B1 Intermediate · Cambridge CEFR · British Council
Before starting this B1 course, you should be comfortable with A2-level English: present simple/continuous, past simple, basic future forms (will, going to), modal verbs (can, must, should), and a vocabulary of roughly 1 000–1 500 words. If you feel uncertain about any of these, review the A2 course first.
Welcome to B1 Intermediate English! According to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), a B1 speaker can "understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc." You can deal with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling in an English-speaking country, produce simple connected text on topics which are familiar or of personal interest, and describe experiences, events, dreams, hopes and ambitions.
The jump from A2 to B1 is one of the most important in language learning. At A2 you could survive; at B1 you begin to thrive. You move from isolated sentences to connected discourse, from mechanical grammar rules to intuitive usage, and from a 1 500-word vocabulary to 3 000–4 000 active words.
This first lesson serves as both a revision of what you already know and a diagnostic to pinpoint gaps before we move forward. Research from the British Council shows that learners who spend time reviewing A2 foundations before starting B1 progress 30% faster than those who skip this step.
Throughout this course we follow the Cambridge Assessment English framework used in the B1 Preliminary (PET) examination and the DELF B1 for Francophones. Every lesson is aligned to real exam tasks so your learning is both practical and certification-ready.
| Use | Present Simple | Present Continuous |
|---|---|---|
| Habitual actions | I work in London. | — |
| Now / temporary | — | I am working in London this week. |
| State verbs | I know the answer. | ❌ I am knowing… |
| Schedules | The train leaves at 9. | — |
| Changing situations | — | Prices are rising fast. |
French speakers often confuse these two tenses because French uses the passé composé for both. English makes a clear distinction:
| Tense | When to use | Example | Signal words |
|---|---|---|---|
| Past Simple | Completed action at a specific past time | I visited London last year. | yesterday, last week, in 2020, ago |
| Present Perfect | Past action with present relevance / experience | I have visited London. (experience) | already, yet, ever, never, just, recently |
| Modal | Meaning | Example | French equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| can / could | ability / polite request | Could you help me? | pouvoir |
| must / have to | obligation | You must wear a seatbelt. | devoir |
| should / ought to | advice / recommendation | You should eat more fruit. | devoir (conseil) |
| might / may | possibility (B1 focus) | It might rain tomorrow. | peut-être |
| will / would | future / conditional | I would like a coffee. | vouloir (conditionnel) |
The following 45 words are high-frequency at A2/B1 transition. Master them before advancing.
| English | Français | Pronunciation | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| achieve | atteindre / réaliser | /əˈtʃiːv/ | She achieved her goal after months of hard work. |
| although | bien que / même si | /ɔːlˈðəʊ/ | Although it was raining, we went for a walk. |
| apply for | postuler à | /əˈplaɪ fɔː/ | I applied for a job at the bank. |
| attitude | attitude / comportement | /ˈætɪtjuːd/ | His positive attitude helped the team succeed. |
| benefit | avantage / bénéfice | /ˈbenɪfɪt/ | Exercise has many benefits for your health. |
| challenge | défi / challenge | /ˈtʃælɪndʒ/ | Learning English is a challenge, but worth it. |
| communicate | communiquer | /kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪt/ | We communicate by email every day. |
| confident | confiant | /ˈkɒnfɪdənt/ | She feels more confident speaking English now. |
| develop | développer | /dɪˈveləp/ | You need to develop your listening skills. |
| despite | malgré | /dɪˈspaɪt/ | Despite the rain, the match continued. |
| discuss | discuter | /dɪˈskʌs/ | Let's discuss the problem together. |
| environment | environnement | /ɪnˈvaɪrənmənt/ | We must protect the environment. |
| especially | surtout / particulièrement | /ɪˈspeʃəli/ | I love sport, especially swimming. |
| experience | expérience | /ɪkˈspɪəriəns/ | That was a great learning experience. |
| flexible | flexible / souple | /ˈfleksɪbəl/ | My schedule is flexible this week. |
| fortunately | heureusement | /ˈfɔːtʃənətli/ | Fortunately, nobody was hurt. |
| general | général / en général | /ˈdʒenərəl/ | In general, I prefer tea to coffee. |
| however | cependant / toutefois | /haʊˈevə/ | The test was hard; however, I passed. |
| improve | améliorer / progresser | /ɪmˈpruːv/ | Practice every day to improve your English. |
| include | inclure / comprendre | /ɪnˈkluːd/ | The price includes breakfast. |
| increase | augmenter | /ɪnˈkriːs/ | Sales have increased by 20% this year. |
| instead of | au lieu de | /ɪnˈsted əv/ | Take the bus instead of driving. |
| involve | impliquer / nécessiter | /ɪnˈvɒlv/ | The project involves a lot of research. |
| manage | réussir à / gérer | /ˈmænɪdʒ/ | Did you manage to finish the report? |
| mention | mentionner / signaler | /ˈmenʃən/ | She didn't mention the meeting. |
| moreover | de plus / par ailleurs | /mɔːˈrəʊvə/ | It's cheap; moreover, it's very effective. |
| necessary | nécessaire | /ˈnesəsəri/ | Is it necessary to register in advance? |
| obvious | évident / manifeste | /ˈɒbviəs/ | It's obvious that he's tired. |
| opportunity | opportunité / occasion | /ˌɒpəˈtjuːnɪti/ | This is a great opportunity to practise. |
| organise | organiser | /ˈɔːɡənaɪz/ | Can you organise the meeting for Friday? |
| particularly | particulièrement | /pəˈtɪkjələli/ | I'm not particularly fond of spicy food. |
| progress | progrès / avancer | /ˈprəʊɡres/ | Your English is making great progress! |
| provide | fournir / offrir | /prəˈvaɪd/ | The school provides all materials. |
| recent | récent | /ˈriːsənt/ | Have you seen any recent news about this? |
| refer to | se référer à / désigner | /rɪˈfɜː tuː/ | Please refer to the user guide. |
| require | exiger / nécessiter | /rɪˈkwaɪə/ | The job requires excellent communication skills. |
| responsible | responsable | /rɪˈspɒnsɪbəl/ | Who is responsible for this decision? |
| similar | similaire / semblable | /ˈsɪmɪlə/ | English and French have similar vocabulary. |
| suggest | suggérer / proposer | /səˈdʒest/ | I suggest we meet on Monday. |
| therefore | donc / par conséquent | /ˈðeəfɔː/ | It rained, therefore the match was cancelled. |
| throughout | tout au long de | /θruːˈaʊt/ | She worked hard throughout the year. |
| unless | à moins que | /ənˈles/ | Don't leave unless you have permission. |
| variety | variété / choix | /vəˈraɪəti/ | There's a wide variety of topics to choose from. |
| whereas | alors que / tandis que | /weərˈæz/ | I like coffee, whereas she prefers tea. |
Alex: Hi, I'm Alex. I've just started working here — I joined last Monday.
