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B2 CHECKLIST of LANGUAGE POINTS for C1 BEG. COURSE

Sentences: Affirmative and negative statements, affirmative and negative questions, with "be" and other verbs, with "have". Wh- as subjects. Tags.

TENSES (GRAMMATICAL TIME) AND REAL TIME

1. PRESENT TENSES

Use of the Present simple tense

|present time |future time |

|Permanent situations, "general truths":|In time clauses (where Spanish students tend to add "will"): When/ Once/ Before /After you get there, |

|Today most people access the internet |call me, please. (not, LoM: When you'll get there) |

|for information and to communicate in |In Type 0 conditional sentences: If you have ten correct answers you get a prize! When water boils, it |

|social networks |evaporates |

|Habits and routines: I usually check my|Events based on a timetable or known future date / definite planned events (with a future meaning): The |

|email every day |train leaves at 18.50; The Certificate Exam is in June. |

| |Formal future intentions (with a future meaning): The CIA plans to start another war in the East; I |

| |intend to move to the south |

Use of the Present continous tense

|present time |future time |

|Temporary situations happening now or in this period of time: I'm living here this year (cf. I’ve been |arrangements in the near future (with |

|living here since…); She's taking a course on computing; |a future meaning) & imminent future |

|Developing situations and events happening now: The cars are starting to move now... Let's hope for the |events: We're meeting up in two hours |

|best! It's raining. He's telling the firefighter what happened (I can see it) | |

Remember verbs indicating feelings, thinking processes and states are not generally used in the continuous tenses: be (I am a teacher - vs. You are being silly), believe, think (=believe), guess (=think), have (=belong), belong, like, dislike, hate..., imagine, know, mean, prefer, realize/realise, remember, seem, understand, want, wish, suppose..., smell, see, sound, taste...

Use of the Present perfect

□ This tense is a present in English (have/has gone), but a present that connects to the past, referring to that past up to this moment in the present. Its use is not exactly the same as that of the pretérito (pasado) perfecto in Spanish (he ido). We've lived here for 3 years: We started living here 3 years ago, and we're still living here. / We've lived here since 2010: We started living here in 2010 and we're still living here now. / Have you ever been to Paris? (asking about that: in the past till now, have you visited that city?) / I have never read Stevenson (not till now, I might in the future, but not in the past or just now)

□ Events that happened in the past but still have an effect in the present: They have cancelled the exam!!

Use of the Present perfect continuous

□ It emphasizes the duration of a recent or ongoing event: We have been talking about you all afternoon! I've been learning English for eight year now. How long have you been learning English? I've been learning English for 8 years.

2. PAST TENSES

Use of the Past simple tense

□ past events occurring in a particular time (notice the time expression: in 1990, yesterday, last Thursday...)

□ for repeated past actions see Modals: used to, would

Use of Past continuous tense

□ Events that had a longer duration that another/other action/s: I was listening to music when you called

□ In narratives (descriptive tone), the past continuous, when we can actually use it, recreates the scene, builds an atmosphere: The sun was shining (cf. The sun shone). Last weekend we DID this and that, blah, blah. [Now I want the listener to focus on the scene, so I say:] In the pub, we were talking all night. [I switch to the past continuous for that.]

Use of the Past simple or Present perfect?

□ Did you hear the news? (US American English) / Have you heard the news? (British English) But both are OK in any kind of English, really.

□ My mother has died (recently) / My mother died (last year, last month, 20 years ago)

□ Where have you been (to)? / Where did you go? Impossible: Where have you gone?

But Where has she been (to)? / Where has she gone? / Where did she go?

Use of the Past perfect

□ Events that happened before another event in the Past simple (if using the past simple too would make it hard to locate in time, confusing): I sent him the report once I had sent it to you all first! I sat there and thought about what you had told me. I sat there and thought about what you told me. / I was thinking about what you told me. I have been thinking about you had told me / about what you told me. This tense mostly comes up in indirect speech. It works like in Spanish, really.

Use of the Past perfect continuous

□ It emphasizes/emphasises the duration of a past event: When my boss left for America, I'd been working in his company for 6 years.

3. FUTURE

Future time is not only expressed with the future tense ("will"). There are different verbal phrases and accompanying time phrases that indicate different degrees of likelihood of occurrence of a future event! Confusing?!

□ Future Simple: Will. This future tense is only used when we don't know or are unsure. I'll study means I think I'll study. Compare with: I'm going to study = I have that intention / plan. Which is more likely to happen? The going to action, for sure! We also use it for predictions: On Sunday it'll rain (it's Monday).

□ The "going to" future. This verbal phrase always indicates a plan or an intention (a true intention). It's the most usual future for asking and talking about our future, in the sense that we usually have plans or intentions.

□ The present continuous with a future meaning: This option is just used for arrangements, this is, whenever you have done things to make sure that future event happens.

