Practice FCE

COMPILED BY TEACHER FERNANDO CÉSPEDES SÁNCHEZ

Compiled by Lic. Fernando Céspedes Sánchez

USE OF ENGLISH: KEY-WORD TRANSFORMATION

Complete the second sentence using between two and five words including the word given. Do not change that word in any way.

KEY WORD TRANSFORMATION EXERCISE 1

1. May we borrow your ladder for half an hour?mindWould you ............................................................. your ladder for half an hour?

2. "I'm not frightened," he said; in fact, he was terrified.beHe pretended .............................................................................. frightened.

3. The Majestic is better than this hotel.goodThis hotel .................................................................................... the Majestic.

4. To enjoy travel, you must go on your own.onlyYou ........................................................ enjoy travelling if you go on your own.

5. You were very generous, giving us all that money.ofIt was very generous .......................................................... us all that money.

6. He was sorry he had asked the bank to lend him the money.wishedHe ......................................................... asked the bank to lend him the money.

7. I haven't owned a car for five years now.sinceIt is five years ...................................................................................... a car.

8. Why didn't you warn me it was going to rain?haveYou ........................................................................... me it was going to rain.

9. Heavy smokers are more likely to suffer serious illness than non-smokers.runsA heavy smoker .............................................. serious illness than a non-smoker.

10.Even though she knew she had to get up early, Mary still went to the disco.despiteMary still went to the disco ...................................... that she had to get up early.

KEY WORD TRANSFORMATION EXERCISE 2

1. The dog is wagging its tail because it is trying to be friendly.friendsThe dog is wagging its tail because it wants ................................................ you.

2. It is a good habit to save in case of hard times.asideIt is a good habit to ....................................................................... a rainy day.

Compiled by Lic. Fernando Céspedes Sánchez

3. My mother-in-law has invited us to share her house.movingWe ............................................................................. my mother-in-law.

4. His lack of interest surprised me.surprisingI ................................................................... that he showed so little interest.

5. I am sorry that I cannot come to the party.missI am sorry ............................................................................ the party.

6. It is pointless to carry samovars to Samarkand.pointThere .................................................................. samovars to Samarkand.

7. The path was so narrow they had to walk one behind the other along it.singleThe path was so narrow they had to walk ............................................. along it.

8. Small children are full of mischief.sortsSmall children get ............................................................................. tricks.

9. "Can you help me?" the old lady asked.couldThe old lady asked .............................................................................. help her.

10.When he was much older, he understood.untilIt .............................................................. much older that he understood.

KEY WORD TRANSFORMATION EXERCISE 3

1. Ken does not work half as much as he used to.hardKen used to work ..................................................................... he does now.

2. The experts thought that the cost of petrol would rise next year.expectedThe cost of petrol ......................................................................... next year.

3. Some people who start smoking find it difficult to stop.alwaysIt .......................................................... to stop smoking once you have started.

4. If he isn't careful, he is bound to end up in hospital.himHis carelessness is bound .............................................................. in hospital.

5. Because of his illness he could not work effectively.impossibleHis illness ............................................................. . him to work effectively.

6. Scotsmen will never give anything to waiters.tipNo ........................................................................................... waiter.

Compiled by Lic. Fernando Céspedes Sánchez

7. Mary said, I do not want to get married yet."ratherMary protested that she .................................................................. married yet.

8. Mothers must try hard to understand.bestMothers must ..................................................................... understanding.

9. The younger you marry, the greater the chance you will be unhappy.likelyThe younger you marry, the ........................................................ be unhappy.

10.I was wrong to argue with him.mistake.................................................................. to argue with him.

KEY WORD TRANSFORMATION EXERCISE 4

1. She had not bought so much for a long time.sinceIt was a long time ............................................................... much shopping.

2. Ken arrived there twelve months ago.forKen .................................................................................................. year.

3. If Mary hadn't failed her driving test, she wouldn't be unhappy.passMary is unhappy .............................................................. her driving test.

4. Rabbits used to be more numerous.notRabbits ............................................................................ they used to be.

5. His new book has been widely criticised.lotHis new book has come ............................................................ criticism.

