Comprehensive B1 Preliminary English Language and Grammar Notes

STARTER: PERSONAL PROFILE

Vocabulary: Personal Interests and Hobbies

  • Interests and Activities: Hobbies mentioned include dancing, music, travel, sports, fitness, fashion, cooking, and arts and crafts.
  • Expressing Feelings: Use verbs like like, love, or enjoy followed by a verb ending in -ing. Example: "I really enjoy listening to music, but I don't like dancing."
  • Blogging:
        * Purposes: Sharing stories with friends/family or sharing talents with a wider audience.
        * Professionalism: Blogging can be a full-time occupation and generate income through search results and recommendations.

Vocabulary: Habits and Routines

  • Key Phrases and Collocations:
        * get up (waking from sleep)
        * go to school / work / college (daily commute)
        * have breakfast / lunch / dinner (routine meals)
        * make lunch / dinner (preparing meals)
        * have a shower / bath (hygiene)
        * eat out (dining at restaurants)
        * work out (exercising at the gym)
        * hang out with / meet up (socializing with friends)

Grammar: Present Simple and Present Continuous

  • The Present Simple:
        * Used for habits, routines, and things that are generally true.
        * Negative: Use don't or doesn't. Example: "Martina doesn't go to bed late."
        * Questions: Do / Does + subject + main verb.
  • The Present Continuous:
        * Used for things happening right now or around now, and for temporary activities.
        * Formation: be (am/is/are) + verb-ing.
        * Negative: Use isn't / aren't. Example: "She isn't travelling at the moment."
        * Questions: Am / is / are + subject + verb-ing.

Grammar: Adverbs of Frequency and Present Continuous with 'Always'

  • Adverbs of Frequency Hierarchy:
        * Never (0%)
        * Hardly ever / Rarely
        * Sometimes
        * Often
        * Usually
        * Always (100%)
  • Sentence Placement: Adverbs usually go before the main verb, but after the verb be (e.g., "I am often tired").
  • Continuous with 'Always': Used to express annoyance about a repetitive action. Formula: subject + be + always + verb-ing. Example: "My sister is always taking my phone."

Vocabulary: Occupations

  • Common jobs identified:
        * Police officer: stops crime and ensures safety.
        * Hairdresser: cuts and styles hair.
        * Chef: cooks in a restaurant.
        * Gardener: works in a garden.
        * Mechanic: repairs cars.
        * Sales assistant: works in a shop.

UNIT 1: GETTING AWAY

Vocabulary: Holiday Activities

  • Sightseeing: Visiting famous landmarks.
  • Sunbathing: Relaxing on beaches.
  • Hiking: Walking in nature/mountains.
  • Buying souvenirs: Purchasing gifts.
  • Taking photos: Capturing memories.

Grammar: Comparatives and Superlatives

  • Comparatives (Comparing two items):
        * Short words: add -er. For example, quicker than.
        * Long words: use more. For example, more expensive than.
        * Irregulars: better than (good), worse than (bad).
  • Superlatives (The 'most' in a group):
        * Short words: the + -est. For example, the fastest.
        * Long words: the most + adjective. For example, the most slowly.
  • Equatives and Non-equatives:
        * As ... as: Indicates things are the same (e.g., "The car is as long as the train").
        * Not as ... as: Indicates difference (e.g., "The car is not as expensive as the plane").
        * Less ... than: Indicates a smaller amount.

Grammar: So, Such, Too, and Enough

  • So / Such:
        * So + adjective (without a noun). Example: "I'm so excited."
        * Such + (a/an) + adjective + noun. Example: "It was such a friendly hotel."
  • Too / Enough:
        * Too + adjective (indicates more than wanted). Example: "It's too far to walk."
        * Adjective + enough. Example: "Warm enough to go swimming."
        * Enough + noun. Example: "Get enough sleep."

Vocabulary: Travel and Weather

  • Confused Travel Words:
        * Trip: A short journey and visit.
        * Journey: The act of travelling from one place to another.
        * Tour: An organized visit to several places.
        * Travel: The general activity of moving.
  • Weather Terms:
        * Breeze: Light wind.
        * Chilly / Cool: Different levels of cold.
        * Damp / Humid: Moisture in the air.
        * Dull: Overcast/not sunny.
        * Fine: Pleasant and dry.
        * Showers: Short periods of rain.
        * Lightning: A sudden flash of light.
        * Climate: Long-term weather conditions of an area.

Push Yourself: Green Tourism

  • Carbon footprint: Amount of $CO_2$ produced by a lifestyle.
  • Fossil fuels: Gas, coal, and oil burned for energy.
  • Conservation: Protecting nature.
  • Environmentally friendly: Products that do not harm the planet.
  • Climate change: Global weather pattern shifts.

