Refining Advanced Grammar in Real Communication.

In this advanced lesson you refine your control of complex language so that your English becomes more precise and flexible. You revisit key structures from earlier levels in the context of authentic sounding texts such as opinion articles, interview extracts and short lectures. You practise using a wide range of verb patterns with reporting verbs and verbs followed by ing forms or infinitives. You also explore more sophisticated ways of expressing attitude and possibility, for example might have done, should have done and could not have been. Special focus is given to emphasis structures that highlight the most important part of a sentence. Throughout the lesson you edit short pieces of writing and improve short spoken monologues. By the end, you can notice and correct many of your own mistakes and choose structures that express exactly what you mean.

1. Listening to a colleague talk about remote work.

In this lesson you are going to follow one clear situation, and we will keep coming back to it. Imagine your manager has asked you to give a short, two minute talk in the next team meeting about what your colleagues have learned from working from home. You need to sound natural, precise and quite sophisticated, not like a textbook. To help you, you are collecting ideas from different sources, starting with an informal chat with a colleague called Maya. In this block, you will listen to Maya talking about her experience of remote work. While you listen, do not worry about understanding every single word. Focus on two things. First, the content: what she likes, what she finds difficult and what her manager suggested. Second, notice any interesting grammar, for example sentences beginning with what or it, and verbs like encouraged, admitted or suggested followed by other verbs. After listening, you will answer a few questions and choose one advanced sentence that you would like to reuse later in your own talk.

The situation for this lesson.

For the whole lesson, imagine this realistic scenario:

> Your manager has asked you to give a short talk at the next team meeting called “Working from home – what we have really learned”. You will report what colleagues said, comment on it and highlight the most important points.

To prepare, you have coffee with a colleague, Maya, and you record the conversation on your phone so you can listen again later.

In the audio at the top of this block, you will hear a short extract from that conversation. As you listen, focus on both meaning and advanced grammar.

A preview of Maya’s language.

Here are a few key sentences from the conversation. Notice how she does not just use simple forms like I like or I think. She uses richer structures:

• “What I found really difficult was switching off in the evening.”
• “My manager encouraged me to set a clear finish time.”
• “I should have talked to her much earlier, to be honest.”
• “It was the constant video calls that exhausted me, not the work itself.”

These sentences show several patterns that we will work with later in the lesson:

• Emphasis structures beginning with What… and It was… that…
• Reporting verbs such as encouraged followed by other verbs
• Modal verbs about the past, like should have talked

You do not need to analyse them perfectly now. Simply be aware of them so that when you listen, your ear is ready.

Listening task.

You are going to hear Maya speaking quite naturally. She is informal but clear. Your job is to:

1. Understand the main points about her experience.
2. Catch one sentence with more advanced grammar that you might want to “steal” for your own talk.

After you listen, you will answer three comprehension questions and then copy one sentence from Maya that you find useful or interesting.

Practice & Feedback

Listen carefully to the conversation with Maya. You can listen two or three times if you like. Do not try to write while you are listening the first time – just follow the story. On your second or third listen, focus on details.

Then, in the box, please:

Answer these three questions in full sentences:

a) What does Maya like about working from home?

b) What has been difficult for her?

c) What suggestion did her manager make?

Copy one complete sentence from Maya that you think sounds advanced or useful for your future talk. It might start with What…, It was… or contain verbs like encouraged, should have, might have.

Write your answers as a short paragraph or as numbered sentences. Try to use your own words, not only words from the audio. I will check your understanding and the accuracy of your sentences, and I will also comment on the sentence you chose from Maya.

2. Using richer reporting verb patterns.

You have now listened to Maya and you have some real content for your future talk. The next step is to make the way you report her words more sophisticated. Instead of always saying “She said that…” or “She told me that…”, you can choose verbs that give extra meaning, such as admitted, recommended, encouraged or warned. Very often, these verbs are followed by particular patterns: a that clause, an ing form, or an infinitive with to. In this block, we will look at an extract from a short internal blog post written by your HR department. The writer is summarising what several colleagues said about working from home. The language is still a little simple, so you are going to upgrade it using more advanced reporting verbs and verb patterns. On the screen you will see some common patterns and clear examples. Use them as a toolkit. Your task at the end of the block will be to rewrite a few basic sentences from the blog to make them sound closer to C1 level.

