Point 50 in the category of VERBS is defined as: ‘there’ with other verbs with modal meaning + ‘be’ + complement. The modality examples contain: ‘need, have, is going + to’ An iWeb search for there_EX * to be * 1 THERE SEEMS TO BE A 19253 2 THERE HAS TO BE A 10944 Arabic,Male,4,w […]
Category: modality
dare not | need not
This is another overlapping B2 grammar point found in a few different places in the English Grammar Profile. Point 47 in VERBS is defined as semi-modal auxiliary verbs, ‘dare’ and ‘need’. The two examples are both in the negative. And the comments in the EGP are very interesting for this point: LOW FREQUENCY ITEM. There […]
should
In this post, we cover 6 points dealing with ‘should’ across A2 and B1 by examining the English Grammar Profile examples for formal similarities that might help us identify complexity in corpora. A2 can be summarised as: you|we should _VVI and the infinitives are all A1. For B1 it is more complex. We started by […]
might | should have + past participle
Point 64 in the category of MODALITY/PAST is ‘should’ have + ‘-ed’, but might is also listed at the same level. An iWeb search for: should|might have _VVN 1 SHOULD HAVE KNOWN 12941 2 SHOULD HAVE TAKEN 6706 3 SHOULD HAVE GONE 6439 4 SHOULD HAVE MADE 6207 5 MIGHT HAVE NOTICED 6193 6 MIGHT […]
adverb in mid position or after ‘BE’
Point 24 in MODALITY is defined as: adverbs in mid position or after main verb ‘be’, to modify an assertion, either through hedging or emphasis An iWeb search using the adverbs found in the EGP examples: _V probably|definitely * 1 IS PROBABLY THE 101355 Thai,Male,5,w On the other hand, the lack of these qualities is probably the cause of many problems we have with other people. 2 WILL PROBABLY […]
‘BE’ not ADJECTIVE to INFINTIVE
Point 212 in the category of MODALITY is defined as: ‘be’ + ‘not’ + adjective + ‘to’ + infinitive a search on iWeb for: _VB _XX _JJ _TO _VVI 1 ‘S NOT HARD TO SEE 3537 2 IS NOT UNCOMMON TO SEE 1640 3 ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE 1248 4 ‘S NOT UNCOMMON TO […]
will be VERBing
There are three overlapping points in the category of FUTURE CONTINUOUS. Point 9 is A2 and defined as: AFFIRMATIVE WITH ‘WILL’ Which is elaborated with usage at the same level at point 21: FUTURE ARRANGEMENTS with ‘will’ to talk about an event or action in progress at a specified time in the future. However, point […]
modal + passive
Point 31 PASSIVES is with modal verbs to evaluate or summarise Point 14 in PASSIVES is defined as: the passive with modal verbs in a range of contexts, with a variety of subjects. Here’s a list on iWeb corpus of _nn _vm be _vvn 1 INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND 16848 2 CARE SHOULD BE TAKEN […]
can’t have past participle
188 MODALITY can C1 USE: PAST NEGATIVE, DEDUCTIONS ‘can’t’ or ‘cannot have’ + ‘-ed’ to make deductions. On iWeb: 1 CA N’T HAVE HELPED 61 The New York Times Emma Thompson Can’t Live Without Hannah Gadsby and Potato Scones “It was my dad’s favorite food, which can’t have helped, because he died of heart […]
CAN (focus)
Point 186 in MODALITY is defined as: Expressions with ‘can’ or ‘can’t’ to give focus or add emphasis, such as ‘as you can see’, ‘I can’t say’, ‘I can tell you that’, ‘as you can imagine’, ‘I can say that’, ‘I can assure you that’ Here are iWeb clusters: 1 I CA N’T SAY ENOUGH […]