Grammar · B2

Narrative tenses / used to / would

Narrative tenses / used to / would. Narrative tenses establish event order and background; used to describes former habits or states, while would can describe repeated past actions after a past setting is established.

Future forms

Future forms. English future reference includes will for predictions or instant decisions, going to for intentions/evidence, present continuous for arrangements, present simple for timetables, future continuous for ongoing activity and future perfect for completion by a point.

Other future expressions — be about to, be due to...

Other future expressions — be about to, be due to.... Be about to indicates an imminent action; be due to refers to an expected or scheduled event; be on the point/verge of takes -ing or a noun.

Future in the past

Future in the past. Future in the past reports a future viewed from a past reference point.

Modal verbs — permission, obligation, prohibition, necessity

Modal verbs — permission, obligation, prohibition, necessity. Distinguish permission, obligation, prohibition and lack of necessity.

Speculation & deduction

Speculation & deduction. Modal deductions use must, may/might/could and can't according to certainty.

Verbs of senses

Verbs of senses. Linking sense verbs take adjectives; like introduces a noun phrase and as if/as though introduces a clause.

Get — different meanings

Get — different meanings. Get can mean obtain, become, arrive or cause something to happen.

All Conditionals + Mixed Conditionals + alternatives to if + inversion

All Conditionals + Mixed Conditionals + alternatives to if + inversion. Conditionals range from general truths to hypothetical present and past alternatives.

Mixed Conditionals

Includes Mixed conditionals

Mixed Conditionals. Mixed conditionals connect a past condition with a present result or a present situation with a past result.

Wish / rather / if only / it's time

Includes Wish and if only

Wish / rather / if only / it's time. Wish/if only + past refers to unreal present situations; + past perfect refers to regret.

Unless / even if / provided / as long as etc.

Unless / even if / provided / as long as etc.. Unless means if not, even if means regardless of whether, provided/as long as impose conditions and in case introduces a precaution.

Distancing & passive reporting verbs

Includes Passive reporting structures

Distancing & passive reporting verbs. Passive reporting and distancing avoid presenting a claim as direct fact: it is alleged that, is believed to, appears to.

Passive verbs with two objects

Passive verbs with two objects. Some ditransitive verbs allow either object as the passive subject: She was given a prize; a prize was given to her.

Verb + object + infinitive/gerund

Verb + object + infinitive/gerund. Verb + object patterns include want/ask/allow + object + to-infinitive, make/let + object + bare infinitive, and prevent + object + from + -ing.

Complex gerund & infinitive forms

Complex gerund & infinitive forms. Perfect infinitives/gerunds refer to earlier actions, passive forms put the action on the understood subject, and continuous infinitives highlight duration.

Reflexive & reciprocal pronouns

Reflexive & reciprocal pronouns. Reflexive pronouns refer back to the same person as the subject; reciprocal pronouns each other/one another describe mutual action.

Generic/common-gender pronouns

Generic/common-gender pronouns. Singular they is widely used for a person whose gender is unknown, irrelevant or identified with they.

Compound nouns & possessive forms

Compound nouns & possessive forms. Compound nouns often use a singular modifying noun: shoe shop, car door.

Possessive 's with time expressions

Possessive 's with time expressions. Possessive forms express time and distance: a day's work, two weeks' notice, tomorrow's meeting.

Defining & non-defining relative clauses

Defining & non-defining relative clauses. Defining relatives restrict reference; non-defining relatives add parenthetical information with commas.

There & it as preparatory subjects

There & it as preparatory subjects. Existential there introduces presence or occurrence; anticipatory it holds the subject position before a to-infinitive or that-clause.

Have — auxiliary or main verb

Have — auxiliary or main verb. Have is an auxiliary in perfect tenses, a main verb for possession/experience, and part of have to for obligation.

Ellipsis & substitution

Ellipsis & substitution. Ellipsis leaves out recoverable words, often after an auxiliary: I can, but she can't.

Modifying comparatives

Modifying comparatives. Use much/far/a lot to emphasise comparative difference and slightly/a little/a bit to reduce it.

Compound adjectives

Compound adjectives. Compound adjectives often join words before a noun with hyphens: well-known, time-consuming, five-year-old.

Inversion with negative adverbials

Inversion with negative adverbials. Fronted negative or restrictive adverbials trigger auxiliary-subject inversion: Never have I seen....

50 common noun + preposition collocations

50 common noun + preposition collocations. Noun-preposition combinations are lexical patterns: a reason for, an increase in, an effect on.

Contrast / purpose / reason / result

Contrast / purpose / reason / result. Clause linkers and prepositions have different complements: although + clause, despite + noun/-ing; because + clause, owing to + noun; so that + clause, in order to + infinitive.

Discourse markers / linking words

Discourse markers / linking words. Discourse markers signal relationships: however/nevertheless contrast, therefore/consequently result, moreover addition, and for instance example.

Participle clauses

Participle clauses. Participle clauses compress information and normally share their understood subject with the main clause.

Cleft sentences

Cleft sentences. Cleft sentences divide a message to focus attention.

Future perfect

Use will have + past participle for an action completed before a future deadline.

B2: Write the missing words

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

B2: Find and fix grammar errors

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