From basic “said” to precise reporting.

In your talk, you will need to report what other people said. At higher levels, we do not want to repeat said and told in every sentence. We choose verbs that show attitude:

• admitted, acknowledged – they accepted something was true or difficult
• encouraged, advised – they gave positive suggestions
• warned, reminded – they talked about possible problems
• promised, offered – they agreed to do something

These verbs often go with specific patterns. Look at the table:

Notice how these choices add extra meaning. Compare:

• Maya said she worked late.
• Maya admitted working late most evenings at the beginning.

The second sentence gives us more information about her attitude and uses a richer pattern.

A short HR blog extract.

Here is a simplified version of an internal blog post about remote work:

> Some staff said that they were tired after video calls. One colleague said that she found it hard to stop checking emails in the evening. Her manager said that she should finish at six o'clock. Another team member said that the company did a good job overall but could explain decisions better.

Your job in the activity is to upgrade a few of these sentences using the patterns and reporting verbs above so that they sound more advanced and precise.

Practice & Feedback

Read the short HR blog extract below carefully. Then look back at the table of patterns on the screen: reporting verb + that clause, reporting verb + -ing form, reporting verb + object + to + infinitive, and so on.

Your task is to rewrite at least three sentences from the blog so that they sound more advanced. For example, you can:

• Replace said that with a more precise reporting verb such as admitted, acknowledged, encouraged, complained that, pointed out that.
• Change the structure, for example: said that she found it hard to stop checking → admitted finding it hard to stop checking.

In the box, first copy the original simple sentence, and under it write your upgraded version. Do this for at least three sentences. Try to use at least two different patterns from the table. I will check how natural your reporting verbs and patterns are and suggest improvements if necessary.

3. Speculating with might have and should have.

You can now report what colleagues said in a more precise way. The next step is to interpret the situation: to say what you think probably happened, what could explain the problems, and what people should have done differently. For that, C1 speakers often use modal verbs with have plus a past participle, for example might have underestimated, must have been difficult, should have offered more help, or could have communicated more clearly. In your team talk, you might want to say things like, “The company might have underestimated how exhausting video calls can be,” or “We should have set clearer rules about working hours.” These patterns allow you to express speculation, deduction and gentle criticism without sounding too direct or rude. In this block, you will see some simplified survey results from your company about remote work. Then you will write a few sentences that interpret those numbers using modal verbs in the past. Focus on being both accurate and diplomatic.

Talking about what probably happened.

When we look back at a situation and guess or evaluate what happened, we often use modal verbs with have + past participle.

Here are some key patterns with examples from your remote work context:

• Speculation (it is possible):
• The company might have underestimated how stressful constant video calls were.
• Colleagues who live alone could have felt particularly isolated.

• Deduction (you are quite sure):
• Parents with small children must have found it very hard to concentrate.
• It cannot have been easy for managers to keep everyone informed.

• Criticism / missed opportunities:
• We should have offered clearer guidance about working hours.
• They could have communicated office rules much earlier.

Notice the structure:

> modal + have + past participle

> might have underestimated, should have talked, must have been

Mini-survey results.

Imagine your company sent out a short anonymous survey about working from home. Here are some simplified results:

• 68% of staff say they feel more tired on days full of video calls.
• 54% say they are not sure when they are expected to be online.
• 61% of parents say they feel more stressed at home than in the office.
• Only 35% feel they received enough guidance from managers at the start.

In your talk, you do not just want to read these numbers. You want to interpret them politely and intelligently using modal verbs in the past.

Practice & Feedback

Look carefully at the four survey results above. Think about what they suggest about your company’s remote work policy and communication.

Write four to six sentences that interpret these numbers using modal verbs with have + past participle. Try to include:

• at least two sentences of speculation, using might have or could have;
• at least one sentence of deduction, using must have or cannot have;
• at least one gentle criticism, using should have or could have for something that did not happen.

For example, you might write something like: The management might have underestimated how tiring online meetings are. Use your own ideas and connect them clearly to the data.

Write your sentences in a small paragraph or as a numbered list. I will check your grammar, especially the form modal + have + past participle, and help you make the tone sound natural but professional.

