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 at the B1 level are able to form noun phrases with a range of possessive determiners before a superlative adjective. Although “my best friend” is used with exceptional frequency (as it is at the A2 level), learners are also able to demonstrate an ability to present unique phrases that vary in both their determiner and noun.
I was working when my best friend Barbara came into the restaurant. (Cambridge English: Preliminary; Italian)
There, people wear their best clothes. (Cambridge English: Preliminary; Spanish - European)
Tomorrow I’m expecting a delivery of our latest catalogues. (Cambridge English: Business Preliminary; German)
Learners at the B1 level can also use the best before a noun + the present perfect to talk about a unique experience, although this usage is sometimes not introduced until B2 level. Learners at the B1 level can also use the worst with this structure but do so with a far lower frequency than the best.
It was the best birthday present I have ever had. (CELSP; Farsi)
That is the best game I’ve ever played. (Cambridge English: Preliminary for Schools; Hungarian)
Its location was the worst I have ever seen. (CAE; Greek)
Learners at the B1 level can also use the best before a noun + the to-infinitive. A wider range of superlative adjectives is not used in this pattern until the B2 level.
Summer is the best time to visit Poland. (Cambridge English: Preliminary; Polish)
It’s the best place to relax. (Cambridge English: Preliminary; Japanese)
I’m sorry but I’m afraid that I’m not the best person to ask about TV. (Cambridge English: Preliminary; Spanish - European)
At the B1 level, learners can use an increasing range of complex noun phrases with a superlative adjective + prepositional phrase to talk about something unique. Variations of “the ______ ______ of my life” appear frequently at this level.
Yesterday was the most exciting day of my life! (Cambridge English: Preliminary; Italian)
Well, exercise is undoubtedly the most important thing in our lives for our health. (Cambridge English: Preliminary; Greek)
It was one of the best days of my life. (Cambridge English: Preliminary; Spanish - Latin American)
Phrases like the final example seen above also illustrate learner ability to use one of the before a superlative adjective followed by a plural noun.
I recommend that you should go to Akihabara, which is one of the most famous places in Tokyo. (Cambridge English: Preliminary; Japanese)
It was fantastic, one of the best holidays of my entire life. (Cambridge English: Preliminary; Portuguese-Brazilian)
The Station Hotel is one of the best hotels in London. (Cambridge English: Business Preliminary; German-Swiss)
Learners at the B2 level are also able to use one of the without a following noun, when the noun is understood (ellipsis with the).This follows their earlier use of ellipsis with the superlative at the A2 level.
There have been so many embarrassing moments in my life. It’s very difficult to pick the most embarrassing. (Cambridge English: First; Swedish)
I’m not quite sure if I agree that the car is the greatest danger to human life today, but it sure is one of the greatest. (Cambridge English: First; Portuguese)
That period of my life was one of the worst. (Cambridge English: First; Chinese)
Learners at the B2 level can make competent use of the premodifer by far to intensify a superlative adjective.
As you know, I’ve already visited almost fifty forests all over the world but I think this one is by far the most beautiful of all. (Cambridge English: First; Portuguese)
When I was a child, Christmas morning was by far the most exciting and happiest moment. (Cambridge English: First; Japanese)
Getting to work or school by bicycle is by far the best means you could find for ecological reasons and for your personal health. (Cambridge English: First; French-Switzerland)
As learners progress with superlative adjectives, many still utilise set phrases and some of the high frequency superlatives learned at the A1 and A2 levels. However, the range of contexts in which superlatives are used has greatly expanded by the time the B2 level is achieved. Additionally, learners are beginning to use modifiers with superlatives, which is a key skill as they move forward to the C1 and C2 levels.
