In the English Grammar Profile, B2 point 86 in the category of CLAUSES is defined as: phrases or exclamations where the negative interrogative form of an auxiliary verb is used to express surprise or enthusiasm. This is a real challenge to search for. Surprise and enthusiasm are not something you can formally search for, but […]
surprise enthusiasm or negative exclamation Read More »
Let’s look at an example of ‘should be ing‘ in student writing: In Korea, it is so common that women should be looking for a job after divorce. PELIC Korean female level 4 writing. ‘Should’ can express obligation or expectation. ‘Should’ can be used with a continuous form: Should be + lookING In the English Grammar Profile at B2, there are 3 points covering ‘should + continuous form’. Points
SHOULD BE + verb ING ‘She should be looking for a job’ Read More »
The featured image above shows the multiple proficiency levels that this modal verb is associated with the English Grammar Profile. The very formal nature of this modal verb can be easily seen with a search for collates 5 sides left and right of “shall” in the NOW corpus: 1 BE (VBI ) 211652 2 LAW
SHALL collocations Read More »
This is a place holder for duplicate entries in the EGP. Both entries use the same example sentences too. There is little difference except that the use is added to the second. We have expanded these points on another page. Click here. 147 MODALITY must B2 QUESTION form. 161 MODALITY must B2 USE: to ask
These are the 12 adverbs I would teach with “must” to advanced students: correctly, either, generally, somehow, therefore, constantly, currently, necessarily, simply, successfully, surely, satisfactorily, ultimately.
MUST + modal adverb Read More »
There are four entries in the English Grammar Profile that capture “May I…?” Point 97 are polite questions. They probably are not really asking for permission. 119 is literally asking for permission. Yet, for the purposes of designating a complexity level, this matters little. The interpretation of this structure becomes more difficult once we jump
Which verbs are found next to “may well”?
MAY WELL (emphasize something unexpected) Read More »
If you were to choose which adverbs to teach with “would”, could you just rely on the English Grammar Profile to suggest which ones?
Would + limited range of adverbs Read More »
9 tokens left and right of “might” in the COCA: 1 SOMEDAY (RT ) 741 2 TEMPTED (VVN ) 371 3 FEARING (VVG ) 259 4 CONCEIVABLY (RR ) 190 5 OVERHEAR (VVI ) 50 6 CYNIC (NN1 ) 46 7 PROFITABLY (RR ) 39 8 USEFULLY (RR ) 39 9 CYNICS (NN2 )
C1 | C2:
Had I known | Should you desire | Were I allowed + WOULD | COULD
Inversion in clauses with conditions and formality Read More »
The future perfect continuous negative tense allows us to express the absence of an ongoing action leading up to a specific future point. It highlights the non-occurrence or lack of continuity of the action within the given timeframe.
future perfect continuous negative Read More »
