The CEFR C2 level of English is advanced and the users at this level are proficient with their English. They are similar to native speakers of the language. To see the full list of C2 grammar on one page click here.
In the English Grammar Profile, C2 point 120 in the category of CLAUSES/conditional is defined as: inverted ‘should’, + ‘would’ in the main clause to talk about possible future outcomes, in polite or formal contexts. Example: Should they come forward, that would be a tricky situation for us. Listen In the COCA corpus we can do a […]
(conditional) inverted SHOULD + WOULD clause Read More »
Point 69 in the category of ADVERBS/position is defined as: adverbs in mid-position, to distance the writer from what they are saying. Point 68 is the same but ‘mid clause‘ The EGP examples are included in our iWeb search: theoretically|surprisingly|supposedly|apparently _VV 1 APPARENTLY MADE 1839 2 APPARENTLY GOT 1144 3 APPARENTLY DECIDED 1086 4 APPARENTLY
theoretically surprisingly supposedly apparently + VERB Read More »
C2 FOCUS | FORMAL | happened immediately before something else
HARDLY HAD + inversion Read More »
Yardbarker The Bears’ quarterback has been better of late, but not that much better. *’of late‘ means recently. Point 78 in ADJECTIVES/comparatives is defined as: ‘not that much’ to modify comparative adjectives to a small degree in iWeb: 1 NOT THAT MUCH BETTER 280 2 NOT THAT MUCH BIGGER 109 It’s just not that much bigger. gundogsupply.com (listen to a similar sentence) 3 NOT
‘He’s not that much better’ (not that much + COMPARATIVE) Read More »
Point in 77 ADJECTIVES/superlatives is defined as: ‘the slightest’, ‘the faintest’ with a specific range of nouns to express the least amount possible, most frequently following a negative verb form. Who knows what EGP think ‘a specific range of nouns’ is since a search on the site shows no other results, so here we look
slightest | faintest + NOUN Read More »
There are two similar points at C2 for listing adjectives in the English Grammar Profile. Point 76 in the category of ADJECTIVES/combining is defined as: list of adjectives in ellipted clauses before and after a noun, to give focus. The EGP examples contain: Imaginative, good-humoured, friendly, he was … The latter fat, ugly and sick blows
listing adjectives + ellipted clauses Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, C2 point 75 in ADJECTIVES is defined as: ‘as… as’ and ‘so… that’ in comparative structures. comparative clauses *The EGP doesn’t state that there must be a noun phrase in the middle, but we can guess from the examples. Using the POS from the EGP examples: so_RG strong_JJ a_AT1 shock_NN1
modifying COMPARISON Read More »
Let’s look at an expert example of limiting comparison: Now, these people are no more special than any of us. (listen to this sentence) ‘no more‘ = not more In Collins dictionary as an ADVERB at B1+ use no to make the negative form of a comparative. In the English Grammar Profile, C2 point 74 in the category of ADJECTIVES is
NO | NOT ANY + comparative Read More »
It’s not hard to see why.
BE + not + ADJECTIVE + to-INFINTIVE Read More »
Point 39 in the category of PASSIVES is defined as: ‘have’ + object + infinitive without ‘to’ to talk about asking or causing someone to do something, often in formal contexts _VH _P _VV0 1 HAVE YOU BELIEVE 5396 Interesting Engineering From Scientific Research to Memes: A Brief History of the … Amazon
have + OBJECT + INFINITIVE Read More »
C2 FOCUS = The + premodifier + thing | fact | point | problem | reason’ + BE (that)
We believe it is important to ask questions about the presentation of grammar points. The English Grammar Profile doesn’t clearly state in the definition that a clause must follow this structure to make it C2. It seems a ‘(that)’ clause is optional, so let’s explore!
the + PREMODIFIER + NOUN + is Read More »
Point 67 in the category of ADVERBS is defined as: adverb phrases with modifiers before, and complements after, adverbs. There is an interactive word tree of this grammar by clicking here. A search in iWeb for the pattern in the two examples in the EGP: _V (almost|so)_R _RR _I 1 WORKED SO HARD FOR 1573
modifier + adverb + complement Read More »
This is another grammar point where the English Vocabulary Profile is probably better at profiling the language than the English Grammar Profile. There are a handful of adverbs that already make the task across levels quite difficult to follow. We then should consider the hundred other adverbs that appear in this ‘mid position’. A2 point
past continuous + adverb (range) Read More »
A search in playphrase.me for “so much as” reveals the following 3 most common collocations/multi-word units containing negative meaning or being surrounded with negation: You let your wife throw you out of your own house without so much as a whimper. listen to the example The phrase “without so much as a” means “not even the slightest amount of“. In the example above, it emphasizes that the
so much as | in as much as Read More »
See, this is really weird, but I had this feeling the minute that the phone rang, I said, Jackie, pick it up, you‘ve got a grandchild. listen Minute is usually a noun, but in the above usage ‘the minute + that CLAUSE‘ it means as soon as. Similary, in the next example, ‘any minute‘ means ‘very soon‘: Colin could you possibly find somewhere else to pray, your brother and sister will be here any minute now. listen 1 MINUTE (NNT1) 645067 (A1 noun) = 60 seconds.
At C2, in the English Grammar Profile, point 109 in the category of PRONOUNS and reciprocal is defined as: ‘each’ (+ noun or pronoun) as subject followed by ‘the other(s)’ as an object, to refer to two related things. (quantity) Most of the examples in iWeb corpus seem related to law. A looser search each
EACH … THE OTHER(S) Read More »
Let’s look at two expert examples of ‘BE + adverbs of indefinite frequency + VERBing‘: At the time of application for Russian citizenship, the spouses must be permanently residing in Russia and must be married for three years. Russia Beyond – 16 Feb 2021 There are a few ways to approach loved ones who are persistently asking the same question. elmcroft.com The first example above is a modal verb + BE + adverb + present participle and the second
present continuous + adverbs of indefinite frequency Read More »
This is another post about two overlapping English Grammar Profile points at the same proficiency level that could be merged into one. Point 11 in the category of FOCUS is defined as: ‘Not a’ + noun with a passive verb or inverted auxiliary and subject for focus. Point 29 in the category of NEGATION: ‘not
The idiomatic phrase ‘many a’ or many an’ + a singular noun is a rare formal and literary structure meaning ‘a large number of’. C2 point 65 in the category of DETERMINERS and quantity is defined as: ‘many a’ or ‘many an’ + singular noun for emphasis and focus. *We noticed that this phrase often