Salut, je suis Alex. Je viens de commencer à travailler ici — j'ai rejoint lundi dernier.
Sarah: Welcome! I'm Sarah. How are you finding it so far?
Bienvenue ! Je suis Sarah. Comment tu trouves ça jusqu'ici ?
Alex: It's going well, although I'm still getting used to everything. There's a lot to learn.
Ça se passe bien, même si je dois encore m'habituer à tout. Il y a beaucoup à apprendre.
Sarah: Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it. If you need any help, just ask me.
Ne t'inquiète pas, tu vas t'en sortir. Si tu as besoin d'aide, demande-moi.
Alex: That's really kind of you. I might take you up on that! What's the best way to improve quickly?
C'est vraiment gentil de ta part. Je vais peut-être accepter ! Quelle est la meilleure façon de progresser rapidement ?
Sarah: In my experience, just ask questions and don't be afraid of making mistakes.
D'après mon expérience, il suffit de poser des questions et de ne pas avoir peur de faire des erreurs.
Teacher: Tell me about your English learning journey. How long have you been studying?
Parlez-moi de votre apprentissage de l'anglais. Depuis combien de temps étudiez-vous ?
Student: I've been studying English for about four years, but I haven't practised much recently.
J'étudie l'anglais depuis environ quatre ans, mais je n'ai pas beaucoup pratiqué récemment.
Teacher: What do you find most challenging? Speaking, writing, listening, or reading?
Qu'est-ce que vous trouvez le plus difficile ? Parler, écrire, écouter ou lire ?
Student: Definitely listening — when people speak fast, I lose track of what they're saying.
Clairement l'écoute — quand les gens parlent vite, je perds le fil de ce qu'ils disent.
Teacher: That's very common. What topics are you most interested in discussing in English?
C'est très courant. Quels sujets vous intéressent le plus pour discuter en anglais ?
Student: I'd like to be able to talk about current events, travel, and also use English at work.
J'aimerais pouvoir parler de l'actualité, des voyages, et aussi utiliser l'anglais au travail.
A: So, what's your main goal for this B1 course?
Alors, quel est votre objectif principal pour ce cours B1 ?
B: I want to pass the Cambridge B1 Preliminary exam by the end of the year.
Je veux réussir l'examen Cambridge B1 Preliminary d'ici la fin de l'année.
A: That's an excellent goal! Have you already done any practice tests?
C'est un excellent objectif ! Avez-vous déjà fait des tests d'entraînement ?
B: Not yet. I'm hoping to start once I've reviewed the main grammar points.
Pas encore. J'espère commencer une fois que j'aurai révisé les principaux points de grammaire.
A: Good plan! Consistent daily practice is the key. Even 20 minutes a day makes a huge difference.
Bon plan ! Une pratique quotidienne régulière est la clé. Même 20 minutes par jour font une énorme différence.
Choose the correct form:
Use: might, should, must, can't, could
Write 80–100 words about your English learning experience. Answer these questions: How long have you studied English? What have you found most difficult? What do you hope to achieve at B1?
Example opening: "I have been studying English for [X] years. During that time, I have…"
| Mistake (à éviter) | Correction | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| ❌ I am here since 2020. | ✅ I have been here since 2020. | English uses present perfect, not present simple, for ongoing situations starting in the past. |
| ❌ I have arrived yesterday. | ✅ I arrived yesterday. | 'Yesterday' = specific past time → past simple only. |
| ❌ She is knowing the answer. | ✅ She knows the answer. | State verbs (know, like, believe, have) are not used in continuous tenses. |
| ❌ I am agree with you. | ✅ I agree with you. | 'Agree' is a verb, not an adjective — no 'be' needed. |
| ❌ He suggested to go. | ✅ He suggested going. | 'Suggest' is followed by a gerund (-ing), not an infinitive. |
According to Cambridge Assessment English, learners who take a diagnostic test before starting a new level achieve better results because they can focus on their specific weak areas rather than reviewing everything equally. The B1 Preliminary examination tests all four skills — reading, writing, listening, and speaking — and requires approximately 500–600 hours of study from absolute beginner level.
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