SYLLABUS
OXSET A1
OXFORD SCHOOL OF ENGLISH SYLLABUS – Level A1
Grammar and Structures
VERBS
(Positive, negative, question, imperative, short answer and contracted forms)
Present Simple
Present Continuous (not with future connotation)
Can –permission/requests/ability
Have (got) – possession
Let’s go – making suggestions
Like + vb + ing
Would like + noun phrase
There is/There are
Past Simple – be, do, have, go, get – plus common regular “-ed” verbs
There was/There were
Be going to + vb (plans/predictions)
PRONOUNS
Personal (subject and object), possessive, demonstrative, interrogative
Impersonal “you”
ADJECTIVES
Colour, dimension, weight, mass, shape, quality, nationality
Possessive (including – ’s )
Demonstrative (this, that, these, those)
Quantitative (some, any. a lot [of])
Comparatives and Superlatives
CONNECTORS
And, but, or
ADVERBS
Frequency
Time
PREPOSITIONS
Location/Direction
Time (at/in/on)
Instrument (by/on/with)
DETERMINERS
A, an, the
QUESTION WORDS
What, Who, Where, When, Which, How much (price), How often
MISCELLANEOUS
Gerunds (-ing forms as nouns)
Me too
What + a/an
Note – Candidates for the OXSET A1 Examination will encounter forms additional
to these (e.g. in reading texts) on which they will not be directly tested.
OXSET A2
OXFORD SCHOOL OF ENGLISH SYLLABUS – Level A2
Grammar and Structures
All the Grammar and Structures of Level A1 plus
VERBS
(infinitives with[out] to; gerunds after vb. or prep./as subject/object)
Past Simple (regular and irregular forms)
Past Continuous simultaneous past actions/actions interrupted by past simple
Simple Future (will/shall)
Future forms (be going to vs. will)
Present Continuous as Future
Present Perfect (+ yet/already/just, never/ever, for/since/how long)
Passive forms (simple present and simple past ONLY)
be like + n phrase
like, love, hate, etc. + infinitive / + ing)
MODALS
Could (past ability) Could (polite request)
Would like to + verb phrase (e.g. I’d like to visit the USA”)
Must/have to (obligation) Mustn’t (prohibition)
Shall (offers/suggestions) Will (predictions)
CONDITIONALS
Type 0 / Type 1
ADJECTIVES
Quantitative (many, much, a few, a lot (of), all, every etc.)
Comparative and Superlative forms (regular and irregular)
Predicative/Attributive
(e.g. That idea’s interesting/That’s an interesting idea)
ADVERBS
Manner
Degree
Sequence
PRONOUNS
Relative (who/which/that/where)
MODIFIERS
Quite/very
CONNECTORS
when, where, because, if, unless
MISCELLANEOUS
Infinitive of purpose
What’s the matter?/What’s up?
How/What about + n or -ing (suggestion)
Go for a/an + n
Be good at + n or –ing
Note – Candidates for the OXSET A2 Examination will encounter forms additional
to these (e.g. in reading texts) on which they will not be directly tested
OXSET B1
OXFORD SCHOOL OF ENGLISH SYLLABUS – Level B1
Grammar and Structures
All the Grammar and Structures of Levels A1 and A2 plus
VERBS
Past Perfect Simple (narrative/reported speech)
Make + obj + vb (e.g. “Make him stop”)
Let + obj + vb (e.g. “Let him come”)
So/Nor/Neither + auxiliaries (e.g. So can I – Nor/Neither can I)
Want/ask/get somebody to do something
Verb + back (e.g. go back, pay back, give back etc.)
Passives – Present, Present Perfect and Past Simple forms
VERY COMMON PHRASAL VERBS
SIMPLE REPORTED SPEECH
Statements/questions/commands/requests (say/tell/ask)
MODALS
May/might/could + be (deduction/possibility)
Can’t + be (deduction/impossibility)
Must + be (deduction/certainty)
Should/Ought to (suggestion/admonition)
Have (got) to (obligation)
Used to + vb (past habits)
CONDITIONALS
Type 2 (including subjunctive of be – “If I were you”, etc.)
PRONOUNS
Reflexive and emphatic
Indefinite and Quantitative (some/any/no/every + thing/body/one/where etc.)
ADJECTIVES ending in –ed or -ing
PREPOSITIONS
Owing to/due to/like/as
To + ing (e.g. “I look forward to seeing you / hearing from you…”)
CONNECTORS
So that /( in order) to
so…that / such…that
although / though / while / despite / in spite of / even if / even though
As / since / so / therefore
Note – Candidates for the OXSET B1 Examination will encounter forms additional
to these (e.g. in reading texts) on which they will not be directly tested.
