Here’s a student example of verb phrase ellipsis: You need to study hard to pass the test unless you don’t want to. PELIC Arabic female level 4 grammar class Although there are a number of grammar points in the English Grammar Profile to do with Ellipsis, there are none that cover the ellipsis of phrases before or after the ‘TO’ infinitive. Therefore, we turn to Pearson’s GSE […]
The phrase “in order not to” is used to express the purpose or intention of avoiding something. It is followed by an infinitive verb. For example:
I left early in order not to miss the train.
She studied hard in order not to fail the exam.
In order not to INFINITIVE Read More »
Although gerunds are covered in a few different ways across a few CEFR levels in the English Grammar Profile, there is no entry given to the use of a gerund after ‘need’ as MODALITY which is listed by PEARSON: GSE 63 B2 ‘need’ with verbs in the gerund to express necessity. ‘need’ + Verb Phrase
IT NEEDS REPLACING. (‘need’ + gerund) Read More »
Here’s a STUDENT EXAMPLE: Therefore, people should educate themselves on their human rights and the basic human rights that other nations have in order to avoid being deceived. PELIC Arabic female level 4 writing class. GSE 64 B2 NP + VP +VP gerund (passive) An iWeb search for: * _VV being _VVN * 1 TO AVOID BEING HIT BY 313 2 TO AVOID BEING HIT . 185 3 N’T LIKE BEING TOLD WHAT 182
gerund (passive complement) Read More »
C1: formal past conditionals | noun phrase, ‘would have’ clause
BUT FOR (third conditional) Read More »
NOT ONLY MUST people go to the event, but they must also be respectful there.
NEVER MUST they forget what the soldiers died for.
You must not ask about it when we are there. NOR MUST I be expected to explain it.
not only | never | nor + must + (inversion) Read More »
When a quantifying determiner and a possessive determiner are used together before a noun, they indicate the quantity of something that belongs to someone or something else. For instance, in the sentence “For most of my life, I was terrified of ghosts,” the phrase “most of my” signifies a large portion of the speaker’s life. Similarly, in “All of our fathers enter our doors feeling hopeless,” the phrase “all of our” refers to every father associated with a certain group. In “Many of his senior team thought he was crazy,” the phrase “many of his” denotes a large number of a specific group associated with a person.
quantifying determiner + OF + possessive determiner + noun phrase 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 »
Defining relative clauses, also known as restrictive relative clauses, provide essential information about the noun they refer to. This information is crucial for defining or restricting the meaning of the noun.
When the noun refers to a person, ‘who’ is often used as the subject of a defining relative clause. For example, in the sentence “The woman who lives next door is a doctor,” ‘who’ is the subject of the clause and refers back to ‘the woman’. The clause “who lives next door” provides essential information about which woman is being referred to.
On the other hand, ‘that’ can also be used as a subject in defining relative clauses when referring to both people and things. For instance, in the sentence “He’s the man that saw me yesterday,” ‘that’ refers to ‘the man’, and the clause “that saw me yesterday” tells us which man is being referred to.
WHO | THAT subject pronouns in defining relative clauses Read More »
A comprehensive overview of how the relative pronoun “which” is used in English grammar.
The examples clearly illustrate the difference between defining and non-defining relative clauses. In defining relative clauses, “which” provides essential information about the noun, as in “The book which lies on the table is mine.” In non-defining relative clauses, “which” provides additional information that doesn’t change the basic meaning of the noun, as in “I visited Paris, which is known for its beautiful architecture.”
The examples from the iWeb search also demonstrate how “which” can be used to connect discourse and introduce a clause that explains a result, inference, or consequence of a situation or fact. For instance, “Our team has won every match this season, which brings us to the top of the league.”
The AI-generated sentences using the corpus data are also very helpful in understanding how “which” can be used in various contexts. For example, “We’ve developed a system which allows users to easily track their progress.”
WHICH relative subject pronoun Read More »
The adverb ‘now’ plays a crucial role in indicating the timing of events. It signifies the present moment and its immediate relevance. For instance, in the sentence “A boss like that? Now I am green with envy,” ‘now’ emphasizes the current experience of envy. Time and sequencing adverbs, such as ‘first,’ ‘then,’ and ‘after that,’ are essential in arranging discourse segments. They establish temporal relationships between clauses and sentences. These adverbs aid in sequencing events and maintaining a cohesive flow. Understanding the proper usage and positioning of time and sequencing adverbs is vital for effective communication and conveying the temporal aspect of experiences.
time and sequencing adverbs Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, there are many points related to prepositional phrases after superlative phrases.
A2 point 11 in the category of ADJECTIVES is defined as:
prepositional phrases with ‘in’ + singular name of a place after a superlative adjective.
A2: THE BEST DOCTORS IN AMERICA | THE LARGEST CITY IN CANADA | THE BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE
superlative + noun+ IN (a place) Read More »
Here are more advanced examples of premodified superlative phrases: It‘s the next best thing to having you beside me. listen It was the second-largest gold rush in American history. Rat Race Note, the phrase “the second largest” is a compound modifier, where “second” modifies “largest”. It usually takes a hyphen before its noun. US customs officials report that tomato smuggling is at its highest level since the Great Tomato War. listen its = B2 possessive determiner In the English Grammar Profile,
pre-modified superlative phrase Read More »
The English Grammar Profile (EGP) claims that there are over 1000 grammar points in its inventory. However, there are numerous points that are overlapping. This post shows 3 posts that overlap and clash at other levels. B1 point 34 in the category of NOUNS is defined as: uncountable nouns with an increasing range of determiners/quantity
quantity phrase + uncountable noun Read More »
Point 36 in the category of NOUNS is defined as: two noun phrases together (in apposition) to refer to the same person or thing, usually separated by commas. EXPERT EXAMPLES: With the lack of competition due to COVID restrictions, Moraga’s Campolindo High School senior, Daniel Zabronsky, has been channelling his energy into teaching English to students in Colombia, South America. Zabronsky’s eighth-grade sister, Isabel, did her share of “tutoring” by speaking in English during visits to Colombia.
In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 32 in the category of NOUNs is defined as: complex noun phrases with adverb + adjective + noun EXPERT EXAMPLE: And, you know, this is a fairly transparent example. wnpr.org *This overlaps B1 noun phrases in the category of ADJECTIVES and clashes with C1 in the category of modality (emphasis). A search in iWeb for:
adverb + adjective + noun Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 40 in the category of NOUNS is defined as: the noun phrase ‘The thing’ in front position, with a clause complement, to give focus to something. *This grammar point overlaps others at B1 and there is a slight overlap with B2. A search in iWeb corpus for: . The
The thing + CLAUSE COMPLEMENT (front position) Read More »
B1: NOUN phrases with ‘such a’ + adjective + singular noun and ‘such’ + adjective + plural noun, to give emphasis.
English Grammar Profile.
SUCH (A) + adjective + noun phrase Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 42 in the category of NOUNS is defined as: complex noun phrases with noun phrase + ‘of’ + noun phrase + possessive determiner ‘s + noun phrase. PELIC STUDENT EXAMPLE: Our chairs are on the opposite side of the doctor’s chair, in front of the desk. Chinese female, Level 3 Writing Class. An iWeb search for: _NN of _NN _GE _NN
noun + OF + noun + ‘S + noun Read More »
