Advanced English Grammar
Advanced English Grammar
Regarding what could be considered “advanced English grammar” is largely subjective, however, here at English Reservoir, we have made two separate classifications:
- Essential English grammar; which covers the six parts of speech, essentially, the “essentials” of the language that are sacrosanct to speaking English correctly.
And:
- Advanced English grammar; more complex grammar structures that don’t directly form part of the six parts of speech, but, nonetheless, are important and compose very important aspects of the language.
- Articles: a/an, the, zero article
- Affixes: an introduction
- Pronouns: subject, object and possessive pronouns
- Question tags
- Conditionals in English
- Interrogative words
- Determiners
- Prefixes and suffixes: a complete list
- Reported speech
- Numbers
- Cleft sentences
- The subjunctive in English
- Jargon and taboo
- Ellipsis
- Split infinitive
- Emphasis in English
- Emphasis with inversion
- British and American spelling
So, knowing and utilizing the six parts of speech, which make up the absolute essentials of the English language, will no doubt put you in the B2 to C1 categories of English speakers.
However, getting to grips with a more advanced level of English, that is, dealing with reasonably complex grammar structures such as question tags, ellipsis, cleft sentences etc., will make a big difference in your overall level, and in the end, should move you to a C2 level.
What do B1, B2, C1 etc. mean in terms of level?
The Common European Framework of References for Languages, abbreviated as CEFRL, which as the name states, provides a common guideline for language levels in the European Union.
There are six levels, and are as follows according to the CEFRL:
- A1: Beginner
- A2: Elementary
- B1: Intermediate
- B2: Upper intermediate
- C1: Advanced
- C2: Proficiency
Which exams do I need to take for each level?
The Cambridge exams are the main choice for most people and their qualifications (B1, B2 etc.) are aligned with the CEFRL.
As such, we will follow their guidelines, which have the following framework:
- A2: A2 Key
- B1: Preliminary
- B2: Cambridge First
- C1: Cambridge Advanced
- C2: Cambridge Proficiency
In any case, if you consider yourself an “advanced English learner” then have a crack at the grammar items on our list above.