Category: Class

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Question Forms

Question forms are primarily built using inversion, where you switch the order of the subject and the auxiliary verb. While there are many ways to ask something, most fall into a few key grammatical categories. 

Yes/No Questions

These are “closed” questions that require a simple “yes” or “no” answer.

Structure: Auxiliary Verb + Subject + Main Verb?

Examples:

• Are you hungry? (using the verb “be”)
• Do you like coffee? (using “do” for simple present)
• Can you swim? (using a modal verb)

Wh- Questions (Open Questions)

These use “question words” to ask for specific information. A common formula to remember the order is QUASM: QUestion word, Auxiliary, Subject, Main verb.

Question Words: Who (people), What (things), Where (place), When (time), Why (reason), and How (manner).

Example: Where do you live?

Subject vs. Object Questions

Object Questions

Ask about the receiver of an action. They use the standard auxiliary inversion.

Example: What did you eat? (Answer: I ate an apple.)

Subject Questions

Ask about the person or thing doing the action. These do not use an auxiliary verb (like do/did) or inversion.

Example: Who ate the apple? (Answer: John ate the apple.)

Question Tags

These are short questions added to the end of a statement to check for agreement or confirmation.

Rule: If the statement is positive, the tag is negative (and vice versa).

Example: It’s a nice day, isn’t it?

Indirect Questions

These are more polite ways to ask questions, often starting with phrases like “Can you tell me…”.

Rule: Unlike direct questions, they use statement word order (Subject + Verb).

Example: Could you tell me where the station is? (Direct: Where is the station?)

Common Errors

Incorrect: I wonder where is he.

Correct: I wonder where he is.

Incorrect: Who did break this? (unless emphasizing)

Correct: Who broke this?

Incorrect: How come did she leave?

Correct: How come she left?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Intensifier

An intensifier makes another word stronger. We usually think of adverbs (like very or extremely), but adjectives can also act as intensifiers in advanced English. They often appear before nouns or in fixed expressions to add emphasis.

Adjectives used for emphasis before nouns

Some adjectives do not add new meaning. They mainly increase intensity.

Common examples:

• complete “It was a complete disaster.”
• total “We had a total failure.”
• absolute “He is an absolute beginner when it comes to using computers.”
• utter “He felt utter shock.“
• pure “That is pure nonsense.”
• sheer “It was sheer luck.”

These adjectives emphasize the noun rather than describe it in detail.

Fixed expressions (strong collocations)

Some intensifying adjectives are only used with certain nouns.

Examples:

• heavy rain (not strong rain)
• deep sleep
• strong opinion
• great importance

These combinations sound natural because they are standard usage.

Adjectives as intensifiers in informal English

In spoken or informal English, adjectives can act like adverbs.

Examples:

• That movie was crazy good.
• I am dead tired.
• This is real easy.
• That was insanely fast. (mixed with adverb form)

This use is common but should be used carefully in formal contexts.

Gradable vs non-gradable adjectives

Some adjectives are already strong (non-gradable), so we use intensifying adjectives instead of very.

Examples:

• absolutely amazing (not very amazing)
• completely exhausted
• totally impossible

These often pair with strong intensifiers like:

• absolutely
• completely
• totally

Subtle meaning differences

Compare:

• a big mistake → normal description
• a terrible mistake → emotional meaning
• a complete mistake → emphasizes totality

Intensifying adjectives often add emotion or emphasis, not just size or quality.

Common errors

incorrect: very complete disaster
correct: a complete disaster

incorrect: totally very tired
correct: completely exhausted / very tired

incorrect: strong rain
correct: heavy rain

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Time and Place Subordinating Conjunctions

Time and place subordinating conjunctions are words that connect a dependent clause to a main clause.
They show when something happens or where something happens.

A subordinating conjunction makes one clause dependent. It cannot stand alone.

Common Time Conjunctions

These show when something happens:

• After: “We went for ice cream after we finished dinner”.
• Before: “Wash your hands before you eat”.
• When: “I was sleeping when the phone rang”.
• While: “She sang while she was walking”.
• Until/Till: “I will wait until you arrive”.
• Since: “I have been here since 8:00 AM”.
• As soon as/Once: “As soon as the sun sets, we will start the fire”.
• Whenever: “She smiles whenever she sees him”.
• By the time: “By the time we arrived, the movie had ended”.

Common Place Conjunctions

These show where something happens:

• Where: “He hid where no one could find him.”
• Wherever: “You can sit wherever you like”.
• Everywhere / Anywhere: “Everywhere I go, you seem to be nearby.”

Sentence Structure

You can place the subordinate clause at the beginning or end.

If the subordinate clause comes first, use a comma:

• When the class ended, we went home.
• Wherever she goes, she takes her dog.

If it comes second, no comma is needed:

• We went home when the class ended.
• She takes her dog wherever she goes.

Advanced Usage Notes

A. “As” vs “While”

• While = two actions happening at the same time

Example: I listened to music while I studied.

• As = simultaneous actions, often with a sense of change or progression

Example: As I walked home, it started to rain.

B. “Until” vs “By the time”

• Until = continuous action up to a point

Example: I waited until she arrived.

• By the time = completed before another action

Example: By the time she arrived, I had left.

Common Errors

Incorrect: I will call you when I will arrive.

Correct: I will call you when I arrive.

Incorrect: Where I go, I will call you.

Correct: Wherever I go, I will call you.

Incorrect: I’ll finish the report after I will get home.

Correct: I’ll finish the report after I get home.

Incorrect: I have lived here since five years. (Duration)
Correct: I have lived here since 2019. (Point in time)
Note: Use “for” for duration: “I have lived here for five years.”

Incorrect: The power went out while I dropped my phone. (Dropping is instantaneous)
Correct: The power went out when I dropped my phone.
Correct: The power went out while I was cooking dinner. (Cooking is a duration)

Incorrect: That was the year where I graduated.
Correct: That was the year when I graduated.

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)

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. 

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