BRITISH COUNCIL/EAQUALS CORE INVENTORY
A1 A2
Grammar Adjectives: common and
demonstrative
Adverbs of frequency
Comparatives and superlatives
Going to
How much/how many and very
common uncountable nouns
I’d like
Imperatives (+/-)
Intensifiers – very basic
Modals: can/can’t/could/couldn’t
Past simple of “to be”
Past Simple
Possessive adjectives
Possessive s
Prepositions, common
Prepositions of place
Prepositions of time, including
in/on/at
Present continuous
Present simple
Pronouns: simple, personal
Questions
There is/are
To be, including question+negatives
Verb + ing: like/hate/love
Vocabulary Food and drink
Nationalities and countries
Personal information
Things in the town, shops and
shopping
Verbs – basic
B1
Adjectives – comparative – use of
than and definite article
Adjectives – superlative – use of
definite article
Adverbial phrases of time, place
and frequency – including word
order
Adverbs of frequency
Articles – with countable and
uncountable nouns
Countables and Uncountables:
much/many
Future Time (will and going to)
Gerunds
Going to
Imperatives
Modals – can/could
Modals – have to
Modals – should
Past continuous
Past simple
Phrasal verbs – common
Possessives – use of ’s, s’
Prepositional phrases (place,
time and movement)
Prepositions of time: on/in/at
Present continuous
Present continuous for future
Present perfect
Questions
Verb + ing/infinitive:
like/want/would like
Wh-questions in past
Zero and 1st conditional
Adjectives: personality,
description, feelings
Food and drink
Things in the town, shops and
shopping
Travel and services
B2
Adverbs
Broader range of intensifiers such
as too, enough
Comparatives and superlatives
Complex question tags
Conditionals, 2nd and 3rd
Connecting words expressing
cause and effect, contrast etc.
Future continuous
Modals – must/can’t deduction
Modals – might, may, will,
probably
Modals – should have/might
have/etc
Modals: must/have to
Past continuous
Past perfect
Past simple
Past tense responses
Phrasal verbs, extended
Present perfect continuous
Present perfect/past simple
Reported speech (range of
tenses)
Simple passive
Wh- questions in the past
Will and going to, for prediction
Collocation
Colloquial language
Things in the town, shops and
shopping
Travel and services
C1
Adjectives and adverbs Futures (revision)
Future continuous Inversion with negative adverbials
Future perfect Mixed conditionals in past, present
Future perfect continuous and future
Mixed conditionals Modals in the past
Modals – can’t have, needn’t have Narrative tenses for experience,
Modals of deduction and incl. passive
speculation Passive forms, all
Narrative tenses Phrasal verbs, especially splitting
Passives Wish/if only regrets
Past perfect
Past perfect continuous
Phrasal verbs, extended
Relative clauses
Reported speech
Will and going to, for prediction
Wish
Would expressing habits, in the
past
Collocation Approximating (vague language)
Colloquial language Collocation
Colloquial language
Differentiated use of vocabulary
Eliminating false friends
Formal and informal registers
Idiomatic expressions
1
 A1 A2 B1 B2 C1
Functions Directions Describing habits and routines Checking understanding Critiquing and reviewing Conceding a point
Describing habits and routines Describing past experiences Describing experiences and Describing experiences Critiquing and reviewing
Giving personal information Describing people events Describing feelings and emotions constructively
Greetings Describing places Describing feelings and emotion Describing hopes and plans Defending a point of view
Telling the time Describing things Describing places Developing an argument persuasively
Understanding and using numbers Obligation and necessity Expressing opinions; language of Encouraging and inviting another Developing an argument
Understanding and using prices Requests agreeing and disagreeing speaker to continue, come in systematically
Suggestions Initiating and closing Expressing abstract ideas Emphasizing a point, feeling, issue
conversation Expressing agreement and Expressing attitudes and feelings
Managing interaction disagreement precisely
(interrupting, changing topic, Expressing opinions Expressing certainty, probability,
resuming or continuing) Expressing reaction, e.g. doubt
indifference Expressing opinions tentatively,
Interacting informally, reacting, hedging
expressing interest, sympathy, Expressing reaction, e.g.
surprise etc. indifference
Opinion, justification Expressing shades of opinion and
Speculating certainty
Taking the initiative in interaction Responding to counterarguments
Synthesizing, evaluating, glossing Speculating and hypothesising
info about causes, consequences etc.
Synthesising, evaluating and
glossing information
Discourse Connecting words, and, but, Linkers: sequential – past time Connecting words expressing Connecting words expressing cause Linking devices, logical markers
markers because cause and effect, contrast etc and effect, contrast etc. Markers to structure and signpost
Linkers: sequential past time Discourse markers to structure formal and informal speech and
formal speech writing
Linkers: although, in spite of,
despite Linkers: sequential – past
time – subsequently
Topics Family life Education Books and literature Arts Arts
Hobbies and pastimes Hobbies and pastimes Education Books and literature Books and literature
Holidays Holidays Film Education Film
Leisure activities Leisure activities Leisure activities Film Media
Shopping Shopping Media Media News, lifestyles and current affairs
Work and jobs Work and jobs News, lifestyles and current News, lifestyles and current affairs Scientific developments
affairs Technical and legal language

Source: http://englishagenda.britishcouncil.org/continuing-professional-development/cpd-teacher-trainers/british-council-eaquals-core-inventory-general-english