After a passive verb phrase (or a past participle as an adjective), the preposition “for” indicates purpose or reason. Here are the results of a search in the iWeb corpus for: _VB _VVN for 1 BE USED FOR 284604 Crush. It‘s funny how the same word for the feeling of attraction can be used for the feeling of disappointment. listen 2 IS KNOWN FOR 97688 And he is known for being a liar. listen The sentence “he is known […]
BE + past participle + FOR Read More »
The CLAWS tagger does not always tag the difference between adjectives and past participles perfectly, so we do a search in the iWeb corpus with the query: _VB *ed to_II 1 IS COMMITTED TO 117911 C2 adjective It‘s true, I could use someone who is committed to putting an end to Mr. White. Live by Night 2 BE ADDED TO 115128
BE + *ed + to PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE Read More »
A detailed analysis of the structure “BE + past participle + BY”, which is commonly used to form passive voice sentences in English. This structure consists of a form of the verb “to be”, a past participle, and the preposition “by”. The webpage also includes examples from the iWeb corpus, showcasing how this structure is used in various contexts. Some of the most common phrases include “BE USED BY”, “IS CAUSED BY”, and “IS DETERMINED BY”. The examples illustrate how this structure allows us to focus on the action and its impact, rather than on who or what performed the action.
BE + past participle + BY phrase Read More »
In the English Vocabulary Profile at C2: How + adjective + is that? An iWeb search: 1 HOW COOL IS THAT? 3269 2 HOW AWESOME IS THAT? 1103 3 HOW GREAT IS THAT? 591 4 HOW EASY IS THAT? 533 5 HOW AMAZING IS THAT? 293 6 HOW CRAZY IS THAT? 256 7 HOW CUTE
How + ADJECTIVE + is that? Read More »
The usage of simple affirmative and negative declarative clauses in English, particularly focusing on the verb ‘be’.
Simple affirmative declarative clauses are basic statements in English. Examples include “We’re different” and “People see us as being different anyway”.
Negative statements of the main verb ‘be’, with contracted and uncontracted forms, are also at the A1 level. Examples include “I’m not a doctor” and “It’s not bad for a couple of lawyers”.
The text also provides a list of common phrases found in the iWeb corpus where a noun is followed by a verb, such as “People are” and “Problem is”.
A search in the NOW corpus for pronoun + lexical verb shows that the present tense is about as common as the past tense, with examples like “He said” (past tense) and “I think” (present tense).
In English grammar, “there is” and “there are” are commonly used to indicate the existence or presence of something.
“There is” is used when the noun following it is singular. For example, “There is a book on the table.”
“There are” is used when the noun following it is plural. For example, “There are many books on the shelf.”
These phrases can be used in various tenses by adjusting the form of the verb “be”. For instance, you could say “There was a time when I was everything to you,” using the past tense. However, this usage is typically considered more advanced and may be classified as A2 level in some learning resources.
THERE + is | are | was | were Read More »
In this post, we use our grammar profiler to predict the CEFR level of this TOEFL Integrated Writing Sample Essay. We found that the most salient language is the ability to modify adjectives and use abstract nouns. So let’s look at this advanced text. The profiler says the text is probably C1, which we can surmise
5 on the TOEFL Writing Essays? Read More »
I put this advanced student sample answer to the IELTS writing task 2 through our English Grammar Profiler looking for stand out features. Here are the highest grammar constructions, that we have listed as C1: It is argued that volunteering should be made a part of the school curriculum. (This is the topic sentence) What you have done outside the classroom is often
Academic IELTS grammar for writing task 2 Read More »
At B1, in the English Vocabulary Profile, IT + BE + time + TO infinitive clause = something should happen: Is it time to go home yet? listen It was time to get back to work. listen Similarly, at C1, ‘time‘ can be premodified: I think it’s about time to make a deal. listen I think it is high time for me to get out of my house while I‘m still alive. Insidious: Chapter 3 At
would rather | it’s time + CLAUSE Read More »
Let’s analyse questions that have relative clauses to give emphasis. So usually, we would say something like: What do we want to ask? What are we trying to find out here? You can see the normal auxiliary verbs ‘be’ and ‘do’ get removed and relative clauses are added in the EXPERT EXAMPLES: What is it that we want
WHAT IS IT YOU WANT? (relative clause question) Read More »
Here are some examples of how the present simple tense is used in planning a future event that is also on a regular schedule or timetable.
