CEFR

The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages is one standard for describing English language ability. It is divided from A1 for beginners to C2 for mastery. English Grammar Pro uses this for all of its grammar posts.

PRESENT SIMPLE with ADVERBS of FREQUENCY

A1, A2, ADVERBS, frequency, indefinite, modify, PRESENT, range, simple

Adverbs of indefinite frequency, such as ‘sometimes’, ‘occasionally’, ‘usually’, ‘normally’, ‘regularly’, and ‘often’, are commonly used with the present simple tense to indicate routine or repeated activities without specifying exact timing. These adverbs typically precede the main verb but follow the verb ‘to be’ and auxiliary verbs. They can also be positioned at the beginning or end of a sentence in some cases. The webpage provides examples of these usages in various contexts, including TED talks and student writings.

In contrast, definite adverbs of frequency, like ‘yearly’, ‘weekly’, ‘every hour’, and ‘every day’, provide exact frequencies and usually appear at the end of a sentence. The webpage also highlights the overlap and differences in the usage of these adverbs at different language proficiency levels (A1 and A2).

Furthermore, it presents common collocates for the adverb ‘usually’ and examples of sentences using ‘often’. The examples illustrate common behaviors or thought processes, suggesting that these adverbs are integral to expressing frequency in English.

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will be + VERBing (future continuous)

A2, arrangements, B1, certainty, confirming, continuous, expectation, FUTURE, indirect, informal, MODALITY, plan, polite, will

The future continuous tense, used in sentences like “Sarah will be joining us for dinner,” indicates a planned or confirmed action that will occur over a period in the future. It expresses certainty about the future and is often used when the action is expected to happen as a matter of course. While usually not used with stative verbs, exceptions exist, especially in informal contexts. For instance, “I guess I’ll be needing a receipt off you there, Red” is a polite, indirect request.

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AS YOU KNOW = discourse marker of shared knowledge

A2, B1, DISCOURSE MARKERS, organising, shared knowledge, writing

The phrase “as you know” is a discourse marker used to indicate shared knowledge between the speaker and the listener. It’s used to introduce information that the speaker assumes the listener is aware of, thereby establishing common ground. This phrase is listed at B1 in the English Vocabulary profile and A2 point 1 in the category of discourse markers in the English Grammar Profile. It’s often followed by statements that reflect shared knowledge or common understanding. For instance, “As you know, our company has been experiencing financial difficulties lately,” or “As you know, I am a big fan of classic literature.” The phrase implies that the information being mentioned is already known or has been previously discussed.

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if | when | while | so + SUBORDINATE CLAUSE

A2, B1, CLAUSES, conditional, CONJUNCTIONS, subordinate

A subordinating conjunction connects a sentence’s main clause and a subordinate clause. The subordinate clause (also known as an adverb clause) provides additional information explaining the when, where, how, or why of the main clause. “If, when & while” are sometimes interchangeable. In the sentence “It’s hard to have a girlfriend when you don’t have a

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going | have | need | want + TO BE + past participle

B1, infinitive, MODALITY, necessity, obligation, PASSIVES

Here’s an example of an infinitive passive structure. He said it was the summation of the parts working together in such a way that nothing needed to be added, taken away, or altered. listen The English Grammar Profile B1 point 4 in the category of passives is defined as: an infinitive after a limited number of forms including ‘going to’, ‘have to’, ‘need to’, ‘want to’. *Note that Pearson lists this as: GSE 59 B2

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some of which | many of whom

C1, CLAUSES, modify, PRONOUNS, quantity, relative

Here’s an example of ‘some of’ modifying the relative pronoun ‘which’: I have many connections, some of which are less than reputable. Listen In the English Grammar Profile, C1 point 98 in the category of PRONOUNS / quantity is defined as: ‘some of’, ‘many of’ to modify relative pronouns in a relative clause. A search on iWeb for ngrams of some|many of  _**q

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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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