4. Highlighting key points with emphasis structures.

By now, you can report what colleagues said and you can speculate about what probably happened. For a strong talk, however, you also need to highlight the most important ideas, especially the surprising results or your main recommendations. Native and advanced speakers often do this with emphasis structures, sometimes called cleft sentences. These are patterns like, “What I found most surprising was…”, “It was the constant video calls that exhausted people,” or “The thing we really need to change is our communication style.” In this block, we will look at a few common emphasis patterns and compare them with more neutral versions. You will see how the grammar changes the rhythm and focus of the sentence. At the end, you will practise turning basic, flat sentences into more impactful ones that you could really use to open or close your talk. Do not worry about sounding dramatic – in a presentation, a bit of emphasis is often helpful.

Why use emphasis structures?.

In a talk or presentation, you do not want all your sentences to sound the same. Emphasis structures help you push one part of the sentence into the spotlight. They are very useful when you want to:

• show what was most surprising;
• underline the main cause of a problem;
• highlight your key recommendation.

Two useful patterns.

What-clause + be…

This pattern highlights an action or idea.

• Neutral: I found the lack of clear rules most surprising.
• Emphasis: What I found most surprising was the lack of clear rules.

• Neutral: We need to improve communication.
• Emphasis: What we really need to improve is communication.

It + be + focus + that/who…

This pattern highlights a particular part, often a cause.

• Neutral: Constant video calls exhausted people.
• Emphasis: It was the constant video calls that exhausted people.

• Neutral: Managers made the biggest difference.
• Emphasis: It was the managers who made the biggest difference.

These are similar to some chunks from the lesson bank:

• “What I would really like to do is travel more.”
• “The thing I found most surprising was the result.”
• “It is the cost that worries me.”

Using emphasis in your remote work talk.

Imagine you are summarising your company’s experience of working from home. You might say:

• What many colleagues appreciated most was the extra flexibility.
• What really caused stress was not the work itself but the constant online meetings.
• It is the lack of clear boundaries that still worries people.

In the activity, you will practise transforming plain sentences into these more focused, emphatic ones.

Practice & Feedback

You are going to practise making neutral sentences more emphatic using the two patterns on the screen:

• What + subject + verb… be…
• It + be + focus + that/who…

Below, you will see several basic sentences about working from home. Your task is to rewrite at least four of them using one of the emphasis patterns.

For each sentence you choose:

1. First copy the neutral version.
2. Under it, write an emphatic version, trying to sound natural and clear.
3. Use a variety of structures if you can, not the same pattern every time.

For example, People found the lack of information frustrating could become What people found frustrating was the lack of information or It was the lack of information that people found frustrating.

Write your answers clearly, with each pair on a new line or separated by numbers. I will check your grammar, suggest smoother options where needed and point out any especially strong sentences you could reuse in your final talk.

5. Editing a draft paragraph to sound more advanced.

You now have several powerful tools: richer reporting verbs, modal verbs in the past and emphasis structures. The challenge is to actually use them when you speak or write, instead of falling back on very simple language. A good way to train this is to edit a draft: you write naturally first, then you go back and upgrade key sentences. In this block, you will see a first draft of a short paragraph from your talk about working from home. The content is fine, but the grammar and style are quite basic, more like B1 or B2. Your job is to improve selected sentences so they sound closer to C1. On the screen, I will give you a checklist of what to look for when editing: places where you can add a reporting verb pattern, a modal perfect form, or an emphasis structure. Then you will choose three to five sentences from the draft in the activity and rewrite them. Try not to change the meaning – just the quality of the language.

From basic draft to advanced version.

Here is a short, basic draft from the start of your talk. Imagine you wrote this quickly before the meeting:

> In the last two years our team worked from home a lot. People said they were tired after video calls and they said they did not always understand the rules about working hours. Some colleagues with children said it was very hard for them. My manager said she did her best to support us. I think the company made some mistakes but also did many things well.

The message is clear, but the language is quite plain:

• The only reporting verb is said.
• There is no speculation or evaluation with might have, must have or should have.
• There are no emphasis structures to highlight key points.

An editing checklist.

When you edit a paragraph like this, ask yourself:

Can I replace any basic reporting verbs?

