The construction ‘try as * might,’ means that someone is trying very hard, but they still cannot do it. In the English Grammar Profile, point 219 in the category of MODALITY is defined: ‘try as I might’ for emphasis at the beginning of a sentence. An iWeb search for . Try as * _VM 1 …
A2 Point 13 in the category of MODALITY/adverbs: certainty and possibility (‘maybe’, ‘perhaps’), before a clause or ellipted clause. *Note that ‘maybe’ is also listed at A1. And ‘perhaps’ is A2 in the EVP regardless of position. An iWeb search for: . maybe|perhaps * * * 1 . MAYBE IT ‘S BECAUSE 2541 2 . …
Here are two A2 English Grammar Profile points in different categories that cover imperatives. Point 39 in the category of CLAUSES is defined: affirmative imperative with the base form of a main verb Point 7 in NEGATION: negative imperatives of main verbs with ‘don’t’ + main verb. However, ‘let me/us’ is listed at B2 in …
Here are two student examples of complex noun phrases using relative clauses as complements: In addition, the people who lived in Korea 100 years ago didn’t have enough transportation. PELIC Arabic male level 5 writing class Here are some of the things which I got. TLC speaking test female Kannada B2 A2 point 34 in CLAUSES is defined: a defining relative clause with ‘who‘ as the subject A2 point 20 in …
Point 92 in MODALITY: ‘might’ to make polite suggestions and give advice. We cannot automatically check a corpus for usage, but we can follow the EGP examples which both contain the pronoun ‘you’. An iWeb search for: You might * * * 1 YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO 32578 You might be able to use a hammer …
A2 point 52 in MODALITY: ‘could’ with a limited range of verbs to make suggestions. A2 point 27 in MODALITY: negative form B1 point 78 in MODALITY: affirmative form of ‘could’ to talk about ability. B1 point 79 in MODALITY: ‘could’ with an increasing range of verbs to make suggestions. An iWeb search for: could …
Point 77 in MODALITY/adjectives is defined: ‘if-‘ clauses + ‘possible’, as a politeness strategy. The examples in the EVP show that this might even be A1: A1 Is it possible to speak to the manager, please? Please send it today, if possible. Is it possible to buy tickets in advance? Cambridge Learner Corpus Learner example: …
Here are two examples of ‘BE going to’ with A1 infinitives: It is going to take time. Listen to the pronunciation Are you going to do anything about it? Listen to the pronunciation In the English Grammar Profile, in the category of FUTURE: B1 Point 31 is defined: ‘be going to’: increasing range of verbs to make predictions. A2 point 4 is defined: …
Point 26 in the category of FUTURE is defined: the negative form of ‘be going to’ to talk about plans and intentions An iWeb search for: _XX _VVGK _T _VVI 1 NOT GOING TO GET 20965 2 NOT GOING TO HAPPEN 14351 3 NOT GOING TO GO 10194 4 NOT GOING TO MAKE 9409 5 …
The English Grammar Profile (EGP) B1 point 23 in the category of future is defined: past form of ‘be’ + ‘going to’ (future in the past) EGP B1 point 36 in FUTURE is defined: PLANS IN THE PAST (often followed by ‘but’) to talk about a plan, sometimes one that may have changed. These grammar …
B1 Point 116 in the category of MODALITY is defined: ellipted ‘must’ without a subject *Note the general B2 subject pronoun ellipsis A search in iWeb for: . must _VVI *also note that this grammar is either non-existent in PELIC student writing or very difficult to locate in TLC or on Google. The example come …
Point 117 in the category of MODALITY is defined: ‘have to’ as an infinitive form *This will overlap sometimes with B2 adjectives followed by an infinitive. PELIC STUDENT EXAMPLE: A child is very expensive, this causes parents to have to work more, which can lead to frustration and anger. Taiwanese female, level 4 writing class. An iWeb search for: * _TO have _TO _VVI 1 GOING TO HAVE TO GET 4269 …
Point 27 in the category of PAST is defined as: past perfect continuous: an action or event which began before a point in the past and was still continuing up to that point, often with ‘for’ or ‘since’, to give background information. Point 32 in the PAST is defined as: past perfect continuous: background action …
A2 points 34 and 48 in the category of MODALITY are defined as: ‘may‘ to talk about weak possibility referring to the present and the future affirmative A2 point 47: ‘might’ … weak possibility. An iWeb search for: may_VM _VVI 1 MAY NEED 294017 2 MAY WANT 253501 3 MAY TAKE 159078 4 MAY INCLUDE 156112 …
Point 21 in the category of PRESENT/simple is defined: a limited range of speech act verbs, including ‘suggest’, ‘apologise’, ‘recommend’. *Some of these will clash with C1: suggest-recommend-insist + present-simple PELIC STUDENT EXAMPLE: In conclusion, I suggest that international students whose English abilities are not strong enough should study in the ELI for at least one term before attending colleges or universities. Chinese male – level 5 writing class. A search for: I suggest|recommend|apologize * …
This is another clashing point. Although ‘as soon as’ is listed at B1 future, it is also listed in B2 conjunctions. FOR EXAMPLE: It will end as soon as Hedge finds his target. A search in iWeb for: _VVI as soon as _P 1 KNOW AS SOON AS WE 441 2 KNOW AS SOON AS YOU 362 3 KNOW AS SOON …
Point 61 in the category of PRONOUNS/quantity is defined as: ‘BOTH’, ‘A FEW’, ‘ANOTHER’ as subject and object pronouns. *We have covered the use of ‘another’ here. A search in iWeb corpus for: . both _V 1 . BOTH ARE 48684 2 . BOTH HAVE 15241 3 . BOTH WERE 15188 4 . BOTH WILL …
Here are two grammar points in the English Grammar Profile’s category of Pronouns at B1 that should be merged into one. Point 43 this one’, ‘that one’ as a substitute for countable singular nouns that have previously been mentioned. Point 64 THIS ONE’, ‘THAT ONE’” to refer to a singular countable noun. Searches in iWeb …
There are three very similar B1 points in the English Grammar Profile in the Category of PRONOUNS/singular reflexive Point 45 is defined as: ‘myself’, ‘yourself’, ‘himself’ and ‘herself’ after prepositions where the object of the preposition is the same as the subject of the verb. Point 65 is: ‘myself’, ‘yourself’, ‘himself’ and ‘herself’ for emphasis. …
Point 27 in the category of QUESTIONS is defined as: alternative questions with two clauses combined with ‘or’. A search in iWeb for or _V _P * ? 1 OR AM I WRONG ? 621 2 OR DOES IT MATTER? 287 Villanovan Alumnus Brad Ingelsby Talks Series “Mare of Easttown” Do you view all these changes in entertainment as good or bad, or …
