June 2020

relative clause preposition (stranding)

In the English Grammar Profile, B2 point 102 in the category of CLAUSES that are relative is defined as: defining relative clauses and non-defining relative clauses ending in a preposition, with ‘who/which/that’ as the complement of the preposition. *This point overlaps other categories and is already covered here. Here are the 4 most common prepositions

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the same (NOUN) as + CLAUSE

In the English Grammar Profile, B2 point 101 in CLAUSES & comparatives is defined as ‘THE SAME’ (+ NOUN) + ‘AS’ + CLAUSE In the following example ‘way’ can be removed: I want to be around as many people as possible who feel the same way as I do. listen But Alan says none of us are the same as we were a moment ago and we shouldn’t try to be. listen   Sadly there is no mention of whether this is only finite clauses because

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RATHER THAN + non-finite clause | phrase

Let’s look at how ‘rather than‘ is used to compare.  In the English Vocabulary Profile, at B1 the meaning is:  ‘instead of ‘ rather than examples: I‘d like coffee rather than tea. I usually wear a swimsuit rather than shorts. In the above examples: coffee, tea, a swimsuit, shorts are nouns or noun phrases, so ‘rather than‘ or ‘instead of‘ are complex prepositions. Here’s

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not only but also

B2 example: Our volunteers know that the families who benefit from his generosity  not only appreciate his action but take extra pleasure in knowing that it comes with the compliments of Mrs Brown, an iconic and internationally famous Dublin mother. C1 example: Not only did this virus continue in the places where they’d already become infected, but then it started to escalate and we saw the case numbers that you see here, something we’d never seen before on such a scale, an exponential increase of Ebola

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After + having | being + PAST PARTICIPLE

An in-depth explanation of the grammar structure ‘after being pp’ and ‘after having pp’. ‘after’ is a preposition used before a complement ‘verb-ing’ clause. For example: “After being told these stories, I started thinking” and “I moved back to India after having spent six years in the US”. In the English Grammar Profile, this structure is defined as a non-finite subordinate clause with ‘after’ + ‘having/being’ + ‘-ed’ form, before a main clause, to refer to past time.

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conditional subordinate clauses & range of complex conjunctions

A search on iWeb corpus for 3 part subordinating conjunctions reveals the following frequency: They point to another group of multiple overlapping points on the English Grammar Profile. B2 point 91 in CLAUSES & conditional is defined as: conditional subordinate clauses with a range of conjunctions ‘as long as’, ‘provided’  + present simple or present

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a wide range of linking verbs used in other complex ways

To get started, let’s look at some spoken student examples that show a wide range of linking verbs with very literal meanings: It‘s like a fairy tale  because it doesn’t seem real. TLC female Mexico B1   To remain healthy, we have to exercise. TLC female India B1 The verbs ‘remain’ and ‘seem’ link the adjective complements: ‘real’ and ‘healthy’ in a more detailed way than

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as if | as though (COMPARISON)

The phrases “as if” and “as though” are used to express that something is like something else, but it is not actually the same. They can be used to compare things that are similar, or to describe something that is imaginary or hypothetical.

In English grammar, there are two different points that describe how to use these phrases:

EGP B2 Point 90: “as if” or “as though” + finite clause to introduce a second clause as a comparison.
EGP B1 Point 70: verbs of the senses + “as if” or “as though” + finite clause.
The main difference between these two points is that the B2 point allows for a wider range of verbs, including non-sensory verbs. The B1 point is specifically for sensory verbs, such as see, hear, feel, smell, and taste.

Here are some examples of how to use “as if” and “as though” in accordance with these grammar points:

B2 example: It’s as if the cat can read my mind.
B1 example: I feel as if I’m being watched.
It’s important to note that the B1 example uses the subjunctive mood in the second clause. This is because the speaker is describing a hypothetical situation.

The text also mentions that the phrase “as if” is more common than “as though.” This is true, especially in informal writing and speech. However, both phrases are considered to be grammatically correct.

Overall, the text provides a good overview of the different ways to use the phrases “as if” and “as though.” It also highlights some of the more subtle nuances of these phrases, such as the difference between the B2 and B1 grammar points.

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