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Complete Learning Pathway for Grammar Test B |
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Complete Learning Pathway for Grammar Test B |
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The table below gives the complete list of grammatical items tested in the Diagnostic Grammar Test Part B, Questions 51 - 100.
| Q | Comments | Reference | Exercises |
| 51 | Countables / uncountables: persons / people / peoples. The plural of 'person' is usually people, which is a plural noun. eg Many people drink coke. The plural form persons is used sometimes, but usually with some specific reference. eg He was murdered by a person or persons unknown. When 'people' is used to mean a nation or ethnic group it is countable. eg Churchill wrote 'History of the English Speaking Peoples'. | Countable / uncountable nouns | Explain the use of the noun |
| 52 | Tenses and concord: present simple / present progressive contrasts. 'Have' is is used in the simple present to show possession. eg He has two cars. | 1) A comparison of progressive and simple forms in the present 2) Verbs - simple & progressive forms | 1) Explain the use of the verb form 2) Present Simple and Continuous tenses 3) Present Simple and Continuous tenses |
| 53 | Place adverbials: somewhere / anywhere We use anywhere when the meaning is 'all other places', especially in comparatives. eg New York has more skyscrapers than anywhere I've ever seen. | Place adverbials: somewhere / anywhere | |
| 54 | Prepositions of comparison: as / like / than 'Like' and 'as' are used to show the same nature, appearance, or quality of things. eg He is not as tall as his father. She's just like her sister. | 1) like / as 2) than | |
| 55 | Relative pronouns: who, what, which Both the relative pronouns 'who' and 'which' refer to subjects which come before them in a clause. The relative pronoun 'what' is used to refer to an object and does not refer to a noun which comes before it. eg He just doesn’t know what he wants. | 1) Relative clauses 2) Defining, Non-defining 3) Examples of defining/non-defining 4) Relative pronouns | 1) Relative clauses 2) Relative pronouns (Mind Your Grammar) |
| 56 | Verb complementation: be used to + verb + noun The phrasal verb be used to when it has the meaning of doing something regularly as a habit is one of a few verbs which use the preposition to followed by the eg I'm quite used to eating with chopsticks now. | The verb 'be' + 'used to' + -ing | |
| 57 | Negative determiners no / some / any We should use 'any' with negatives like this - 'no' would be ungrammatical eg I can't do any work with this headache. | some or any? | Insert 'some' or 'any' |
| 58 | Prepositional phrases: preposition + possessive / reflexive The preposition 'by' is used before a reflexive pronoun, and 'on' before a possessive. You can say "on your own" or "by yourself" eg I prefer to do it on my own. I prefer to do it by myself. | 1) 'by' + reflexive pronoun 2) 'on' + possessive | |
| 59 | Verbs of volition with a negative meaning: be willing to / want / would With a verb complement both want and be willing to are followed by to + infinitive. The auxiliary 'would' used in this way needs to be used with the main verb 'like. When used in the negative, the verb 'want often has a similar meaning to 'be willing to'. eg They don't want to wait any longer. They aren't willing to wait any longer. | -ing or to + infinitive | -ing or to + infinitive |
| 60 | 'Would' used to express the "future in the past": Future time can be expressed in the past with the perfect infinitive and auxiliary 'would'. eg It was too late to go by then, as the film would already have started by the time we got there. | 1) Auxiliary + perfect infinitive 2) Future in the past | |
| 61 | 'would' + 'rather' / 'prefer' and 'had better' + 'infinitive' The main difference between 'rather' and 'prefer' is that 'to ' is necessary after 'prefer' before the infinitive verb. eg I would rather do it now. I would prefer to do it now. | 1) had better + infinitive 2) would + rather / prefer | |
| 62 | Object pronouns with negation: anybody / nobody / no one Use anybody with negatives and 'negative' adverbs such as hardly. The pronouns nobody and no one form negatives, so the verb or adverb should not be negative eg Hardly anybody came to the lesson. | anybody / somebody / everybody / nobody / no one | |
| 63 | Verb complementation: verb + -ing or verb + to + infinitive. Some verbs are used in either pattern. eg He didn't bother to switch off the light. He didn't bother switching off the light. | Verb complementation : verb + -ing / to + inf | 1) verb + -ing / to + inf (Mind Your Grammar) 2) Verb complementation : verb + -ing / to + inf |
| 64 | It's no use + -ing eg It's no use crying over spilt milk. | no use + -ing form | |
| 65 | Noun + preposition Many words have a preposition associated with them (collocate). eg My daughter had no difficulty in finding a job when I left school. | 1) Word combinations with prepositions 2) Prepositions word partners (collocations) | |
| 66 | Tenses / auxiliaries: pres progressive / will / should It is customary to begin a formal letter using the present progressive eg I am writing in reply to your advertisement ….. | 1) Present simple / present progressive tenses 2) Auxiliary verbs | 1) Letter of complaint (requires Internet Explorer) 2) Present simple / present progressive tenses |
