complex ordering of past events – English Grammar Profiler

In the English Grammar Profile, C1 point 86 in the category of PAST is defined as:

past simple to order sequences of events in the past in a complex way.

*What constitutes ‘complex ordering’ is not clearly explained in the grammar description. The English Grammar Profile examples are:

Following advice from a friend, I purchased the English version of your product, only to find out its quality did not match the promises made in your advertisement.

After having discussed this subject with the other member, we came up with the following decisions.

The common form between these two is non-finite VERB-ING + past verb or the vocabulary ‘following’.  Searching for such long variable queries are impossible in iWeb.  The best we can start with is just looking for the starting gerund and wild cards, or copying the EGP ‘starts’.

Also, note that at B1 students can use ‘after’ or ‘before’ + verb-ing in a subordinate clause. And B2 students can use ‘after having + past participle’.

For example:

Two of these brothers walked out of the desert one hundred and fifty years after having found the Grail 

and began the long journey back to France, but only one of them made it.

listen

. _V*G * * * 

1 . HAVING SAID THAT, 15669

Having said that, I did not choose destruction, I chose to pick up a camera instead of a gun.

2 . LOOKING FORWARD TO THE 2385 3 . LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING 2226 4 . TAKING THE TIME TO 2207 5 . LOOKING BACK, I 1919

6 . FOLLOWING THE COMPLETION OF 1888

7 . GOING BACK TO THE 1622 8 . HAVING THE ABILITY TO 1544 9 . USING A COMBINATION OF 1334 10 . HAVING SAID THIS, 1247 11 . BEING ONE OF THE 1232 12 . BEING A PART OF 1214 13 . LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR 1172 14 . USING THIS METHOD, 1063 15 . HAVING SAID THAT I 1051 16 . GROWING UP, I 1031 17 . BEING ABLE TO SEE 1029 18 . TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE 965 19 . TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE 963 20 . GROWING UP IN THE 960

21 . FOLLOWING THE SUCCESS OF 944

22 . WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE 923 23 . LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING 908 24 . HAVING GROWN UP IN 895 25 . FAILING TO DO SO 869 26 . KEEPING IN MIND THAT 869 27 . DOING SO WILL HELP 867 28 . TRYING TO FIGURE OUT 850 29 . GROWING UP IN A 845 30 . KEEPING THIS IN MIND 785 31 . BEING PART OF THE 756 32 . USING THIS INFORMATION, 753 33 . FOLLOWING ARE SOME OF 737 34 . DATING BACK TO THE 718 35 . LOOKING FORWARD TO MORE 690 36 . LEADING UP TO THE 683

37 . FOLLOWING THE TRANSACTION, 675

38 . HAVING SAID ALL THAT 652

39 . FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS 650

40 . USING A VARIETY OF 646 41 . LOOKING BACK AT THE 644 42 . BEING A MEMBER OF 642 43 . ROUNDING OUT THE TOP 635 44 . TAKING A LOOK AT 634 45 . LOOKING BACK, IT 633 46 . BEING PART OF A 630 47 . LOOKING FORWARD TO IT 623

48 . FOLLOWING THIS, THE 616

49 . DOING IT THIS WAY 605 50 . HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO 603 51 . BEING ABLE TO DO 599 52 . FOLLOWING IS A LIST 595 53 . LOOKING FORWARD TO TRYING 593 54 . LOOKING FORWARD TO READING 589 55 . WORKING TOGETHER, WE 588 56 . LOOKING BACK ON IT 583 57 . MAKING MATTERS WORSE, 583 58 . BEARING IN MIND THAT 577

59 . FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF 576

60 . FOLLOWING THE SALE, 571 61 . BEING ABLE TO USE 562 62 . WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH 562 63 . LOOKING FORWARD TO A 561

64 . FOLLOWING THE RELEASE OF 543

65 . FOLLOWING ON FROM THE 542 66 . GOING FORWARD, THE 534 67 . GETTING RID OF THE 522 68 . FIGURING OUT HOW TO 518 69 . KEEPING THAT IN MIND 517 70 . USING YOUR HANDS, 515 71 . USING A SHARP KNIFE 510 72 . WISHING YOU ALL THE 508 73 . COMING OUT OF THE 506 74 . GROWING UP, MY 499 75 . KEEPING UP WITH THE 472 76 . INCREASING THE NUMBER OF 469 77 . ADDING INSULT TO INJURY 466 78 . GOING FORWARD, WE 463 79 . USING THIS APPROACH, 460 80 . DOING SO WILL ALLOW 455 81 . TAKING CARE OF YOUR 449 82 . STAYING ON TOP OF 447 83 . STANDING IN FRONT OF 445 84 . BEING AWARE OF THE 441 85 . BEING ABLE TO GET 436 86 . FINDING A WAY TO 428 87 . BEING ABLE TO WORK 426 88 . LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING 426 89 . MAKING THE MOST OF 426 90 . GON NA HAVE TO 425 91 . GOING TO HAVE TO 422 92 . TRYING TO FIND A 421 93 . USING DATA FROM THE 417 94 . THINKING ABOUT IT, 414 95 . LOOKING BACK NOW, 412 96 . DRINKING PLENTY OF WATER 408 97 . FOLLOWING ARE A FEW 407 98 . KEEPING AN EYE ON 406 99 . STARTING OUT AS A 404

