Here is an example of B2 focus with a singular noun phrase at the front of a sentence: The problem is that she wants a bottle of red wine. listen It is easy to find information about singular noun phrases + that clauses on the internet: We use a noun + that-clause to express opinions and feelings, often about certainty and possibility. We […]
plural noun phrase + ARE + THAT clause Read More »
‘if you ask me’ is C2 in the English Vocabulary Profile and is used to give opinions. For example: And it‘s about damned time if you ask me. listen Collocations of ‘if you ask me’ in COCA show that this is used mostly to give negative opinions. 1 STUPID 10 2 NICELY 9 3 BS 6 4 DUMB
Point 73 GSE B2+ is defined: express impersonal belief and opinion using ‘thought/considered/believed/etc.’ +’ to’ + VP infSTUDENT STUDENT EXAMPLES: Moreover, English is considered to be an international language. PELIC Thai male level 5 writing class. In addition, he is believed to be the first teacher, because the first education system in ancient China was established by Confucius. PELIC Chinese male level 5 grammar class. EXPERT EXAMPLE: After all, the first intentional human burial is thought to have occurred around 100,000 years ago.
passive + TO infinitve (belief or opinion) Read More »
The sentence “Well, I wouldn’t say that.” is a common English expression used to indicate disagreement or to express a different opinion. The word “wouldn’t” in this context is used as a negated modal verb to convey polite disagreement (there is a tinge of a sense of doubt or uncertainty) . It is often used
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 »
Point 119 in PRONOUNS/reflexive is defined as: ‘as for myself’ as a discourse marker to introduce or focus on a personal opinion. FOR EXAMPLE: As for myself, I have some ideas about where we went wrong this time, and one day I may call on you once more. listen TechRaptor As for myself, I am an artist in the loosest possible definition of the word; that is to say, I make art. 16 Dec 2020 A search in iWeb corpus for: . As
How | What + about + NOUN PHRASE ? = A2 suggesting or offering something to someone | B1 ask for someone’s opinion on a particular subject (EVP)
In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 67 in the category of CLAUSES/interrogatives is defined as:
questions with a ‘wh-‘ word as the subject, without an auxiliary verb.
WH- questions (no auxiliary) Read More »
Here is another post of some overlapping and clashing grammar points from different categories in the English Grammar Profile. B1 point 72 clashes with the general definition at C1. B1 Point 42 in the category of CLAUSES is defined as: ‘IF’ + PAST SIMPLE + WOULD, FUTURE, (SECOND CONDITIONAL) imagined situation, often in the context
second & third conditonal Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, C1 point 36 in the category of PRESENT/simple is NEGATIVE QUESTIONS to check opinions. A search in iWeb for do|does _XX _P * * 1 DO N’T YOU THINK? 5683 2 DOES N’T IT ? 2857 3 DO N’T YOU WANT TO 1768 4 DO N’T YOU THINK THAT 1536 5 DO
present simple negative question (opinion) Read More »
Let’s take a look at an IELTS writing task 2 example with this grammar: It is argued that volunteering should be made a part of the school curriculum. In the above example, ‘is argued‘ forms the passive part. The active form of this is probably: ‘People argue that…” In our example, ‘people’ is not important or maybe we don’t know who
‘It is said that …’ (IT + passive) Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, B2 Point 100 in the category of CLAUSES is hard to find formally as it is more USE related as the relative clause: refers to a whole clause or sentence, often to express an opinion or evaluation or give a reason. This is also found in PEARSON’S: GSE 61 B2
evaluative relative clause ‘… which is good’ Read More »
