could – English Grammar Profiler
can’t/couldn’t very well do sth = used to say that something is not a suitable or practical thing to do You can’t very well expect other people to be nice to you if you aren’t willing to lead the way.
English Vocabulary Profile at C2
At C2 in the English Vocabulary Profile: could/may/might, etc. yet used to say there is still a possibility that something will happen For example: We may yet one day realize the vision of having the internet in our brains. TED And it seems like it‘s very possible that your nation, despite, actually because of the intense problems you face, you may yet be the warning light to the world that shines most visibly, most powerfully. TED NOW corpus search for: _VM yet _VVI 1 MAY YET PROVE 889 2 COULD YET PROVE 662 3 …
modal verb + YET Read More »
‘All’ with the meaning ‘the only thing’ is listed at B1 in the English Vocabulary Profile. For example: All I can say is I‘m sorry. listen All it does is tire your mind and stops you thinking for yourself. listen That‘s all I can suggest. Stranger Than Fiction An iWeb search for: All * _VM _VVI _VB 1 ALL I CAN SAY IS 19460 2 ALL WE CAN SAY IS 1135 3 ALL …
ALL + clause (the only thing) ‘all I can say is…’ Read More »
In the English Vocabulary Profile at B2, ‘bear’ is defined: accept someone or something unpleasant For example: I can’t bear to see him like this. listen *There are other uses of ‘bear’ that are more advanced. However, the sense defined above has a distinct grammar pattern: (CAN | COULD) (often negative) + bear + (to-infinitive | Verb-ing | noun phrase) Verb-ing …
can’t bear + to-infinitive Read More »
Here’s an example of the possessive pronoun ‘yours’ in object position. It’s just like yours. Listen to the pronunciation. A2 point 21 in the category of PRONOUNS: the possessive pronoun ‘yours’, with singular reference, in object positions, and complement positions after ‘be’ and after prepositions A search in iWeb corpus for: * * * yours . …
YOURS (object) Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, there are two similar points at A2 in the category of PRONOUN/demonstratives: Point 20 is defined as: ‘that’ as a pronoun to refer back to something which has already been mentioned Point 28: ‘that’ as a pronoun with singular reference For example: No, it‘s nowhere near that. listen That‘s why I brought you here. An iWeb search for: …
that (pronoun) Read More »
Here are examples of speculating about the past using this form: He COULDN’T HAVE SAID he loves you! I am still married to him!
It COULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED.
Point 12 in the category of VERBS/patterns is defined: verbs, typically reporting verbs, followed by a noun or pronoun as the indirect object and a clause with or without ‘that’, as the direct object. *Note some of our search results are not indirect objects. However, the A2 complexity is still there with relative clauses. _VV …
verb + object + clause Read More »
A2 Point 13 in the category of MODALITY/adverbs: certainty and possibility (‘maybe’, ‘perhaps’), before a clause or ellipted clause. *Note that ‘maybe’ is also listed at A1. And ‘perhaps’ is A2 in the EVP regardless of position. An iWeb search for: . maybe|perhaps * * * 1 . MAYBE IT ‘S BECAUSE 2541 2 . …
maybe | perhaps Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, A2 point 28 in the category of ADVERBS is defined as: limited range of manner adverbs and adverb phrases to modify how something happens. PELIC STUDENTS: The most important thing is to practise because with no practise, you will forget quickly. Arabic male level 3 writing class. Yesterday I woke up early because I had a test. Arabic male level 2 writing class. *’early’ is more of a time …
manner adverbs Read More »
Here are more overlapping points across the English Grammar Profile. We have included their examples when needed too elaborate: A2 point 14 in CLAUSES: AFFIRMATIVE interrogative clauses (‘yes/no’ forms) with modal auxiliary verbs. Would you like to come with me? Will you go with me? Can I come tomorrow to collect it? (Can you|we…? is listed at A1) Shall we meet at 7.30 pm? (Here are …
modal verb (question) Read More »
A2 point 52 in MODALITY: ‘could’ with a limited range of verbs to make suggestions. A2 point 27 in MODALITY: negative form B1 point 78 in MODALITY: affirmative form of ‘could’ to talk about ability. B1 point 79 in MODALITY: ‘could’ with an increasing range of verbs to make suggestions. An iWeb search for: could …
COULD (range) Read More »
Point 56 in the category of MODALITY: ‘could I’ to seek permission. An iWeb search for: . Could I * * *We have removed anything that is obviously not asking permission but still many entries contain questions related to possibility. 2 . COULD I GET A 93 MMA Conor McGregor asks for Jorge Masvidal …
Could I? Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 101 in MODALITY/adverbs is defined: ‘could’ + subject + ‘possibly’ to make requests more polite *This is a very rare structure across corpora for a B1 structure. This point overlaps the more common and general: B1 questions with adverbs: Could you possibly tell me how to fix this? An iWeb search for: . Could I|you possibly * 1 . …
Could you possibly? Read More »
Point 61 in the category of PRONOUNS/quantity is defined as: ‘BOTH’, ‘A FEW’, ‘ANOTHER’ as subject and object pronouns. *We have covered the use of ‘another’ here. A search in iWeb corpus for: . both _V 1 . BOTH ARE 48684 2 . BOTH HAVE 15241 3 . BOTH WERE 15188 4 . BOTH WILL …
BOTH | A FEW Read More »
There are three very similar B1 points in the English Grammar Profile in the Category of PRONOUNS/singular reflexive Point 45 is defined as: ‘myself’, ‘yourself’, ‘himself’ and ‘herself’ after prepositions where the object of the preposition is the same as the subject of the verb. Point 65 is: ‘myself’, ‘yourself’, ‘himself’ and ‘herself’ for emphasis. …
himself | herself | myself | yourself Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 83 in CLAUSES/comparatives is defined as: ‘so’ + adjective + ‘that’ clause. For example: But l would ask you, assembled here in this house of God, to recognize that we are witnessing something new, something so unexpected, so unusual that it is not surprising the government is at a loss. listen An iWeb search for: so _J that * * 1 SO GLAD THAT I DID 776 2 SO HAPPY THAT I FOUND 449 3 SO GLAD …
SO + adjective + THAT clause Read More »
Point 8 in REPORTED SPEECH is defined as: report statements using a reporting clause with ‘say’ or ‘tell’ + ‘that-‘clause, with a pronoun and tense shift where relevant *At A2 students can already use ‘said’ or ‘tell’ with a pronoun shift. Therefore, we might surmise that at B1 it must include a tense shift. There …
said | told * that + CLAUSE (tense shift) Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 10 in the category of REPORTED SPEECH is defined as: ‘wh-‘questions using a reporting verb + ‘wh-‘word + clause, with a change of pronoun and tense shift where relevant Expert examples: I once asked a really bright student what he hoped to learn from me. TED When asked what the biggest challenge was in making the film, William Joyce says, not giving up. listen PELIC student example: Every time, someone asked me what my major was, they always …
WH- (reported question) Read More »
Point 35 in the category of Verbs is defined as: ‘there’ with a range of modal verbs + ‘be’ + complement. A search in iWeb for: there_E _VM be * 1 THERE WILL BE A 135620 2 THERE WILL BE NO 66994 3 THERE MAY BE A 43753 4 THERE WOULD BE NO 37614 5 …
there + MODAL VERB + BE Read More »