| 67 | Tenses + negation: pres simple / present progressive with stative verbs (know) The present simple is normally used with stative verbs such as 'know'. (The inversion know not is old fashioned and not normally used in modern English). eg I really don'tknow much about computers. | Present continuous / present simple contrasted | 1) Present continuous / present simple contrasted 2) Explain the use of the verb forms |
| 68 | Tenses expressing duration: present pregressive / present perfect / present simple The present perfect is used with for + time duration eg She's worked here for two years. | 1) Present perfect contrasts 2) Verb tenses | Present perfect contrasts |
| 69 | Past passive with be:The verb here is used in the past simple passive. eg In 1995 I was appointed to my present post. | 1) Using the passive voice 2) Passive Voice in Common Errors | 1) Passive Voice in Common Errors Ex 1 2) Passive Voice in Common Errors Ex 2 3) Active or Passive? |
| 70 | Past tense of verb + to infinitive: past simple / present perfect / auxiliary would The verb come + to infinitive is used to refer to a gradual change of mind or state. eg People who work together often come to be good friends. | The verbs get and come + to infinitive | |
| 71 | Noun complementation: the pattern here is opportunity + for + -ing. eg It's an opportunity for making money. | Three commonly confused nouns: opportunity, possibility, chance | |
| 72 | Tenses: past perfect / past progressive / future in the past The past perfect is used in a clause following conjunctions like after when an simple past tense appears in the main clause. eg They washed the plates after they had eaten supper. | 1) Using the past perfect 2) The perfect infinitive | |
| 73 | Tenses in main clause: past simple / past perfect / would The past simple tense should be used in the main clause here. | Verb forms in the past tense | Verb tenses: explain the use of the verbs |
| 74 | Possessive + own: her own / herself / her. The word 'own' is used as a modifier in a noun phrase following a possessive word. eg She doesn't have her own car, but she often drives her father's car. eg She wants her own apartment. | possessive + own + noun | |
| 75 | Adjective complementation: adjective + preposition + -ing / noun Here after the adjective phrase tired of we use either the -ing form of the verb or a noun. eg He was tired of being interrupted and carried on with the lecture. He was tired of interruptions and carried on with the lecture | Adjective complementation : adjective + preposition -ing / noun | |
| 76 | of + possessive + own: prepositional phrase. The word 'own' is used in a prepositional phrase with a possessive word. eg She doesn't have a car of her own, but she often drives her father's car. | of + possessive + own | |
| 77 | Tenses + passive: active / passive, past simple / present perfect. Here the past simple is used in the passive. eg He was asked to come to work more punctually. | 1) Using the passive voice 2) The passive voice in Common Errors | 1) Using the passive voice 2) Passive Voice Ex 1 in Common Errors 3) Passive Voice Ex 2 in Common Errors |
| 78 | Object relative pronouns: what / where / omission (zero) + past tenses Here in the defining clause the relative pronoun can be omitted as the subject we is not the same as the noun referent house. The past progressive tense should be used to refer to something that was continuing at the time of reference. eg There was a fire on the 10th floor of the building I was working in. | 1) Relative clauses 2) Defining and non-defining 3) Relative clauses in Common Errors | 1) Relative clauses 2) Ex 1 in Common Errors 3) Ex 2 in Common Errors 4) Ex 3 in Common Errors |
| 79 | Tenses in if clauses: past simple / past perfect / would Here the if clause is used to report a question with the verb asked. The form would like + to infinitive when used as an invitation or offer does not change in reported speech. eg She asked me if I would like to go for a drink. | 1) Types of if clauses 2) Use of would like | |
| 80 | Choice of verb complementation: say / tell / explain. The verb 'say' is followed by a that clause of reported speech, or a direct quotation. eg John said that would be late. The verb tell requires an object, often with an indirect object (person). eg He told the children a fairy story. The verb explain requires an object. eg The teacher explained the rules clearly. eg I want to leave now. | Reported speech: say / tell | Reported speech |
| 81 | Imaginary future with by the time in reported speech: past perfect / will / would. Here the past perfect is used because it is continuing to report on what has been said - it is a form of reported speech. eg She told me that by the time she had finished everything there wouldn't be time to go out anywhere. | 1) By the time + verb 2) Using the past perfect tense | |
| 82 | Empty dummy subject pronoun: it / there / they. Introductory 'there' + be. eg There won't be much drink left if we arrive late. | there / it contrasts (Mind Your Grammar) | 1) there / it contrasts (Mind Your Grammar) 2) there / it contrasts Ex 1 3) there / it contrasts Ex 2 |
| 83 | Quantifiers: countable / uncountable + negative a lot / many / few / This refers to money, which is uncountable, and as it's negative we should use a lot as few has a negative meaning . eg I don't have a lot of friends here, although I know a lot of people. I have few friends here, although I know a lot of people. | a lot / much / many as quantifiers | Insert a lot / much / many |
