B2
Upper-Intermediate Grammar

B2 — Upper-Intermediate

The grammar of fluent, natural English. You'll stop translating and start thinking in English.

At B2 you already communicate well. This level adds the structures that make your English sound more precise, more natural and more like a real speaker — not just a learner. This is also the level tested in Cambridge B2 First (FCE).

Stage 1 — Conditionals (advanced)
01 Third Conditional Hypothetical past: If I had studied, I would have passed 02 Wish and If Only I wish I knew · I wish I hadn't said that 03 Could / Would / Should Have Past possibility, regret and criticism
Stage 2 — Passive (advanced)
04 Passive with Modal Verbs It must be done · It should have been checked 05 Causative: Have / Get something done I had my car repaired · She got her hair cut
Stage 3 — Reported Speech (advanced)
06 Reported Questions and Commands She asked me where I lived. He told me to wait. 07 Reporting Verbs admit, deny, suggest, warn, promise, advise…
Stage 4 — Complex sentence structures
08 Non-defining Relative Clauses My brother, who lives in Madrid, is a doctor. 09 Participle Clauses Having finished, she left. Walking home, I saw him. 10 Gerunds vs. Infinitives (advanced) Verbs that change meaning: remember, stop, try, forget 11 Used to / Would / Be used to Past habits vs. present habits vs. familiarity
Stage 5 — Style and emphasis
12 Inversion Never have I seen · Not only did she… · Rarely does he… 13 So and Such It was so good that · Such a great film that… 14 As and Like She works as a teacher · It looks like rain
Stage 6 — Conditionals (extended)
15 Mixed Conditionals If I had studied medicine, I would be a doctor now 16 Unless, Even if, Provided that… unless · even if · as long as · in case · supposing
Stage 7 — Future (advanced)
17 Future Perfect By Friday I will have finished · will have been working 18 Future in the Past was going to · was about to · was due to · would
Stage 8 — Emphasis and advanced structures
19 Distancing (Passive Reporting) It is said that… · She is believed to be… · They are thought to… 20 Cleft Sentences It was John who called · What I need is a break · All I want is… 21 Verb Patterns (B2) make/let + bare inf · get + to-inf · see/hear + -ing · causative have/get
Stage 9 — Discourse and vocabulary
22 Discourse Markers (B2) furthermore · nevertheless · on the contrary · in conclusion · namely 23 Compound Nouns football pitch · a day's work · two hours' drive · stress patterns 24 Reciprocal Pronouns each other · one another · each other's · vs reflexive
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