Grammar Spotlight
The English Grammar Profile (EGP) is a sister resource to the English Vocabulary Profile, and has been put together by Anne O'Keeffe (Limerick University) and Geraldine Mark, the co-authors, along with Ron Carter and Mike McCarthy, of English Grammar Today (Cambridge University Press). Mark and O'Keeffe investigated the extensive data in the Cambridge Learner Corpus to establish when learners begin to get to grips with different linguistic structures.
A series of insights from their research will be posted on this page, each one putting the spotlight on an interesting aspect of learner grammar development. Please note that all of the learner examples come from the Cambridge Learner Corpus, a 55-million word electronic collection of written learner data. The examination and the candidate’s first language are given in brackets after each learner example.
See the latest Grammar Spotlight entry below. Scroll right down to the bottom of this page to browse through previous entries.
Learners can accurately use a number of adverbs starting at the A1 level. These adverbs express concepts of time, place, frequency and degree.
Time
A1 level learners use soon in the phrases see you soon and get well soon as a signing-off device.
Take care. See you soon. (Skills for Life: Entry 1; Turkish)
Get well soon. (Skills for Life: Entry 1; Polish)
Place
They can use a limited range of adverbs (here, there) to indicate place.
My girlfriend is here with me. (Skills for Life: Entry 1; Slovak)
I was born there and I lived there over twenty years. (Skills for Life: Entry 1; Spanish)
I go there every year with my friends. (Skills for Life: Entry 1; Bulgarian)
Frequency
Learners are able to use a limited range of adverbs (always, sometimes) to talk about frequency.
I like Dorchester’s people. They are always very friendly and polite. (Skills for Life: Entry 1; Russian)
I always see Safora because she lives near my home. (Skills for Life: Entry 1; Farsi)
Sometimes I go to the beach. (Skills for Life: Entry 1; Arabic - Other)
Degree with verbs
Learners can also use really and very much to emphasise verbs expressing preference (like, love).
I really like theatre and classical music. (Skills for Life: Entry 1; Polish)
I really love my space! (Skills for Life: Entry 1; Portuguese)
I like my garden very much. (Skills for Life: Entry 1; Bengali)
Learners can use very to make adjectives stronger.
He’s a very good man. (Skills for Life: Entry 1; Mandarin)
I’m very happy in my home. (Skills for Life: Entry 1; Spanish - Latin American)
Although adverbs are used in a wide variety of ways at the A1 level, learners are very limited in the range of adverbs available to them. However, once the A2 level is achieved, learners make a great leap forward and add significantly to their repertoire of adverbs.
