Category: Class

Complex Catenative Construction

B2 – Upper Intermediate

A catenative construction is when one verb is followed by another verb (in to-infinitive or -ing form).

Catenative comes from “chain”—verbs are linked together.

A complex catenative construction involves:

  • multiple verbs chained together, and/or
  • objects + verb complements within the chain

Why This Matters

Complex catenative constructions help you:

  • express nuance and precision
  • sound more natural in academic/professional English
  • combine multiple ideas into one sentence

Basic Pattern

Before going complex, take a look at the basic pattern:

  • I want to eat.
  • She enjoys reading.

Now, let’s expand:

Verb + Object + To-Infinitive

Structure: Subject + Verb + Object + to + Verb

Examples:

  • I want him to finish the work.
  • She told me to wait outside.
  • They allowed us to enter early.

Insight: The object becomes the “subject” of the second verb.

Verb + -ing / To-Infinitive (Meaning Changes)

Some verbs change meaning depending on the form:

  • I stopped smoking. (quit the habit)
  • I stopped to smoke. (paused in order to smoke)
  • She remembered locking the door. (memory)
  • She remembered to lock the door. (responsibility)

These create subtle but important semantic differences.

Multi-Verb Chains (True Complex Catenation)

Structure: Subject + Verb1 + Verb2 + Verb3…

Examples:

  • He seems to want to start working soon.
  • I plan to try to learn to code this year.
  • She appears to have been trying to fix the issue.

Note:

  • Each verb adds aspect, intention, or modality
  • These chains are common in formal and academic writing

Perfect & Progressive Forms in Chains

You can embed tense/aspect inside the chain:

  • He seems to have finished the task.
  • They appear to be working late.
  • She claims to have been waiting for hours.

This allows very precise time relationships.

Causative + Catenative Structures

Structure: have / get + object + past participle / to-infinitive

Examples:

  • I had him fix the problem.
  • She got them to agree.
  • We had the system updated.

These often express control, persuasion, or arrangement.

Adjective + Catenative Complement

Not only verbs—adjectives can start chains:

  • I am happy to help.
  • She is likely to succeed.
  • They are eager to begin working.

Common Advanced Verbs in Catenation

Frequently used in formal English:

  • seem, appear, tend, manage, fail, attempt, claim, deserve

Examples:

  • He tends to avoid answering difficult questions.
  • She managed to complete the project on time.

Common Errors

Incorrect: He suggested me to go.

Correct: He suggested going. / He suggested that I go.

Incorrect: I made him to do it.

Correct: I made him do it. (bare infinitive)

Plural-Only Nouns

B1 – Intermediate

Plural-only nouns are nouns that are always used in the plural form.
They do not have a singular form or are almost never used in singular.

They always use:

  • plural verbs (are, were, have, etc.)
  • no “a/an”

Common Plural-Only Nouns

Things with two parts

These often come in pairs:

  • pants / trousers
  • shorts
  • jeans
  • glasses
  • scissors
  • shoes

Examples:

  • My pants are new.
  • These scissors are sharp.
  • His glasses are on the table.

Other plural-only nouns

  • clothes
  • police
  • people
  • stairs
  • thanks

Examples:

  • The police are here.
  • My clothes are dirty.
  • The stairs are very steep.

Using “a pair of”

If you want to count them, use “a pair of”.

Structure:
a pair of + plural noun + singular verb

Examples:

  • This pair of shoes is expensive.
  • That pair of scissors is broken.

Now the verb is singular (is), because “pair” is singular.

Important Rules

Incorrect:

  • a pants
  • a scissors

Correct:

  • some pants
  • a pair of pants

Quick Comparison

  • The pants are black. 
  • This pair of pants is black. 

Just, Yet, Still, and Already

B1 – Intermediate

Just 

Use just for something that happened a short time ago.

Meaning: Very recently / a moment ago

Structure:
Subject + has/have + just + past participle

Examples:

  • I have just finished my homework.
  • She has just left the house.

Already 

Use already when something happened earlier than expected.

Meaning: Before now / earlier than expected

Structure:
Subject + has/have + already + past participle

Examples:

  • I have already eaten.
  • They have already seen that movie.

Yet 

Use yet in questions and negative sentences.

Meaning: Until now / up to this time

Structure:

  • Questions: Have/Has + subject + past participle + yet?
  • Negative: Subject + has/have not + past participle + yet

Examples:

  • Have you finished your homework yet?
  • I haven’t finished my homework yet.

Still

Use still when something is continuing.

Meaning: Continuing, not finished

Structure:
Subject + is/are/am + still + verb-ing
OR
Subject + still + verb (for simple present)

Examples:

  • I am still studying.
  • She still works here.

