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.
Once the B1 level is achieved, the range of quantifying determiners used by learners is much wider than is was at the A1 and A2 levels. This growth in learner vocabulary is seen in the structure quantifying determiner + of + determiner (where half of, enough of and none of appear in learner work).
In my opinion you should spend half of your holiday with your parents and the other half with your friends: I think this would be the best thing to do. (Cambridge English: Preliminary; Italian)
Anyway that’s enough of my news! (Cambridge English: Preliminary; Italian)
Although I knew which kind of dress I wanted, none of the stores had it. (Cambridge English: Preliminary; Swiss German)
A wider range of quantifying determiners (such as several, millions of and a few of) is also used with plural nouns.
Several days ago we received a complaint. (Cambridge English: Business Preliminary; Chinese)
I took it and wished to have millions of dollars. (Cambridge English: Preliminary for Schools; Spanish - Latin American)
They interviewed a few of the students, the teachers and the headmistress. (Cambridge English: Preliminary; Arabic - Egyptian)
Learners can also use an increasing range of quantifying determiners (most, enough, plenty of, loads of) with both plural nouns and uncountable nouns.
I’m convinced that most people watch too much TV these days. (Cambridge English: Preliminary; Russian)
If you haven’t got enough credit on your phone, we can meet at 11 a.m. at the bookshop. (CELSP)
I think if we meet at 8 pm, well have plenty of time to buy the tickets and some drinks. (Cambridge English: Preliminary; Hungarian)
In informal and/or spoken contexts, B1 learners use a range of quantifying determiners with uncountable nouns (a little, a bit of, a little bit of)
I went with my friends so we could spend a little time together. (Cambridge English: Preliminary; Spanish - Latin American)
I had a bit of free time, so I took the bus and I went to my friend’s house. (Cambridge English: Preliminary; Greek)
I just watch a little bit of TV when I come home from school. (Cambridge English: Preliminary; Turkish)
They can also use much with uncountable nouns in interrogative contexts.
How much television do you watch? (Cambridge English: Preliminary; Portuguese)
Why do you not get much exercise? (Cambridge English: Preliminary; Russian)
Do you watch much TV? (Cambridge English: Preliminary; Portuguese)
Learners at this level accurately use so much and too much with uncountable nouns, which builds on the use of the phrase so much fun at the A2 level.
Hello Marina. Unfortunately I have so much work at the moment that I can’t help you. (Cambridge English: Business Preliminary; German)
My neighbours are making too much noise. (Skills for Life: Entry 3; Farsi)
Many is used at the B1 level with plural nouns in interrogative contexts.
Have you got many friends in England? (Cambridge English: Preliminary; Portuguese)
[talking about TV] How many channels are there in Britain? (Cambridge English: Preliminary; Spanish - European)
Do you read many books? (Cambridge English: Preliminary; Italian)
Learners at this level are also able to modify determiners with adverbs.
Because almost all of the programmes are stupid. (Cambridge English: Preliminary; Turkish)
His name is Richard and since we were just little kids, we’ve spent nearly every day together. (Cambridge English: Preliminary; German)
Once the B2 level is achieved, learners competently use a modifier + little + uncountable nouns and a modifier + few + countable nouns to indicate a lack of something or not as much as expected of something.
I spend very little time outside, and I know I do not have enough stamina and strength. (Cambridge English: First; Polish)
We are sick of working hard for so little money. (Cambridge English: First; Portuguese)
There are so few animals living on the earth today and the pandas have so few places left to live and to eat, so we must try helping these animals. (Cambridge English: First; Danish)
So, between the B1 and B2 levels, there is a great expansion in the range of quantifying determiners used by learners, most of which are learned at B1. As learners progress to the C1 and C2 levels, the expansion of quantifying determiners is not nearly as drastic as it is at the B1 level.
