We have an A2 and B1 grammar post about linking adverbs and subordinating conjunctions. However, sometimes in grammar, there are many terms such as ‘conjunctive adverb’ etc. According to Wikipedia: A conjunctive adverb, adverbial conjunction, or subordinating adverb is an adverb that connects two clauses by converting the clause it introduces into an adverbial modifier […]
conjunctive adverbs Read More »
Looking for academic collocation in TED corpus for: allow* * access* Together, psychedelics and music may be able to open our minds to change and direct that change, reconnect us with our most authentic selves and allow us access to the things that really allow us to make meaning in this world, and reconnect with our most authentic selves. listen ‘allow’ and ‘access’ are B1 in the English Vocabulary Profile.
I was given some writing from Egypt to check. The person who submitted it said that the level is C1. I put it through the free grammar profiler and it gave me the following information. It predicted that this writing is actually C2. Dear Parents, I hope you are doing well. Actually, I appreciate your son‘s participation and good behavior, however, I have noticed that he is still dramatically struggling with some language features, so I tailored an intervention plan to handle his needs and elevate his level. Here are some home [work]
Feedback using the profiler Read More »
I was given some writing to check. The person who submitted it said that their level is C1. I put it through the free grammar profiler and gave me the following information. It predicted that this writing is actually C2. Dear Parents, I hope you are doing well. Actually, I appreciate your son‘s participation and good behavior, however, I have noticed that he is still dramatically struggling with some language features, so I tailored an intervention plan to handle his needs and elevate his level. Here are some home [work] tasks and activities which [should|might|will]
Free writing feedback Read More »
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 »
In the English Vocabulary Profile, the adjective ‘eager’ and the uncountable noun ‘eagerness’ are listed at B2 with the meanings: wanting to do or have something very much when you are eager to do something They are often followed by TO-infinitive. For example, And his eagerness to leave his mother‘s womb was the very reason he was the one who was selected. listen Do not be too eager to deal out death and judgment. listen A search for eagerness
eager | eagerness + infinitive Read More »
In the English Vocabulary Profile, the noun ‘determination’ is listed at B2 with the meaning: when someone continues trying to do something, although it is very difficult For example: Fretting arises from our determination to have our own way. listen ‘determination’ is often followed by an infinitive. A search in iWeb corpus for: determination TO _VVI 1 DETERMINATION TO MAKE 1407 2 DETERMINATION TO
The noun ‘ambition’ is often followed by an infinitive. Here’s an EXPERT example: I see the people that do the real work and what’s really said, in a way, is that the people that are the most giving, hardworking and capable of making this world better, usually don’t have the ego and ambition to be a leader. listen Student example from PELIC: I believe that you need to associate with positive people who have an ambition to live a happy life. Korean male level 4 writing class Often, the C1 verb ‘fulfil’ takes ‘ambition’ as an object. PELIC student example: Furthermore, children need an educational environment that is prepared and ready to fulfill their ambitions. Arabic male level 4
fulfil ambition TO infinitive Read More »
‘All’ with the meaning ‘the only thing’ is listed at B1 in the English Vocabulary Profile. For example: All I can say is I‘m sorry. listen All it does is tire your mind and stops you thinking for yourself. listen That‘s all I can suggest. Stranger Than Fiction An iWeb search for: All * _VM _VVI _VB 1 ALL I CAN SAY IS 19460 2 ALL WE CAN SAY IS 1135 3 ALL
ALL + clause (the only thing) ‘all I can say is…’ Read More »
When “not” is used before an adverb, it typically forms a negative construction that modifies the action or verb it is associated with. This construction is used to indicate the absence or negation of the quality or manner expressed by the adverb. Next, we want to know the most common adverbs in this position, so
Here’s an example of the time phrase that means the person is at the age of 20-29: I‘m not even in my twenties anymore. NSFW This phrase is B2 in the English Vocabulary Profile: (be) in your eighties to be aged between 80 and 89 the eighties the years from 1980-1989 A search in iWeb corpus for: _I
preposition + determiner + plural numeral Read More »
Students often ask me “what is the comparative of much?” I am guessing that they want to know about ‘much’ as an adverb meaning ‘nearly’ or ‘approximately’. (It has many forms) In which case, I would say that ‘more’ is the comparative of ‘much’. And for that matter, the superlative is ‘most’. For example: They
comparative of much Read More »
In the English Vocabulary Profile, the adverbial phrase ‘at random’ is listed at C1 with the meaning: chosen by chance For example: So we‘ll choose one at random then. listen A collocate search in the iWeb corpus: 1 CHOSEN 4713 2 SELECTED 4295 3 TIMES 2328 4 DRAWN 1694 5 PICKED 1493 6 PICK 1155 7 WINNER 1068
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 »
First, I’d like to say that I love using the following resource with my ESL classes. However, I was recently interested to see how the website “Breaking News English” adds levels to their texts. I know it is not easy to take news items and then bring them down to an English learner’s level for
Breaking News English Read More »
The verb ‘wish’ is in the English Vocabulary Profile at B1 with the meaning: to want a situation that is different from the one that exists There is no other entry using it with ‘would’. But there is mention in the English Grammar Profile of using ‘wish’ with past forms. ‘would’ can be considered as
Let’s look at two of the most common verbs in English followed by adverbs. In the English Vocabulary Profile at B1: go badly/well, etc. = develop in a particular way do badly/well = to be unsuccessful/successful For example: When things go wrong, do you think they‘re gonna be there for us? listen You do not do well in school, that is because you are too clever. listen An iWeb search for: DO _RR _I 1 DO SO IN 30223 2 DO
Listed at A2 in the English Vocabulary Profile: go + verb-ing to go somewhere to do a particular activity For example: If you guys aren’t doing anything, we‘re all gonna go surfing. listen An iWeb search for: GO _VVG 1 GO SHOPPING 15263 ‘GO SHOPPING’ is listed at A1. Yeah, that‘s a good idea, because I was gonna go shopping for a wheelchair anyway. 2 WENT MISSING 12104 ‘GO MSSING’ is not an activity,
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
