Welcome to the exciting world of English language learning! As an elementary-level student, you have already built a strong foundation in English, and now it’s time to take the next step. The Intermediate level acts as a doorway that opens up new opportunities for effective communication. Although you may not be able to use English exclusively for work or study just yet, the Intermediate level equips you with essential skills to engage in conversations, express your thoughts, and navigate different situations with increased confidence. In this article, we will focus on important grammar topics that are crucial for your progress at the Intermediate level. Let’s get started!
What can you do at the B1 level?
✅ Use English at work in situations you’re familiar with;
✅ Have casual conversations and ask for help when you don’t understand something;
✅ Write simple paragraphs about things you know well;
✅ Talk about your thoughts, experiences, dreams, and plans, and explain why you think a certain way.
What grammar topics should you study at the B1 level?
Different ways of expressing future tense
In English, there are different ways to talk about what will happen in the future. When you reach the Intermediate level, you’ll learn more about these ways and be able to choose the best one to express your ideas. Here are some examples you can use:
Future Simple and “going to” for plans and intentions:
Next year, I will live life to the fullest.
Present Continuous for a planned action that will happen in the near future:
I am meeting his parents for dinner tonight. 
Present Simple to express future when talking about schedules (transportation, movies):
The train leaves at 7. Don’t be late.
Future Continuous when talking about a continuous action that will happen in the future for a certain period of time:
Let me show you where you will be working.
Future Perfect Simple for actions that will be completed by a certain moment in the future:
I will have finished the report by tomorrow.
The construction “be about to do something” to describe an action that is about to happen:
I’m asking because it is better to look at what I am about to show you … on an empty stomach.
The “I wish” and “If only” construction
When you wanna express regret or a wish for something to be different, you can use “I wish” and “If only.” After these constructions, put the verbs in the past tense.
I wish I had shoes like that. I really wish I did.
The “used to” construction
Do you know how to talk about something that happened a lot in the past but doesn’t happen anymore? It’s easy in English, just use “used to” before the verb.
Now you’re just somebody that I used to know. You’re someone I used to know.
Conditional sentences: 2nd and 3rd conditionals
The higher your English level, the more complex thoughts you can express. When you start learning English, you can only talk about real situations. But at the Intermediate level, you can freely talk about hypothetical and imaginary situations. That’s where we use the second and third conditional sentences for that.
The second conditional talks about things that are not real and might happen in the present or future, but they’re not very likely to happen.
If I were a boy, I think I could understand, oh-ooh, How it feels to love a girl, I swear I’d be a better man.
The third conditional talks about things that happened in the past and are not real. We use it to talk about regrets or criticize things that happened differently.
And if only one thing had happened differently: if that shoelace hadn’t broken; or that delivery truck had moved moments earlier, Daisy and her friend would’ve crossed the street, and the taxi would’ve driven by
Modals of deduction
With modal verbs, you can express assumptions. Use “must” when you are at least 95% sure that something is true. Maybe you have very strong evidence:
But, Hagrid, there must be a mistake! This says platform nine and three quarters. There is no such thing.
If you are 30% to 70% sure that something is possible, use “might,” “may,” or “could”:
I brought him some sandwiches because I thought he might be hungry.
If you believe something is impossible, you can use “can’t” or “couldn’t”:
This can’t be true. I think I have been poisoned.
Passive Voice
Sometimes we don’t know who did the action, and that’s when we use the passive voice. It’s formed by using “be” with the verb in its third form:
I always do my homework. (active voice).
The homework is done. (passive voice)
Do you feel the difference? Who did the homework in the second sentence? We don’t know.
Congratulations on reaching the Intermediate level! Now, it’s time to keep improving your English skills and continue your language learning journey. Keep practicing, expanding your vocabulary, and exploring new topics to advance to the next level.
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