Advanced English Grammar: C1-C2

Nuanced Tense Usage and Aspect

Future Perfect Progressive

Expresses ongoing actions that will be completed at a specific point in the future.

Structure:

  • will + have + been + present participle

Sophisticated Applications:

  1. Projected Duration
    • “By next month, I will have been working here for twenty years.”
    • “This time next week, they will have been traveling for a month.”
  2. Future Reflection
    • “By the time you read this, I will have been living abroad for a decade.”
    • “When we meet again, he will have been studying Sanskrit for three years.”

Mixed Time References

Complex combinations of tenses to express nuanced temporal relationships.

Examples:

  • “Had I known then what I know now, I would have been approaching the situation differently all these years.”
  • “By the time the truth emerges, the rumors will have been circulating for so long that the damage will have been irreparable.”

Advanced Modality

Layered Modal Constructions

Combining multiple modal concepts to express complex possibilities.

Structure:

  • modal + have + been + modal + present participle

Examples:

  • “He must have been going to attend the conference.” (deduction about past intention)
  • “They might have been about to discover the solution.” (possibility about past imminence)

Subjunctive Mood and Modal Past

Expressing hypothetical situations and subtle emotional distances.

  1. Present Subjunctive:
    • “I demand that he be present.”
    • “It is crucial that she submit the report today.”
  2. Past Subjunctive:
    • “If I were to have known…”
    • “Should you happen to see him…”
  3. Modal Past for Pragmatic Distancing:
    • “I was wondering if you might be able to…”
    • “Would you be so kind as to…”

Complex Conditional Structures

Inverted Conditionals

Formal variations without ‘if’:

  • “Had I known…” (= If I had known…)
  • “Were he to arrive…” (= If he were to arrive…)
  • “Should you decide…” (= If you should decide…)

Mixed Time Frame Conditionals

Expressing complex hypothetical scenarios across different time frames:

  1. Past condition affecting present and future:
    • “Had the research been funded properly, we would now be implementing the solution and would soon be seeing results.”
  2. Present condition affecting multiple time frames:
    • “Were I fluent in Mandarin, I would have accepted that position last year and would now be working in Beijing.”

Advanced Subordination

Participle Clauses with Complex Aspects

Using participle clauses to compress information elegantly:

  1. Perfect Participles:
    • “Having been raised in multiple countries, she brought a unique perspective to international relations.”
    • “Having had her proposal rejected three times, she decided to approach it differently.”
  2. Passive Participles:
    • “Being considered for the position, she felt obliged to maintain discretion.”
    • “Having been informed of the changes, the team began adjusting their strategy.”

Embedded Questions and Noun Clauses

Sophisticated structures for indirect questions and statements:

  1. Complex Question Forms:
    • “The extent to which globalization impacts local economies remains debatable.”
    • “What constitutes acceptable evidence in this context is still under discussion.”
  2. Noun Clause Variations:
    • “That she should have succeeded despite the obstacles comes as no surprise.”
    • “Whoever demonstrates the most innovative approach will receive the grant.”

Advanced Passive Constructions

Passive Infinitive Structures

Complex passive formations with infinitives:

  • “The manuscript is thought to have been about to be published when the war broke out.”
  • “The technology appears to have been being developed secretly for years.”

Passive Gerund Structures

Sophisticated combinations of passive voice and gerunds:

  • “Being considered for promotion requires maintaining exemplary performance.”
  • “Having been recognized internationally enhances one’s professional credibility.”

Stylistic Inversion

Literary and Formal Inversions

Sophisticated inversions for emphasis or style:

  • “Not only had she mastered six languages, but she had also developed a new teaching methodology.”
  • “Seldom does one encounter such dedication to craft.”
  • “Little did they know that their discovery would revolutionize the field.”

Negative and Restrictive Inversions

  • “Under no circumstances should the protocol be breached.”
  • “Only after thorough review can the manuscript be submitted.”
  • “Not until all safety measures are in place will the experiment proceed.”