In the English Grammar Profile, C2 point 113 in the category of PRONOUNS is defined as: possessive pronouns ‘hers’, ‘theirs’ and ‘his’ after noun + ‘of’. A search in iWeb for: _N of his_P . 1 FRIEND OF HIS. 504 2 FAN OF HIS. 304 3 FRIENDS OF HIS. 115 4 PASSION OF HIS. 67 Thoroughbred […]
NOUN + of + his | hers | theirs Read More »
Here are two examples of ‘focus’ in English grammar, using ‘the one that + clause’ in the subject position: The one that comes in the box, his colleague told him, was notorious for making users’ faces itchy and red. The Wall Street Journal The ones that make you look older, or even the ones where you turn into a hot dog are still really engaging. Mobile Marketing Magazine In the English Grammar Profile, C2 point 114 in the category of PRONOUNS/substitution is defined
THE ONE(S) THAT + clause (focus) Read More »
A cleft construction beginning with “it” to emphasize the subject of the main clause is called an it-cleft. It is a type of sentence that divides the clause into two parts:
The cleft phrase, which is the part of the sentence that is being emphasized.
The relative clause, which provides more information about the cleft phrase.
(SUBJECT) CLEFT CONSTRUCTION WITH ‘it’ Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, C2 point 117 in the category of PRONOUNS/quantity is defined as: complex noun phrases using an inverted form ‘Many’ + ‘are’ + noun phrase, followed by a relative clause, as a focusing device. FOR EXAMPLE: NBC News Covid is having a devastating impact on children — and the vaccine won’t
Many are the + NOUN + RELATIVE CLAUSE 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
Point 119 in PRONOUNS/reflexive is defined as: ‘as for myself’ as a discourse marker to introduce or focus on a personal opinion. FOR EXAMPLE: As for myself, I have some ideas about where we went wrong this time, and one day I may call on you once more. listen TechRaptor As for myself, I am an artist in the loosest possible definition of the word; that is to say, I make art. 16 Dec 2020 A search in iWeb corpus for: . As
The C2 Point 34 in the category of QUESTIONS is defined as: alternative questions with two or more clauses and ellipsis in the second or third clause. *However, if the ellipsis is of a verb after a Modal it is actually only listed at C1. Considering how odd this complexity is and how difficult it
alternative question (ellipsis) Read More »
Point 35 in the category of QUESTIONS is defined as: NEGATIVE QUESTIONS with uncontracted ‘not’ to emphasise a point in an argument. 1 COULD IT NOT BE ? 249 2 DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND ? 227 3 DOES IT NOT MATTER ? 140 4 DO YOU NOT KNOW ? 94 5 ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?
In the English Grammar Profile, C2 point 61 in the categories of VERBS/patterns is defined: ‘would hate’ + ‘to’ infinitive, for emphasis. An iWeb search for: would hate to _VVI 1 WOULD HATE TO SEE 1982 2 WOULD HATE TO THINK 655 3 WOULD HATE TO LOSE 315 4 WOULD HATE TO GET 151 5
would hate to-INFINITIVE Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, C2 point 62 in the category of VERBS is defined as: direct object with some prepositional verbs as well as an object of the preposition. *As with other phrasal verb grammar points, this one is also best dealt with through the EVP. For example, here is C2 grammar and C2
VERB + OBJECT + PARTICLE + PREPOSITION + OBJECT Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, point 76 in the category of CLAUSES/subordinated, at B1 is defined as: a finite subordinate clause with conjunctions (‘even though, (al)though, while if’) to introduce contrast, before or after a main clause. *Note, only ‘while if‘ is not overlapping other B1 grammar points or clashing at other levels out of
while if | although | though Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 75 in CLAUSES is defined as: a non-defining relative clause with ‘who’ as the object. A search in iWeb for: , who _P _VV 1 , WHO HE SAID 968 2 , WHO I THINK 946 3 , WHO I BELIEVE 495 This is a design by Philippe Starck, who I believe is in the audience at this very moment.
non-defining WHO (object) Read More »
Listed at A2, the “future” or “first” conditional in English is a grammatical structure used to discuss possible future events. This structure often expresses a cause and effect relationship, with the effect (main clause) being conditional on the cause (if-clause). The typical structure is: “If” + present simple tense, “will” + verb (base form). The page provides examples of this structure from various sources, including student writings, expert examples, and lines from 1934 movies. It also discusses how different English Grammar Profile points highlight this grammar point.
if CLAUSE + will CLAUSE (FUTURE CONDITIONAL) Read More »
“If + present simple + present simple in the main clause”: This structure is used to talk about things that are always true, such as scientific facts, or to give advice. For example, “If this happens, money only brings him loneliness, not happiness.” Here, the speaker is expressing a general truth or observation about the consequences of a certain situation.
“If + present simple + imperative in the main clause”: This structure is used to give advice or make suggestions. The “if” clause presents a condition, and the imperative in the main clause suggests what should be done if that condition is met. For example, “If you feel sick, see a doctor.” Here, the speaker is giving advice on what to do when feeling sick.
“If + present simple + can in the main clause”: This structure is used to talk about possible or likely situations in the future. The “if” clause sets up a condition, and “can” in the main clause expresses what will be possible if that condition is met. For example, “If we properly invest into data infrastructure and data preparation, all this can be avoided.” Here, the speaker is expressing that a certain undesirable outcome can be avoided if proper investments are made.
These structures are very common in English and are used in various contexts to express conditions and their potential outcomes.
IF + present simple Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 74 in the category of CLAUSES/conditional is defined as: PRESENT SIMPLE ‘IF’ CLAUSE + MODAL, FUTURE, POSSIBLE OUTCOME: introduce a possible future condition, with modal verbs in the main clause, to talk about a possible result. A search in TED corpus for expert examples: If you‘ve got a couple of final words you want to share, that would be great. listen So if you look that up, you can hear more of those tunes. listen PELIC
If + PRESENT SIMPLE + MODAL CLAUSE 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 »
Hedging is a technique used in English to express politeness and indirectness. It involves using certain words or phrases to soften the impact of what we’re saying or writing, making it less direct or categorical. The ‘if-’ clause (‘if you want’, ‘like’, ‘prefer’) is a common form of hedging used to soften the directness of
IF clause + imperative ( hedging ) Read More »
Here’s an example of using a defining relative clause for focus: The person who sent me was you. Listen to the pronunciation. B1 Point 73 in the category of CLAUSES is defined as: defining relative clauses: ‘the person who/that, the thing that, the (only) one who/that’ as a focusing device. *Some people looking for information about a relative pronoun
THE + noun + WHO|THAT + clause (focus) Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 69 in the category of CLAUSES/comparatives is defined as: ‘(not) as’ + adjective/adverb + ‘as’ to introduce a clause (often with a substitute auxiliary verb) to talk about two things being equal or unequal in some way. *note that the EGP examples also include ‘as much as’ where
as + ADJECTIVE | ADVERB + as + CLAUSE Read More »
B1: CLAUSES | comparatives
In the English Grammar Profile, point 68 is defined as: ‘TOO’ + adjective + ‘to’-infinitive.
(not) too + ADJECTIVE | ADVERB + to INFINITIVE Read More »