| 84 | Verb complementation: verb + that clause This is a form of verb complementation which uses a 'that' clause as object complement. It is common to use should + infinitive in the 'that' clause. eg We decided that we should share the bill. | verb + that clause | |
| 85 | Past perfect with after The basic meaning of the past perfect is to refer to 'earlier past' than a particular reference point which is also past. The past perfect is often used with time conjunctions such as 'after', 'before', 'as soon as', 'no sooner' and 'by the time'. eg We moved into our new flat as soon as we had paid the deposit. | Using the Past Perfect | |
| 86 | Subject relative pronouns that / who / what. The relative pronoun refers to details which is the verb subject so that must be used . eg We agreed on the down payment that needed to be paid. | 1) Relative clauses (Mind Your Grammar) 2) Relative clauses 3) Relative clauses in Common Errors | 1) Relative pronouns 2) Relative clauses 3) Ex 1 (Common Errors) 3) Ex 2 (Common Errors) 3) Ex 3 (Common Errors) |
| 87 | Future tense with time marker: This is a reference to time - 'by the end of this month' is a reference to a point in future time when a period of time will have passed. eg I'll have done all my exams by the end of this week. | 1) Future with will 2) The perfect infinitive | |
| 88 | Tense after the first time: present perfect / progressive / simpleWe normally use the present perfect with the adverbs …. first / -nth time eg This is the third time you've asked me the same question. | Present perfect / progressive / simple contrasts | Present perfect / progressive / simple contrasts |
| 89 | Modals in the past with the perfect infinitive: should have / would have / could have The modal verb 'might' is often used with the perfect infinitive combined with the verbs guess or know, where it expresses a sort of ironic comment on a situation : eg I might have known she would be late. We should have arranged to meet in the restaurant. | auxiliary verb + perfect infinitive | |
| 90 | Present perfect: present perfect / progressive / simple The basic meaning of the present perfect is to refer to a past event when we are thinking about the present effects or result eg I have asked John what he thinks but he hasn't replied yet. | Present perfect / progressive / simple contrasts | Present perfect / progressive / simple contrasts |
| 91 | Verb complementation: infinitive / to + infinitive / -ing? The verb need is a marginal auxiliary and requires to + infinitive as its verb complement. eg We needed to find a cheaper hotel. | 1) Marginal auxiliaries 2) -ing or to + infinitive? | -ing or to + infinitive? |
| 92 | Past participle as adjective: present or past participle? Participles formed from verbs of feeling are often used as adjectives with contrasting meanings. eg He was depressed by the news. It was depressing news. | Participles used as adjectives | Participles used as adjectives |
| 93 | Articles with uncountable and countable nouns: some with uncountables Use 'some' to refer uncountable nouns. eg These chips need some more salt. Can you give me some help with this? | 1) Using some with uncontables 2) classes of nouns | |
| 94 | Relative pronouns: who / that / which in defining / non-defining clauses The relative pronoun that is not used here in a non-defining clause. eg His girlfriend, who comes from Beijing, was also with him. | 1) Relative clauses: defining and non-defining 2) Relative pronouns 3) relative clauses 4) Relative clauses (Common Errors) | 1) Relative pronouns 2) Relative clauses 3) Relative clauses Ex 1 (Common Errors) 4) Relative clauses Ex 2 (Common Errors) 5) Relative clauses Ex 3 (Common Errors) |
| 95 | Present participle as adjective: present or past participle? Participles formed from verbs of feeling are often used as adjectives with contrasting meanings. eg It was a very entertaining film. | Participles used as adjectives | Participles used as adjectives |
| 96 | Past participle as adjective: present or past participle? Participles formed from verbs of feeling are often used as adjectives with contrasting meanings. eg It was a very boring film. I was bored. | Participles used as adjectives | Participles used as adjectives |
| 97 | Actually means real or in fact: 'Actually' is used to add information, often to correct or clarify a misunderstanding. eg Did you speak to Bill yesterday?. Actually, I wasn't here so I didn't see him. I'll try and see him today. | The use of actually | |
| 98 | Past participle as adjective: present or past participle? Participles formed from verbs of feeling are often used as adjectives with contrasting meanings. eg Iam not interested in opera.. | Participles used as adjectives | Participles used as adjectives |
| 99 | Concessives: although / besides / in spite of. The conjunction 'althoughf' is required to link the sentences. We use these expressions when we qualify what we said with something which is opposite to what is expected or in meaning. eg Although it was raining they continued playing. | Concessive conjunctions (Common Errors) | 1) Conjunctions (Common Errors) 2) Conjunctions (Common Errors) |
| 100 | Prepositions of addition and exception: apart from / as well as / in addition to These prepositions are often confused. The meaning contrast is basically 'plus' (addition) / 'not including'. eg Everyone apart from Bill was drunk. (= Bill was not drunk) Several others were drunk as well as Bill. (= Bill was drunk too) | Preposition as well as and apart from |
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