PELIC

(PELIC) refers to The University of Pittsburgh English Language Institute Corpus.

If a post refers to any language from this corpus, we tag it PELIC.

MUST (ellipsis of following verb)

B1, ellipsis, MODALITY, VERBS

In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 71 in the category of MODALITY is defined: ‘must’ with the following verb ellipted where the previous main verb is understood *an ellipted subject is also B1. PELIC STUDENT EXAMPLE: [The] coach must have a capability to solve problems of teammates, just as business managers must. Korean Female level 5 writing class   EXPERT EXAMPLE: We can do this because we must. We did an iWeb search

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WILL (plan)

B1, date, FUTURE, plan, simple

The future simple tense with ‘will’ is often used to express spontaneous decisions, promises, offers, and predictions without evidence. However, it’s important to note that ‘will’ is not usually used for fixed plans or scheduled events. For example, if you spontaneously decide to go to a movie, you might say, “I’ll go to the cinema

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am|is|are + going + to-INFINITIVE (future)

A2, affirmative, B1, FUTURE, intention, plan, prediction, QUESTIONS, range, VERBS

The phrase “be going to” is used in English to discuss future plans or intentions. It’s formed with the verb “be”, followed by “going to”, and the base form of the main verb. Here’s a summary:

Affirmative form: “It is going to take time.” – Expresses a future prediction or plan.
Question form: “Are you going to do anything about it?” – Asks about someone else’s future plans or intentions.
Affirmative form: “This is a group of people who want to tell you your work is going to live.” – Expresses a future prediction.
Informal affirmative form: “I need a video clip, and you’re gonna give it to me.” – Expresses a future intention or expectation.
In the English Grammar Profile, ‘be going to’ is used at different levels:

A2: Used to talk about plans and intentions.
B1: Used with an increasing range of verbs to make predictions.
An iWeb search for “_VB going to VVI” shows common usage patterns, such as “ARE GOING TO GET”, “’RE GOING TO GET”, “IS GOING TO HAPPEN”, and so on. These examples illustrate the versatility and frequency of this structure in English.

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BE + not going to INFINITIVE

B1, FUTURE, intention, NEGATIVE, plan

In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 26 in the category of FUTURE is defined: the negative form of ‘be going to’ to talk about plans and intentions EXPERT EXAMPLES: The words mean the same thing, so we‘re not going to waste any more time differentiating between them. the18.com *This is hard to find automatically because this structure is difficult to differentiate from predictions with present

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present perfect simple negative (YET)

A2, expectation, FUTURE, NEGATIVE, PAST, perfect, PRESENT, simple

Here’s a student example of ‘present perfect simple negative‘: Today I can play very well with someone, even when I haven’t played for a long time. PELIC Portuguese female level 3 writing. A2 point 5 in the category of  NEGATION/AUXILIARY VERBS is defined: negative statements of main verbs in the present continuous and present perfect with ‘be’ and ‘have’ + ‘not/n’t’. A2 point 13 in the category of PAST is

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indefinite pronouns (negative context)

A1, A2, B1, DETERMINERS, indefinite, NEGATIVE, PRONOUNS, range

The indefinite pronoun “anything” can be used after a negative verb form to express a lack of something. For example, “I don’t have anything to do.” In this sentence, the word “anything” refers to any possible thing that the speaker could do.

The use of “anything” after a negative verb form is first introduced at the A2 level of the CEFR. However, the English Vocabulary Profile lists “anything” at the A1 level, so it is important to be aware of the different ways that this word can be used at different levels.

In my knowledge, you can see that the word “anything” is often used in negative sentences with the verbs “do”, “have”, “know”, “find”, “see”, and “say”. These verbs are all commonly used to express a lack of something.

The search results also show that the word “anything” can be used in other ways, such as in the phrases “it doesn’t mean anything” and “there isn’t anything”. In these cases, the word “anything” is used to refer to something that is not important or significant.

The use of the word “anything” can be a bit tricky, but it is an important part of the English language. By understanding the different ways that this word can be used, you can improve your English grammar and communication skills.

Here are some additional things to keep in mind about the use of the indefinite pronoun “anything”:

“Anything” can be used in both affirmative and negative sentences. For example, “I can do anything” and “I can’t do anything” are both grammatically correct sentences.
“Anything” can be used with a variety of verbs, not just the verbs listed above. For example, you could say “I don’t want anything” or “I didn’t see anything”.
“Anything” can be used in both formal and informal contexts. However, it is more common in informal contexts.

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present perfect simple + SINCE

B1, duration, PAST, perfect, PRESENT, simple

Point 33 in the category of PAST is defined as: present perfect simple + ‘since’ to talk about duration. PELIC STUDENT EXAMPLE: I have read a lot of books about cooking since then. Chinese male, level 3 writing class.   We have been friends since we were high-school students. Korean female, level 3 writing class. An iWeb search for: _VH _VVN since *we removed ‘had’ 1 HAS CHANGED SINCE 11097

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ordering past events

B1, PAST, simple

Point 35 in the category of PAST is defined: past simple to order sequences of events in the past, in the context of narratives. PELIC STUDENT EXAMPLE: I looked at the sheet and thought about it and then I continued following my sheet. When I noticed that I should have arrived, I called my brother and he told me that I had the wrong directions. Arabic male, level 5 grammar class. Two of the EGP examples use ‘and then’ while one only uses ‘and’ to connect past

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WISH + past simple

B1, PAST, regret, simple

In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 21 in the category of PAST is defined as: past simple with ‘wish (that)’ to express regret that things are not different. TLC STUDENT SPEAKING TEST EXAMPLE: I listen to music a lot and sometimes I wish that my life was a musical. male Spain C2 EXPERT EXAMPLES:  I wish I never called. TED There were many moments growing up where I wished that I was white. TED *Note that past perfect is also possible with

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had not + PAST PARTICIPLE

B1, PAST, perfect, simple

Point 24 in the category of PAST perfect simple: negative forms. PELIC STUDENT EXAMPLE: At that time, I had not found my job and I had a lot of free time. Chinese male, level 3 writing class. A search on iWeb for: _VHD _XX _VVN 1 HAD N’T SEEN 10519 2 HAD NOT SEEN 8370 3 HAD N’T HEARD 6433 4 HAD N’T THOUGHT 5405 5

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