In this post, we explore long complex noun phrases in the object position after the verb ‘have‘. Here is a search in the iWeb corpus for: _VH _A _JJ _NN of 1 HAS A LONG HISTORY OF 12459 C1+ Huff Hoyle has a long history of bad business practices. listen 2 HAVE A WIDE RANGE OF 9459 B1 You have a wide range […]
HAVE + article + adjective + noun + OF Read More »
‘a bit‘ can modify verb phrases with the meaning ‘by a small degree or amount‘ Here’s a search in NOW corpus to find words before this time/distance etc. adverbial phrase: * in|for a bit . 1 THAT IN A BIT. 572 We‘re going to come to that in a bit. TED 2 OUT FOR A BIT. 191 I‘m going
‘Twee‘ is unlisted in the English Vocabulary Profile. Google Oxford defines it as: BRITISH excessively or affectedly quaint, pretty, or sentimental. adverb: affectedly in a way that is artificial, pretentious, and designed to impress. adjective: quaint attractively unusual or old-fashioned. adjective sentimental of or prompted by feelings of tenderness, sadness, or nostalgia. — A search for collocates
Here are expert examples of negation + ‘the least‘: I’m not in the least bit religious. Listen to this sentence Well, aren’t you the least bit curious as to how I can be talking to you on the phone right now when I ‘m supposed to be taped to a chair? listen C2 Point 28 in the category of NEGATION is defined: ‘IN THE LEAST’ after a negative form for emphasis. A search in iWeb: 1 NOT SURPRISED
In the English Grammar Profile, A2 point 32 in the category of ADVERBS/ as modifiers:
limited range of adverbs (‘only’, ‘just’) to focus on or point to something
In all of the examples in the EGP, the adverbs “only” and “just” are used to point out or emphasize a small amount or number.
only | just (focus) Read More »
The English Grammar Profile (EGP) claims that there are over 1000 grammar points in its inventory. However, there are numerous points that are overlapping. This post shows 3 posts that overlap and clash at other levels. B1 point 34 in the category of NOUNS is defined as: uncountable nouns with an increasing range of determiners/quantity
quantity phrase + uncountable noun Read More »
Habitual states or actions are regular occurrences that can be physical, mental, or emotional. The Past Simple tense in English often expresses these habitual states or actions that occurred in the past but may no longer happen in the present. Learn more about how language can indicate habitual states or actions and how they are defined in the English Grammar Profile.
ALWAYS + PAST SIMPLE ( habitual past ) Read More »
‘BIT’ related to quantity is countable = a bit of … bits of … For example: By inserting those genes into yeast, we could produce little bits of that smell and be able to, maybe, smell a little bit of something that‘s lost forever. TED A2 in the English Vocabulary Profile: bit = a small amount or piece of something B1 in the Oxford Learner Dictionary: [countable] bit of something (especially British English) a small
a little | bits of | a bit of | a bit of a | a little bit of Read More »
In English grammar, “this” and “that” are demonstrative pronouns used to refer to specific things or people. “This” refers to something close to the speaker, while “that” refers to something farther away. Both can also refer to situations or experiences.
The pronoun ‘one’ can substitute for a singular noun, helping avoid repetition. For example, “I prefer the red apple, not the green one”.
When combined with “this” or “that”, as in ‘this one’ or ‘that one’, they refer to a specific, previously mentioned singular countable noun. ‘This one’ refers to something closer in distance or time, while ‘that one’ refers to something further in distance or time.
For instance, in the sentence “Get a new photo. You look like a ghost in this one,” “this one” refers to the current photo of the person being spoken to. Similarly, in the sentence “I learned the answer to that one the hard way,” “that one” refers to a particular issue or challenge that the speaker encountered and learned from through a difficult experience.
this one | that one Read More »
Myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves and themselves are called reflexive pronouns. They are used when the subject and the object of a sentence are the same. For example:
I cut myself when I was making dinner.
She looked at herself in the mirror.
They enjoyed themselves at the party.
himself | herself | myself | yourself Read More »
Point 50 at B1 in the English Grammar Profile in the category of ADJECTIVES is defined as: ‘A (LITTLE) BIT’ to modify comparative adjectives used predicatively after a verb, usually ‘be’ However, ‘a little bit’ is considered as B2 in the EVP. And this B1 point also clashes completely with the C1 grammar point explained
a (little) bit + COMPARATIVE Read More »
At A2 in the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary: a bit [singular] (used as an adverb) (especially British English) = rather; to some extent Here are comparative examples: You might need a bit more than that. Is that everything? I mean, it seemed like he said quite a bit more than that. Listen Now, let’s explain an expert example of the C1 grammar structure: ‘a bit’ + comparative adjective phrase. Remember that
(slightly | a bit | much) + COMPARATIVE Read More »
