Upper-Intermediate Grammar
B2 grammar tests finer control: the passive, all conditionals, reported speech, relative clauses and verb patterns (gerund vs infinitive). This chapter reviews the structures examined in the Use of English tasks.
Conditionals and Wish
The second conditional ('If I had more time, I would travel') describes unreal present situations; the third conditional ('If I had known, I would have called') describes unreal past ones. 'Wish' + past tense expresses regret about the present ('I wish I knew').
Gerunds and Infinitives
Some verbs take the gerund ('enjoy doing'), others the infinitive ('decide to go'). A few change meaning: 'stop smoking' (quit) vs 'stop to smoke' (pause in order to). Learn the pattern with the verb.
The Passive and Relative Clauses
Use the passive when the action matters more than the doer ('The report was written last week'). Defining relative clauses (who/which/that) identify the noun; non-defining clauses (with commas) add extra information.