Let's see what comes to mind. Have a go — don't worry about mistakes.
They told each other their secrets.
We ran into one another at the airport.
Both use reciprocal pronouns to show the action is mutual.
Coffee cup, football player, mother-in-law
Compound nouns combine two words to create one unit.
It doesn't refer to anything real — it's just the structure we need in English.
We call this "dummy it" — it fills the subject position but has no meaning.
At B2 level, you need these structures to:
A reciprocal pronoun describes an action that two or more people do to each other — the action is mutual, shared, or exchanged.
For two people (or sometimes small groups).
Tom and Sarah hugged each other.
For larger groups (or more formal).
The team members supported one another.
Subject + verb + reciprocal pronoun
They wrote to each other every week.
The players respected one another's skills.
We don't see each other very often anymore.
Both reciprocal pronouns have possessive forms:
| Reciprocal Pronoun | Possessive Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| each other | each other's | They knew each other's dreams. |
| one another | one another's | The colleagues shared one another's resources. |
Listen to how I would describe a conversation:
"My sisters and I call each other every Sunday. We tell each other everything — our worries, our dreams, our achievements. We don't keep secrets from one another."
Notice: I used "each other" for the two examples and "one another" more formally at the end. Both work here.
After you answer, tell me: Did you choose "each other" or "one another"? Why?
Example starters: My colleagues..., The band members..., Close friends...
A compound noun combines two (or sometimes three) words to create a single unit of meaning. The result is a NEW word, not just a phrase.
Word 1 + Word 2 = Compound Noun (One Unit)
coffee + cup = coffee cup
water + bottle = water bottle
bus + stop = bus stop
notebook, football, bedroom, sunset
These feel like single, established words.
coffee cup, bus stop, swimming pool, living room
You'll see these most often in modern English.
mother-in-law, sister-in-law, father-in-law, well-being
Often used for family relations or complex concepts.
In English, compound nouns have a stress pattern — you emphasize one part more than the other. Listen to the difference:
CUP of coffee
Stress on the first word (generic).
BOOK on the shelf
COFfee cup
Stress on the first word (one unit).
SWIMming pool
VERB + noun: You stress the VERB (in compounds from verbs, stress the first part)
Examples:
Listen as I describe my morning:
"I woke up late, rushed to the coffee shop, bought a water bottle for the bus stop, and arrived at the office building just in time. My mother-in-law called while I was on the parking lot."
Notice: Each underlined term is a compound noun. They act as single units.
Example: "kitchen table" — Two words. "I eat breakfast at the kitchen table."
Now your turn: bedroom door
Dummy it (also called "empty it" or "anticipatory it") is an "it" that doesn't refer to any real object. It fills the subject slot but has no meaning — it's purely a grammatical necessity in English.
We need the subject position to be filled, so "it" fills it — even though "it" means nothing.
It's raining. | It's sunny. | It's freezing.
What does "it" refer to? Nothing — just English grammar. Weather doesn't have a logical subject in English, so we use dummy "it."
It's 3 o'clock. | It's Monday. | It's been ages since we talked.
We don't say "Time is 3 o'clock" — we use dummy "it."
It's 500 kilometers to Berlin. | It's only 10 minutes by train.
We use dummy "it" to state distance or time needed to travel.
Extraposition means moving a clause to the end of the sentence for emphasis or clarity. We use dummy "it" at the start to hold the subject position.
It's important to study hard.
(instead of "To study hard is important" — which sounds awkward)
It seems that we'll be late.
(instead of "That we'll be late seems..." — which is awkward)
It turns out that he was right all along.
Common verbs used with dummy it for emphasis:
Listen to a dialogue:
A: "It's raining cats and dogs out there!"
B: "It's only 2 o'clock. It seems we're stuck here for a while."
A: "It's going to be a long day. It's important that we stay calm."
Notice: "It's" appears five times, but each has a different meaning (weather, time, observation, emphasis, importance).
1. It's outside right now (weather).
2. It's since we last saw each other (time).
3. It's to arrive on time (emphasis/importance).
Two friends are planning a trip. Use reciprocal pronouns, compounds, and dummy it.
Friend: "It's 500 kilometers to the coast. We should tell each other our plans."
You: "IT'S A GREAT IDEA. IT SEEMS WE SHOULD MEET AT THE BUS STOP AT 7 AM. WE CAN BRING WATER BOTTLES AND SNACKS."
Friend: "It turns out I have to check my mother-in-law's schedule first, but then we can confirm with one another."
Tell me about two people (real or imaginary) who have a close relationship.
Suggested structure: "They met at [place]. They tell each other [what?]. It's important that they... It turns out that..."
Here are mixed sentences. First, identify which structure is being used (Reciprocal, Compound, or Dummy It). Then correct or complete each one.
Sentence: "The players on the football team respect each one."
Is this correct? If not, fix it.
Incorrect. Should be: "The players on the football team respect one another" or "...respect each other."
The correct reciprocal pronoun is "one another" or "each other," not "each one."
Sentence: "It raining heavily tomorrow."
Fix this sentence.
Corrected: "It will be raining heavily tomorrow."
Dummy it requires a form of "to be" when describing weather. The verb "be" + verb-ing expresses future weather.
Sentence: "They helped each other to understand the complex coffee table."
What compound noun is here? Is it correct?
"Coffee table" is the compound noun (two words).
The sentence is grammatically correct. The meaning works: they helped each other understand a coffee table, which is made of glass and metal.
Without looking back, try to answer these questions from earlier lessons:
When we use "have been doing" (Present Perfect Continuous), what are we emphasizing?
Think about: duration? recent completion? current results?
Duration and ongoing activity. "I have been studying for 3 hours" emphasizes HOW LONG and that it's still happening.
Compare: "I have studied hard" (Present Perfect) = focus on completion. "I have been studying" = focus on the activity itself.
What's the difference between "used to" and "would" when describing past habits?
Think about: emotion? repetition? beginning and end?
"Used to" emphasizes the ENTIRE period (beginning, middle, end) and often carries emotion: "I used to play football" (I did, now I don't, and it matters to me).
"Would" is more neutral — just describing what happened repeatedly: "When I lived in France, I would visit the market every Saturday."
Both describe past habits, but "used to" has emotional weight and "would" is more factual.
What is a modal verb? Give me three examples and what each one expresses.
Hint: can, might, should, must...
Modal verbs express degrees of certainty, permission, obligation, or ability.
Speak for 2–3 minutes about a memory of working together with someone (or a group).
Example start: "It was five years ago when my colleagues and I worked on a big project. We would tell each other our ideas every morning at the coffee shop..."
At the start, we said you'd be able to work with reciprocal pronouns, compound nouns, and dummy it. Show me.
Reflect on this lesson. Which activity helped you most? What was confusing? What would help you remember these structures?
Which of these can you do now? Speak them aloud.
Keep an eye out for these structures as you read and listen to English. Notice:
Well done. You've expanded your B2 toolkit.