B2 LEVEL ENGLISH GRAMMAR

 

1. Advanced Tenses

• Present Perfect Simple vs. Present Perfect Continuous:
  • Present Perfect Simple: "She has worked here for ten years." (Focus on completion)
  • Present Perfect Continuous: "She has been working here for ten years." (Focus on duration)
• Past Perfect Simple vs. Past Perfect Continuous:
  • Past Perfect Simple: "He had left before I arrived."
  • Past Perfect Continuous: "He had been waiting for an hour when she finally arrived."
• Future in the Past:
  • "I was going to call you, but I forgot."
  • "She would come if she had time."

2. Complex Conditional Sentences

• Mixed Conditionals:
  • Present result of a past condition: "If I had studied harder, I would be more successful now."
  • Past result of a present condition: "If I were rich, I would have bought that house."
• Inverted Conditionals:
  • Second Conditional: "Were I rich, I would travel the world."
  • Third Conditional: "Had I known, I would have called you."

3. Modals for Speculation and Deduction

• Present Deduction:
  • "She must be at work." (Certainty)
  • "He can't be the thief." (Impossibility)
• Past Deduction:
  • "She must have forgotten." (Certainty about the past)
  • "He can't have done it." (Impossibility about the past)
• Speculation:
  • "She might have missed the bus." (Possibility)
  • "He could have taken the wrong turn." (Possibility)

4. Passive Voice

• All Tenses in Passive:
  • Present Simple: "The report is written."
  • Past Simple: "The report was written."
  • Future Simple: "The report will be written."
  • Present Perfect: "The report has been written."
  • Past Perfect: "The report had been written."
• Passive with Modals:
  • "The work can be done by tomorrow."
  • "The project should have been completed by now."
• Have/Get Something Done:
  • "I had my car repaired."
  • "She got her hair cut."

5. Causative Structures

• Causative Have/Get:
  • "I had the house painted."
  • "She got her computer fixed."

6. Reported Speech

• Reporting Verbs:
  • Verbs like "advise," "suggest," "warn," "offer": "He advised me to take the train."
• Complex Changes in Reported Speech:
  • Statements: "He said, 'I will help you.'" → "He said that he would help me."
  • Questions: "She asked, 'Do you like it?'" → "She asked if I liked it."
  • Commands: "He told me, 'Don't go!'" → "He told me not to go."
• Reporting with Modal Verbs:
  • "He said, 'I might come.'" → "He said that he might come."

7. Relative Clauses

• Defining and Non-defining:
  • Defining: "The man who lives next door is a doctor."
  • Non-defining: "Paris, which is the capital of France, is beautiful."
• Reduced Relative Clauses:
  • "The woman sitting over there is my teacher." (instead of "The woman who is sitting over there...")
  • "The book written by J.K. Rowling is famous." (instead of "The book that was written by J.K. Rowling...")

8. Complex Sentence Structures

• Linking Words and Phrases:
  • Contrast: "However," "nevertheless," "although."
  • Reason and Result: "As a result," "therefore," "consequently."
  • Purpose: "In order to," "so as to."
  • Addition: "Moreover," "furthermore," "in addition."
• Cleft Sentences:
  • It-cleft: "It was John who broke the vase."
  • What-cleft: "What I need is a cup of coffee."

9. Gerunds and Infinitives

• Advanced Use of Gerunds and Infinitives:
  • Verbs with a change in meaning: "Remember doing" vs. "Remember to do."
  • Verbs followed by Gerund: "I avoid eating junk food."
  • Verbs followed by Infinitive: "I decided to go."
• Complex Gerund and Infinitive Structures:
  • "She admitted to having been wrong."
  • "I regret to inform you that..."

10. Inversion

• Inversion for Emphasis:
  • "Never have I seen such beauty."
  • "Rarely does he go out."
• Inversion in Conditionals:
  • "Had I known, I would have told you."
  • "Should you need any help, let me know."

11. Quantifiers and Determiners

• Advanced Quantifiers:
  • "Few," "a few," "little," "a little," "plenty of," "several."
• Determiners:
  • "Each," "every," "either," "neither," "both."

12. Collocations and Fixed Expressions

• Collocations:
  • Verb-noun: "Take a risk," "make an effort."
  • Adjective-noun: "Strong coffee," "heavy rain."
• Fixed Expressions:
  • "Under the weather," "at the end of the day."

13. Noun Clauses

• Noun Clauses as Subjects and Objects:
  • "What you said was surprising."
  • "I don't know what she wants."
• Reporting Thoughts, Beliefs, and Knowledge:
  • "He believes that the Earth is flat."

14. Hypothetical Structures

• Wish and If Only:
  • Present: "I wish I knew the answer." (But I don't know)
  • Past: "I wish I had gone to the party." (But I didn't)
  • Future: "I wish it would stop raining."
• If Only for Emphasis:
  • "If only I had more time!"

15. Verb Patterns

• Verb + -ing / Infinitive:
  • "I stopped to eat." (stopped in order to eat)
  • "I stopped eating." (no longer eating)
• Verbs followed by Object + Infinitive:
  • "I want you to come."
  • "He told her to wait."

16. Prepositional Phrases

• Advanced Use of Prepositions:
  • "In spite of," "on behalf of," "in terms of."
• Phrasal Verbs with Multiple Meanings:
  • "Look up" (search) vs. "Look up to" (admire).

17. Advanced Conjunctions and Connectors

• Contrast: "On the other hand," "whereas," "while."
• Cause and Effect: "Owing to," "due to the fact that."
• Purpose: "With the aim of," "so that."

18. Advanced Uses of Articles

• Zero Article:
  • "He goes to school." (institutional use)
• Specific and Generic Use:
  • "The tiger is an endangered species."
  • "A tiger can be dangerous."

19. Expressions with 'Would'

• Habit in the Past:
  • "When I was a child, I would play outside every day."
• Polite Requests and Offers:
  • "Would you like some coffee?"
• Imaginary Situations:
  • "I would love to go to Japan."

20. Advanced Modal Verbs

• Modals in the Past:
  • "She could have gone."
  • "You should have told me."
• Expressing Regret and Criticism:
  • "You needn't have worried." (Unnecessary action in the past)
  • "I shouldn't have said that." (Regret)

21. Emphasis and Clarity

• Fronting: Moving elements to the beginning of a sentence for emphasis:
  • "Scared, he certainly was!"
• Emphatic 'do':
  • "I do understand your concern."
• Emphatic Negatives:
  • "Not only did she pass, but she also got top marks."

22. Subjunctive Mood

• Subjunctive for Formality:
  • "It is essential that he be present."
  • "I suggest that she study more."

23. Verb Tenses in Time Clauses

• Using the correct tense in time clauses:
  • "By the time you arrive, I will have finished."
  • "As soon as he gets home, we'll start dinner."

Mastering these grammar points at the B2 level will greatly enhance fluency, accuracy, and the ability to express more nuanced ideas in English.