B1 is an intermediate level of English. It is where most ESL students tend to be and also where most errors are made as they are learning new grammar and vocabulary. To see our full list of B1 grammar points with examples click here.
Here are some examples of how quantifying determiners can be used in a non-literal and non-academic way:
I have TONS OF THINGS to do this weekend, but the party might be LOADS OF FUN.
I told you MILLIONS OF TIMES that housework and study are more important than your parties!
millions | loads | tons + of (hyperbole) Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 20 in the category of PAST is defined: present perfect simple: UNFINISHED refer to a state or period of time which is unlimited or indefinite. PELIC STUDENT EXAMPLE: I have already gotten several wrong numbers this month. Japanese female level 4 grammar class EXPERT EXAMPLES: It‘s been proven to me time and time again as people have walked up to me this week simply because of what I‘m wearing, and we‘ve had great conversations.
present perfect simple (unfinished) Read More »
Here are examples of exclamatory sentences starting with “What”. They express strong emotions or feelings.
“What” is a predeterminer that precedes the indefinite article “a”.
The phrases following “What a” are noun phrases, often modified by adjectives for emphasis (e.g., “great”, “wonderful”).
Many sentences are followed by adverbial phrases (e.g., “to save time”, “to be alive”) that provide more information about the noun.
These sentences are common in spoken English to convey strong feelings. They’re less common in formal written English but might appear in dialogue or informal writing.
In the English Grammar Profile, such usage of ‘What’ falls under A2 level for expressing strong opinions.
The most common collocates in corpora are words like “great”, “waste”, “idea”, etc., often followed by infinitive phrases or prepositional phrases acting as adverbs.
This structure allows for a wide range of expressions, from surprise (“What a surprise!”) to disappointment (“What a waste of money!”) to admiration (“What a great idea for a party!”). It’s a versatile and expressive part of English grammar.
What a + NOUN PHRASE Read More »
Comparative clauses using ‘be’ + ‘like’ + a noun phrase are used to draw similarities between two things. The structure is typically: subject + be + like + noun/pronoun. For example, in the sentence “John is like a lion”, John is being compared to a lion, suggesting that he has similar qualities or characteristics. This structure can also be used with negation or adverbs followed by an infinitive clause, as in “It would be just like him to forget his keys at home”, indicating that forgetting his keys would be typical behavior for him. The phrase “I was like” is used colloquially to express a reaction or feeling. For instance, “When I saw the test results, I was like, ‘I can’t believe I aced it!’” expresses surprise and disbelief. This structure is common in English and can be found in various forms in different contexts.
BE + like + NOUN PHRASE Read More »
The phrase “you might like to” is often used to politely suggest something. It is a way of saying that you think the person might enjoy or benefit from something, without being too forceful or demanding.
You might ( like | want ) to-INFINITIVE Read More »
In general, ‘must’ is used to indicate that something is necessary or required. It is often used in situations where there are rules or regulations that need to be followed. For example, an employee must follow certain guidelines when using company resources. Similarly, a patient must provide accurate information to their doctor in order to receive proper treatment.
MUST (obligation | necessity ) Read More »
A2 point 52 in MODALITY:
‘could’ with a limited range of verbs to make suggestions.
A2 point 27 in MODALITY:
negative form
B1 point 78 in MODALITY:
affirmative form of ‘could’ to talk about ability.
B1 point 79 in MODALITY:
‘could’ with an increasing range of verbs to make suggestions.
declarative COULD ( past ability | suggestion | possibility ) with a range of verbs Read More »
Using “if-” clauses with “possible” is a way to soften language and show respect for the listener’s autonomy. It acknowledges that the listener has the choice to fulfill the request or not, without feeling pressured. This construction is commonly used in various social situations to maintain politeness and avoid sounding too demanding or forceful.
In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 74 in MODALITY is defined: ‘can you believe’ to express surprise PELIC STUDENT EXAMPLE: Can you believe that my poor mother still did not know that she was dying? Mongol female level 4 grammar class. TLC SPEAKING TEST EXAMPLE: Can you believe that only in Niger there are one point three million people who are in critical need of food and assistance due to corruption? female Sri Lanka B1 An iWeb search: 1 Can you believe it? 2387 listen 2
Can you believe it? Read More »
You guys might not know this = B1 MODALITY NEGATIVE.
In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 73 in the category of MODALITY is defined: ‘might’ negative form.
might not + bare infinitive Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 72 in the category of MODALITY is defined:
the fixed expression: ‘I have to admit’ for emphasis
In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 71 in the category of MODALITY is defined: ‘must’ with the following verb ellipted where the previous main verb is understood *an ellipted subject is also B1. PELIC STUDENT EXAMPLE: [The] coach must have a capability to solve problems of teammates, just as business managers must. Korean Female level 5 writing class EXPERT EXAMPLE: We can do this because we must. We did an iWeb search
MUST (ellipsis of following verb) Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 69 in the category of MODALITY is defined: DEDUCTIONS AND CONCLUSIONS: ‘must’ to guess and deduce, most commonly with ‘it must be’, or ‘you must be’. *We cannot ensure automatically that this form will point to the usage. We have deleted some ngrams that are obviously not the
You must be | It must be Read More »
In the English Vocabulary Profile at B1: If something used to happen or a situation used to exist, it happened regularly or in the past but it does not happen or exist now. In the English Grammar Profile at B1: Point 60 in MODALITY: ‘used to’ to talk about repeated actions or states in the
didn’t use to + INFINITIVE Read More »
Point 56 in the category of MODALITY: ‘could I’ to seek permission. An iWeb search for: . Could I * * *We have removed anything that is obviously not asking permission but still many entries contain questions related to possibility. 2 . COULD I GET A 93 MMA Conor McGregor asks for Jorge Masvidal
In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 34 in the category of FUTURE: ‘be going to’ with a limited range of adverbs, after the auxiliary be form, in the normal mid position. The EGP examples of adverbs include ‘never’ and ‘really’. An iWeb search for: _VB _RR _VVGK *we removed the past forms of BE 1 ‘M
The future simple tense with ‘will’ is often used to express spontaneous decisions, promises, offers, and predictions without evidence. However, it’s important to note that ‘will’ is not usually used for fixed plans or scheduled events. For example, if you spontaneously decide to go to a movie, you might say, “I’ll go to the cinema
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 »
B1 FUTURE continuous NEGATIVE WITH ‘WILL’ (won’t)
English Grammar Profile
will not be VERBing Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 26 in the category of FUTURE is defined: the negative form of ‘be going to’ to talk about plans and intentions EXPERT EXAMPLES: The words mean the same thing, so we‘re not going to waste any more time differentiating between them. the18.com *This is hard to find automatically because this structure is difficult to differentiate from predictions with present
BE + not going to INFINITIVE Read More »