100 . USING A SLOTTED SPOON 403

A search in NOW corpus for:

. _II _V*G _V*N*

1 ON BEING ASKED 998 2 AFTER DISCOVERING LINUX 675 3 AFTER BEING RELEASED 423 4 AFTER BEING TOLD 365 5 DESPITE HAVING BEEN 303 6 AFTER HAVING BEEN 297 7 AFTER BEING DIAGNOSED 237 8 AFTER BEING ASKED 221 9 ON BEING INFORMED 201 10 AFTER BEING TAKEN 199 11 AFTER BEING HELD 171 12 AFTER BEING ARRESTED 168 13 AFTER BEING NAMED 163 14 AFTER BEING FORCED 163 15 AFTER BEING SELECTED 154 16 AFTER BEING TREATED 143 17 AFTER BEING GIVEN 139 18 AFTER BEING INTRODUCED 130 19 ON BEING TOLD 128 20 AFTER BEING INFORMED 126 21 ON BEING QUESTIONED 125 22 AFTER BEING DRAFTED 125 23 AFTER BEING CAUGHT 125 24 AFTER HAVING SPENT 123 25 BEFORE BEING ELECTED 122 26 DESPITE BEING BORN 121 27 DESPITE BEING TOLD 118 28 AFTER BEING HIT 115 29 AFTER BEING CLOSED 115 30 AFTER HAVING STARTED 113 31 AFTER BEING SENT 112 32 SINCE BEING ELECTED 110 33 AFTER BEING DISCHARGED 107 34 AFTER BEING ELECTED 104 35 AFTER BEING PUT 104 36 AFTER BEING CALLED 102 37 AFTER BEING LEFT 95 38 AFTER BEING TRADED 91 39 AFTER BEING SHOT 88 40 AFTER BEING CONTACTED 88 41 AFTER BEING DROPPED 86 42 AFTER HAVING WORKED 86 43 UPON BEING ASKED 84 44 AFTER BEING QUESTIONED 84 45 AFTER HAVING LOST 81 46 AFTER BEING REJECTED 80 47 AFTER BEING FIRED 80 48 AFTER BEING CUT 78 49 BEFORE BEING APPOINTED 78 50 SINCE BEING DRAFTED 77 51 AFTER BEING RESCUED 76 52 SINCE BEING FOUNDED 75 53 AFTER BEING FOUND 73 54 AFTER BEING SHOWN 71 55 DESPITE HAVING HAD 71 56 BY GETTING RID 71 57 AFTER BEING DENIED 71 58 AFTER BEING EXPOSED 71 59 UPON BEING INFORMED 70 60 AFTER BEING PLACED 68 61 AFTER BEING BEATEN 67 62 AFTER BEING AWARDED 67 63 AFTER BEING ACCUSED 67 64 DESPITE BEING MADE 66 65 AFTER BEING CHARGED 65 66 AFTER BEING ACQUIRED 65 67 AFTER BEING CONFRONTED 65 68 AFTER BEING TURNED 64 69 AFTER BEING PASSED 64 70 AFTER BEING CONVICTED 63 71 AFTER BEING SPOTTED 63 72 DESPITE BEING KNOWN 62 73 DESPITE BEING RELEASED 62 74 AFTER BEING KNOCKED 61 75 AFTER BEING GRANTED 61 76 DESPITE HAVING EARNED 60 77 AFTER BEING SHUT 60

78 AFTER BEING EXAMINED 60

A search for:

. _II _VVG * *

(not many of these will have past simple verbs near them and B1 uses a preposition + gerund)

