Grammar by CEFR Level
Below you will find suggested grammar topics for each level of the CEFR. This is not a definitive list, and many grammar points will overlap into different CEFR levels.
A1
Verbs & tenses:
Present simple of be
There is/are
Present simple
Present continuous
Past simple of ‘be’
Past simple for regular verbs
Past simple for irregular verbs
Clauses & questions:
Questions – closed
Questions – open
Because clauses
Modal verbs:
Would like
Ability – can / can’t / could / couldn’t
Nonfinite verbs:
Like / hate / love + gerund
Nouns:
Subject & object pronouns
Demonstrative pronouns – this / that / these / those
Possessive case – ‘s
Irregular plural nouns
How much / many + noun
Adjectives:
Demonstrative adjectives – this / that / these / those
Adjectives as complements of ‘be’
Adjectives before nouns
Possessive adjectives
Adverbs:
Adverbs of time
Adverbs of frequency
Adverbs of degree – very / really / too
Other parts of speech:
Parts of speech
Coordinating conjunctions
Indefinite article – a / an
Definite article – the
Prepositions of time
Prepositions of place
A2
Verbs & tenses:
Past continuous
Future – will vs going to
Future – present tenses for the future
Present perfect
Imperative
Stative verbs
Clauses & questions:
Conditionals – zero
Conditionals – 1st
Adverb clauses of time – when / while
Questions – subject
Modal verbs:
Ability – be able to
Advice – should
Possibility – might / may / could
Obligation & prohibition – must / have to / don’t have to
Requests – can / could / will / would
Imagined situations – would
Permission – can / can’t
Suggestion – could / let’s / shall
General truths & facts
Nonfinite verbs:
Want / need + to-infinitive
Nouns:
Countable & uncountable nouns
Someone / anyone / no one / everyone
Something / anything / nothing / everything
Adjectives:
Adjective order
Comparatives & superlatives
Comparatives for equality
Expressing similarity – same / like / alike
Irregular adjectives
Adverbs:
Adverb placement
Adverbs of degree & intensity
Adverbs of degree to modify verbs
Adverbs of manner
Comparative adverbs
Other parts of speech:
Zero article (no article)
Quantifiers (including some, any, each, every, all)
B1
Verbs & tenses:
Subject-verb agreement
Past habits
Used to / be used to / get used to
Present perfect continuous
Past perfect
Past perfect continuous
Passive voice – simple tenses
Phrasal verbs
Clauses & questions:
Relative clauses
Adverb clauses of time
Adverb clauses of reason / purpose / contrast
Conditionals – 2nd
Conditionals – 3rd
Reported speech – say & tell
Noun clauses – ‘that’ vs ‘WH’ clauses
Questions – tag
Questions – indirect / embedded
Modal verbs:
Permission & requests – might / may
Possibility & deduction (in the present)
Suggestion expressions
Nonfinite verbs:
Gerunds & infinitives as subjects
Gerunds & infinitives as objects
Gerunds & infinitives as objects (different meanings)
Gerunds & infinitives for purpose
Nouns:
Reflexive & reciprocal pronouns
Adjectives:
Adjectives ending in ‘-ing’ and ‘-ed’
Adverbs:
Conjunctive adverbs
Adverbs of time for perfect tenses
Other parts of speech:
Dependent prepositions
B2
Verbs & tenses:
Future time expressions with ‘be’
Future in the past
Future continuous
Future perfect
Future perfect continuous
Passive voice – other tenses & modals
Passive voice – gerunds & infinitives
Causative verbs
Verbs of the senses
Clauses & questions:
Relative clauses – possessive (whose)
Relative clauses – relative adverbs
Relative clauses – prepositions
Relative clauses – sentential
Relative clauses – reduced
Conditionals – ‘if’ alternatives
Conditionals – ‘would’ alternatives
Conditionals – mixed
Participle clauses
Reported speech – questions / requests / commands
Questions – past for politeness
Questions – negative (including uncontracted)
Modal verbs:
Certainty expressions
Obligation expressions
Possibility & deduction (in the past)
Regret & unreality
Ideal situations
Expectations – should / might / may + be + continuous
Nonfinite verbs:
To-infinitives as adverbs & adjectives
Other parts of speech:
Emphasis – do / did
C1+
Verbs & tenses:
Subjunctive mood
Imperative – 3rd person (let) / don’t you / pointing
Clauses & questions:
Cleft sentences
Conditionals – imperatives
Conditionals – reduced & inverted
Inversion – structure
Inversion – negative adverbials
Inversion – restrictive adverbials
Relative clauses – some of which / many of which
Adverb clauses for focus – whatever / wherever / however
Adverb clauses – reduced concessive
Participle clauses – negative
Participle clauses – conditional
Participle clauses – absolute constructions
Passive voice clauses for sentence focus
Wide range of reporting verbs – academic use
Emphasis expressions
Fronting for emphasis
Modal verbs:
Dare
Expressions to give opinions
Criticism & disapproval
Adjectives:
Comparatives & superlatives with intensifiers
Superlatives with postmodifiers
Compound adjectives
Adjectives after nouns
Adverbs:
Adverbs with prepositional phrases
Extreme adverbs to modify non-gradable adjectives
Other parts of speech:
Conjunctions – and yet / in that / either…or / neither…nor
Discourse markers
Distancing
Hedging
Ellipsis & substitution
