B1 grammar — task types, strategies, and examples
This exam section checks whether you can recognize and use the grammatical forms needed to express intentions and communicate in topics and situations typical of B1. The grammar and syntax catalogue in the examination standards defines the required scope.
B1 does not require completely error-free language. Individual mistakes in speech or writing are acceptable if the listener or reader can still understand the message and its purpose. In closed tasks, however, you must select the exact form required by the context.
The guide below organizes the most common task formats. Choose a task type, try the original practice example, and only then reveal the answer and explanation.
How the grammar section is organized
- The module usually contains 8 to 11 tasks, which you may complete in any order.
- Exercises may be based on texts prepared for the exam or on authentic materials.
- Vocabulary and grammar problems are adjusted to B1 level.
- A single operation may be worth 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, or 1 point, depending on its difficulty.
Three main task families
- Selection: choose the correct form or complete a text with words from a box.
- Transformations: inflect a given form, create a different word, or rewrite a whole sentence.
- Gaps: supply a missing part of a word or independently choose the entire word.
B1 · practical guide
From identifying the task to choosing the correct form
One page covers three task families and seven variants. Sections stay collapsed so you can return directly to the problem you need, while solutions remain hidden until you have tried the exercise yourself.
A universal three-step method
Whatever the format, do not begin by mechanically adding an ending. First establish the meaning and the relationships between words.
- 1
Read the whole context
Check the complete sentence or paragraph. Words before and after the gap signal the case, tense, aspect, or preposition you need.
- 2
Name the operation
Decide whether you need to inflect a word, create another part of speech, preserve the sentence meaning, or independently supply a word.
- 3
Read it again
Insert the answer and check agreement in gender, number, and person as well as the natural word combination. A quick correction costs less than a lost point.
Task type 1
Selection tasks
The correct answer is already among the options. Your job is to eliminate forms that do not fit the meaning or structure of the sentence.
Goal: identify the form required by the context.
Choosing one correct formChoose one of several versions of the same word or expression.Open the strategy and example
How to solve it
First find the word that determines the answer: it may be a verb, preposition, numeral, or noun requiring agreement. Then check the case, number, and gender of every option.
Try it yourself
Marta od dawna interesuje się ___.
Possible answers
Show the answer and explanation
Correct answer
Marta od dawna interesuje się fotografią.
Why?
The verb “interesować się” takes the instrumental case. In this case, the noun “fotografia” changes to “fotografią”.
Completing a text with words from a boxMatch words to several gaps; some may repeat and others may remain unused.Open the strategy and example
How to solve it
Read the entire passage before filling the gaps. Check fixed expressions, verb government, and prepositions used with place names. At the end, review the words left in the box as well.
Try it yourself
Word box
Rano pojechaliśmy ___ Gdańska. ___ południu spacerowaliśmy ___ plaży, potem usiedliśmy ___ ławce, a wieczorem odpoczywaliśmy ___ hotelu.
Show the answer and explanation
Correct answer
Rano pojechaliśmy do Gdańska. Po południu spacerowaliśmy po plaży, potem usiedliśmy na ławce, a wieczorem odpoczywaliśmy w hotelu.
Why?
Polish uses “jechać do miasta”, “po południu”, “spacerować po plaży”, “siedzieć na ławce”, and “odpoczywać w hotelu”. The word “po” appears twice, while “za” is not needed.
Task type 2
Transformation tasks
You receive a base form or a sentence and create a new construction. Depending on the instruction, the inflection, word formation, or entire sentence changes.
Goal: make the change while preserving the correct meaning.
Morphological and syntactic transformationInflect a word or phrase so that it fits the sentence.Open the strategy and example
How to solve it
Find the element that governs the form in the gap. For nouns, determine case, number, and gender; for verbs, determine person, number, tense, and the required aspect.
Try it yourself
Pomagam ____________________. (moja starsza sąsiadka)
Czy państwo ____________________, gdzie zaczyna się spotkanie? (wiedzieć)
Show the answer and explanation
Correct answer
Pomagam mojej starszej sąsiadce.
Czy państwo wiedzą, gdzie zaczyna się spotkanie?
