In the English Grammar Profile, B2 point 138 in the category of MODALITY is defined as: could as the past form of ‘can’ in reported speech For example: Victim support arrived at our door and told us that we could expect to write off the next five years to grief. TED The following clusters from iWeb were searched with varying the spaces between said|told * * * could 1 SAID HE COULD 13770 1 SAID […]
could (reported speech) Read More »
Here’s a student example of an adjective followed by a ‘that’ clause. However, I am sure that the most useful English for you is American English. PELIC Korean male level 4 writing In the sentence above, the phrase “I am sure that” is an example of epistemic modality. Epistemic modality is a type of linguistic modality that deals with a
adjective + (that) clause Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, B2 Point 4 in the category of FOCUS is defined as ‘The reason (that)’, ‘The place (which)’ + clause as subject + ‘be’ for focus. Expert examples: The reason you‘re alive today is because of those changes in our brains that took place in Africa. TED But the reason that a lot of his fans are in the stands is because of another video. listen Student in speaking
the reason that | the place which + CLAUSE Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, B2 point 102 in the category of CLAUSES that are relative is defined as: defining relative clauses and non-defining relative clauses ending in a preposition, with ‘who/which/that’ as the complement of the preposition. *This point overlaps other categories and is already covered here. Here are the 4 most common prepositions
relative clause preposition (stranding) Read More »
Let’s explain what a ‘superlative clause’ is with this example: It’s the best car that you can buy. the best is the superlative adjective. that you can buy is the relative clause We can rewrite this as two sentences: It is the best car. You can buy it. Here the object it is replaced with the
superlative + THAT clause ‘the best you can’ Read More »
A search on iWeb corpus for 3 part subordinating conjunctions reveals the following frequency: They point to another group of multiple overlapping points on the English Grammar Profile. B2 point 91 in CLAUSES & conditional is defined as: conditional subordinate clauses with a range of conjunctions ‘as long as’, ‘provided’ + present simple or present
conditional subordinate clauses & range of complex conjunctions Read More »
To get started, let’s look at some spoken student examples that show a wide range of linking verbs with very literal meanings: It‘s like a fairy tale because it doesn’t seem real. TLC female Mexico B1 To remain healthy, we have to exercise. TLC female India B1 The verbs ‘remain’ and ‘seem’ link the adjective complements: ‘real’ and ‘healthy’ in a more detailed way than
a wide range of linking verbs used in other complex ways Read More »
Subordinating conjunctions for upper-intermediate students.
wide range of subordinating clauses & conjunctions Read More »
If you are teaching a pre-intermediate class about how we get our knowledge or health, then this grammar and vocabulary will be appropriate.
It is important that NOUN + VERB 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 »
A defining relative clause (also known as a restrictive relative clause) provides essential information about the noun or noun phrase it modifies, the purpose of which is to define that noun or noun phrase. The clause cannot be removed without changing the meaning of the sentence. When ‘that’ is used as the object in a
THAT | WHO ( object pronouns ) Read More »
Here is a comprehensive analysis of the most common “BE + NOT” forms in English, essential for expressing negation. The forms are listed in order of their frequency in the iWeb corpus. The top three forms are “is not”, “are not”, and “isn’t”, used in various contexts to deny or contradict assertions, form negative statements, and express doubt or uncertainty. Other forms like “’s not”, “was not”, “wasn’t”, “I’m not”, “aren’t”, and “were not” are also discussed with examples illustrating their usage.
