales, algo que a veces olvidamos al escribir bajo presión.

Otra diferencia clave es la estructura gramatical. El lenguaje formal tiende a utilizar la voz pasiva para centrarse en el hecho y no en el sujeto (The treaty was signed...), y estructuras de nominalización (convertir verbos en sustantivos para dar peso: The violation of... en lugar de They violated...). En español, solemos ser muy descriptivos; en inglés formal, la precisión léxica (elegir la palabra exacta) es lo que marca la diferencia entre un nivel B2 y un C1.

Form — estructura

Feature Informal / Neutral Formal (C1 Level) Usage Context
Verb Choice Phrasal Verbs (look into, deal with) Latinate Verbs (investigate, address) Academic / Legal reports
Sentence Structure Active voice / Direct (They decided) Passive voice / Impersonal (It was decided) Official documents
Nouns vs Verbs Verb-heavy (The treaty was signed) Nominalization (The signing of the treaty) Formal writing / Abstracts
Connectors But, So, Also However, Consequently, Furthermore Essays and formal letters

Examples

  1. The authorities must investigate the alleged war crimes. (Las autoridades deben investigar los presuntos crímenes de guerra.)
  2. The treaty was implemented to ensure civilian safety. (El tratado fue implementado para garantizar la seguridad de los civiles.)
  3. There has been a significant increase in humanitarian aid. (Ha habido un aumento significativo en la ayuda humanitaria.)
  4. The parties involved failed to comply with the ceasefire. (Las partes implicadas no cumplieron con el alto el fuego.)
  5. Regarding the current conflict, international law must be upheld. (En cuanto al conflicto actual, el derecho internacional debe ser respetado.)
  6. The humanitarian crisis necessitated immediate intervention. (La crisis humanitaria hizo necesaria una intervención inmediata.)
  7. Furthermore, the displacement of civilians remains a critical issue. (Además, el desplazamiento de civiles sigue siendo un problema crítico.)
  8. The Geneva Conventions stipulate the protection of wounded soldiers. (Los Convenios de Ginebra estipulan la protección de los soldados heridos.)

Contrast

  1. ✗ The soldiers broke the rules. / ✓ The soldiers violated the international regulations. (Error: "Break" es demasiado simple para un contexto legal; "violate" es el término técnico preciso).

  2. ✗ We need to look into the causes of the conflict. / ✓ It is necessary to conduct an inquiry into the causes of the conflict. (Error: El phrasal verb "look into" es informal; "conduct an inquiry" es la estructura formal adecuada).

  3. ✗ Because of the war, many people fled. / ✓ Due to the outbreak of hostilities, mass displacement occurred. (Error: "Because of" es neutro; "Due to" junto con la nominalización es más elegante en C1).

  4. ✗ They gave more food to the refugees. / ✓ Additional supplies were distributed to the refugee population. (Error: "Give" es muy básico; la voz pasiva con "distributed" es más profesional).

Mini-quiz — 10 preguntas

Part 1: Multiple Choice

  1. The humanitarian organization decided to _ the situation on the ground. a) look into b) investigate c) check out

  2. _ the terms of the agreement, all combatants must withdraw. a) According to b) In accordance with c) Following

  3. The sudden _ of the conflict caused widespread panic. a) starting b) outbreak c) beginning

Part 2: Sentence Transformation (Rewrite the sentence to make it more formal)

  1. They set up a new zone for refugees. (Use: established)
  1. The government didn't follow the treaty. (Use: failed to comply with)
  1. Because the ceasefire failed, the fighting continued. (Use: Due to)

Part 3: Fill in the blanks (Use the correct formal word from the list: stipulate, exacerbated, implementation, regarding, necessitate)

  1. The lack of clean water has ____ the health crisis in the camp.
  2. The ____ of the peace treaty will take several months.
  3. The laws ____ that prisoners must be treated humanely.
  4. ____ the recent skirmishes, the UN has called for an emergency meeting.

Respuestas: 1. b | 2. b | 3. b | 4. A new refugee zone was established. | 5. The government failed to comply with the treaty. | 6. Due to the failure of the ceasefire, the fighting continued. | 7. exacerbated | 8. implementation | 9. stipulate | 10. Regarding