B2

B2 or upper-intermediate students are around an IELTS 6.  The language that they can produce nears the border of being able to start a university course in English.  Click here to see a full list of all our B2 grammar topics.

Gerunds (verbING)

A2, abstract, B2, C1, gerund, NOUNS, object, phrases, PREPOSITIONS, subject

Here’s a student example of using a verb-ing form as a noun subject: Studying for an exam won’t be hard for you if you follow these steps. PELIC: Chinese male level 3 writing class. Here’s an example in educational materials of the news: Closing the gas pipeline is one action Western nations have taken against Russia. BreakingNewsEnglish Here’s an example of verb-ing after ‘to’: The find goes a long way to solving the mystery of why the Stonehenge bluestones were brought from so far away  when all other stone circles were erected within a short distance of their quarries. thebritishacademy.ac.uk In the English Grammar Profile, point 22 in NOUNS […]

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adjective + BUT + adjective + noun (complex noun phrase)

ADJECTIVES, B2, but, CONJUNCTIONS, NOUNS, phrases

Here are some examples of this form:
Being nice to someone is a SIMPLE BUT EFFECTIVE WAY of making friends.
Some herbs like MOIST BUT WELL-DRAINED SOIL.
I am making SLOW BUT STEADY PROGRESS with my language learning.
Although she is usually easy to get along with, she does have a RARE BUT SERIOUS SIDE to her personality too.
A SMALL BUT SIGNIFICANT NUMBER of students didn’t pass the test.

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uncontracted NOT (emphasis)

B2, NEGATIVE

In the English Grammar Profile, B2 point 20 in NEGATION is defined as: uncontracted ‘not’ for emphasis or in formal contexts. There are problems with this grammar point.  One is that you could argue that the ability to contract various forms marks a higher level of English skill.  Secondly, this point clearly cannot be automatically

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None of | Neither of

B2, NEGATIVE, NOUNS, phrases, PRONOUNS

In the English Grammar Profile, B2 point 19 in the category of NEGATION is defined as: ‘NEITHER OF’, ‘NONE OF’ + PRONOUN or noun phrase with the affirmative form of the verb. Expert examples: None of us thought it could happen in America or anyplace else. listen You can not bring up a conversation topic if neither of you is interested. listen STUDENT EXAMPLE: The funny part is when the investigation was done it was realised that none of the family members had actually seen the movie. TLC, Speaking Test, Female,

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can’t | cannot

A1, A2, appeal, B2, deductions, guess, MODALITY, NEGATIVE, prediction, reproach

Modality is the grammatical expression of the speaker’s attitude or opinion about the possibility, necessity, or certainty of an action or state. Can’t is a modal verb that shows the negation of the verb can. It means that the subject is unable to do something, such as perform an action or demonstrate an ability. It can also be used to express deduction, which is a logical inference based on evidence or reasoning. For example:

She can’t swim. (ability)
He can’t be at home. It’s too early. (deduction)

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(slightly | a bit | much) + COMPARATIVE

ADJECTIVES, ADVERBS, B1, B2, C1, comparatives, degree, intensity, modify

At A2 in the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary: a bit [singular] (used as an adverb) (especially British English) = rather; to some extent Here are comparative examples: You might need a bit more than that. Is that everything? I mean, it seemed like he said quite a bit more than that. Listen   Now, let’s explain an expert example of the C1 grammar structure: ‘a bit’ + comparative adjective phrase.   Remember that

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more | less + likely

B2, comparatives, MODALITY, modify

Point 169 in the category of MODALITY is defined as: ‘(much) more/less’ to modify ‘likely’ in a comparison. There is overlap with point 63 in ADVERB phrases: types and meanings at C1. degree adverbs (‘slightly’, ‘a bit’, ‘much‘) to modify comparatives A cluster search on iWeb for * * less|more likely * *:   1

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I must admit

B2, concession, fixed expressions, MODALITY, must

The fixed expression ‘I must admit’ is used to express something that you feel guilty or embarrassed about, or to show that someone else impresses you more than you expected. For example:
I must admit, I’m not very good at this sort of thing.
I must admit, you’re quite a singer.