□ Future continuous (tense): when thinking ahead, its use indicates certainty, a kind of announcement. We will be doing a listening activity next week.

□ Future perfect simple (tense). Often connected to the phrase "This time next year" and similar phrases. It indicates that something will definitely happen in the future at a given time. It also includes the idea of completion: This time next year I'll have finished this course.

□ Future perfect continuous (tense). Duration. By the end of May I will have been living here for 3 years.

4. HYPOTHETICAL EVENTS/LANGUAGE

Conditional Tense. Would

□ In Type 2 Conditional Sentences. If I were rich I would set up cultural centers/centres. What would you do if you were 20 years older? Compare: Will you come? Are you going to come? Are you coming? / Would you come (if...)? What would you do? (if you were me)?

□ + probably and likely – bring examples and explain them!

□ When we need to "translate" will to the past! Indirect speech: She said she would go (from direct speech: "I'll go")

More...

□ If only I had a bit more money! I wish I got the job! (Compare with I hope you come / I hope you'll come / I hope you can come. I hope you get well. / And with: I expect to learn a lot!)

MODALS & USEFUL LANGUAGE FOR THOSE LANGUAGE FUNCTIONS

□ Obligation, necessity: have to, need to, have got to (for strong obligation, external), must (for dangerous situations, moral questions, or anger); had to, had got to.

Lack of obligation: don't have to, didn't have to, needn't, don't need to, didn't need to.

Permission: can (informal), could (polite), may (restrictive use).

Prohibition: musn't (angry, danger), can't (when reporting), not be allowed (We're not allowed in).

Strong obligation (only formal): should. Citizens should pay their taxes by April 1.

□ Advice or Suggestion: should, shouldn't, should've, shouldn't have, ought to; you'd better... ("threatening"), If I were you..., I would..., My advice to you is...; I suggest (that) she (should) call as soon as possible. I suggest calling as soon as possible. I recommend (that) she (should) call asap. I recommend calling. I recommend her to call. What about / How about calling? Why don't you try calling? Have you thought of calling? We could do this and that. We can do this and that. You might enjoy doing this or that. You may enjoy doing this or that. / It's time we called. It's about time we called. It's high time we called.

These expressions use the past because the past is linked to would as hypothetical language.

□ Past events, habits and routines: used to, didn't use to; would (more descriptive, evocative) I used to have an orange bike when I was little. We used to go to the seaside in the summer. There we used to rent a house. We would spend the whole day on the beach. In the evening we would always eat out. Be careful: "get/be used to" is different.

□ Speculation and deduction: could, might, may (speculating). It could be a gecko, but I'm not sure. She might have lost the train. Certainly: must. She must be ill! She's always so punctual! For impossible ideas and situations, we can also indicate certainly with can't / cannot and couldn't / could not: It can't be true!! He couldn't be serious!!

PASSIVES

All forms

It is said that...

Sb is thought to...

Have/Get something done

REPORTED SPEECH (indirect)

All forms

reporting verbs – we’ll practice this

CLAUSES

1. Noun clauses:

□ With present participles (-ing) and infinitives working as nouns: Dancing is fun; To dance is fun.

2. Adjectival clauses / Relative clauses:

□ defining (essential info): The girl who/that is Russian has a brother (not the girl who is not Russian). The sandwich which/that fell to the ground was mine!

□ non-defining (extra info, more in written language, really): The girl, who is Russian, lives in Madrid. = The girl (who is Russian) lives in Madrid.

□ whose: The family whose house you can see over there is now broke. The village whose name you cannot recall/remember is beautiful.

After a comma, you cannot use "that"

3. Adverbial clauses:

a. Time clauses: Before we left, we locked the doors. After we arrived, we called our family. While we were watering the plants, we heard a loud crash on the road. When I arrived, mum was cooking dinner. That's the time when the 15M starts flooding the streets.

b. Place clauses: That's the place where I was born.

c. Conditionals:

□ Zero conditional: both parts are true. If/When + present tense, present tense. When ice melts, you get water.

□ First conditional: likely events in the future if sth happens. If + present tense, "will". If I listen to English every day, I'll learn to speak!

□ Second conditional: unlikely or impossible situations. If + past tense, would, could, might. If I won the lottery, I would quit my job.

□ Third conditionals: speculating about the past, impossible to go back. If + past perfect, would've, could've,might've + past part. If we'd had more money, we could've bought a house.

□ Mixed conditionals:

When a change in the present, would've affected a past situation. If I weren't so busy all the time, I could/might/would have come along.

When a change in the past, would've affected the present. If you had told me about it, I woud've helped you.

d. Contrast/Concessive clauses:

□ Although/Even though the weather was bad, we decided...

□ In spite of the weather.../ Despite the weather, we decided to go on a day trip to Málaga.

