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Fill in the blanks in the detective's interrogation transcript to catch the suspect in a lie.
"So, Mr. Higgins, you claim you were peacefully feeding the pigeons _________________________ the bank alarm went off? But our security footage shows you running away with a bag of diamonds _________________________ the vault was breached!"

The correct answers are when and after.

Use when to introduce a specific event in the past simple that interrupts an ongoing background action in the past continuous ("were feeding... when the alarm went off").

Use after to show that an action (running away) logically followed a previous completed event (the vault being breached).

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Adverb

An adverb modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb — adding information about how, when, where, how often, or to what degree something happens: she sings beautifully, unbelievably fast, we go there often. Many adverbs end in -ly, but plenty don't (well, fast, hard, almost).

Adverbs matter because they're how you add nuance without piling on extra clauses. Used well, a single adverb can sharpen a vague sentence (she answeredshe answered honestly), but misplace one and the meaning drifts in a way native speakers immediately notice.

Clause and sentence

The Clause and sentence tag groups together topics that span both clauses (grammatical units built around a verb) and sentences (one or more clauses making a complete thought). Think conjunctions, subordination, sentence types — anything where the line between clause-level and sentence-level rules blurs.

Browsing here is useful when you're working on connecting ideas: building complex sentences, choosing the right punctuation between clauses, or understanding why some phrases stand alone and others can't.

Past tense

The past tense is how English talks about events finished before now. It comes in four flavours: simple past (I walked) for completed events, past progressive (I was walking) for actions ongoing at a past time, past perfect (I had walked) for events before another past event, and past perfect progressive (I had been walking) for ongoing events leading up to a past point.

Choosing the right one is what makes past narratives clear instead of murky. When I arrived, she ate dinner is technically grammatical but means something different than had eaten (already done) or was eating (in progress when you arrived).

Conjunction

A conjunction is a word that connects other words, phrases, or clauses. English has two main types: coordinating conjunctions join units of equal weight (and, but, or, so, yet, for, nor — the FANBOYS), while subordinating conjunctions introduce dependent clauses (because, although, if, when, while, since, unless).

Conjunctions are how you build compound and complex sentences instead of stacking short ones. The choice of conjunction signals the relationship between the ideas — addition, contrast, cause, condition, time — so picking the right one shapes the whole meaning.

Clause

A clause is a grammatical unit built around a verb — typically a subject plus a predicate (She laughed; The manager approved the budget). Clauses come in two types: independent clauses stand alone as complete sentences; dependent clauses need an independent clause to make sense (Because I overslept — incomplete on its own).

Spotting clause boundaries is the foundation of correct punctuation. Once you can see where one clause ends and another begins, comma rules, run-on sentences, and complex sentence structure stop being mysteries.

B2 | Upper Intermediate

B2 is the upper-intermediate level in the CEFR framework, sitting between B1 and C1. At B2 you can read editorials, follow most TED talks without subtitles, and hold extended conversations on abstract topics — including topics outside your everyday life.

Grammatically, B2 means flexible control of mixed conditionals, passive voice across tenses, reported speech with proper backshifting, and participle clauses. B2 is the standard target for university entrance exams (IELTS 5.5–6.5, TOEFL 87–109) and most skilled-migration thresholds — knowing whether you're there shapes your study plan.

Difficulty: Medium

The Medium difficulty tag marks questions and challenges in the middle of the difficulty range — typically suitable for A2 to B1 learners. Expect a single rule with realistic distractors, longer sentences, and contexts where you have to think before answering rather than reading off the obvious choice.

Filter by Medium when you're past the absolute basics and ready to consolidate. It's the level where most lasting progress happens — easy enough that you can finish without exhausting concentration, hard enough that getting it right means you've actually understood.