Unit 9 Review

Welcome to the end-of-unit review for Unit 9. Over the last few lessons, you have been working on three important areas of English at B2 level. First, you learned how to make detailed comparisons between people, places, things and experiences, using both regular and irregular comparative forms and a wide range of intensifiers and mitigators. Second, you explored the third conditional — the structure we use to reflect on unreal or impossible past situations and to talk about the consequences that did not actually happen. Finally, you looked at registration: how speakers and writers adapt their grammar, vocabulary and tone depending on who they are talking to and the situation they are in. In this review, you will test each area on its own, see how they can be combined in a single piece of writing, and finish with a short self-assessment. The review will help you bring all three areas together and check that you can use each one accurately and fluently in your own English.

Comparatives let us describe how two or more things are different. With short adjectives we usually add the -er ending (cold → colder, fast → faster, nice → nicer). With long adjectives we use more + adjective (reliable → more reliable, expensive → more expensive). A small number of common adjectives are irregular: good → better, bad → worse, far → farther / further. To compare quantities we use more / fewer + countable noun or more / less + uncountable noun (fewer options, less time). We can also use the pattern as ... as to show equality (as comfortable as, not as cheap as), and the negative comparative form less + adjective for items lower on a scale. The strength of a comparison can be adjusted with modifiers, which let us say how big the difference really is:

The third conditional looks back at a past situation that did not happen and imagines a different result. Its pattern is: If + past perfect, would have + past participle. We use it to express regret, criticism, or to reflect on how things could have been different. We can also use it with could have / might have to express ability or possibility, and it often follows expressions such as 'If only ...' or 'I wish I had ...'. Remember: because the condition is impossible — the past cannot be changed — the result is also unreal. Compare the two real-world examples below: If I had booked the tickets earlier, I would have got a better seat. And: If she hadn't missed the train, she wouldn't have been late for the interview. In both cases, the past event is fixed, and the speaker is imagining a different outcome.

Registration refers to how formal or informal our English sounds, and choosing the right level of formality is a key B2 skill. In a formal context (an essay, a business email, a job application, a letter of complaint), we use full forms (do not instead of don't), longer words, and a more measured tone. In a neutral context (a school magazine, a presentation, a public review) we use a mix of the two. In an informal context (a message to a friend, a chat, a social-media post), we use contractions, phrasal verbs and casual vocabulary. The same idea can be expressed in many different ways depending on the audience, and choosing the right one can change how the message is received.

Writing task: Write a short review (around 180–220 words) comparing two options — for example, two restaurants, two apps, two travel destinations or two films. In your review, include at least three comparative structures and at least one third conditional sentence to reflect on what you wish had been different about the experience. Decide whether your review is for a travel blog (informal), a school magazine (neutral) or a professional trade publication (formal), and adjust your registration accordingly.

Using capital letters — Before you submit any piece of writing, check that every sentence and every proper noun (name of a place, brand, organisation, day, month, language) begins with a capital letter. In formal English, capital letters also mark the first word of a title or heading and the pronoun 'I'.

You are writing a formal email to a hotel manager to request a refund. Which sentence is most appropriate for this audience?

PREPARE — Before you write, gather your ideas. Make two short lists: one with the positive points of Option A and one with the positive points of Option B. Then add a third list: what you wish had been different (third conditional ideas). Finally, choose your audience — informal travel blog, neutral school magazine or formal trade publication — and note two or three features of that registration you will use (for example, contractions and phrasal verbs for informal; full forms and longer words for formal).

WRITE — Draft your review (180–220 words). Aim to include: a clear introduction naming the two options you are comparing; at least three different comparative structures (for example, much better than, far more popular, slightly cheaper); at least one third conditional sentence reflecting on what could have been different; and vocabulary that matches your chosen audience (formal / neutral / informal).

REVIEW — Before you finish, check your work. Read it through once for content (Did I answer the task? Are my comparisons clear? Did I include a third conditional sentence?). Read it again for language (comparative forms, third conditional structure, registration). Finally, check the small things: every sentence starts with a capital letter, all proper nouns are capitalised, and you have a capital 'I' wherever you refer to yourself.