UNIT 2: ENTERTAIN ME

Vocabulary: Entertainment Genres

  • Detective series / Soap opera / TV series (television).
  • Thriller / Comedy / Historical drama (films/books).
  • Biography / Novel / Bestseller (books).
  • Soundtrack: Music within a film.
  • Audience: People watching a performance.

Grammar: Used To

  • Usage: For past habits or states that are no longer true.
  • Form: used to + infinitive. For negative, use didn't use to (no 'd').

Grammar: Present Perfect vs. Past Simple

  • Past Simple: Used for actions at a specific time in the past (yesterday, last year).
  • Present Perfect: Used for experiences up to now (ever/never) or the results of past actions impacting the present.
  • Duration:
        * For: Used for a period of time (e.g., "for two hours").
        * Since: Used for a specific point in time (e.g., "since 2016").

Grammar: Yet and Already

  • Already: Used when something has been done, often sooner than expected.
  • Yet: Used in negative sentences and questions when we plan to do something but haven't done it yet.

Phrasal Verbs for Relationships and Hobbies

  • Split up: End a relationship/group.
  • Fall out with: Have an argument.
  • Keep on: Continue.
  • Let someone down: Fail to support someone.
  • Chill out: Relax.
  • Get into: Start enjoying/doing.
  • Turn down: Refuse an offer.
  • Live up to: Meet expectations.

UNIT 3: DINING OUT, EATING IN

Vocabulary: Restaurant Terminology

  • Starter: The first part of a meal.
  • Main course: The primary part of a meal.
  • Dish: Food prepared in a particular way (e.g., Lasagne).
  • Meal: An occasion when food is eaten (e.g., dinner).
  • Bill: The document showing how much to pay.
  • Tip: Extra money for good service.

Grammar: Verbs + Adjectives (Sensory Verbs)

  • Verbs like look, taste, smell, sound, and feel are followed directly by an adjective (not an adverb).
  • Intensity:
        * Quite / Fairly / Very / Extremely + neutral adjectives.
        * Really / Absolutely + strong adjectives (e.g., "Absolutely delicious").

Grammar: Quantifiers (Some, Any, Much, Many, etc.)

  • Uncountable Nouns: Use much, a little. Example: "How much money?"
  • Countable Nouns (Plural): Use many, a few. Example: "Many books."
  • Both: Use some, any, a lot of, no.
  • Negatives: No + noun means none. It cannot be used with a negative verb.

Grammar: Articles (A, An, The, and Zero)

  • A/An: Used with singular countable nouns in general or mentioned for the first time.
  • The: Used for specific items already mentioned or known.
  • Zero Article (ø): Used for uncountable/plural nouns in general (e.g., "I love cheese").

Cooking Verbs

  • Fry: Cook in hot oil.
  • Grate: Shred into small pieces (e.g., cheese).
  • Grill: Cook under direct heat.
  • Heat: Make something warm.
  • Mix: Combine ingredients.
  • Pour: Move liquid from a container.
  • Peel: Remove the skin of fruit/vegetables.
  • Bake: Cook in an oven.

UNIT 4: CITY LIVING?

Vocabulary: Town and Country

  • City Features: Apartment block, skyscrapers, skyline, subway, food truck, neighbourhood.
  • Country Features: Scenery, nature reserve, stream, valley, waterfall, campsite.

Grammar: Past Simple and Past Continuous

  • Past Continuous: Background actions or actions in progress at a specific time (was/were + verb-ing).
  • Past Simple: Completed actions or interruptions.
  • Usage: "While I was walking (background), I saw a moose (interruption)."

Grammar: Past Perfect

  • Usage: To talk about an action that happened before another past event.
  • Formula: had + past participle.
  • Example: "The party had started (1st action) when Sam arrived (2nd action)."

UNIT 5: PICTURE OF HEALTH

Vocabulary: Parts of the Body and Ailments

  • Organs/Structure: Lungs (breathing), muscles (movement), bones.
  • Joints: Ankle, knee, wrist, elbow, shoulder.
  • Ailments:
        * Backache / Stomach ache: General pain.
        * Cough / Cold: Common viral symptoms.
        * Sore throat: Pain in the throat.
        * Infection: Disease in a body part.
        * Prescription: Note from a doctor for medicine (tablets).

Grammar: Ability and Advice

  • Ability:
        * Present: can / can't / be able to.
        * Past: could / couldn't (general) or was able to (specific achievement).
        * Other tenses: Must use be able to.
  • Advice: should / shouldn't / ought to.

Grammar: Obligation (Must, Have to, Need to)

  • Necessity/Requirement: Must (internal/strong) and Have to (external rules).
  • Lack of Necessity: Don't have to or Don't need to.
  • Prohibition: Mustn't or Can't.

