Study Notes: Destination B2 Grammar and Vocabulary

Destination B2: Grammar and Vocabulary Overview

• Target Audience: Students preparing for any examination at the B2 (Vantage) level on the Common European Framework scale (e.g., Cambridge FCE).

• Authors: Malcolm Mann and Steve Taylore-Knowles.

• Translation/Guidance: Nguyễn Thanh Vân (Lecturer at VNU University of Languages and International Studies).

• Publishing Details: First published in $2006$; Text and Design © Macmillan Publishers Limited $2008$. Released in Vietnam by MCBooks under license from Macmillan.

• Core Components:

  • Thematic Organization: $28$ units alternating between grammar and vocabulary.

  • Grammar Units: Two-page rules presentation in table form, "Watch out!" boxes for common pitfalls, and US/UK English differences. Exercises are graded by difficulty and follow the presentation order.

  • Vocabulary Units: Topic-based sections including topic vocabulary in contrast, phrasal verbs, phrases and collocations, word patterns, and word formation.

  • Revision and Consolidation: Fourteen two-page reviews (after every two units) and two four-page progress tests (after Unit $14$ and Unit $28$).

  • Supplementary Material: Includes irregular verb lists, a glossary with definitions from the Macmillan Essential Dictionary, and databases for phrasal verbs, phrases, word patterns, and word formation.

Unit 1: Present Time Grammar

Present Simple

• Form:

  • Statement: $I/you/we/they\,travel...$; $He/she/it\,travels...$

  • Negative: $I/you/we/they\,don't\,travel...$; $He/she/it\,doesn't\,travel...$

  • Question: $Do\,I/you/we/they\,travel...?$; $Does\,he/she/it\,travel...?$

• Usage Cases:

  • Current habits: "Toby walks to work."

  • Frequency: "Angela doesn't visit us very often."

  • Permanent situations: "Carlo works in a travel agent's."

  • States: "Do you have an up-to-date passport?"

  • General truths/facts: "Poland is in the European Union."

• Watch Out!: "Do/does" can be used in statements for emphasis. Example: "Actually, I do like going by bus for short distances!"

Present Continuous

• Form:

  • Statement: $I\,am\,driving...$; $You/we/they\,are\,driving...$; $He/she/it\,is\,driving...$

  • Negative: $I'm\,not\,driving...$; $You/we/they\,aren't\,driving...$ / $You're/we're/they're\,not\,driving...$

  • Question: $Am\,I\,driving...?$; $Are\,you/we/they\,driving...?$; $Is\,he/she/it\,driving...?$

• Usage Cases:

  • Actions happening now: "Mike is driving to work at the moment."

  • Temporary series of actions: "Taxi drivers aren't stopping at the train station because of the roadworks."

  • Temporary situations: "Are they staying in a hotel near the Olympic stadium?"

  • Changing/developing situations: "Holidays abroad are becoming increasingly popular."

  • Annoying habits (with "always"): "Dad is always cleaning the car when I want to use it!"

Present Perfect Simple

• Form: $have/has + past participle$

  • Statement: $I/you/we/they\,have\,flown...$; $He/she/it\,has\,flown...$

• Usage Cases:

  • Past starts continuing to the present: "She's had her motorbike for over six years."

  • Series of actions continuing to now: "We've travelled by taxi, bus, plane and train – all in the last twenty-four hours!"

  • Completed past actions (time unmentioned): "Have you ever flown in a helicopter?"

  • Past actions with present results: "I've booked the coach tickets."

• Watch Out!: Phrases like "It's the first/second/etc time…" require the present perfect simple.

• US vs UK differences:

  • US English often uses past simple where UK English uses present perfect. (US: "We already saw the Sphinx." vs UK: "We've already seen the Sphinx.")

  • US English uses "gotten" as the past participle of "get" (unless it means 'have/possess'), whereas UK English uses "got".

Present Perfect Continuous

• Form: $have/has + been + -ing$

• Usage Cases:

  • Actions continuing to the present moment: "We have been driving for hours."

  • Actions stopping just before the present: "I'm out of breath because I've been running."

• Watch Out!: Often used with "all day/week", "for", "since", "just". It is NOT used with "ever" or "never".

• Meaning Nuance:

  • If an action is finished vs. unfinished: "I have read that book" (finished) vs. "I have been reading that book" (not finished).

  • Sometimes no difference: "I have worked…" = "I have been working…"

Stative Verbs

• Definition: Verbs that describe states rather than actions; usually not used in continuous tenses.

• Categories:

  • Thinking: $believe, imagine, know, mean, think, understand$

  • Existence: $be, exist$

  • Emotions: $hate, like, love, need, prefer, satisfy, want$

  • Senses: $hear, see, smell, sound, taste$

  • Appearance: $appear, look, resemble, seem$

  • Possession: $belong\,to, consist\,of, have, include, involve, own$

• Watch Out!: Some verbs are stative in one meaning but non-stative (action) in another. Example: "Do you have your ticket?" (possession - state) vs. "Are you having lunch?" (eating - action).

Unit 2: Travel and Transport Vocabulary

Topic Vocabulary in Contrast

• voyage / journey / trip / travel / excursion:

  • voyage: long journey by ship.

  • journey: movement from one place to another over a distance.

  • trip: going somewhere and coming back.

  • travel: the general activity of travelling.

  • excursion: short journey for pleasure.

• view / sight: View is what is seen from a place; Sight is a specific thing seen with a feature (e.g., a landmark).

• world / earth: World is the planet we live on; Earth is the physical land/soil.

• area / territory: Area is a part of a place; Territory is land controlled by a specific group/country.

