In the English Grammar Profile, B2 point 31 in the category of PRESENT is defined as:
Present simple, STORIES AND COMMENTARIES, to summarise events or plot in a story or piece of history, often to give immediate dramatic interest.
This usage is not really something that can be easily located in Corpora. However, both example sentences in the EGP contain ‘takes place’ in them. A search for this in the iWeb coprus:
* takes place * * *
This gives us many clusters that don’t fit the usage requirments. It is still locates B1 complexity though through vocabulary meaning to happen.
1 GAME TAKES PLACE IN THE FICTIONAL 237
2 GAME TAKES PLACE IN THE FANTASY 157
3 GAME TAKES PLACE IN THE STUNNING 97
4 WHICH TAKES PLACE AT SANTA POD 95
5 EVENT TAKES PLACE ON SATURDAY , 80
6 THAT TAKES PLACE AT THE END 80
7 WHICH TAKES PLACE AT THE END 75
8 IT TAKES PLACE IN THE SAME 70
9 CRIME TAKES PLACE . 69759 @QWX689759 65
10 EVENT TAKES PLACE DURING BIG BUTTERFLY 59
11 WHICH TAKES PLACE ON SATURDAY , 59
12 THAT TAKES PLACE EVERY YEAR IN 54
13 GAME TAKES PLACE IN THE HISTORICAL 50
14 GAME TAKES PLACE IN THE WORLD 49
15 WHICH TAKES PLACE EVERY YEAR IN 48
16 GAME TAKES PLACE IN THE FUTURISTIC 47
17 AND TAKES PLACE IN THE FICTIONAL 45
18 THAT TAKES PLACE OVER THE COURSE 45
19 WHICH TAKES PLACE ON SUNDAY , 44
20 WHICH TAKES PLACE ON THE FIRST 44
21 THAT TAKES PLACE IN THE WORLD 43
22 IT TAKES PLACE IN THE FICTIONAL 41
23 THAT TAKES PLACE ON THE FIRST 37
24 IT TAKES PLACE IN A WORLD 36
25 EVENT TAKES PLACE ON SUNDAY , 35
26 THAT TAKES PLACE IN THE MIDDLE 35
27 THAT TAKES PLACE IN THE SAME 35
28 THAT TAKES PLACE OUTSIDE OF THE 35
29 THAT TAKES PLACE IN THE BODY 34
30 IT TAKES PLACE IN THE FUTURE 33
31 STORY TAKES PLACE IN A WORLD 32
32 THAT TAKES PLACE IN THE CLASSROOM 32
33 THAT TAKES PLACE IN THE FUTURE 32
34 THAT TAKES PLACE AS A RESULT 31
35 EVENT TAKES PLACE ON FRIDAY , 30
36 WHICH TAKES PLACE AT SHAKESPEARE COUNTY 30
37 WHICH TAKES PLACE IN NEW YORK 30
38 WHICH TAKES PLACE THIS YEAR ON 30
39 GAME TAKES PLACE IN A FANTASY 29
40 THAT TAKES PLACE AFTER THE EVENTS 29
41 WHICH TAKES PLACE ON FRIDAY , 29
42 GAME TAKES PLACE IN THE PROCEDURALLY 28
43 THAT TAKES PLACE AT THE BEGINNING 28
44 EVENT TAKES PLACE RAIN OR SHINE 27
45 THAT TAKES PLACE EACH YEAR IN 27
46 WHICH TAKES PLACE AT LONDON ‘S 27
47 WHICH TAKES PLACE EACH YEAR IN 27
48 WHICH TAKES PLACE IN LAS VEGAS 27
49 THAT TAKES PLACE EVERY TWO YEARS 26
50 WHICH TAKES PLACE EVERY TWO YEARS 26
51 GAME TAKES PLACE IN THE FANTASY-BASED 25
52 GAME TAKES PLACE IN THE POST-APOCALYPTIC 25
53 STORY TAKES PLACE IN THE SAME 25
54 THAT TAKES PLACE IN AND AROUND 25
55 USUALLY TAKES PLACE AT THE END 25
56 WHICH TAKES PLACE AT THE SAME 25
57 WHICH TAKES PLACE IN THE SAME 25
58 WHICH TAKES PLACE LATER THIS MONTH 25
59 WHICH TAKES PLACE ON THURSDAY , 25
60 WHICH TAKES PLACE THIS WEEKEND . 25
61 FESTIVAL TAKES PLACE AT THE END 24
62 GAME TAKES PLACE AFTER THE EVENTS 24
63 GAME TAKES PLACE IN A WORLD 24
