were – English Grammar Profiler
‘fast’ means ‘completely’ when used with the adjective ‘asleep’ This phrase is C2 in the English Vocabulary Profile. For example: Look, Charlie, she‘s fast asleep. listen A NOW corpus collocates search for ‘fast asleep’ 1 WAS 1032 2 WERE 498 3 WHEN 376 4 WHILE 181 5 BED 114 6 FELL 59 7 BABY 41 8 ROOM …
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Here’s an expert example of past continuous affirmative: I was trying to get you back. Listen to the pronunciation of this verb phrase. Here are two English Grammar Profile points in the category of PAST: A2 point 10 past continuous: actions and states in progress around a particular time in the past. A2 point 16 past continuous: show that an event …
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Here’s an example of the plural only noun ‘pants’ agreeing with the determiner ‘these’ and the verb ‘are’ These pants are lycra. Listen to this sentence. Here’s a student example: His jeans were too tight. PELIC Korean female level 5 listening class. A2 point 16 in the category of NOUNS is defined: NOUNS ONLY USED IN THE PLURAL with plural …
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The English Grammar Profile (EGP) B1 point 23 in the category of future is defined: past form of ‘be’ + ‘going to’ (future in the past) EGP B1 point 36 in FUTURE is defined: PLANS IN THE PAST (often followed by ‘but’) to talk about a plan, sometimes one that may have changed. These grammar …
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In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 28 in the category of PAST is defined: past continuous question form Here’s an iWeb search for: was|were _P _VVG *not all these will lead to questions. 1 WERE YOU THINKING 2389 EXPERT EXAMPLE: What were you thinking? stuff.co.nz 2 WAS I GOING 2198 3 WERE THEY THINKING 1716 4 WERE YOU …
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In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 37 in the category of PAST/continuous is defined: give a reason for something, often with ‘because’ PELIC STUDENT EXAMPLE: I could not focus on my reading at all, after a while because I was sweating hard. Chinese male, level 5, writing class An iWeb search for: because * _VBD _VVG 1 BECAUSE I WAS TRYING 1574 I only got you those bloody business cards because I was trying to be cute. listen …
BECAUSE + past continuous Read More »
B1 Point 6 in the category of PASSIVES is defined as: past simple passive with a limited range of verbs needing two objects, putting the indirect object in subject position. *There is more information about this grammar at B2 TLC SPEAKING TEST EXAMPLE: I was given a big horse. female Russia B1 PELIC STUDENT EXAMPLE: When my husband was given a blow to the head in Oakland last year, I got frightened. …
was | were + PAST PARTICIPLE + NOUN PHRASE Read More »
B1 English Grammar Profile point 5 in REPORTED SPEECH is defined as: ‘YES-NO’ QUESTIONS using ‘ask’ + ‘if’ or ‘whether’ + clause, with a pronoun and tense shift where relevant. A search in iWeb for: ask* * if|whether _P _V 1 ASKED ME IF I WANTED 2391 2 ASKED ME IF I WAS 2083 3 …
ask + if | whether + CLAUSE Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 51 in CLAUSES is defined as: INTERROGATIVE + ADVERB in mid-position, between the subject and the main verb. For example: And if he still understood it, why does it even matter? A search in iWeb for _P _RR _V ? 1 IT REALLY MATTER ? 1368 2 IT REALLY WORK ? 747 3 YOU REALLY NEED ? 657 4 …
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An ‘exclamation’ means: a remark expressing surprise or strong emotion. How wonderful that you came. How nice to see you! In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 48 in CLAUSES phrases/exclamations is defined as: ‘HOW’ + ADJECTIVE + CLAUSE A search in iWeb for: . How _JJ _P _V 1 . HOW IMPORTANT IT IS 103 2 . HOW LUCKY WE ARE 97 …
HOW + adjective + clause (exclamation) Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 46 in the category of CLAUSES/FOCUS is defined as: defining relative clauses with ‘when’ to define nouns relating to time. A search in iWeb for: the _NNT when * * 1 THE TIME WHEN I WAS 1221 (most of these are: “all the time when I was a…”) 2 THE …
defining relative clause (time) Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 43 in the category of CLAUSES/conditional is defined as: ELLIPTED ‘IF SO’, CONFIRMING refer to a previous direct or indirect ‘yes-no’ question where the answer might be ‘yes’. For example: But then I began to wonder whether a game or an app can really change attitudes and behaviors, and if so, can I measure that change? A search in iWeb for: ? If so * * 1 …
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‘were it not for’ + noun phrase expresses that someone or something prevented something from happening. For example: Were it not for the cataclysmic events which overtook them, it’s entirely possible that raptors, rather than humans, would have become the dominant species on this planet. Listen C2 point 132 in CLAUSES/conditional is defined as: ‘Were it not for’ + noun phrase to introduce conditions in formal contexts. *The big corpora do not …
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Were you to handle this problem on your own, there would be no doubt you’re the kind of man we want. Listen C2 point 126 CLAUSES/subordinated is defined as: ‘Were’ + pronoun + ‘to’ infinitive to introduce a condition, in formal contexts. Point 127 CLAUSES/conditional is defined as ‘were’ with an inverted subject + ‘to’ infinitive, to introduce conditions in formal contexts. Sadly, a search for . were _P to …
WERE + noun phrase + TO infinitive Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, C2 point 125 in CLAUSES/conditional is defined as ‘If it weren’t / were not for’ + noun phrase to introduce conditions in formal contexts. past simple For example: And none of us would be here if it weren’t for you. Listen iWeb doesn’t allow a search for **** to the right even on a premium licence. 1 IF …
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This is another grammar point where the English Vocabulary Profile is probably better at profiling the language than the English Grammar Profile. There are a handful of adverbs that already make the task across levels quite difficult to follow. We then should consider the hundred other adverbs that appear in this ‘mid position’. A2 point …
past continuous + adverb (range) Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, B2 point 60 in the category of PAST is defined as: past continuous to make a request or suggestions more polite or less direct. I was *ing if|that * * * 1 I WAS WONDERING IF THERE IS A 875 2 I WAS WONDERING IF THERE WAS A 848 3 I WAS …
past continuous (politeness) I was wondering if… Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, B2 point 28 in the category of PASSIVES is past simple negative. In iWeb corpus we find the following: WERE NOT ALLOWED JAMnews Georgian opposition party hosted a rally for football fans who were not allowed to enter the stadium. *This example may be B1 based on ‘allowed …
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‘When’ is most often a subordinating conjunction in the iWeb corpus. WHEN (CS) 8290974 (A2 conjunction) collocates in the movie corpus: 1 CAME 7116 She came by the hotel when I was leaving and she gave me this for you. The Shunning 2 COMES 6367 3 SAW 3620 4 GETS 2919 5 STARTED 2636 The next most common use is as a question adverb. WHEN (RRQ) 2397700 collocates 1 REMEMBER …
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Here’s an example of past continuous affirmative passive. He was being used. listen B2 English Grammar point 16 in PASSIVES is defined as: PAST CONTINUOUS AFFIRMATIVE A search in iWeb for: _vbd being _vvn B1 Vocabulary found in the first 50 most common Ngrams includes: attacked, considered, developed, filmed and interviewed. USED, HELD, MADE, TAKEN are the …
was | were being + PAST PARTICIPLE Read More »