6. His secretary updated the list.broughtHis secretary ............................................................................................ date.

7. I couldn't have managed it without your help.notIf ............................................................... your help, I couldn't have managed it.

8. Regular exercise kept him healthy.owedHe ....................................................................................... regular exercise.

9. He couldn't lend us the car because it didn't belong to him.hisThe car ............................................................................................ lend.

10. We were not surprised when he won.came

Compiled by Lic. Fernando Céspedes Sánchez

His winning .................................................................................... surprise.

KEY WORD TRANSFORMATION EXERCISE 5

1. It was difficult for the yachtsman to steer into the wind.gotThe yachtsman ....................................................................... into the wind.

2. I couldn't have managed without your help.beenIf it ...................................................... your help, I couldn't have managed.

3. We had just arrived when it started to rain.thanHardly .............................................................................. it started to rain.

4. He only did the work after he had been paid.didNot until he had been paid ..................................................................... the work.

5. The idea that the Scots are miserly is simply not true.truthThere .................................................. the idea that the Scots are miserly.

6. She was too busy to see us.soShe was ..................................................................................... see us.

7. It is quite pointless to complain.pointThere ................................................................................. complaining.

8. I've never met anyone who works as hard as he does.manHe is the most ............................................................................. met.

9. A long speech is unlikely to be interesting.littleThere ........................................................... a long speech being interesting.

10.It was difficult to hear the speaker from the back of the room.difficultyFrom the back of the room, we ...................................................... the speaker.

KEY WORD TRANSFORMATION EXERCISE 6

1. I don't really want to go out.ratherI ................................................................................................ home.

2. I did it entirely by myself.allI did it ......................................................................................... own.

3. You should not be so shy.speak

Compiled by Lic. Fernando Céspedes Sánchez

You should ................................................................................. yourself.

4. He has been in hospital for six months.wentIt is six months ...................................................................... hospital.

5. f only he had been taken to hospital sooner.pityWhat ..................................................................... taken to hospital earlier.

6. The doctors tried very hard to save him.bestThe doctors .............................................................................. to save him.

7. She was surprised to find there was little she could do.surpriseShe ......................................................................... there was little she could do.

8. Only Holland permits the smoking of marijuana.permittedThe smoking of marijuana ............................................................... Holland.

9. The salesman said he was sorry he was late for the meeting.apologisedThe salesman ............................................................. late for the meeting.

10.Our decision has not yet been confirmed by head office.confirmationWe haven't ............................................................................. head office.

ANSWERS

NOTE: YOUR SCORE: To be certain of an A grade in this paper, you need to score 80%; for a B grade, 70%; and for a passing C grade, 60%. Sometimes the exercises are rather harder than in the actual examination; occasionally, they are easier.

EXERCISE 101. mind our borrowing/if we borrow/lending us02. not to be03. is not as/so good as04. will/can only05. of you to lend/give06. wished he had not asked07. since I owned08. should have warned09. runs more/a greater risk of10. despite knowing/the fact

Compiled by Lic. Fernando Céspedes Sánchez

EXERCISE 201. to be/make friends with02. put money/something aside for/against03. are moving in with04. found it surprising05. (that) I shall (have to) miss, to miss06. is no point (in/to) carrying07. in single file08. up to all sorts of09. if I could10. was not until he was

EXERCISE 301. twice as hard as02. is expected to rise03. is not always easy04. to put him05. made it impossible for06. Scotsman will (ever) tip a07. would rather not get08. do their best to be09. more likely you are to10. It was a mistake/I made

EXERCISE 401. since she had done so02. has been there for a03. that/because she did not pass04. are not as numerous as/are less numerous than05. in for a lot of06. brought the list up to07. it had not been for08. owed his health to09. was not his to10. came as no

EXERCISE 501. got into difficulties steering02. had not been for03. had we arrived than04. did he do05. is no truth in06. so busy she did not07. was no point in08. hard-working man I have (ever)09. is little likelihood10. had difficulty hearing

EXERCISE 601. would rather stay at02. all on my03. speak up for04. since he went into05. a pity he was not06. did their best07. found to her surprise08. is permitted only in09. apologised for being10. had (received) confirmation from