OLD EXAMS TRANSFORMATIONS

11 DECEMBER 2003
1- Anne´s dedication to her work has always been exemplary.
herself
Anne has always dedicated herself to her work in the most exemplary way.
2- The delay is a nuisance, but I´m sure Sam can solve our problems.
come
The delay is a nuisance, but I´m sure Sam can come up with a solution to our problems.
3- Henrik was very pleased to be selected for the team.
delight
Much to his delight, Henrick was selected for the team.
4- Yoshi wanted to make sure that everything was as it should be on the big day.
leave
Yoshi didn´t want to leave anything to chance on the big day.
5- The treasurer called a meeting to discuss the club´s finances.
purpose
The treasurer´s meeting purose was to discuss the club´s finances.
6- It may seem strange but the composer has no formal training in music.
lacks
Strange as it may seem, the composer lacks any kind of formal training in music.
7- I´ve never though of asking the hotel staff for advice about restaurants.
occurred
It has never occurred to me, to ask the hotel staff for advice about restaurants.
8- In spite of all my efforts I couldn´t persuade Soraya to come to the concert.
hard
No matter how hard I tried , I couldn´t persuade Soraya to come to the concert.

16 December 2004
1- My two brothers don´t trust each other at all.
complete
There´s a complete lack of trust/mistrust between my two brothers.
2- In his autobiography, the famous singer did not mention how his first teacher had influenced him.
reference
In his autobiography, the famous singer made no mention to the influence of his first teacher.
3- If it rains, they will hold the concert indoors.
event
The concert will be held indoors in the event of rain.
4- It was a great surprise to us when Anna arrived punctually yesterday.
arrival
Anna took us by surprise with her punctual arrival yesterday.
5- The thing I´d like most would be to see Igor again.
more
There´s nothing I´d like more than to see Igor again.
6- The judge said that it was only because of the woman´s age he had not sent her to jail.
her
The judge said that had it not been for her age, he would have sent the woman to jail.
 7- As far as I´m aware, he´s telling the truth.
suppose
I´ve got no reason to suppose that he´s lying.
8- The weather forecast says it will probably rain tonight.
threat
The weather forecast says there is a big threat of rain tonight.

16 JUNE 2005
1- Everyone was surprised when the government changed its policy.
took
The government´s change in its policy took everyone by surprise.
2- Celia finally managed to buy her own house after years of saving.
did
Only after years of saving did Celia manage to buy her own house.
3- Nobody could have predicted how quickly the rumour would spread.
speed
The speed at which the rumour was spread could not have been predicted.
4- The sales director told his staff nothing about the new marketing post.
dark
The sales director left the stuff in the dark about the new marketing post.
5- Mrs Thomas seems to find the way her daughter behaves more a source of amusement than
embarrassment.
being
Far from being embarrassed by her daughter behavior, Mrs Thomas seems to be amused by it.
6- The head teacher is well known for his reliability and dedication.
reputed
The head teacher is reputed to be a reliable and dedicated person.
7- Without access to the statistics, I won´t be able to complete the report.
hold
Unless I can get hold of statistics, I won´t be able to complete the report.
8- The athletes trained hard because they wanted to make the Olympic team.
hope
The athletes trained hard with the hope of making the Olympic team.

15 DECEMBER 2005
1- Everyone could see that Louisa was disappointed not to win the prize.
apparent
Louisa´s dissapointement at not winning the prize was apparent to everyone.
2- The little girl couldn´t stop looking at the birthday cake displayed in the shop window.
eyes
The little girl couldn´t take her eyes off the birthday cake displayed in the shop window.
3- I ought to have bought a new car rather than a second-hand one.
better
It would have been better if I had bought a new car rather than a second-hand one.
4- I´m not responsible for telling Mark to buy Jane a present.
up
It´s up to Mark wheather to buy jane a present.
5- Exchange rates can fluctuate at this time of the year.
subject
Exchange rates are subject of fluctuation at this time of the year.
6- It´s impossible to predict how long it will take to do this job.
telling
There is no point in telling how long this job will take.
7- Since there was no better candidate we preferred the job to Roberto.
absence
In absence of a better candidate, Roberto was offered the job.
8- We are expecting the boss to resign next month.
hand
It is expected that the boss will hand in his resignation next month.