OXSET B1+
OXFORD SCHOOL OF ENGLISH SYLLABUS – Level B1+
Grammar and Structures
All the Grammar and Structures of Levels A1, A2 and B1 plus
VERBS
Past Perfect Simple (narrative/reported speech)
Make + obj + vb (e.g. “Make him stop”)
Let + obj + vb (e.g. “Let him come”)
So/Nor/Neither + auxiliaries (e.g. So can I – Nor/Neither can I)
Want/ask/get somebody to do something
Verb + back (e.g. go back, pay back, give back etc.)
Passives – Present, Present Perfect and Past Simple forms
VERY COMMON PHRASAL VERBS
SIMPLE REPORTED SPEECH
Statements/questions/commands/requests (say/tell/ask)
MODALS
May/might/could + be (deduction/possibility)
Can’t + be (deduction/impossibility)
Must + be (deduction/certainty)
Should/Ought to (suggestion/admonition)
Have (got) to (obligation)
Used to + vb (past habits)
CONDITIONALS
Type 2 (including subjunctive of be – “If I were you”, etc.)
PRONOUNS
Reflexive and emphatic
Indefinite and Quantitative (some/any/no/every + thing/body/one/where etc.)
ADJECTIVES ending in –ed or -ing
PREPOSITIONS
Owing to/due to/like/as
To + ing (e.g. “I look forward to seeing you / hearing from you…”)
CONNECTORS
So that /( in order) to
so…that / such…that
although / though / while / despite / in spite of / even if / even though
As / since / so / therefore
Note – Candidates for the OXSET B1 Examination will encounter forms additional
to these (e.g. in reading texts) on which they will not be directly tested.
OXSET B2
OXFORD SCHOOL OF ENGLISH SYLLABUS – Level B2
Grammar and Structures
All the Grammar and Structures of Levels A1, A2, B1 and B1plus plus
VERBS
(passive continuous forms)
Past Perfect Simple
Future Continuous
Future Perfect
Be (continuous forms) – e.g. “you’re being silly”
Indirect/embedded questions (know/wonder)
FUTURES – All Forms
PHRASAL VERBS (separable/inseparable)
MORE COMMON THREE-PART PHRASAL VERBS
REPORTED SPEECH
Simple and Continuous forms
Commands / Instructions
Other Reporting Verbs (insist/require/beg/warn, etc.)
Impersonal Forms (“Many people agree that…”, “It is often thought that…”, etc.)
MODALS
Past Modal Forms
Needn’t have done / didn’t need to do
Used to + vb (past habits)
Would you mind if I + past simple / Would you mind + -ing
would rather (not)
had better [not] (suggestion / admonition)
CONDITIONALS
Type 3
It’s time + Type 2
If only + Type 3
Mixed (simple forms)
Optative Subjunctive (e.g. “I wish I were…”, “I wish you would…”)
PRONOUNS
Each other/one another
Non-defining relative clauses
Note – Candidates for the OXSET B2 Examination will encounter forms additional
to these (e.g. in reading texts) on which they will not be directly tested.
OXSET C1
OXFORD SCHOOL OF ENGLISH SYLLABUS – Level C1
Grammar and Structures
All the Grammar and Structures of Levels A1, A2, B1 and B2 plus
VERBS
Past Perfect Continuous
Future Perfect Simple and Continuous
Future in the Past
Emphatic “do”
Present Subjunctive (e.g. “I suggest she be…” / “I recommend he do…”)
Formulaic Subjunctive (e.g. “Be that as it may…” / “Heaven forbid…” etc.)
Inversion (e.g. “Had she not done that…”)
Ellipsis (e.g. “You ready yet?” / “Sorry to keep you waiting.”)
Cleft sentences (e.g. “It was the butler who saw what happened”)
Pseudo-Cleft Sentences (e.g. “What you said is indefensible”)
Nominative/Dative Absolutes (e.g. “The exam [being] over, the students relaxed” /
“The guests [having been] invited, John started to lay the table”)
COMPLEX TWO – / THREE – PART PHRASAL VERBS
ADJECTIVES/ADVERBS
Order (when used in sequences)
COLLOCATIONS – Extreme Adjectives
Adjectives ending in –ed or –ing
Adjectives ending in –y (e.g. “It’s a yellowy-browny colour…”)
-ish/-ishly (e.g. “biggish/smallish” etc, “kittenishly/feverishly” etc.)
Compound adjectives
Adjectives formed with “n. +like” (e.g. cat-like/snake-like etc.)
MODALS
Present Continuous Forms
Past Forms (simple and continuous)
Expressions with wish / hope / regret
Would that it were / Would that she had etc.
Would (past habit)
PRONOUNS
Impersonal “one” (including “one’s”)
Double genitives (e.g. “That friend of yours…” / ”An enemy of the Doctor’s…”)
whom
Who / what / whom / where / when / how + [so]ever
Note – Candidates for the OXSET C1 Examination will encounter forms additional
to these (e.g. in reading texts) on which they will not be directly tested