• season / period: Season is one of the four weather divisions of a year; Period is a general amount of time.

• fare / ticket / fee: Fare is money for a journey; Ticket is document showing payment for travel; Fee is for joining or entry.

• miss / lose: Miss (too late for transport); Lose (no longer possess).

• take / bring / go: Take (move something away); Bring (bring something with you); Go (move away from current location).

• book / keep: Book (reserve); Keep (continue to own).

• arrive / reach: Reach usually implies arriving after effort/at a specific destination.

• live / stay: Live (permanent home); Stay (temporary guest).

• border / edge / line: Border (official line between countries); Edge (furthest part from center); Line (thin mark).

• length / distance: Length (size measurement); Distance (space between two points).

• guide / lead: Guide (show the way by going with); Lead (go in front of others).

• native / home: Native (from birth); Home (relating to hometown/childhood).

Phrasal Verbs

• catch up with: reach the same point/level.

• check in: register at hotel/airport.

• check out: leave hotel; investigate.

• drop off: let someone leave a vehicle; fall asleep.

• get back: return.

• go away: go on holiday.

• keep up with: stay at same level.

• make for: go in a direction.

• pick up: stop to give a lift.

• pull in: stop by side of road.

• run over: hit with a car.

• see off: go to station/airport to say goodbye.

• set out/off: start a journey.

• take off: leave the ground.

• turn round: go back in the opposite direction.

Phrases and Collocations

• accident: have an accident; involve in an accident; do sth by accident.

• advance: in advance; advance to/towards a place.

• ahead: go straight ahead; go ahead; be ahead of.

• direction: change of direction; in the direction of.

• head: off the top of your head; head for/towards; head over heels.

• holiday: go/be on holiday; take a holiday; bank holiday.

• left: turn left; on the left-hand side; left-handed.

• route: plan a route; take a route.

• sights: see the sights.

• sightseeing: go sightseeing.

• speed: at high speed; burst of speed; speed limit.

• tour: take a tour of; tour a place; tour guide.

• trip: business trip; school trip; take a trip.

• way: lose/find your way; on the way; go all the way.

Reference Section: Irregular Verbs and Patterns

Selected Irregular Verbs (Past Simple, Past Participle)

• arise: $arose, arisen$

• awake: $awoke, awoken$

• bear: $bore, borne$

• beat: $beat, beaten$

• become: $became, become$

• begin: $began, begun$

• bend: $bent, bent$

• bind: $bound, bound$

• bite: $bit, bitten$

• bleed: $bled, bled$

• blow: $blew, blown$

• break: $broke, broken$

• bring: $brought, brought$

• build: $built, built$

• burn: $burnt/burned, burnt/burned$

• burst: $burst, burst$

• buy: $bought, bought$

Verb + Infinitive vs. -ing (Change in Meaning)

• remember + full infinitive: Planning to do (e.g., "remembered to do homework").

• remember + -ing: Think of past event (e.g., "remember teachers hitting children").

• forget + full infinitive: Not doing what was planned (e.g., "forgot to turn up").

• forget + -ing: Unable to recall past event (e.g., "never forget taking test").

• try + full infinitive: Effort to achieve (e.g., "try to pass exams").

• try + -ing: Experiment to solve problem (e.g., "try looking it up in a dictionary").

• stop + full infinitive: Interrupt action for another (e.g., "stop to answer phone").

• stop + -ing: End an action (e.g., "stop talking").

• go on + full infinitive: Stop one action, start next (e.g., "went on to study philosophy").

• go on + -ing: Continue (e.g., "went on laughing").

• regret + full infinitive: Sorry for bad news (e.g., "regret to inform you").

• regret + -ing: Sorry about what happened (e.g., "regret leaving school").

Discussion and Practice Scenarios

Dialogue: Holiday Blues

• Characters: Sheila, Matt, Alison.

• Summary: Matt and Sheila are arguing over a confusing train timetable. Sheila is angry, and Matt has a headache. Alison intervenes, telling them they are being "very silly" and blaming each other won't find the train to Budapest. They discover they missed the $18.20$ train. Matt concludes it is the worst holiday ever and they should try something "less adventurous" next year.

Text: International Friends

• Narrator's Experience: Travelling around Europe all summer. It was the first time going abroad. Met a French friend, Giselle. They text in English because the narrator's French is poor. Narrator plans to visit France next year.

Text: The Great British Seaside

• Context: Traditional towns like Blackpool or Torquay are often associated with poor weather and old attractions. To compete with foreign destinations, Blackpool is undergoing a massive building project (new casino/indoor centers) to improve its image.

Unit Glossary (Selected Entries)

Unit 4: Sport and Games

• pitch (n): flat ground for sports (sân thể thao).

• track (n): ground for running/racing (đường đua).

• court (n): marked area for tennis/basketball (sân vợt).

• ring (n): raised area for boxing (sàn đấu).

• umpire (n): official for tennis/baseball/cricket (trọng tài).

• referee (n): official for football (trọng tài).

Unit 6: Science and Technology

• artificial (adj): not natural, made by people (nhân tạo).

• accurate (adj): correct in every detail (chính xác).

• engine (n): vehicle part that makes it move (động cơ).

• motor (n): machine part that makes it work (động cơ).

• calculate (v): discover amount using math (tính toán).

Unit 8: The Media

• headline (n): newspaper story title (tiêu đề bài báo).

• tabloid (n): small pages, gossip-focused (báo lá cải).

• broadsheet (n): serious, large-format newspaper (báo khổ rộng).

• announcer (n): person giving info between programs (người dẫn chương trình).

• newsflash (n): short broadcast of important news (tin khẩn).