1 . BY CONTINUING TO USE 139918 2 . BY CONTINUING TO BROWSE 40317 3 . BY SUBMITTING YOUR COMMENTS 31143 4 . IN DOING SO, 17472 5 . BY USING OUR SITE 17271 6 . BY USING THE SITE 17022 7 . BY DOING SO, 11539 8 . BY USING THIS SITE 10119 9 . BEFORE DECIDING TO TRADE 7748 10 . BY SIGNING IN, 7721 11 . BY POSTING A COMMENT 5641 12 . BEYOND KEEPING UP WITH 5099 13 . BY AGREEING TO THE 4799 14 . BY BROWSING OUR WEBSITE 4263 15 . BEFORE PURCHASING ANY DISCUSSED 4223 16 . AFTER OPENING THE TRADING 4056 17 . BY SCREENING SUBMISSIONS, 3548 18 . BY CLICKING ” ACCEPT 3507 19 . BY SUBMITTING YOUR COMMENT 3477 20 . BY ACCESSING THE BUSINESS 2952 21 . BY USING THE POWER 2919 22 . BY CLICKING ON AN 2912 23 . BY BROWSING THIS SITE 2764 24 . BY USING THE WEBSITE 2285 25 . IN ADDING HYPEBEAST TO 2208 26 . BY DOING THIS , 2170 27 . BY CLOSING THIS MESSAGE 2060 28 . BY VISITING THIS WEBSITE 2051 29 . BY SIGNING UP , 1847 30 . BY POSTING YOUR COMMENT 1559 31 . BY CLOSING OR IGNORING 1434 32 . BY POSTING YOUR COMMENTS 1265 33 . BY JOINING ZDNET , 1242 34 . IN DOING THIS , 1232 35 . BY SUBMITTING COMMENTS , 1132 36 . IN SAYING THAT , 1109 37 . BY USING OUR WEBSITE 1049 38 . BY SIGNING UP TO 1037 39 . AFTER SUBMITTING ARTICLES FOR 959 40 . BY SIGNING UP FOR 948 41 . AFTER GRADUATING FROM THE 907 42 . BY SUBSCRIBING YOU HELP 871 43 . BY PRINTING THE NEWS 811 44 . BY ACCESSING THE YAHOO 809 45 . BY APPLYING FOR A 798 46 . DESPITE BEING ONE OF 780 47 . BY SUPPORTING US , 750 48 . BY USING THIS WEBSITE 712 49 . AFTER STUDYING ECONOMICS AT 708 50 . IN DOING SO THEY 694 51 . IN PROVIDING YOU WITH 686 52 . AFTER DISCOVERING LINUX BACK 675 53 . BY SUBMITTING THIS FORM 608 54 . AFTER LAUNCHING THE SECOND-GENERATION 599 55 . BY DOING THAT , 585 56 . BY COMMENTING YOU AGREE 576 57 . BY WORKING TOGETHER , 557 58 . BY CONTINUING TO NAVIGATE 556 59 . SINCE JOINING IN 2014 556 60 . BY FOCUSING ON THE 539 61 . BY OFFERING UNIQUE AND 531 62 . AFTER DECIDING SHE ‘D 525 63 . BEFORE JOINING THE CHRONICLE 516 64 . DESPITE LEAVING IN 2003 509 65 . BY USING IN-DEPTH DATA 508 66 . AFTER WORKING AS A 480 67 . BY LOOKING AT THE 480 68 . BY USING THE JAYNESTARS 465 69 . IN DOING SO HE 465 70 . AFTER WORKING IN ADMINISTRATIVE 454 71 . BY SUBSCRIBING TO THIS 449 72 . BEFORE JOINING THE TIMES 428 73 . BEFORE COMING TO THE 427 74 . BY COMMENTING, YOU 414 75 . BY ADDING HYPEBEAST TO 410 76 . AFTER GRADUATING, HE 409 77 . BY DOING ALL THIS 407 78 . SINCE JOINING 1029 HOT 390 79 . IN DOING SO IT 377 80 . AFTER GOING THROUGH THE 372 81 . BY GIVING DRAMA CRITIQUES 372 82 . BY SUBMITTING YOUR EMAIL 366 83 . BY BROWSING DATABREACHTODAY.COM, 358 84 . BEFORE COMING TO MINNESOTA 357 85 . BEFORE LAUNCHING INFODOCKET, 356 86 . IN MAKING THE FORWARD-LOOKING 356 87 . AFTER GRADUATING FROM HIGH 354 88 . ON BEING ASKED ABOUT 351 89 . IN DOING THAT, 348 90 . BY PERFORMING SUCH PROJECTIONS 345 91 . BEFORE DECIDING TO INVEST 344 92 . BEFORE MOVING TO NEW 342 93 . SINCE TAKING OFFICE, 341 94 . BY SUBMITTING YOUR INFORMATION 338 95 . AFTER SPENDING SOME TIME 336 96 . AFTER GRADUATING WITH A 334 97 . AFTER LISTENING TO THE 332 98 . BY SUBMITTING MY EMAIL 331 99 . AFTER GIVING EFFECT TO 330

100 . SINCE WRITING HIS FIRST 323

B2 vocabulary:

accessing, beyond, browse, browsing, commenting, data, focusing, going through, graduating, ignoring, invest, launching, purchasing, submitting, trading, unique

C1:

administrative, projections