Use of Language at B1, B2 and C1
For Aptis General and Aptis for Teachers we’re going to concentrate on use of language at B1 and B2. This is because those are the levels most students want to reach for their studies or jobs. For Aptis Advanced, our focus is on use of language at high B2 and C1.
There are two main areas to think about: functions and grammar. So what does that mean?
Well, functions are similar to the ‘can do’ descriptors of the CEFR. Functions are what you need to be able to do with language at each level. For example, you need to be able to give personal info about present & past circumstances & activities.
And grammar is the language you need in order to do that. In this case, you’ll need the present simple, present continuous, past simple, and past continuous.
Focus on Use of Language: B1, B2 and C1
These are the main functions and grammatical structures you need to know if you’re taking the Aptis Tests. So you need to be very familiar with the differences in use of language at B1, B2 and C1. Remember, the levels are progressive; this means you also need to know the language for the previous level. So at B1 you already need to know A1 and A2 language points and at B2 you need to know those for A1, A2 and B1. At C1 you need to know A1, A2, B1 and B2 language points, and of course at C2 you need to know them all.
A1 language is very basic. A2 language points are also included here.
A2: Functions & Grammar
FUNCTION | GRAMMAR |
Giving personal info about present & past circumstances & activities | present simple, present continuous, past simple, past continuous |
Describing routines, people, objects & places | have/have got, adjectives |
Describing ability & inability | can/can’t + infinitive |
Describing future plans | to be going to + infinitive |
Expressing likes & dislikes | gerund verbs (+ing) / plural forms |
Describing manner & frequency | adverbs & expressions of frequency |
Expressing simple comparisons | comparatives & superlatives |
B1: Functions & Grammar
FUNCTION | GRAMMAR |
Describing experience & events in the indefinite & recent past | present perfect |
Describing the future, informing & predicting, expressing intention | to be going to + infinitive, will + infinitive, open & 1st conditionals |
Expressing certainty & uncertainty, obligation & necessity | modal verbs, 2nd conditional |
Expressing opinions | In my opinion, As I see it, To my mind, Personally, I think … |
Expressing preferences | I’d rather + infinitive, prefer + infinitive/+ ing |
Expressing purpose & giving reasons Expressing feelings & emotions | infinitive of purpose, because adjectives, qualifiers, extreme adjectives |
B2: Functions & Grammar
FUNCTION | GRAMMAR |
Describing past habits | used to/would + infinitive |
Expanding on the past | present perfect continuous & past perfect |
Expanding on the future | future perfect simple & continuous |
Expressing & expanding ideas & opinions | passives, relative clauses |
Expressing feelings & emotions | extreme adjectives, qualifiers & adjectival expressions |
Expressing possibility & impossibility, speculating & hypothesising | modal verbs, 2nd, 3rd conditionals |
Highlighting advantages & disadvantages | on one hand/on the other hand, while/whereas, although/but |
Giving advice & making suggestions | modal verbs, 2nd conditional |
Reporting conversation & ideas | reported speech, tense control |
Using colloquial expressions & registers | phrasal verbs, colloquialisms |
High B2 & C1: Functions & Grammar
| Expressing abstract ideas | verbs followed by gerund and/or infinitive, intensifiers, modifiers |
Expressing assumptions | more complex forms of the passive with modals |
Expressing possibility & impossibility, speculating & hypothesising | 3rd and mixed conditionals, modal verbs + perfect infinitive |
Expressing regrets, wishes and hopes | 3rd and mixed conditionals, correct verb patterns after wish, if only and hope |
Evaluating past actions or course of events | modal verbs + perfect infinitive |
| Evaluating options | range of condtionals, more complex forms of the passive with modals |
Summarising information, ideas & arguments | So what you’re saying is, to sum up, in a nutshell, to cut a long story short etc |
Developing, defending & justifying an argument | signposting expressions (conversely, therefore, thus …) connectors, inversions |
| Expressing yourself within a range of registers | wide range of idiomatic expressions & colloquialisms, phrasal verbs, formal alternatives |
| You can practise some of these structures in the Grammar Reference section. | |