The B1 / B2 divide seems to have many clashing or repeated points when locating forms. This post introduces another. The B2 points 153 in the category of MODALITY “be supposed to” to talk about expectation or obligation, and point 130 also in MODALITY ” be supposed to’ to talk about hearsay or supposition clashes […]
BE + supposed + to INFINITIVE Read More »
We cannot use “text inspector”, “Write and improve” or the “complexity checker” software to predict the level of students between b1 and b2.
Vocabulary proportions as predictors of level Read More »
How do complexity checkers compare?
Comparing the complexity checker Read More »
Sadly through the Sketch Engine, we do not get access to A1 or A2 level texts from the learner corpus. It is for this reason, this short test will be run starting at B1 level students. All the concordances will be gathered searching for the very common article “a”. The following concordance lines are randomly
Testing the English Grammar Profiler against CLC Read More »
The phrase “be forced to infinitive” means to be made to do something that one does not want to do. The phrase can also be used to express the idea of being compelled to do something by external circumstances, even if one is not physically forced to do it.It is a passive voice construction. In
BE forced to infinitve Read More »
Here’s an introduction to doing research.
Educational Research – Overview Read More »
We can’t talk about grammar if we do not consider the study of language in relation to its use in social settings.
There are four entries in the English Grammar Profile that capture “May I…?” Point 97 are polite questions. They probably are not really asking for permission. 119 is literally asking for permission. Yet, for the purposes of designating a complexity level, this matters little. The interpretation of this structure becomes more difficult once we jump
Which verbs are found next to “may well”?
MAY WELL (emphasize something unexpected) Read More »
Assessment always seems negative when we think about it. Yet it is not just a way to check that students have learnt something. It can be learning itself.
Assessment, confidence and Imposter Syndrome Read More »
Rhetorical questions using “how can” serve to engage the reader or listener, provoke thought, and draw attention to the underlying issues or contradictions in a persuasive and reflective manner.
how can (reflections) Read More »
If you were to choose which adverbs to teach with “would”, could you just rely on the English Grammar Profile to suggest which ones?
Would + limited range of adverbs Read More »
If I had time to analyse large numbers this would be more accurate, but generally speaking, looking at the first 10 words in each level should be a good start for anyone who would like to develop this. The general trend I believe that at each of the 6 levels of the CEFR the students
How many words can users at each level of English produce? Read More »
“Ought to” is a semi-modal verb similar to “should”. It’s used to express advice, expectation, obligation, or high probability. Unlike modal verbs, it’s followed by a ‘to-infinitive’, making it unique. It doesn’t change form for person, and can be used in various contexts to imply duty or suggest a course of action. For example, “I ought to phone my parents” implies a responsibility to call parents, while “It ought to be easy now” expresses an expectation of ease.
ought to (semi modal) Read More »
Grammar examples from B1 to C2 of this structure.
used to (semi modal) Read More »
Here are my top 10 vocabulary items I would teach alongside “very few” to an upper-intermediate class.
very few + plural noun Read More »
9 tokens left and right of “might” in the COCA: 1 SOMEDAY (RT ) 741 2 TEMPTED (VVN ) 371 3 FEARING (VVG ) 259 4 CONCEIVABLY (RR ) 190 5 OVERHEAR (VVI ) 50 6 CYNIC (NN1 ) 46 7 PROFITABLY (RR ) 39 8 USEFULLY (RR ) 39 9 CYNICS (NN2 )
Collocations of HAVE TO in the COCA corpus (9 tokens left and right): 1 WORRY (VVI ) 4009 2 CAREFUL (JJ ) 2155 3 ADMIT (VVI ) 1572 4 VIGILANT (JJ ) 176 5 RELEARN (VVI ) 33 One can guess there is a generally negative tone to this grammar structure from the above verbs
have (got) to INFINITVE Read More »
