Grammar – Communicator (B2), Expert (C1), Mastery (C2) levels

Candidates may be exposed to the grammar required for the level above, but will not be tested on it.

Communicator Expert Mastery

as Achiever and in addition as Communicator and in addition as Expert and in addition

Simple, • word order in sentences with more • word order in complex sentences, • full range of conjunctions
compound and than one subordinate clause including order selected for emphasis
complex
sentences with • there had been • there could be/would be/should be
subordinate
• use of common conjunctions • could have/would have/should have
clauses
expressing contrast, purpose,
consequence, condition, concession • wider range of conjunctions including on
condition that, provided that
• non-defining relative clauses
• comparative clauses
• defining relative clauses with where,
whose, when • more complex participle clauses
describing action with -ed
• defining relative clauses without
relative pronouns

• participle clauses describing action

with -ing

© 2015-2020 LanguageCert | All rights reserved.

LanguageCert is a business name of PeopleCert Qualifications Ltd, UK company number 09620926
ID No: International ESOL (Speaking) – Qualification handbook_ver03.4/14.02.2020 Page 73 of 83
Verb forms

Communicator Expert Mastery

as Achiever and in addition as Communicator and in addition as Expert

Verb forms Present/Past reference: • all verb forms active and passive

• present perfect continuous Other:

Past reference: • would expressing habit in the past

• past perfect • mixed conditionals

Other: • reported speech with full range of

tenses and introductory verbs
• simple passive
• extended phrasal verbs such as get
• use of 2nd and 3rd conditional round to, carry on with

• verbs + (object) _ gerund or infinitive such • question tags using all tenses
as would like someone to do something, +
suggest doing something • imperative + question tag

• causative use of have and get • contracted forms appropriate to this

level
• reported speech with a range of tenses

• wider range of phrasal verbs such as give

up, put up with

© 2015-2020 LanguageCert | All rights reserved.

LanguageCert is a business name of PeopleCert Qualifications Ltd, UK company number 09620926
ID No: International ESOL (Speaking) – Qualification handbook_ver03.4/14.02.2020 Page 74 of 83
 Communicator Expert Mastery

as Achiever and in addition as Communicator and in addition as Expert

• reported requests and instructions

• question tags using tenses appropriate to

this level

Modals, nouns, prepositions

Communicator Expert Mastery

as Achiever and in addition as Communicator and in addition as Expert

Modals • ought to (obligation) • should have/might have/may

have/could have/must have and
• negative of need and have to to express negative forms of these
absence of obligation
• can’t have, needn’t have
• must/can’t (deduction)

Nouns • wider range of noun phrases with pre- • extended range of complex noun
and post- modification phrases

• word order of determiners, e.g. all my

© 2015-2020 LanguageCert | All rights reserved.

LanguageCert is a business name of PeopleCert Qualifications Ltd, UK company number 09620926
ID No: International ESOL (Speaking) – Qualification handbook_ver03.4/14.02.2020 Page 75 of 83
 books

Prepositions • wider range of prepositions including • preposition + having + past participle

and despite, in spite of such as having eaten
prepositional
phrases • collocations of verbs/nouns +
prepositions such as point at, have an
interest in

• preposition + -ing form such as after

leaving

© 2015-2020 LanguageCert | All rights reserved.

LanguageCert is a business name of PeopleCert Qualifications Ltd, UK company number 09620926
ID No: International ESOL (Speaking) – Qualification handbook_ver03.4/14.02.2020 Page 76 of 83
Articles, determiners, adjectives, adverbs, intensifiers

Communicator Expert Mastery

as Achiever and in addition as Communicator and in addition as Expert

Articles • definite, indefinite and zero article • as Communicator

with both countable and
uncountable nouns in a range of uses

Adjectives • comparisons with fewer and less • as Communicator

• collocation of adjective + preposition

such as responsible for

Adverbs • adverbial phrases of degree, extent, • as Communicator

probability

• comparative and superlative of

adverbs

Intensifiers • wide range such as extremely, much, • collocation of intensifiers with

too absolute and relative adjectives
such as absolutely gorgeous, very
pretty

© 2015-2020 LanguageCert | All rights reserved.

LanguageCert is a business name of PeopleCert Qualifications Ltd, UK company number 09620926
ID No: International ESOL (Speaking) – Qualification handbook_ver03.4/14.02.2020 Page 77 of 83
Punctuation and spelling

Communicator Expert Mastery

as Achiever and in addition as Communicator and in addition as Expert and in addition

Punctuation • multiple uses of commas • accurate use of all punctuation

• use of apostrophes for possession and

omission

• use of other punctuation to enhance

meaning

Spelling • the correct spelling of words used in • the correct spelling of words used in • the correct spelling of words used in
work, studies and daily life work, studies and daily life including more specialized contexts (such as
familiar technical words business, academia, international
affairs)

Discourse • a range of discourse markers expressing • a range of logical markers (in this • a full range of discourse markers
addition, cause and effect, contrast respect, accordingly) adapted to context and register
(however), sequence and time (at a later
date) • sequence markers (subsequently)

• markers to structure spoken discourse • a wider range of discourse markers

(as I was saying) to structure formal and informal
speech (can we now turn to)
• use of ellipsis in informal speech and
writing (sounds good)

© 2015-2020 LanguageCert | All rights reserved.

LanguageCert is a business name of PeopleCert Qualifications Ltd, UK company number 09620926
ID No: International ESOL (Speaking) – Qualification handbook_ver03.4/14.02.2020 Page 78 of 83