Grammar · B1+

Present Perfect Simple vs Continuous

Present Perfect Simple vs Continuous. Present perfect simple focuses on completion, quantity or a stable state; continuous focuses on duration or visible evidence of activity.

Narrative tenses — all past tenses

Narrative tenses — all past tenses. Narratives use past simple for events, past continuous for background, past perfect simple for earlier completion and past perfect continuous for earlier ongoing activity.

Future Continuous & Future Perfect

Includes Future continuous

Future Continuous & Future Perfect. Future continuous uses will be + -ing for activity in progress at a future time.

Review of B1–B2 verb tenses

Review of B1–B2 verb tenses. Review tense choices through reference points: a perfect form looks back, a continuous form presents an activity in progress and a simple form presents a fact or event.

Needn't / don't need to / didn't need to / needn't have

Needn't / don't need to / didn't need to / needn't have. Needn't and don't need to mean no present necessity.

Past modal verbs of deduction

Includes Modal deduction

Past modal verbs of deduction. For past deductions, use modal + have + past participle: must have for strong belief, might/could have for possibility and can't/couldn't have for impossibility.

Likely / unlikely / bound / definitely / probably

Likely / unlikely / bound / definitely / probably. Likely/unlikely are followed by to-infinitive or a that-clause with it.

Used to / be used to / get used to

Includes Used to and be used to

Used to / be used to / get used to. Used to + base verb refers to a former habit or state.

Would vs used to

Would vs used to. Used to describes past habits and states no longer true.

Verbs of senses — look, sound, feel...

Verbs of senses — look, sound, feel.... Linking sense verbs such as look, sound, smell, taste and feel take adjectives.

Do vs Make

Do vs Make. Do and make occur in fixed combinations.

Zero & First Conditional + future clauses

Zero & First Conditional + future clauses. Zero conditionals describe general relationships using present forms in both clauses.

When I do vs When I have done

When I do vs When I have done. A present simple future time clause states when an event happens.

Second & Third Conditionals

Second & Third Conditionals. Second conditionals imagine present/future alternatives using if + past, would + base.

Wishes & regrets — I wish / if only

Wishes & regrets — I wish / if only. Wish/if only + past form expresses dissatisfaction with the present; + past perfect expresses regret about the past.

Third conditional

Use if + had + past participle and would have + past participle to imagine a different past.

Passive Voice — all tenses

Passive Voice — all tenses. Passive constructions use be in the required tense plus a past participle.

Passive with reporting verbs — It is said that...

Passive with reporting verbs — It is said that.... Reporting passives distance the writer from a claim: It is said that...

Have something done

Have something done. Have/get something done describes arranging for someone else to do a task, or sometimes experiencing an unwanted event.

Gerund vs infinitive — verb patterns

Gerund vs infinitive — verb patterns. Verb complements differ: admit/deny/avoid + -ing, agree/refuse + to-infinitive, and preposition + -ing.

Would rather / would prefer

Would rather / would prefer. Would rather takes a bare infinitive; would prefer takes to-infinitive or a noun.

Reporting verbs — admit doing, refuse to do...

Reporting verbs — admit doing, refuse to do.... Reporting verbs have specific patterns: admit/deny/suggest + -ing, agree/refuse/promise + to-infinitive, and advise/warn/remind + object + to-infinitive.

All / most / both / either / neither / any / no / none

All / most / both / either / neither / any / no / none. Quantifiers differ in number and definiteness: both/either/neither refer to two; all/most to larger groups or amounts; no precedes a noun and none stands alone.

Whatever / whenever / wherever / whoever / however

Whatever / whenever / wherever / whoever / however. Whatever, whoever, wherever and whenever can mean any thing/person/place/time or no matter what/who/where/when.

Different uses of auxiliary verbs

Different uses of auxiliary verbs. Auxiliaries form questions, negatives, emphasis and short responses.

The... the... comparatives

The... the... comparatives. The + comparative ..., the + comparative ...

Participles as adjectives — -ed/-ing

Participles as adjectives — -ed/-ing. Participles can describe a cause or a resulting state: a confusing explanation, a confused reader; a broken window, falling leaves.

So / such / so much / so many

So / such / so much / so many. So modifies adjectives/adverbs; such modifies noun phrases.

Adjectives without nouns

Adjectives without nouns. The + adjective can refer collectively to a group of people: the rich, the unemployed.

Adjective order

Adjective order. Several adjectives usually follow a broad order: opinion, size, age, shape, colour, origin, material, purpose, noun.

Already / still / yet

Already / still / yet. Already means earlier than expected or before now, still means continuation, and yet asks or negates completion up to a reference time.

Pretty / rather / quite / fairly

Pretty / rather / quite / fairly. Fairly, quite, pretty and rather modify degree with differences in register and emphasis.

Clauses of contrast & purpose

Clauses of contrast & purpose. Although/even though take clauses; despite/in spite of take noun phrases or -ing.

Different types of questions

Different types of questions. Yes/no and object questions normally use auxiliary inversion; subject questions do not add do.

Indirect questions

Indirect questions. Indirect questions use statement order after an introductory phrase: Could you tell me where she lives? Yes/no questions use if/whether.

Position of adverbs & adverb phrases

Position of adverbs & adverb phrases. Frequency and certainty adverbs often follow the first auxiliary but precede a main lexical verb; manner often goes after the object.

Non-defining relative clauses

Use commas for extra information in non-defining clauses. Use who or which, not that.

B1+: Write the missing words

Produce the grammar yourself: ten focused questions with a clear cue and no answer choices.

B1+: Find and fix grammar errors

Find a grammar error and rewrite the sentence. Ten corrections with explanations and targeted review.