Grammar · B1

Present Simple vs Present Continuous

Present Simple vs Present Continuous. The present simple describes regular behaviour and stable states; the continuous describes temporary activity, change or a repeated action viewed emotionally with always.

Past Simple vs Present Perfect

Includes Present perfect vs past simple

Past Simple vs Present Perfect. Use the present perfect to connect the past with now, including unfinished time and experience.

Present Perfect Simple vs Continuous

Includes Present perfect continuous

Present Perfect Simple vs Continuous. Present perfect simple emphasises completion, results or how many; continuous emphasises duration or recent activity.

Past Simple / Past Continuous / Past Perfect

Includes Past perfect

Past Simple / Past Continuous / Past Perfect. Use past simple for the main sequence, past continuous for background in progress, and past perfect for an earlier event.

Will / going to / Present Continuous

Includes Present continuous for future plans

Will / going to / Present Continuous. Will often expresses a spontaneous decision, promise or belief; going to expresses an intention or evidence-based prediction; present continuous describes an arrangement.

Review of all B1 verb tenses

Review of all B1 verb tenses. Review time relationships across simple, continuous and perfect forms.

Have to / must / should

Includes Modal verbs of advice and obligation

Have to / must / should. Must/have to express strong obligation; should gives advice.

Can / could / be able to

Can / could / be able to. Can describes present ability; could often describes general past ability.

Modal verbs of deduction — must, might, could, can't

Modal verbs of deduction — must, might, could, can't. Use must for a strong positive deduction, might/may/could for possibility, and can't for a strong negative deduction.

Usually / used to / be used to / get used to

Usually / used to / be used to / get used to. Usually describes a current habit.

Had better / It's time

Had better / It's time. Had better + base verb gives strong advice, often implying an unwanted consequence.

Would rather / would sooner

Would rather / would sooner. Would rather/sooner + bare infinitive expresses preference.

Phrasal verbs 1

Phrasal verbs 1. Phrasal verbs combine a verb and particle with a particular meaning.

Phrasal verbs 2

Phrasal verbs 2. This set covers inseparable combinations: look after means care for, look for means search for, run into means meet unexpectedly, get over means recover from and come across means find by chance.

Phrasal verbs 3

Phrasal verbs 3. This set covers carry on, put off, give up, work out and find out.

First Conditional + future time clauses

First Conditional + future time clauses. Use a present form in if and future time clauses, with a future/modal form in the main clause.

Second Conditional

Includes Second conditional

Second Conditional. Use if + past and would + base verb to imagine an unreal or unlikely present/future situation.

First vs Second Conditional

First vs Second Conditional. The first conditional presents a future situation as a real possibility.

Third Conditional

Third Conditional. The third conditional imagines a different past: if + had + past participle, would have + past participle.

Passive verb forms

Includes The passive voice

Passive verb forms. The passive is be in the required tense + past participle: is made, was made, has been made, will be made, is being made.

Active vs Passive Voice

Active vs Passive Voice. Use active voice when the agent is your focus and passive when the action's recipient or result matters.

Indirect / Reported Speech

Includes Reported speech

Indirect / Reported Speech. Backshift is common after past reporting verbs, but is not always required if a statement remains true or relevant.

Gerund vs infinitive

Includes Gerunds and infinitives

Gerund vs infinitive. Verb patterns depend on the verb and sometimes change meaning.

A(n), the, no article

A(n), the, no article. A/an introduces a singular countable item; the identifies a known or specific one; no article is used for general plurals and uncountables.

Reflexive pronouns

Reflexive pronouns. Reflexive pronouns refer back to the subject: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves.

Much/many/a lot/little/few/some/any/no

Much/many/a lot/little/few/some/any/no. Choose quantifiers by countability and intended meaning.

All / both

All / both. All refers to a complete group, while both means exactly two.

Both / either / neither

Both / either / neither. Both means two together, either means one or the other, and neither means not one and not the other.

Any / no / none

Any / no / none. No comes before a noun; none stands alone or is followed by of.

Another / other / others / the other / the others

Another / other / others / the other / the others. Another means one more or a different singular item.

Defining & non-defining relative clauses

Includes Defining relative clauses

Defining & non-defining relative clauses. Defining clauses identify a noun and have no commas; non-defining clauses add extra information and use commas.

Question tags

Question tags. A question tag repeats an auxiliary with a pronoun, usually changing polarity.

Comparatives & superlatives

Comparatives & superlatives. Use comparatives for differences and superlatives for extremes in a group.

-ed / -ing adjectives

-ed / -ing adjectives. An -ing adjective commonly describes the cause of a feeling; an -ed adjective describes the person experiencing it.

So / such / such a / so much / so many

So / such / such a / so much / so many. Use so + adjective/adverb and such + noun phrase.

Compound adjectives with numbers

Compound adjectives with numbers. A number-based compound adjective before a noun normally uses a singular unit and hyphens: a ten-minute walk.

Clauses of contrast, purpose and reason

Clauses of contrast, purpose and reason. Although/even though introduce clauses; despite/in spite of introduce noun phrases or -ing.

Verb + preposition

Verb + preposition. Many verbs select a preposition: depend on, listen to, apologise for, belong to and wait for.

Adjective + preposition

Adjective + preposition. Learn adjective-preposition combinations as phrases: interested in, good at, afraid of, proud of and similar to.

During / for / while

During / for / while. During is followed by a noun phrase naming an event or period.

For / since / from

For / since / from. For measures duration; since gives the starting point of a period continuing to a reference time.

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.