Tell me about our date.
Well, how about dinner and this movie that BEGINS at 7 pm.
Tonight? I thought it IS on Saturday.
present simple (future) Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, A2 point 15 in the category of VERBS is defined: ‘there is’ and ‘there are’ + ‘a lot of’ + plural noun iWeb doesn’t allow for longer than 5 token searches: _EX _VB a lot of 1 THERE ARE A LOT OF 145235 2 THERE IS A LOT OF 69785
There is | are + a lot of + NOUN Read More »
Here are some examples of adverbs in mid position:
Subject + adverb + main verb:
The students quickly finished their homework.
The train slowly pulled into the station.
The dog eagerly ate its food.
Modal verb/auxiliary verb/be + adverb + main verb:
I could easily solve the problem.
She has already eaten breakfast.
The book was clearly written.
adverbs in mid position Read More »
The phrase “be going to” is used in English to discuss future plans or intentions. It’s formed with the verb “be”, followed by “going to”, and the base form of the main verb. Here’s a summary:
Affirmative form: “It is going to take time.” – Expresses a future prediction or plan.
Question form: “Are you going to do anything about it?” – Asks about someone else’s future plans or intentions.
Affirmative form: “This is a group of people who want to tell you your work is going to live.” – Expresses a future prediction.
Informal affirmative form: “I need a video clip, and you’re gonna give it to me.” – Expresses a future intention or expectation.
In the English Grammar Profile, ‘be going to’ is used at different levels:
A2: Used to talk about plans and intentions.
B1: Used with an increasing range of verbs to make predictions.
An iWeb search for “_VB going to VVI” shows common usage patterns, such as “ARE GOING TO GET”, “’RE GOING TO GET”, “IS GOING TO HAPPEN”, and so on. These examples illustrate the versatility and frequency of this structure in English.
am|is|are + going + to-INFINITIVE (future) Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, there are two B1 passive grammar points that overlap to some degree. point 7 in the category of PASSIVES is defined as: PRESENT CONTINUOUS, AFFIRMATIVE limited range of verbs point 9 in the category of PASSIVES is defined as: PRESENT CONTINUOUS, FUTURE REFERENCE There are no examples of this grammar
BE + being + PAST PARTICIPLE Read More »
The negative form of the present simple passive is formed: present form of BE + NOT + PAST PARTICIPLE am | is | are + n’t | not + past participle In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 10 in the category of PASSIVES is defined as: PRESENT SIMPLE, NEGATIVE + range of pronoun and noun
present simple passive negative form Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 5 in the category of discourse markers: in writing, ORGANISING, MARKING NEW KNOWLEDGE, INFORMAL ‘you see’, ‘the thing is’ *Note that ‘the thing is’ is listed at B2 in the category of FOCUS. A search in the TLC shows that at B1 ‘the thing is’ is used, but
You see (MARKING NEW KNOWLEDGE) Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 21 in the category of QUESTIONS is defined as: negative ‘yes/no’ questions to involve the listener or reader by seeking agreement. B1 point 4 in the category of PRESENT/simple is defined as: NEGATIVE TAG QUESTIONS ‘don’t you think’ or ‘don’t you agree’ to look for agreement or an
negative question (seeking agreement) Read More »
Point 118 in PRONOUNS is defined as: the possessive pronoun ‘his’, with singular and plural reference, in subject and object position, and complement positions after ‘be’ and after prepositions. An iWeb search for: his_P _V *The Claws7 tagging for this grammar point struggles to decide between words that can be both verbs and nouns, and
