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.

May I?

B1, B2, command, MODALITY, permission, polite, QUESTIONS, request, suggestion

There are four entries in the English Grammar Profile that capture “May I…?”  Point 97 are polite questions.  They probably are not really asking for permission.  119 is literally asking for permission.  Yet, for the purposes of designating a complexity level, this matters little.  The interpretation of this structure becomes more difficult once we jump

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ought to (semi modal)

B1, B2, C1, C2, desire, likelihood, MODALITY

“Ought to” is a semi-modal verb similar to “should”. It’s used to express advice, expectation, obligation, or high probability. Unlike modal verbs, it’s followed by a ‘to-infinitive’, making it unique. It doesn’t change form for person, and can be used in various contexts to imply duty or suggest a course of action. For example, “I ought to phone my parents” implies a responsibility to call parents, while “It ought to be easy now” expresses an expectation of ease.

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actually

A2, ADVERBS, B1, emphasis, range, stance, surprise, true

Why do I believe that the English Grammar Profile and Vocabulary profile should be merged? Well, they both have tons of fantastic information but it would be better if they worked together. If we use the grammar profile for single token grammar points such as “actually” notice the lack of information in the EGP: Point

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(always | constantly) + past continuous

ADVERBS, C2, continuous, PAST, repeated, undesirable

Let’s look at two examples to explain this grammar.  The first is from a student writing example using past continuous with an adverb that shows he didn’t control the situation with his friend and the second one is from an expert speaker using passives: For example, he was always playing soccer when I played baseball. PELIC Korean male level 4 grammar class.   They were

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If it hadn’t been for / had it not been for + modal

C2, fixed expressions, MODALITY, NEGATIVE, PAST, perfect, simple

These are fixed expressions that are used to express a counterfactual or hypothetical situation in the past. They mean “if something had not happened, then something else would not have happened”. For example:

If it hadn’t been for your help, I would have failed the exam.
Had it not been for the storm, we would have arrived on time.

You can use different modals after these expressions, such as would, could, might. You can also invert the word order and omit “if”, as in the second example.

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And yet

C1, C2, CLAUSES, concessive, CONJUNCTIONS, contrast, coordinating, formal, phrases

In the English Grammar Profile ‘and yet’ or ‘yet’ is listed at C2 Point 24 in CONJUNCTIONS “CONCESSIVE to combine sentences, often unexpected” C1 Point 20 in CONJUNCTIONS coordinating CONCESSIVE ‘(and) yet’ to combine phrases and clauses to introduce a contrast, often unexpected. In the English Vocabulary Profile, ‘yet’ as a conjunction is listed as:

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‘major cities’, ‘very beginning’ (major | very + noun)

academic, ADJECTIVES, attributive, C2, degree, intensity, NOUNS, position, range

For this C2 grammar, ‘major’ is an adjective meaning: important, serious, or significant. ‘Very’ is an adjective meaning: actual or precise, with emphasis on the exact quality of the following noun or an extreme point in time/space. Point 73 under the category of adjectives in C2 on the English Grammar Profile these two vocabulary items

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