UNIT 6: ONLINE, OFFLINE

Vocabulary: Social Media and Relationships

  • Digital Actions: Tag, follow, unfriend, block, upload, update status, post story, use filters.
  • Relationship Phrasal Verbs:
        * Get on with: Have a good relationship.
        * Rely on: Trust.
        * Hit it off: Like immediately.
        * Grow apart: Lose contact over time.
        * Make up: Reconcile after a fight.
        * Break up: End a romance.

Grammar: Future Forms

  • Will: For quick decisions at the moment of speaking or predictions based on opinion.
  • Be going to: For intentional plans made before speaking or predictions based on current evidence.
  • Present Continuous: For fixed arrangements with other people/places.
  • Present Simple: For timetabled events (e.g., "The flight leaves at 5").

UNIT 7: WHAT'S YOUR STYLE?

Vocabulary: Fashion and Shopping

  • Patterns: Checked, striped, plain.
  • Fit: Tight (small), loose (baggy).
  • Shopping terms:
        * Bargain: Good price.
        * Refund: Money back.
        * Exchange: Swapping items.
        * Receipt: Proof of purchase.
        * Damaged: Broken item.

Grammar: Reported Speech

  • Tense Backshift:
        * Present Simple $\rightarrow$ Past Simple
        * Present Continuous $\rightarrow$ Past Continuous
        * Present Perfect $\rightarrow$ Past Perfect
        * Will $\rightarrow$ Would
        * Can $\rightarrow$ Could
  • Reporting Questions: Use if / whether for Yes/No questions. Word order changes back to subject-verb.

UNIT 8: INTO THE WILD

Vocabulary: Landscapes and Animals

  • Terrain: Glacier, iceberg, sand dunes, cliff, rainforest, riverbank.
  • Animals: Orangutan, polar bear, hedgehog, giraffe, arctic wolf, penguin.
  • Anatomy: Antlers, beak, claws, feathers, fur, hoof, mane, paw, tail, trunk, tusks.

Adjectives: -ed vs. -ing

  • -ed (Feeling): "I am exhausted."
  • -ing (Cause): "The race is exhausting."

UNIT 9: ALWAYS LEARNING

Vocabulary: Education

  • Curriculum: Group of subjects.
  • Grades: Performance letters/marks.
  • Degree: University qualification.
  • Lectures: Formal talks for many students.
  • Tutor: Teacher of small groups.
  • Revise: Studying previously learned material for an exam.

Grammar: Passive Voice

  • Structure: be + past participle.
  • Used when the object of the action is more important than the person doing it.
  • Example: "Our house was built in 2012 by my grandfather."

UNIT 10: TRAVELLING WELL

Vocabulary: Transport and Environment

  • Airport/Travel: Terminal, boarding pass, departure lounge, check-in, delays, gate, baggage allowance.
  • Environment: Air pollution, global warming, recycling bin, packaging, fossil fuels.

Grammar: Conditionals

  • Zero Conditional (Facts): If + Present Simple, Present Simple.
  • First Conditional (Future probabilities): If + Present Simple, Will + infinitive.
  • Second Conditional (Imaginary/Unlikely): If + Past Simple, Would + infinitive.

UNIT 11: A GREAT LOCATION

Vocabulary: Residential Terms

  • Types: Block of flats, cottage, terraced house, top floor, suburbs.
  • Furnishings: Wardrobe, rug, duvet, chest of drawers, kettle, sink, tap, cushions.

Grammar: Relative Clauses

  • Who: People.
  • Which: Things.
  • Where: Places.
  • When: Times.
  • Whose: Possession.
  • Defining vs Non-defining: Defining clauses are essential for meaning; non-defining clauses add extra info and use commas.

Grammar: Have/Get Something Done

  • Usage: For services paid for or arranged where someone else does the work.
  • Form: have / get + object + past participle (e.g., "I had my car washed").

UNIT 12: THE PERFECT JOB

Vocabulary: Careers and Qualities

  • Careers: Plumber, accountant, architect, pharmacist, electrician, lecturer, programmer.
  • Qualities: Calm, creative, flexible, organized, reliable, intelligent.
  • Qualifications: Certificate, Bachelor's/Master's degree, PhD.

Grammar: Modals of Permission & Make/Let

  • Permission: Can, May, Could, Be allowed to.
  • Compulsion: Make + object + infinitive (without to). Example: "The boss made me stay late."
  • Permission: Let + object + infinitive (without to). Example: "My parents let me go out."

UNIT 13: GET INVOLVED!

Vocabulary: Sports Terminology

  • Verbs: Beat (an opponent), win (a game), score (a goal/point), take up (a hobby), represent (a country).
  • People: Referee, coach, supporter, spectator, teammates, captain, opponents.

Grammar: Gerunds vs. Infinitives

  • Gerund (-ing): After prepositions, as a subject, or after certain verbs (enjoy, mind, fancy, imagine).
  • Infinitive (to + verb): After adjectives, to show purpose, or after certain verbs (hope, decide, learn, want).