The fixed expression ‘you must admit’ is used to express concession, which means acknowledging a point made by someone else, even if you disagree with them. For example:
You must admit, he has a point.
You must admit, it was a close game.

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would (habitual past)

A2, B2, habitual, imagine, MODALITY, PAST, wish, would

In the English Grammar Profile (EGP), B2 point 160 in MODALITY is defined as: ‘would’ to talk about habitual actions and events in the past Looking in iWeb corpus manually for collocates of ‘every’ ‘time‘ with ‘would’ is 1 in 5 on the usage: … my mom also helped raise my nephews, who would stay with her every summer when school was out. Gone are the days where riders would get two bikes every year. The

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can (general truths)

B2, MODALITY

Point 154 in the category of MODALITY is defined as: ‘can’ for GENERAL TRUTHS AND TENDENCIES It cannot be found automatically since it depends on manual interpretation of the usage.  We can attempt a search in corpora to match some of the formal elements found preceding ‘can.’ Some_DD young_JJ people_NN can_VM feel_VVI … Too_RG much_DA1

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may adverb

ADVERBS, B1, B2, MODALITY, range

B2 point 150 in the category of MODALITY is defined as: ‘may’ with an increasing range of adverbs (most commonly ‘even’, ‘only’, ‘already’, ‘never’, ‘just’, ‘sometimes’) in the normal mid-position after the modal verb. B1 point 70:  ‘may’ with a limited range of adverbs (most commonly ‘also’) in the normal mid-position after the modal verb

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must not | mustn’t

A2, B2, MODALITY, NEGATIVE, permission

“Mustn’t” is a contraction of “must not”, used to indicate prohibition or to suggest that something is a bad or unacceptable idea. It’s frequently used in phrases like “We mustn’t” (99 instances), “I mustn’t” (66 instances), “You mustn’t be” (37 instances), and so on.

In the sentence “Strict instructions from Edward, we mustn’t be late for his parade”, it emphasizes the importance of not being late for Edward’s parade. Other examples include “I mustn’t let my fears stop me from pursuing my dreams” and “You mustn’t be too hard on yourself, everyone makes mistakes”.

In English grammar, the negative form of ‘must’ appears at two levels. At A2 level, it’s used with basic subjects and verbs, while at B2 level, it’s used to talk about what is not permitted with a range of subjects or verbs. For instance, “Mr. Iannazzo placed an order at the Robeks and stressed to the staff that the product must not contain peanuts.”

The most common lexical verbs used with “must not” in the iWeb corpus include “exceed”, “use”, “forget”, and “contain”. For example, “France must not drop guard against COVID-19, minister says – The Jakarta Post” and “Safety experts warn that US trade deal must not include dangerous American cars. Trade Secretary urged to exclude US cars. Jon Stone Policy …”.

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MUST questions

B2, MODALITY, must, necessity, obligation, QUESTIONS

Affirmative must questions are questions that use the modal verb must in the affirmative form. The modal verb must expresses obligation or necessity. In affirmative must questions, the subject of the verb must is inverted, meaning that the subject comes before the verb. For example:

Must I do my homework?
Must you go now?
Must we help them?
In these questions, the speaker is asking the listener if they are obliged or required to do something. The answer to these questions can be yes or no.

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may … but (unexpected)

B2, CONJUNCTIONS, expectation, MODALITY

In the English Grammar Profile, B2 point 146 in MODALITY for OPINIONs is defined as: ‘may’ … ‘but’ to express an unexpected point of view. Here are some expert examples: You may not be able to leave every job where you‘re treated unfairly, but in a perfect world, one without racism and sexism and the frictions associated with finding a new job,  it‘s your sense of fairness that would let you know when it was time to move on. listen You may have no tongue, but there is nothing wrong with your ears. listen A search on iWeb corpus for may * * * * but 1 MAY

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