□ In spite of the fact that he was late, .../ Despite the fact that he was late, they hired him.

□ Even if we leave at six, we'll be late.

□ Whereas Dan was quiet, Di was lively and funny.

e. Purpose clauses:

□ I'm learning English to get a better job.

□ I'm learning English so as to get...

□ In order to finish on time, examinees should...

□ I'll rush, in case they call.

□ We'll take a cab, so that we can get there on time.

f. Reason clauses:

□ I'm learning languages because I'd like to travel abroad

□ As/Since it's so late, let's take a cab/taxi.

□ (We took a cab/taxi for we were late)

g. Result clauses:

□ It was raining, so we took our umbrellas.

□ It was so cold (that) we stayed home.

□ It was such a cold day (that) we stayed home.

h. Comparison clauses:

so + adj. + that ...

such + noun + that ...

the more/-er + S + V, the more/-er (S+V)

ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS

Comparison - Comparative and superlative adjectives, and adverbs of degree

1-syllable: white /wait/ - whiter (than) - (the) whitest; large /laardz/ - larger (than) - (the) largest; hot - hotter (than) - (the) hottest [Spelling rule: doubling the last consonant]

2-syllable: -y: noisy - noisier (than) - (the) noisiest; heavy - heavier (than) - (the) heaviest; -le: simple - simpler or more simple - simplest or most simple [likewise, clever, common, cruel, gentle, likely, narrow, yellow, pleasant, polite. Comment: bestest]

other two-syllable: careful /keer-ful/ - more careful (than) - (the) most careful

3 & more: outrageous (3) - more outrageous (than) - (the) most outrageous

Irregular: good, bad far, old

Degree: a bit (better), a good deal (hotter), a little (colder), a lot (warmer), much (more interesting), rather (more tiring), slightly (less attractive)

not as/so ... as ...: I'm not as tall as my sister.

the ... the ... (comparatives): The more you listen to English, the better you'll speak the language; the greener the fresher

Adverbs

Frequency: adverbs and time expressions (associated to the present simple)

-ly: endless (adj) > endlessly (adv)

Watch out: Can you speak more slowly/quickly, please?

(adv) 2-syllable adverbs ending in -y do not add the suffix, but follow the general rule long adverbs follow. Compare with: I am quicker/slower than you

Spelling: gentle > gently, beautiful > beautifully, but full > fully, easy > easily, automatic > -ally, true > truly.

Irregular: (eat) fast, (work) hard, (finish) late, (speak) well

Adjectives

Order: closest to noun, the most objective

-ed/-ing adjs.

(See also adjectival clauses)

Adj or adv?

Positive and negative adjs

MISCELLANEA - Lists with examples

• Prepositions of place / time / movement

• Quantifiers: some, no, any, numbers, all, every

• Intensifiers: enough, too, very, so, such

• Affixes

• Compounds: kinds & agreement

• "as" and "like"

• Phrasal verbs: off, up, out, in.

• Collocations

• Expressions with DO, MAKE, GET, HAVE, LOOK/SEEM, COME/GO

• Connectors/Signposting

• Inversion

Non-Finite Forms

• Inf: S+V+adj+to-inf.; know how to;

• Gerunds

• Participles

PRODUCTION

• Describing people & animals, objects & places. Narrating processes. Giving reasons, explanations. Narrating past experiences. Topics (talking/writing): money, goods & services (food & drink, clothes, hotels, courses), city/countryside, animals, shopping, science & technology, people & lifestyles, advertising, hobbies: TV, books, music, concerts, cinema, travel..., art, discoveries & inventions, education, working life, nature, the environment, feelings & moods, health & fitness, sports, crime & punishment, celebrities, relevant people, the media, jokes, psychology…

• Lists of Mistakes & how to work with them – general, & overcoming fossilized mistakes

Speaking File: Structure and Strategies for presentations and interactions

Writing File: Useful Language – General, for diff. kinds of texts, and Fixed expressions in formal/semiformal writing, Writing Strategies: Brainstorming. Outlines. Proofreading. Who you are writing to, Why. Style/Register/Tone. Beginning – Body – Ending. Structure of different kinds of texts: Informal letters, Semiformal/Formal letters: complaints, application letters, letters to the editor, Transactional letters - formal & informal. The letter has a purpose and will require further action by its reader, usually in the form of a written response. It must be based on the information given. Examples: writing to a school to request details about a language course, complaining to a company about a holiday; replying to a friend about arrangements for a party... Complaining, suggesting, correcting information, giving information, asking for information. Stories: real or fictional. Reviews: books, movies/films, places… Articles: reasoned opinions (letters), instructional articles, discursive writing / argumentative text arguing for/against, opinion article for a magazine - where published, who read it). Reports/Proposals: presentation of clear info, factual, using heading and often with to-the-point suggestions or recommendations

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