At B1, in the English Vocabulary Profile, IT + BE + time + TO infinitive clause = something should happen: Is it time to go home yet? listen It was time to get back to work. listen Similarly, at C1, ‘time‘ can be premodified: I think it’s about time to make a deal. listen I think it is high time for me to get out of my house while I‘m still alive. Insidious: Chapter 3 At […]
would rather | it’s time + CLAUSE Read More »
STUDENT EXAMPLE: The professor tries to explain the abstract concept of freedom. PELIC Arabic male level 5 writing class The plural form is more common in iWeb corpus: 1 ABSTRACT CONCEPTS 2856 2 ABSTRACT CONCEPT 1883 further collocates in iWeb: 1 CONCEPTS 2978 2 AN 1170 3 SUCH 302 4 UNDERSTAND 183 5 CONCRETE 149 6 RATHER 102 7 UNDERSTANDING 101 8 ABILITY 74
Comparative clauses using ‘be’ + ‘like’ + a noun phrase are used to draw similarities between two things. The structure is typically: subject + be + like + noun/pronoun. For example, in the sentence “John is like a lion”, John is being compared to a lion, suggesting that he has similar qualities or characteristics. This structure can also be used with negation or adverbs followed by an infinitive clause, as in “It would be just like him to forget his keys at home”, indicating that forgetting his keys would be typical behavior for him. The phrase “I was like” is used colloquially to express a reaction or feeling. For instance, “When I saw the test results, I was like, ‘I can’t believe I aced it!’” expresses surprise and disbelief. This structure is common in English and can be found in various forms in different contexts.
BE + like + NOUN PHRASE Read More »
Here are 10 ways ‘far’ is used ranked by order of frequency: 1. A2 general adverb *Numbers on the right are the frequency in iWeb corpus: (RR) 1578722 ‘far‘ means ‘at, to or from a great distance in space or time‘ For example: Is it far away? I don’t live far from here. Thailand is not far from Vietnam. 2. B1 phrase ‘so far‘ means ‘until now‘ So far
10 ways ‘FAR’ is used in English grammar. Read More »
1 RATHER THAN (II21 II22) 956100 = most commonly found as a complex prepositional phrase. This grammar point is already covered here. 2 RATHER (RG) 529786 = ‘Rather’ as a degree adverb usually modifies an adjective. 1 BUT (CCB) RATHER (RG_RR@) A (AT1) 22044 2 A (AT1) RATHER (RG) LARGE (JJ) 7161 3 BUT (CCB) RATHER
Let’s look at how ‘rather than‘ is used to compare. In the English Vocabulary Profile, at B1 the meaning is: ‘instead of ‘ rather than examples: I‘d like coffee rather than tea. I usually wear a swimsuit rather than shorts. In the above examples: coffee, tea, a swimsuit, shorts are nouns or noun phrases, so ‘rather than‘ or ‘instead of‘ are complex prepositions. Here’s
RATHER THAN + non-finite clause | phrase Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, B2 point 57 in the category of ADVERBs is defined as: degree adverbs to modify noun phrases. ‘Quite, rather and almost’ are found in the given example sentences, so we have examined them in the iWeb corpus: 1 QUITE A BIT 60525 ‘quite a bit’ is listed at B1 in
quite | almost | rather + NOUN PHRASE Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, B2 point 61 in the category of ADJECTIVES is defined as: adjective phrases with ‘rather a’ + adjective, often in formal contexts A search in iWeb for rather a _JJ 1 RATHER A LONG 392 Further collocates 4 to the left and right: 1 TIME (NNT1 ) 187 2 WAY
rather a + adjective Read More »
Modifying an adjective for hedging with a degree adverb involves using an adverb to soften or weaken the strength or certainty of an adjective. This technique is often used in communication to express caution, uncertainty, or to avoid making absolute statements. By adding a degree adverb, we can create a more nuanced or less definitive
degree adverbs modifying adjectives ‘almost certain’ Read More »