15 JUNE 2006

1- Not many people buy that particular product these days.

demand
There is a low demand for that particular product these days.
2- It is extremely important that company rules are observed.
utmost
Observation of the company rules is of the utmost importance.
3- Sooner or later, Michael will have to accept that he´s not going to win another major race.
terms
Sooner or later, Michael will have to come to terms with the fact thath he´s not going to win
another major race.
4- The film didn´t live up to our expectations, despite all the publicity.
short
The film fell short of our expectations, despite all the publicity.
5- The goalkeeper never once actually toiched the ball during the game.
point
At no point did the goalkeeper (during the game) actually touch the ball.
6- Although the Government has introduced new legislation, the transport crisis is growing worse.
brought
Although new legislation has been brough in by the Government, the transport crisis is growing
worse.
7- The plans for the new bypass were not popular with many people.
favour
Many people were not in favour of the plans for the new bypass.
8- In Pedro´s opinion he has no need to apologise to Nina.
why
Pedro fails to see why it is necessary for him to apologise to Nina.

14 DECEMBER 2006
 1- The idea that the document might not be authentic never occurred to Hailey.
crossed
It never crossed Hailey´s mind to doubt the authenticity of the document.
2- I was about to hand in my notice when I was unexpectedly offered promotion.
verge
I was on the verge of handing in my notice when I was unexpectedly offered promotion.
3- Berit earns far more money than I do.
deal
I earn a great deal less (money) than Berit does.
4- Although everyone expected Naomi to be angry at the news, she actually took it quite calmly.
expectations
Contrary to all people´s expectations, Naomi didn´t react angrily to the news.
5- Sonia is likely to win the art competition.
chances
The chances are high of Sonia winning the art competition.
6- I think it would be pointless to discuss the issue of leave entitlement further.
sense
I can see no sense in discussing the issue of leave entitlement further.
7- I was about to type up the report when there was a power cut
from
The power cut prevented me from typing up the report.
8- Ivor was leading the archeological team when the discovery was made.
time
The archeological team was being led by Ivor at the time of the discovery.

JUNE 2007
1- Do you mind if I watch you while you paint?
objection
Do you have any objection to my watching you while you paint?

2- Peter was annoyed to find his plane had already taken off.
found
To Peter´s annoyance he found that his plane had already taken off.

3- It is absolutely certain that Jeremy will come to the meeting.

shadow
Jeremy will come to the meeting without a shadow of (a) doubt.

4- As autumn drew nearer, the days grew colder.

onset
The days grew colder due to the onset of autumn.

5- Steve will go to any lengths to get the job of his dreams.

power
Steve will do everything in his power to get the job of his dreams.

6- Last week the show had to be cancelled as four members of the cast got flu.
down
 Last week the show had to be cancelled as four members of the cast came down with flu.

7- The shopkeeper never pretended that his produce was organic.

point
At no point did the shopkeeper pretended that his produce was organic.

8- Underestandably, Maria gets upset when nobody acknowledges the effort she has made or thanks her.
granted
Underestandably, maria gets upset when she is taken ofr granted and nobody thanks her.

9- During his presentation, Jack appeared to be very well-informed about the project.
across
During his presentation, Jack came across as being very well-informed.

DECEMBER 2007
1- Even though she tried very hard Samantha failed to get into the athletics team.
how
No matter how hard she tried Samantha failed to get into the athletics team.

2- It was the first time that Toby had been mountain biking.
previous
Toby had no previous experience of mountain biking.

