In the English Vocabulary Profile at B1, listed as pronouns: WHAT = THE THING = used to refer to something without naming it WHATEVER = anything or everything However, one of their examples is a cleft for focus: What I like most about her is her honesty. is C1 when it is a noun CLAUSE subject. Similarly, we cover ‘whatever’ in more detail …
Most reporting or mental processing constructions that introduce object clauses are listed at A2 or B1 in the English Grammar Profile. We believe that if adverbs are also included, this probably shows B2 ability. To check this, we look in the TLC speaking tests and find that the most common example only starts being used at …
If specific details about something are not important or have been forgotten, we can use phrases with ‘or other‘. For example: When you didn’t return and time was getting on, I imagined you‘d be sticking your nose in somewhere or other that you shouldn’t be. listen A search in the NOW corpus for: * * or other . 1 SOME FORM OR OTHER. 197 2 SOME WAY OR OTHER. 139 So the way of treating these diseases in early times was to, in some way or …
A search in iWeb corpus for: _VV _P _AT1 _NN 1 GIVE IT A TRY 48224 B2 We have to give it a try. listen 2 GIVE US A CALL 38081 3 GIVE YOU AN IDEA 24523 4 GIVE IT A GO 19538 5 GIVE IT A SHOT 14861 6 SEND US AN EMAIL 10866 A2 You know, why …
lexical verb + pronoun + indefinite article + noun Read More »
A monotransitive verb requires a subject and a direct object in order to form a sentence.
FOUND MYSELF THINKING | FIND THEMSELVES FACING | SEE HIMSELF PLAYING | KEEP ITSELF WAITING | DEFENDED HIMSELF SAYING
Although there is an English Grammar Profile point at B2 for introducing a new subject before a gerund, there is no point for a new subject before a past participle which we then assume points to C1 ability. Even a ‘new’ subject is questionable as a criterion for advanced ability. Here’s an advanced example sentence …
Why say “is of interest” instead of “is interesting“? ‘is of + noun‘ is more formal and in academic writing, we use the noun form of a word more often. More importantly, ‘of+noun’ functions as a noun in this position. Therefore, it can often collocate correctly with modifiers. For example: “greatest interest” is much more …
‘All’ with the meaning ‘the only thing’ is listed at B1 in the English Vocabulary Profile. For example: All I can say is I‘m sorry. listen All it does is tire your mind and stops you thinking for yourself. listen That‘s all I can suggest. Stranger Than Fiction An iWeb search for: All * _VM _VVI _VB 1 ALL I CAN SAY IS 19460 2 ALL WE CAN SAY IS 1135 3 ALL …
ALL + clause (the only thing) ‘all I can say is…’ Read More »
The verb ‘assert’ is C1 in the English Vocabulary Profile: [T] FORMAL to say that something is certainly true ‘assert yourself’ is C2: to behave or speak in a strong, confident way For example: Bright Side Of The Sun The Suns began to assert themselves midway through the fourth. or ‘assert your authority/control/independence, etc.’ is also C2: to do something …
We love the English Grammar Profile, however, there are often times when many grammar points should be one grammar point. For example, there are many points dealing with basic pronouns at the A1 level. 1 ‘I’, ‘you’, ‘he’, ‘she’, ‘it’, ‘we’ and ‘they’ in the subject position before a verb in statements. I like it here, but I don’t like the name. …
Here’s an example of the possessive pronoun ‘yours’ in object position. It’s just like yours. Listen to the pronunciation. A2 point 21 in the category of PRONOUNS: the possessive pronoun ‘yours’, with singular reference, in object positions, and complement positions after ‘be’ and after prepositions A search in iWeb corpus for: * * * yours . …
In the English Grammar Profile, there are two similar points at A2 in the category of PRONOUN/demonstratives: Point 20 is defined as: ‘that’ as a pronoun to refer back to something which has already been mentioned Point 28: ‘that’ as a pronoun with singular reference For example: No, it‘s nowhere near that. listen That‘s why I brought you here. An iWeb search for: …
The adverb ‘else’ is only a postmodifier. It follows indefinite pronouns. In the English Grammar Profile, A2 point 14 in the category of PRONOUNS: indefinite pronouns with ‘else’ We did a search in iWeb corpus for: _PN1 else 1 SOMEONE ELSE 335976 I would like to choose my sister as a guardian because I can’t imagine someone else. PELIC student: French male level 3 reading …
In the English Grammar Profile, A1 point 2 in the category of NOUNS is defined as: noun phrases as objects of the clause. Most of the following ranked results contain: A pronoun as the noun phrase subject + a lexical verb + a direct object noun phrase. A search in iWeb corpus for: _P _VV _A …
In the English Grammar Profile, C2 point 236 in the category of MODALITY is defined: ‘as’ + pronoun + ‘used to’ to add background to a narrative, often to highlight something unusual *Note this is not the “as + adjective + as” structure. Student example in a speaking test: I don’t think that they pay enough attention towards the national customs as they used to do those days. …
In the English Grammar Profile, C2 point 110 in the category of PRONOUNS/quantity is defined: ‘A LOT’ AND ‘MUCH’ as subject pronouns for focus In the English Vocabulary Profile, ‘much’ or ‘much OF-phrase’ in the subject position is listed at C1. For example: Much of their stored carbon makes its way back to the atmosphere. TED A search in iWeb corpus for: …
Point 111 in PRONOUNS: the possessive pronoun ‘hers’ with singular reference, in subject position. Point 112 in PRONOUNS: the possessive pronoun ‘theirs’, with singular and plural reference, in subject position. *NOTE that there is no EGP point for hers as a subject with a plural reference. This probably means that plural reference would be C2. …
Point 115 in PRONOUNS: ‘THAT … OF’ + possessive pronouns to express an attitude about someone or something, often in humorous or sarcastic contexts. *there are other very similar C2 points to this too. iWeb doesn’t allow more than 5 tokens in a search so a COCA search for: that _JJ _NN _IO _PPGE 1 …
THAT + adjective + noun + OF + possessive pronoun Read More »
Point 38 in PRONOUNS/demonstratives is defined: RESPONSE TOKENS WITH ‘that’s’ + adjective to respond to something However, the EGP examples do not always contain an adjective: That’s great! That’s a pity! That’s a good idea! FOR EXAMPLE: Do you always go to the same place? Oh, that’s awesome! An iWeb search for: That _VBZ * ! 1 THAT ‘S IT ! 12397 2 THAT ‘S RIGHT ! …