Quick Comparison

  • I have just eaten. → a moment ago
  • I have already eaten. → sooner than expected
  • I haven’t eaten yet. → until now (not finished)
  • I am still eating. → continuing 

Past Participle


B1 – Intermediate

Past Participle

A past participle is a verb form used with:

  • Perfect tenses (have/has/had)
  • Passive voice
  • Sometimes as adjectives

It is usually the third form of a verb.

Regular Verbs

For most verbs, the past participle ends in -ed.

Examples:

Base VerbPastPast Participle
walkwalkedwalked
playplayedplayed
cleancleanedcleaned

Irregular Verbs

Some verbs are different — you must memorize them.

Examples:

Base VerbPastPast Participle
gowentgone
eatateeaten
seesawseen
taketooktaken

Past Participles in Perfect Tenses

We use past participles with:

  • have / has (present perfect)
  • had (past perfect)

Structure:

Subject + have/has/had + past participle

Examples:

  • I have finished my homework.
  • She has eaten already.
  • They had left before I arrived.

Past Participles in Passive Voice

We use past participles with be (am/is/are/was/were).

Structure:

Subject + be + past participle

Examples:

  • The cake was baked yesterday.
  • The door is closed.
  • The book was written by her.

Past Participles as Adjectives

Past participles can describe nouns.

Examples:

  • a broken window
  • a tired student
  • fallen leaves  

The Shoe Business Is Changing

B1 –  Intermediate 

The shoe market is changing quickly. Big brands now have strong competitors.

Nike is still the biggest. But it has problems. It focused too much on online sales. It did not make enough new products. Because of this, they lost some customers who looked for other brands.

All shoe brands have a new problem. High tariffs on shoes made from Vietnam could make the prices of sneakers much higher.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript about how the shoe business is changing.

https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/the-shoe-business-is-changing-level-3

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “rival” mean? “The footwear market is changing fast as big brands like Nike and Crocs face new rivals.” Use the word in a sentence. Give a synonym. 
  2. What does “to make a comeback” mean? “Meanwhile, Crocs has made a huge comeback.” Use the phrase in a sentence. Give a synonym. 
  3. What does “clever marketing” mean? “People used to think Crocs were ugly, but clever marketing and colorful charms called Jibbitz made them cool for young people.” Use the term in a sentence. Give a synonym. 

Discussion Questions:

  1. According to the article, why are Nike and Crocs struggling?
  2. How can they recover from these problems?
  3. Share your opinion on this, “Nike made a mistake by focusing too much on selling online and not enough on making new, exciting products.“
  4. Share your thoughts on this, “All these brands face a new problem: high tariffs on shoes made in Vietnam, which could make sneakers much more expensive for everyone.”
  5. Give an example of a product or brand that you think uses clever marketing.
  6. What are some of the most important footwear brands in your country? Why are they very popular?

Using Will and Going To For Prediction

B1 – Intermediate

Prediction

A prediction is when you say what you think will happen in the future.

Example:

  • It will rain tomorrow. 

Using “Will” for Prediction

We use will when:

  • We decide something at the moment of speaking
  • We make a guess or opinion

Structure:

Subject + will + base verb

Examples:

  • I think it will rain later.
  • She will be happy.
  • People will travel to Mars someday. 

Common words used:

  • I think…
  • I believe…
  • Probably…

Using “Going To” for Prediction

We use going to when:

  • There is evidence now (we can see or know something).

Structure:

Subject + am/is/are + going to + base verb

Examples:

  • Look at the clouds! It is going to rain. 
  • He is going to fall! (You can see it happening)
  • They are going to win (based on strong evidence)

Quick Comparison: “Will” vs “Going To”

UseWillGoing To
Opinion / Guess✓X
Evidence nowX✓
Quick decision✓X

Compare:

  • Just an opinion: I think it will rain.
  • Clear evidence: Look at the sky! It is going to rain.

No, None of, Any, Nothing, Nobody

B1 – Intermediate

No, none of, any, nothing, and nobody are indefinite pronouns and determiners. They are used to express absence, negation, or an unspecified quantity. They serve as modifiers or subjects/objects, typically indicating “not any” or “not one”.

No

Use “no” + noun to say something does not exist.

Structure: no + noun

Examples:

  • I have no money.
  • There is no water in the bottle.
  • She has no friends here.

Tip:

  • “No” makes the sentence negative, so don’t use “not” again.
    x: I don’t have no money.
    o: I have no money.

None of

Use none of + the / my / these / those + noun

Meaning: zero from a group

Examples:

  • None of the students are here.
  • None of my friends came.
  • None of the water is clean.

With pronouns:

  • None of them are ready.
  • None of us understand.

Tip:

  • Countable plural → usually are
  • Uncountable → is

Any

Use “any” in questions and negative sentences.

