Learn English B1 — express your opinions and handle real situations
B1 is where English starts working for you: you can hold a conversation on familiar topics, explain your opinions, and get through most everyday and work situations without preparing every sentence in advance.
Try the first unit freeHow long does this level take? 8-10 weeks
What does B1 mean in English?
B1 is the third of the six levels of the CEFR (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2) and the first of the “independent user” levels. In English, a B1 speaker understands the main points of clear, standard speech on familiar matters met at work, at school or in free time, deals with most situations likely to arise while travelling, produces simple connected text on familiar topics, and can describe experiences, events, hopes and ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.
In practice, B1 is where English becomes independent. You can follow a film or a news item on a familiar subject, hold a conversation without a script, write an email or a short account of your week, and explain why you prefer one option to another. It is also the level many pathway programs and basic roles ask for, and the step before B2.
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B1 vs B2: what actually changes
| Skill | B1 | B2 |
|---|---|---|
| Speaking | You cope with most situations and give opinions, reasons and short explanations, with pauses to find words. | You interact fluently and spontaneously with native speakers, and explain a viewpoint with advantages and disadvantages. |
| Listening | The main points of clear, standard speech on familiar topics. | Extended speech and most news, including less familiar topics, even when it is not clearly structured. |
| Reading | Texts on everyday and work topics, with the main ideas and events understood. | Long, complex texts on concrete and abstract topics, including technical articles in your field. |
| Writing | Simple connected text and personal letters about experiences and plans. | Clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects, such as essays and reports. |
| Grammar | The present perfect, first and second conditionals, the passive and relative clauses. | Third and mixed conditionals, “wish”, the passive in all tenses, past perfect and reported speech. |
Who needs English B1?
B1 is the level of independent everyday English. It is enough for several goals and not yet for others.
Everyday life abroad
At B1 you handle most daily situations on your own: services, housing, appointments, travel and conversations with neighbours and colleagues.
Some basic roles and routes
Some employers, foundation or pathway programs and basic visa routes ask for B1. Rules differ and change, so check the exact requirement.
The step before university and skilled work
Most degree programs and skilled jobs ask for B2, and competitive ones for C1, so B1 is the last independent step before them.
Learners who want a certificate
Cambridge B1 Preliminary is the exam made for this level, and some tests give a B1-range score.
Exams around B1
Several exams certify B1. The comparison with score scales is approximate and institutions set their own minimums, so always check the score you actually need.
Cambridge B1 Preliminary
A single exam built for the B1 level, covering reading, writing, listening and speaking.
IELTS
Bands of roughly 4.0 to 5.0 are commonly compared with B1.
TOEFL iBT and Duolingo English Test
Scores of roughly 42 to 71 on TOEFL iBT and roughly 60 to 95 on Duolingo are commonly compared with B1. TOEFL iBT moved to a 1 to 6 band scale in January 2026, with the 0 to 120 score shown alongside it for a transition period, so check which scale your institution uses.
Lerniyo’s B1 mock exam
At the end of the level, a mock exam in the style of IELTS and Cambridge covers listening, reading, writing and speaking. It prepares you, but it is not an official certificate.
Lerniyo's exam is built in the style of internationally recognized exams (IELTS, Cambridge) — it is not an official registration with any of those institutes. The Lerniyo certificate is a completion certificate for our own curriculum.
What you study in English B1: grammar
B1 grammar lets you talk about experience, make conditions and describe things and people in more detail.
- Present perfect and past simple
- “I have lived in Fez for ten years.” “I visited Marrakech last year.”
- First and second conditionals
- “If it rains, we will stay home.” “If I had more time, I would learn Spanish.”
- The passive
- “English is spoken in many countries.” “The report was finished yesterday.”
- Relative clauses
- “The woman who works here is my cousin.” “The book that I bought was cheap.”
- Used to
- “I used to play football every weekend.”
- Reported speech, the basics
- “She said she was tired.” “He told me he would call.”
- Gerunds and infinitives
- “I enjoy reading.” “I want to travel.” “She suggested going out.”
- Past continuous
- “I was cooking when you called.”
Mistakes to avoid at B1
- Using the present perfect with a finished time: “I have seen him yesterday”. It is “I saw him yesterday”.
- Putting “will” in the “if” clause: “If I will have time, I will come”. It is “If I have time, I will come”.
- Trusting false friends from French: “actually” means “in fact”, not “actuellement”; “eventually” means “in the end”; “library” is a place to borrow books, not “librairie”.
