March 2020

SHOULD BE + verb ING ‘She should be looking for a job’

Let’s look at an example of ‘should be ing‘ in student writing: In Korea, it is so common that women should be looking for a job after divorce. PELIC Korean female level 4 writing. ‘Should’ can express obligation or expectation.  ‘Should’ can be used with a continuous form: Should be + lookING In the English Grammar Profile at B2, there are 3 points covering ‘should + continuous form’.  Points

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degree adverbs modifying adjectives ‘almost certain’

Modifying an adjective for hedging with a degree adverb involves using an adverb to soften or weaken the strength or certainty of an adjective. This technique is often used in communication to express caution, uncertainty, or to avoid making absolute statements. By adding a degree adverb, we can create a more nuanced or less definitive

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didn’t dare

In the EGP, Point 223 in the category of modality is used to talk about not being brave enough to do something.  It seems an unusual piece of grammar in that it is an infinitive next to another infinitive without “to”.  It also is surrounded usually by verbs of speech. Collocates 5 to the left

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SHALL collocations

The featured image above shows the multiple proficiency levels that this modal verb is associated with the English Grammar Profile. The very formal nature of this modal verb can be easily seen with a search for collates 5 sides left and right of “shall” in the NOW corpus: 1 BE (VBI ) 211652 2 LAW

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Must questions

This is a place holder for duplicate entries in the EGP.  Both entries use the same example sentences too.  There is little difference except that the use is added to the second.  We have expanded these points on another page.  Click here. 147 MODALITY must B2 QUESTION form. 161 MODALITY must B2 USE: to ask

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Ethnographic research

Now that we have looked briefly at what educational research is, it’s time to get more specific about one of the qualitative designs.  Ethno means people and graphy is writing, so this is writing about groups of people.   It comes from cultural anthropology or writing about culture.   This could include their thoughts, the rules of

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