64 GAME TAKES PLACE IN THE BEAUTIFUL 24
65 GAME TAKES PLACE IN THE SAME 24
66 IT TAKES PLACE IN . 24
67 THAT TAKES PLACE BEHIND THE SCENES 24
68 THAT TAKES PLACE IN NEW YORK 24
69 THAT TAKES PLACE IN YOUR BODY 24
70 WHICH TAKES PLACE EVERY YEAR ON 24
71 WHICH TAKES PLACE ON THE LAST 24
72 , TAKES PLACE ON SATURDAY , 23
73 GAME TAKES PLACE IN THE MEDIEVAL 23
74 THAT TAKES PLACE IN A WORLD 23
75 WHICH TAKES PLACE AT THE BEGINNING 23
76 WHICH TAKES PLACE IN JUNE . 23
77 WHICH TAKES PLACE IN SEPTEMBER . 23
78 ACTION TAKES PLACE IN AND AROUND 22
79 EVENT TAKES PLACE ON THE FIRST 22
80 FESTIVAL TAKES PLACE ON SATURDAY , 22
81 GAME TAKES PLACE IN THE 3D 22
82 GAME TAKES PLACE IN THE FANTASY-THEMED 22
83 GAME TAKES PLACE IN THE SPACE 22
84 IT TAKES PLACE ON SATURDAY , 22
85 THAT TAKES PLACE IN THE BRAIN 22
86 THAT TAKES PLACE IN THE CITY 22
87 THAT TAKES PLACE OVER A PERIOD 22
88 WHICH TAKES PLACE AS PART OF 22
89 WHICH TAKES PLACE IN THE SPRING 22
90 GAME TAKES PLACE IN A FICTIONAL 21
91 GAME TAKES PLACE IN A POST-APOCALYPTIC 21
92 GAME TAKES PLACE IN AN OPEN 21
93 GAME TAKES PLACE IN THE YEAR 21
94 IT TAKES PLACE IN A SMALL 21
95 THAT TAKES PLACE EVERY YEAR . 21
96 WHICH TAKES PLACE EVERY FIVE YEARS 21
97 WHICH TAKES PLACE NEXT MONTH . 21
98 WHICH TAKES PLACE ON WEDNESDAY , 21
99 COPYING TAKES PLACE BETWEEN OBJECTS THAT 20
100 IT TAKES PLACE . THE 20
We can also look for noun collocations up to 4 spaces to the left that suggest the retelling of a story.
story, film, series, scene, movie, novel, adventure, episode, drama, plot, dialogue, fantasy, comedy, tale (B1)
1 EVENT 8416
2 GAME 7178
3 FESTIVAL 5821
4 STORY 4407
5 ACTION 3976
6 PROCESS 3147
7 LEARNING 2179
8 FILM 1846
SERIES
Toronto Life10 ACTIVITY 1583
11 CEREMONY 1427
12 CONFERENCE 1187
13 REACTION 1145
14 SCENE 1119
15 RACE 1104
16 MEETING 1028
17 MOVIE 1016
18 TOURNAMENT 805
19 COMPETITION 800
20 BATTLE 744
21 COMMUNICATION 711
22 TRANSACTION 701
23 TRANSFER 687
24 EXCHANGE 672
25 CELEBRATION 655
26 SALE 627
27 REGISTRATION 542
28 MAJORITY 539
29 PARADE 519
30 TRANSFORMATION 492
31 NOVEL 490
32 ADVENTURE 468
33 PROCESSING 466
34 CONVERSATION 452
35 HEALING 451
36 CONCERT 448
37 CHAMPIONSHIP 439
38 DISCUSSION 439
39 SESSION 435
40 AUCTION 423
41 ELECTION 419
42 INTERACTION 410
43 EPISODE 406
44 CONVERSION 390
45 ENTERTAINMENT 335
46 MARATHON 324
47 TRANSITION 313
48 EXHIBITION 312
49 VOTING 292
50 FERMENTATION 288
51 FUNERAL 278
52 MATING 276
53 WORKSHOP 262
54 SUMMIT 259
55 BREEDING 248
56 DRAMA 247
57 DRAFT 244
58 INSTRUCTION 243
59 CONTEST 242
60 ABSORPTION 234
61 COMBAT 229
62 CONVENTION 222
63 CARNIVAL 220
64 FEST 219
65 MIGRATION 211
66 GAMEPLAY 201
67 FERTILIZATION 200
68 PLOT 199
69 DIALOGUE 188
70 FANTASY 187
71 DIGESTION 180
72 PHOTOSYNTHESIS 169
73 FORMATION 168
74 ECLIPSE 167
75 ORIENTATION 167
76 STUDIOS 166
77 JAZZ 160
78 GALA 159
79 SCREENING 157
80 GATHERING 155
81 INSPECTION 155
82 COMEDY 152
83 SPAWNING 151
84 PHENOMENON 149
85 TALE 146