B1 Intermediate English
A complete B1 course for becoming an independent English user: narrating clearly, explaining opinions, managing travel and work situations, understanding standard speech and writing organised connected texts.
B1 outcomes
At B1, the goal is not perfect English. It is functional independence. You should be able to cope with most familiar situations, sustain a conversation, explain reasons, describe experiences in sequence, understand the main points of clear standard input and write connected texts about familiar topics.
Speaking
Tell stories, explain decisions, give reasons, compare options and manage unexpected situations.
Listening
Understand the main points of standard conversations, interviews and announcements.
Writing
Emails, narratives, opinions, reviews and practical texts with coherent paragraphing.
Unit 1 — Present perfect vs past simple
Time reference and meaning
The key distinction is whether the speaker connects the event to now or locates it in a finished past time.
| Present perfect | Past simple |
|---|---|
| I've visited Prague twice. | I visited Prague in 2024. |
| She's just finished. | She finished ten minutes ago. |
| We've lived here for three years. | We lived there from 2019 to 2022. |
Use for with a period: for two years. Use since with the starting point: since 2024.
Answers
1) haven't seen 2) moved 3) Have you ever met
Unit 2 — Past perfect and narrative sequence
Earlier past
The past perfect (had + past participle) places one past event before another past reference point.
When I arrived, the meeting had already started. First: the meeting started. Later: I arrived.
Answer
the train had left
Unit 3 — Used to, would and past habits
Past states and repeated actions
used to + base verb describes a past state or repeated activity that is no longer true: I used to live in London.
would can describe repeated past actions when the past context is already clear: Every summer, we would stay with my grandparents. It is not normally used for past states: say I used to know him, not I would know him.
Unit 4 — First and second conditionals
Real vs hypothetical
| Type | Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| First | if + present, will + base | Real/possible future |
| Second | if + past, would + base | Hypothetical/unreal present or future |
If I get the job, I'll move. = realistic possibility. If I got the job, I'd move. = more hypothetical/distant.
In formal English, If I were you… is a common advice structure.
Answers
1) had / would learn 2) improves / will go
Unit 5 — Modals for obligation, advice and deduction
Meaning differences
must/have to: obligation. should/ought to: advice. must: strong deduction. might/may/could: possibility. can't: strong negative deduction.
He must be at work means the speaker is almost certain. He might be at work means it is possible. He can't be at work means the speaker believes it is impossible.
Unit 6 — Relative clauses
who, which, that, where, whose
Relative clauses identify or describe nouns: The woman who called is my manager. The book that I bought is excellent. That's the café where we met.
At B1, focus first on defining relative clauses, which are necessary to identify the noun. The object relative pronoun can often be omitted: The book (that) I bought…
Answers
1) I met a woman who works at Google. 2) This is the restaurant where we had dinner.
Unit 7 — Passive voice
When the action matters more than the agent
Form: be + past participle. The bridge was built in 1998. English is spoken in many countries.
Use the passive when the agent is unknown, obvious or less important than the action/result.
| Active | Passive |
|---|---|
| They cancelled the flight. | The flight was cancelled. |
| People use this app worldwide. | This app is used worldwide. |
Answers
1) My bike was stolen. 2) The results will be announced tomorrow.
Unit 8 — Reported speech basics
Reporting statements and questions
When reporting past speech, tense often moves back: “I am tired.” → She said (that) she was tired. “I have finished.” → He said he had finished.
Reported questions use statement word order: “Where do you live?” → She asked where I lived.
Possible answers
1) He said he couldn't come that night. 2) She asked what time the shop closed.
Unit 9 — Verb patterns and common dependent prepositions
Pattern learning
Do not learn verbs as isolated words. Learn the grammar with them: decide to do, avoid doing, suggest doing, promise to do, apologise for doing, succeed in doing, interested in doing.
Answers
1) taking 2) being 3) to call
Unit 10 — Opinion and discussion language
Developing an argument
A B1 opinion should have a clear position and reasons. Useful language: In my view… One reason is… For example… However… On the other hand… Overall…
Unit 11 — Narrative skills
How to tell a clear story
Strong stories establish context, sequence events and include a turning point. Useful sequencing: at first, while, suddenly, a few minutes later, by the time, eventually, in the end.
Listening: standard speech
When I started my new job, I thought the most difficult part would be learning the software. In fact, the real challenge was understanding how the team communicated. People rarely gave direct instructions. Instead, they expected me to ask questions and work out what needed to be done. After a few weeks, I became much more confident, and I realised that asking for clarification was a strength, not a weakness.
Answers
1) Learning the software. 2) Understanding team communication. 3) The speaker became more confident and saw clarification positively.
Reading strategy
Writing workshop: opinion paragraph
Editing checklist: Have you used paragraphs? Does every example support the point? Are verb tenses consistent? Have you repeated the same basic adjective too often?
Final B1 checkpoint
Answers
1) haven't seen 2) had started 3) used to 4) were 5) might/may/could 6) who/that 7) was opened 8) was
Sources and level alignment
Original Corrigan School material. Communicative targets follow CEFR B1 progression; grammar sequencing is cross-checked against British Council B1–B2 grammar and Cambridge Dictionary grammar references.