- Choosing the wrong preposition: “depend of”, “interested by”. It is “depend on” and “interested in”.
- Using “make” and “do” the wrong way: “make a homework”. It is “do homework” and “make a mistake”.
- Not moving the tense back in reported speech: “She said she is tired”. Usually it is “She said she was tired”.
A realistic study plan for B1
Lerniyo’s B1 track is planned as about 8 to 10 weeks at 15 to 20 minutes a day. That is only an estimate. A simple weekly rhythm:
- 1
Revise A2 and widen your vocabulary
Keep the A2 words alive with spaced repetition, and add words for work, news, travel, health and opinions.
- 2
Practise one grammar point a week
For example the present perfect, then conditionals, then the passive, each with short exercises and a few sentences of your own.
- 3
Listen to real English at your level
Slow news, learner podcasts, short videos with English subtitles. Listen once for the main idea, then again for details.
- 4
Write something every few days
A short email, a summary of your week or a review, and have it corrected. B1 is where writing starts to count.
- 5
Speak with Nour
Practise giving opinions, telling stories and explaining plans out loud. Making mistakes while speaking is how B1 becomes automatic.
What you'll be able to do after B1
- Hold a conversation about familiar topics without preparing in advance
- Handle most situations while traveling in an English-speaking country
- Write a simple connected text on familiar subjects
- Explain your opinions and plans in a few sentences
- Describe experiences, events, dreams, and hopes
- Follow a job interview or a simple work meeting in English
What you'll do every day
Vocabulary
Work, opinions, media, and everyday problems
Grammar
Present perfect, the first conditional, and reported speech basics
Listening
Natural-speed conversations and short news clips
Speaking
Share opinions and describe past experiences
Sample sentences you'll learn in B1
I've lived in Rabat for three years.
Present perfect with 'have lived' — for a situation that continues now.
If I have time, I'll call you tonight.
First conditional — a real, likely future situation.
She said she was tired.
Reported speech — 'was' shifts back from 'is'.
I think working remotely is more flexible.
Giving an opinion with 'I think'.
A short job interview
Can you tell me about your last job?
Can you tell me about your last job?
I worked as a customer service assistant for two years.
I worked as a customer service assistant for two years.
Why do you want to work here?
Why do you want to work here?
I think this role matches my experience well.
I think this role matches my experience well.
What will you learn in English B1?
- Present perfect vs. past simple
- The first conditional
- Reported speech, the basics
- Common phrasal verbs
- Describing experiences and opinions
- Job interviews and workplace English
- Travel problems and how to solve them
- Linking words: however, although, since
- The passive voice, the basics
- Modal verbs of deduction: must be, might be
Learn English B1 with Lerniyo
Most apps explain grammar using confusing jargon or a third language, adding difficulty on top of difficulty. Lerniyo explains everything in a language you actually understand, so you focus on English, not on decoding the explanation.
English B1: frequently asked questions
What does B1 mean in English?
B1 is the third CEFR level and the first of the independent user levels. You deal with most situations while travelling, talk about experiences and plans, give reasons and opinions and write simple connected text.
How long does it take to reach B1?
About 8 to 10 weeks of study after A2, which is roughly 5 to 6 months from zero with consistent daily practice, according to Lerniyo’s estimates.
What is the difference between B1 and B2?
At B1 you cope with most situations and give opinions with some pauses. At B2 you interact fluently and spontaneously, understand more complex texts and explain a viewpoint with advantages and disadvantages.
Is B1 enough to work or study abroad?
B1 is enough for daily life and some basic roles, pathway programs or visa routes, but most degree programs and skilled jobs ask for B2. Check the requirement of your target.
Which B1 exam should I take?
Cambridge B1 Preliminary is the exam made for B1. If your target asks for IELTS or TOEFL, take the one it names; B1 usually corresponds to the lower bands.
Can I skip B1 and go from A2 to B2?
Not without risk. B1 teaches the present perfect, conditionals and the passive, which B2 assumes. If you are unsure, take the free level test and start where it places you.
Can I learn English B1 in Arabic or Darija?
Lerniyo explains grammar and vocabulary in your own language, which makes B1 much easier to follow, and Nour gives you speaking practice with feedback.
Does Lerniyo replace the official exam?
No. Lerniyo prepares you with B1-style lessons and mock exams, but it is not an exam center. To get a certificate you must register for an official exam such as Cambridge, IELTS or TOEFL.
Keep going
After B1 comes B2
See B2