Here are advanced examples of verbs + ‘WITH phrases‘: You hope for the best, then make do with what you get. listen A man threatens you with a gun, you break his neck, we can’t call the police, but it‘s nothing to do with me. listen DO WITH 796814 To find out which lexical verbs are most often followed by a ‘with PHRASE‘, we do a search in the iWeb corpus for: _VV with 1 WORK WITH 976989 A1 verb […]
Here’s the most common vocabulary in the grammar collocation of ‘noun + to-infinitive’: An iWeb search for _NN _TO _VVI 1 WAY TO GET 225421 2 WAY TO GO 139189 3 TIME TO GET 116358 4 WAY TO MAKE 110685 5 YEARS TO COME 102714 This ‘future’ time expression is unlisted in the English Vocabulary
noun TO-infinitive ‘way to get’ Read More »
This grammar structure is unlisted in the English Grammar Profile. A search in iWeb corpus for _JJ of * TO _VVI 1 UNSURE OF WHAT TO EXPECT 258 2 UNSURE OF WHERE TO START 230 3 NICE OF YOU TO SAY 181 4 UNSURE OF HOW TO PROCEED 152 5 AWARE OF WHAT TO EXPECT
adjective + of + object + to-infinitive Read More »
Let’s look at the most frequent ‘to infinitives’ on the internet in the top 100 verbs. Our research is by doing a search in iWeb for _TO _VVI At A2, ‘keep’ stands out. We have put in bold the most frequent collocations too: I’m trying hard to keep my family out of my life. Cat Run At B1, ‘create’ is the most frequent. The
Here is a list from an iWeb corpus search for complex phrases tagged with: _*31 _*32 _*33 1 AS WELL AS 3933159 (complex prepositional phrase) This is also known as the as as stucture. I‘m gonna prescribe a regimen of vitamins as well as the mineral zinc, it‘ll build up your immune system. listen 2 IN ADDITION TO 1012418 (complex prepositional phrase) In addition to Naomi and my two perfect kids, I own a mansion, private jet, six cars, three horses, two vacation homes and a one hundred and seventy-foot yacht. listen 3 IN TERMS OF
3 part complex phrases Read More »
The form ‘will just have to‘ is listed at C1 in the English Vocabulary Profile. A search in iWeb: 1 WILL JUST HAVE TO WAIT 1279 2 WILL JUST HAVE TO GET 252 3 WILL JUST HAVE TO SEE 246 4 WILL JUST HAVE TO KEEP 223 5 WILL JUST HAVE TO MAKE 199 6
The phrase “to have to” is a common construction in English that expresses obligation, necessity, or requirement. Let’s break down 3 examples: I‘m going to have to get a job. listen In this sentence, “going to” indicates a future action. “Have to” means that the speaker is obliged or required to do something. It implies that getting a job is necessary
TO HAVE TO (infinitive form) Read More »
Let’s look at the most common examples of non-finite or ellipted clauses used after ‘not’. Usually, we would say: I am not sure if it is possible. But we can remove the subject and verb to make an ellipted clause: Not sure if it is possible. We can also say: This is a petrol car
‘Not sure if it is.’ (NOT + non-finite or ellipted clause) Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 32 in the category of NOUNs is defined as: complex noun phrases with adverb + adjective + noun EXPERT EXAMPLE: And, you know, this is a fairly transparent example. wnpr.org *This overlaps B1 noun phrases in the category of ADJECTIVES and clashes with C1 in the category of modality (emphasis). A search in iWeb for:
adverb + adjective + noun Read More »
B1: NOUN phrases with ‘such a’ + adjective + singular noun and ‘such’ + adjective + plural noun, to give emphasis.
English Grammar Profile.
SUCH (A) + adjective + noun phrase Read More »
Here are examples of using stance adverbs with negative modality: It will not necessarily be progress for India if she simply imports the unhappiness of the West. listen The phrase “not necessarily” means that what has been said or suggested may not be true or unavoidable. In the sentence above. it implies that importing the unhappiness of the West is not a certain or inevitable outcome of progress for
negation + adverb with modality Read More »
A2
– too + adjective + prepositional phrase
– adjective phrases with a very limited range of adjectives + a prepositional phrase
In the English Grammar Profile, in the category of modifying ADJECTIVES, there is an overlap between the two points above. The EGP examples for range are:
… good for my body
… full of people
TOO adjective + prepositional phrase Read More »
Here are examples of reported speech with relative clauses ending with stranded prepositions: He told me the company he works for. She requested that I give him all the information he asks for. He exclaimed that this is the best festival he has been to. This type of construction is considered informal and is often discouraged in formal writing. However, it is commonly used in spoken English and in informal writing. Profiling Research This post is about two points in the English Grammar
STRANDED PREPOSITION Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, B2 Point 100 in the category of CLAUSES is hard to find formally as it is more USE related as the relative clause: refers to a whole clause or sentence, often to express an opinion or evaluation or give a reason. This is also found in PEARSON’S: GSE 61 B2
evaluative relative clause ‘… which is good’ Read More »
