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 »
Are you allowed to say that?
Are you attracted to me?
Were you born in a barn?
What’s it called?
passive questions VS questions with adjectives 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 »
‘fast’ means ‘completely’ when used with the adjective ‘asleep’ This phrase is C2 in the English Vocabulary Profile. For example: Look, Charlie, she‘s fast asleep. listen A NOW corpus collocates search for ‘fast asleep’ 1 WAS 1032 2 WERE 498 3 WHEN 376 4 WHILE 181 5 BED 114 6 FELL 59 7 BABY 41 8 ROOM
The grammar of the past continuous tense is as follows: Subject + was/were + present participle For example: I was becoming more and more tired as the day went on. The plants were growing very quickly in the warm weather. Something strange was happening in the forest. The past continuous tense is used to describe
past continuous affirmative Read More »
Here’s an example of the plural only noun ‘pants’ agreeing with the determiner ‘these’ and the verb ‘are’ These pants are lycra. Listen to this sentence. Here’s a student example: His jeans were too tight. PELIC Korean female level 5 listening class. A2 point 16 in the category of NOUNS is defined: NOUNS ONLY USED IN THE PLURAL with plural
nouns only in the plural (agreement) Read More »
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 »
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 English Grammar Profile (EGP) B1 point 23 in the category of future is defined: past form of ‘be’ + ‘going to’ (future in the past) EGP B1 point 36 in FUTURE is defined: PLANS IN THE PAST (often followed by ‘but’) to talk about a plan, sometimes one that may have changed. These grammar
future in the past Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 28 in the category of PAST is defined: past continuous question form Here’s an iWeb search for: was|were _P _VVG *not all these will lead to questions. 1 WERE YOU THINKING 2389 EXPERT EXAMPLE: What were you thinking? stuff.co.nz 2 WAS I GOING 2198 3 WERE THEY THINKING 1716 4 WERE YOU
past continuous question Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 37 in the category of PAST/continuous is defined: give a reason for something, often with ‘because’ PELIC STUDENT EXAMPLE: I could not focus on my reading at all, after a while because I was sweating hard. Chinese male, level 5, writing class An iWeb search for: because * _VBD _VVG 1 BECAUSE I WAS TRYING 1574 I only got you those bloody business cards because I was trying to be cute. listen
BECAUSE + past continuous Read More »
B1 Point 6 in the category of PASSIVES is defined as: past simple passive with a limited range of verbs needing two objects, putting the indirect object in subject position. *There is more information about this grammar at B2 TLC SPEAKING TEST EXAMPLE: I was given a big horse. female Russia B1 PELIC STUDENT EXAMPLE: When my husband was given a blow to the head in Oakland last year, I got frightened.
was | were + PAST PARTICIPLE + NOUN PHRASE Read More »
B1 English Grammar Profile point 5 in REPORTED SPEECH is defined as: ‘YES-NO’ QUESTIONS using ‘ask’ + ‘if’ or ‘whether’ + clause, with a pronoun and tense shift where relevant. A search in iWeb for: ask* * if|whether _P _V 1 ASKED ME IF I WANTED 2391 2 ASKED ME IF I WAS 2083 3
ask + if | whether + CLAUSE Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 51 in CLAUSES is defined as: INTERROGATIVE + ADVERB in mid-position, between the subject and the main verb. For example: And if he still understood it, why does it even matter? A search in iWeb for _P _RR _V ? 1 IT REALLY MATTER ? 1368 2 IT REALLY WORK ? 747 3 YOU REALLY NEED ? 657 4
question with adverb Read More »
The “HOW + ADJECTIVE + CLAUSE” construction enriches our language by providing a means to express strong emotions, admiration, surprise, and appreciation in a more impactful and engaging manner. It adds a touch of intensity and vividness to our expressions, making our communication more compelling and emotionally resonant.
HOW + adjective + clause (exclamation) Read More »
A defining relative clause is a type of clause that gives essential information about a noun or noun phrase. It usually follows the noun it modifies and is introduced by a relative pronoun, such as who, which, that, where, or whose. When the noun relates to time, we can use when as the relative pronoun.
defining relative clause (time) Read More »
B1 CONFIRMING: refer to a previous direct or indirect ‘yes-no’ question where the answer might be ‘yes’.
In the English Grammar Profile in the category of conditional CLAUSES
‘were it not for’ + noun phrase expresses that someone or something prevented something from happening. For example: Were it not for the cataclysmic events which overtook them, it’s entirely possible that raptors, rather than humans, would have become the dominant species on this planet. Listen C2 point 132 in CLAUSES/conditional is defined as: ‘Were it not for’ + noun phrase to introduce conditions in formal contexts. *The big corpora do not
C2 INTRODUCE A CONDITION in a formal context
‘Were’ + pronoun + ‘to’ infinitive to introduce a condition, in formal contexts
‘were’ with an inverted subject + ‘to’ infinitive, to introduce conditions in formal contexts.
Point 127 CLAUSES/conditional | Point 126 CLAUSES/subordinated
The English Grammar Profile
WERE + noun phrase + TO infinitive Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, C2 point 125 in CLAUSES/conditional is defined as ‘If it weren’t / were not for’ + noun phrase to introduce conditions in formal contexts. past simple For example: And none of us would be here if it weren’t for you. Listen iWeb doesn’t allow a search for **** to the right even on a premium licence. 1 IF
IF IT WERE NOT FOR Read More »