Why?
The verb “pomagać” requires the dative, so all three words change form. In the polite expression “państwo”, the verb takes the third-person plural form: “wiedzą”.
Word-formation transformationCreate the required part of speech or degree of the word in brackets.Open the strategy and example
How to solve it
Check the function of the gap. A word describing a verb will usually be an adverb; a word describing a noun will be an adjective. A comparison may additionally require the comparative form.
Try it yourself
Ten hotel leży bardzo ____________________ od centrum. (bliski)
Ania rozwiązała zadanie ____________________ niż ja. (szybki)
To tradycyjne ____________________ danie. (Polska)
Show the answer and explanation
Correct answer
Ten hotel leży bardzo blisko centrum.
Ania rozwiązała zadanie szybciej niż ja.
To tradycyjne polskie danie.
Why?
The first sentence requires the adverb “blisko”, the second the comparative adverb “szybciej”, and the third the adjective “polskie”, which agrees with “danie”.
Sentence transformationRewrite the whole sentence according to the cue without changing its central meaning.Open the strategy and example
How to solve it
Mark the information that must remain: the agent, action, evaluation, time, and any object. Build the new construction with the supplied word and then compare the meanings of both sentences.
Try it yourself
Alicja dobrze zna język włoski. (mówić)
Show the answer and explanation
Correct answer
Alicja dobrze mówi po włosku.
Why?
The phrase “znać język włoski” can be replaced with “mówić po włosku”. The verb and form of the language name change, but the central information remains the same.
Task type 3
Gap-fill tasks
There is no list of answers. You complete a part of a word or independently supply the entire word indicated by the grammar and meaning of the text.
Goal: recreate the form without ready-made prompts.
Partial gapsAdd a missing prefix, suffix, ending, or another part of a word.Open the strategy and example
How to solve it
Combine the visible part of the word with the information in the sentence. Pay attention to verb person and tense, noun case, and the spelling of the complete form.
Try it yourself
Po spotkaniu wróci__śmy do biura i przygotowa__śmy krótką notatkę.
Szukamy spokojnego miejsc__ do nauki.
Show the answer and explanation
Correct answer
Po spotkaniu wróciliśmy do biura i przygotowaliśmy krótką notatkę.
Szukamy spokojnego miejsca do nauki.
Why?
Both verbs describe a group in the past tense, so the missing segment is “li”. The verb “szukać” requires the genitive, making “miejsca” the correct form.
Complete gapsSupply the entire word yourself; context determines both its meaning and form.Open the strategy and example
How to solve it
First identify the missing sentence element: verb, preposition, pronoun, or linking word. Then check common word combinations and match the form to the person, number, tense, and surrounding words.
Try it yourself
Moja kuzynka ________ w Lublinie, ________ dwadzieścia osiem lat i ________ w bibliotece.
Show the answer and explanation
Correct answer
Moja kuzynka mieszka w Lublinie, ma dwadzieścia osiem lat i pracuje w bibliotece.
Why?
The context activates three common constructions: “mieszkać w mieście”, “mieć ileś lat”, and “pracować w jakimś miejscu”. All verbs are in the third-person singular.
Check before submitting your paper
After completing all tasks, return to the gaps you marked as uncertain and run through this short review.
- Does the answer follow the exact instruction and, in a transformation, preserve the meaning?
- Do the noun, adjective, pronoun, and numeral agree in case, gender, and number?
- Does the verb match the person, number, tense, and aspect?
- Does the preposition take the correct case?
- After inserting the answer, is the whole sentence natural and logical?
- Have you completed every gap, including those in a longer passage?
How to prepare effectively
Begin with the official catalogue of B1 grammar topics. Mark the areas you can already use and those where you still need prompts; this gives you a realistic study plan.
A coursebook will help you organize rules and complete introductory exercises, but it is worth adding a practical grammar book and B1 exercise collections. Practise the same problem in several formats, because knowing a rule does not always mean using it quickly in a sentence.
Keep a short error log. Write down the full corrected sentence, the name of the grammar point, and a second example of your own. Return to the notes after several days and check whether you can recreate the form without help.