Structure: any + noun

Examples:

  • Do you have any questions?
  • I don’t have any money.
  • Is there any milk left?

Tip:

In positive sentences, “any” means it doesn’t matter which:

  • You can choose any color.

Nothing

Nothing means no thing.

Structure: nothing (no noun after it)

Examples:

  • I see nothing.
  • There is nothing in the bag.
  • He said nothing.

 Tip:
x: I don’t see nothing.
o: I see nothing.
o: I don’t see anything.

Nobody

Nobody means no person.

Structure: nobody (no noun after it)

Examples:

  • Nobody is at home.
  • I know nobody here.
  • Nobody called me.

Tip:
x: I don’t know nobody.
o: I know nobody.
o: I don’t know anybody.

Quick Comparison

WordUse with noun?MeaningExample
no yeszerono food
none of yes (group)zero from groupnone of the students
any yessome (questions/negatives)any water
nothing nono thingnothing here
nobody nono personnobody came

Wildlife Trade Fuels the Spread of Diseases to Humans

B2 – Upper Intermediate

A new study found that 41% of traded wild mammals carry diseases transmissible to humans, compared to just 6.4% of non-traded species.

Read the article to know more about why experts warn that activities like hunting and transporting wildlife increase the chances of future pandemics and call for stricter global regulation.

https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/wildlife-trade-fuelling-spread-diseases-humans-study-finds

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “spillover” mean? “The global wildlife trade could be accelerating the spillover of diseases from animals to humans” Use it in a sentence.
  2. What does “multilateral agreement” mean? “Currently, the main multilateral agreement governing international trade in wild species, CITES, focuses primarily on preventing extinction.” Use it in a sentence.
  3. What does “disease emergence” mean? “To reduce disease emergence, these opportunities for encounters must be limited, and therefore the overall volume of trade.” Use it in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why do you think wildlife trade still continues despite the health risks?
  2. How can governments balance economic needs and public health when it comes to wildlife trade?
  3. Do you think pandemics caused by animals are preventable? Why or why not?
  4. How might wildlife trade affect not just health, but also the environment?
  5. Would you support stricter penalties for illegal wildlife trade? Why or why not?

Heatwaves Reaching “Non-Survivable” Levels

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Recent research shows some heatwaves are already too extreme for human survival, especially for older adults. Even temperatures below previous “fatal” thresholds can be deadly when humidity and sun exposure are considered.

Read the article to know why climate change is expected to make these conditions more common.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/08/extreme-weather-heatwaves-breaching-human-survival-limits-study-finds?

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “wet bulb temperature” mean? “The absolute limit for humans to survive had been assumed to be a six-hour exposure to a wet bulb temperature of 35C.” Use it in a sentence.
  2. What does “core body temperature” mean? “The study only looked for periods where deadly heatstroke was likely if a person was exposed for six hours and also assumed people were entering the heat with normal core body temperature.” Use it in a sentence.
  3. What does “to zoom in to something” mean? “My first thought was ‘Oh shit’ – I really didn’t expect to see that, especially when you zoom in to individual cities.“ Use it in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How do extreme heatwaves affect people’s daily lives in your country?
  2. Do you think your area is prepared for more intense heat in the future? Why or why not?
  3. What groups of people are most at risk during severe heatwaves?
  4. What are some simple ways individuals can protect themselves during extreme heat?
  5. Do you think governments are doing enough to address climate-related health risks like heatwaves? Why or why not?

Funding Is Vital to End the Scourge of Polio

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Health experts warn that cutting funding for polio eradication efforts could reverse decades of progress. While cases are now low in countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan, continued global support is needed to fully eliminate the disease.

Read the article to know why funding is crucial to eliminate polio.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/apr/08/funding-is-vital-to-end-the-scourge-of-polio?

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “disheartening” mean? “It is extremely disheartening to read that after 2026, the UK government is to end its contributions to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), putting at risk the great efforts that have been made over the last 40 years to improve the health and wellbeing of children across the world” Use it in a sentence.
  2. What does “cornerstone” mean? “The eradication of polio is a cornerstone of the humanitarian work of Rotary International (a GPEI partner).” Use it in a sentence.
  3. What does “on the ground” mean here, ” Infection numbers in Pakistan and Afghanistan are very low, but this is a result of great efforts on the ground in these last two endemic countries.”? Use it in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think are the biggest risks of wildlife trade when it comes to spreading diseases?
  2. Do you think stricter laws on wildlife trade would actually prevent future pandemics? Why or why not?
  3. How aware do you think people are about the connection between wildlife trade and human health?
  4. Should countries completely ban wildlife trade, or just regulate it better?
  5. What role do you think individuals can play in reducing the risks linked to wildlife trade?