Overview

This is a crash course for lower-intermediate English learners. You will learn the most fundamental English vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation for B1 students. It sets a foundation for you to quickly level up to upper-intermediate (B2).

Completing this course will help you:

Who is the course for?

This course can be used for lower-intermediate students (B1 students) who want to level up fast to upper-intermediate (B2).

You may take this course on your own, but we strongly recommend that you use this course together with SpeakUp, so you can practice what you learned live with a native speaker and receive effective feedback. 

Table of contents

Learn how to use the following grammar forms with confidence:

  • common words and the prepositions they are used with
  • the present perfect, simple past and future verb tenses
  • the reported speech patterns you need to tell stories and communicate important messages
  • the verbs you need to express how certain you are about something
  • word order and the verbs that are followed by infinitives

 

Dependent Prepositions

Simple Past & Present Perfect

Reported Speech

Prepositions: IN, ON, AT

Modals of Possibility

Future Verb Tenses

Infinitives Following Verbs

Be better understood and sound more conversational with these everyday expressions and phrasal verbs! By mastering these small talk essentials, you’ll also learn how to make connections and avoid being inappropriate when meeting new people. 

Common Collocations 1

Common Collocations 2

Phrasal Verbs 1

Phrasal Verbs 2

Small Talk with a Stranger

English learners often struggle to pronounce the r and th sounds, and words ending in -ed. We’ll provide some pronunciation tips and show you the two most important keys to accent reduction. 

How to Pronounce ED-ending Sounds

How to Pronounce the American R Sound 

How to Pronounce the TH Sounds

The Schwa Sound 

Syllable Stress

In these lessons, we’ll show you how to communicate:

  • reactions to experiences, books, films, ideas with simple reasons and explanations
  • preferences about experiences, plans, activities and ideas
  • comparisons and contrasts of everyday things, activities and ideas
  • stories and instructions, using the necessary linking words 

 

Expressing an Opinion

Expressing Likes and Dislikes

Comparing and Contrasting

Connecting Ideas