• e.g. People said they were tired → Many people complained that they were tired…

Can I add any modal verbs in the past to interpret what happened?

• e.g. The company made some mistakes → The company might have made some mistakes…

Can I emphasise one key idea?

• e.g. People were tired after video calls → What really tired people out was the number of video calls.

In the activity, you will practise this kind of editing so that later you can do it with your own writing or speaking notes.

Practice & Feedback

Read the draft paragraph below slowly. Imagine it is your first version for the team meeting. Now you want to edit it to sound more advanced.

Choose three to five sentences from the draft and rewrite them in a more sophisticated way. Try to:

• replace some basic said verbs with richer reporting verbs and patterns;
• add at least one modal perfect form such as might have, must have or should have + past participle;
• use at least one emphasis structure (a What… or It was… that… sentence).

In the box, you can first copy the original sentence, then write your improved version under it. You do not need to improve every sentence – focus on the ones where you can make the biggest difference.

I will comment on your choices, correct any grammar problems and show you how your edited sentences now sound much closer to C1 level.

6. Rehearsing your full mini talk in a chat.

You have practised each piece of the puzzle separately: reporting what people said, speculating about causes, criticising gently with modal perfects and highlighting key points with emphasis structures. Now it is time to put everything together in a short, realistic performance. Imagine the team meeting is tomorrow. You want to rehearse your talk and get quick feedback from a friendly colleague, Sam. You send Sam a series of chat messages with the script of what you plan to say. Sam listens, gives a short reaction and maybe a couple of suggestions. In this final block, you will write that mini talk as if you were sending it to Sam in a messaging app. Use a natural, slightly conversational tone, but keep the content organised. Aim to include at least one reporting verb pattern, one or two modal perfect structures and one or two emphasis sentences. Do not worry if it is not perfect; the goal is to integrate the advanced grammar into a coherent, clear message. After you write it, I will respond as if I were Sam, then I will give you detailed feedback as your teacher.

Your final task: a short talk as chat messages.

You are almost ready for your team meeting. To rehearse, you decide to send a voice note and some messages to your colleague Sam, but for this activity you will write what you would say.

Your mini talk should:

• summarise your colleagues’ experience of working from home;
• include at least one idea from Maya’s conversation;
• interpret the situation using 1–2 modal verbs in the past (might have, must have, should have, could have);
• highlight 1–2 key points using emphasis structures (What I found most surprising was…, It was the constant video calls that…);
• feel like something you could really say in a meeting: clear, polite and well-structured.

Suggested structure for your messages.

You can imagine sending two or three chat messages to Sam:

Message 1 – Introduction

Briefly explain that you are practising for tomorrow’s meeting and what the topic is.

Message 2 – Main points

Summarise what colleagues experienced, report one or two things Maya said, and interpret the survey results using modal perfects.

Message 3 – Conclusion

Use one or two emphasis structures to highlight what really surprised you and what you think the company should focus on next.

Aim for a total of around 180–220 words across all your messages.

Useful chunks you can recycle.

• Maya admitted finding it hard to switch off in the evening.
• Her manager encouraged her to set a clear finish time.
• Parents must have found it extremely difficult to concentrate.
• The company might have underestimated how tiring constant video calls can be.
• What really surprised me was the lack of clear rules about working hours.
• It is the lack of boundaries that still worries people.

Practice & Feedback

Listen to Sam’s short voice message below to get into the situation. Then, imagine you are replying to Sam in a real chat.

Write two or three chat-style messages as if you were sending them on WhatsApp or Teams. Together, your messages should be around 180–220 words. Try to:

• start with a friendly greeting and explain that you are practising your talk for tomorrow’s meeting;
• give a clear, organised summary of what your colleagues experienced when working from home;
• include at least one richer reporting verb pattern (for example, Maya admitted finding it hard to switch off);
• use at least two modal perfect forms (for example, might have underestimated, should have communicated, must have been difficult);
• use at least one or two emphasis structures (for example, What I found most surprising was…, It was the constant video calls that…).

Write everything in the box as if it were your side of the chat, with clear paragraph breaks or labels like “Message 1”, “Message 2”. I will first reply briefly as Sam, reacting to your ideas, and then I will switch to teacher mode and give you detailed feedback on your language.