3- I think you paid too much for the repairs to your bike.
got
I think you should/could have got your bike repaired more cheaply.

4- Arianna was told she would have to share her office with the new secretary until some other arrangement
could be made.
time
Arianna was told she would have to share her office with her new secretary for the time being.

5- Michael´s arrogance annoys me more than anything else about him.

annoying
What I find most annoying about Michael is his arrogance.

6- Pierre thinks the only thing he can do is buy a new bicycle.

alternative
Pierre thinks he has no other alternative than to buy a new biclycle.

7- Don´t assume that I´ll always be able to lend you money.

granted
You should not take it for granted that I´ll always be able to lend you money.

8- Funds are inadequate to pay for the concert to be put on.

cover
There aren´t enough funds to cover the cost of putting on the concert.
JUNE 2008
1- If the concert is cancelled, you will have the right to ask for a full refund.
entitled
Should the concert be cancelled, you will be entitled to request a full refund.

2- We should have left the car at home and gone by train.

better
It would have been better if we had travelled by train and left the car at home.

3- Jane was shocked by Karl´s angry reply to her question.

aback
Jane was taken aback by Karl´s angry reply to her question.

4- The judge had never seen such a faultness performance in gymnastics before.
so
Never before had the judge seen so faultless a performance in gymnastics.

5- Whether or not to oppose plans for the new leisure centre is the local residents´ decision.
for
It is the local residents´ decision for whether or not to oppose plans for the new leisure centre.

6- Oliver said nothing about what had happened the evening before.
mention
Oliver made no mention of the previous evening´s events.

7- If you have no preference, I´d rather go on Saturday.

same
If it´s the same for you, I would prefer to go on Saturday.

8- The last bus had gone so the only thing we could do was to walk home.
alternative
The last bus had gone so we were left with no alternative but to walk home.

DECEMBER 2008
1- “It was you who broke the window, I´m sure,” Tim said to me.
accused
Tim accused me of breaking the window.

2- Don´t let your concentration slip during the lecture or you´ll miss the main points.
pay
If you fail to pay attention during the lecture, you´ll miss the main points.

3- Given that he had had a serious injury two months earlier, Jack was really delighted to finish the race in the
top three.
delight
Much to the delight of Jack, he finished the race in the top three, despite having had a serious injury
two months earlier.
 4- The amount of praise the actress received from critics took her by surprise.
aback
The actress was taken aback by the amount of praise she received from her critics.

5- There is no chance that we wikk reach the summit before it gets dark.
of
We have little chance of reaching the summit before it gets dark.

6- I´ve only recently begun to understand how important it is to speak a second language.
appreciate
Only have I recently started to appreciate the importance of speaking a second language.

7- I´ve always said you should avoid making hasty decisions you´ll regret later.
rush
I´ve always said it´s better not to rush into making hasty decisions you´ll regret later.

8- To make the roads safer the council has promised to introduce pedestrian crossing near schools.
interests
The council has promised that in the interests of safety, pedestrian crossing are going to be introduced
on roads near schools.

JUNE 2009
1- The diners only complained because of the slowness of the service.
slow
Had the service not been so slow, the diners would not have complained.

2- It´s not John´s fault that we arrived late.

blamed
John should not have been blamed for our late arrival.

3- The last time I saw Bella was week ago.

anything
I haven´t seen anything of Bella for weeks.

4- The price of bread has risen over the past two months.
now
Bread now cost more than it did two months ago.

5- Unless you can think of a new idea, the project is likely to be cancelled.
come
You´re going to have to come up with a new idea or the project is likely to be cancelled.

6- I´m not given to being critical.

nature
It´s not in my nature to be critical.
 7- It seems likely that the security guard did not realize the back gate was open.
been
The security guard appears to have not been able to realize that the back gate was open.

8- Cathy didn´t imagine for one moment that her boss was swindling the company.
did
Not for one moment did Cathy imagine that her boss was swindling the company.

MOCK 2013
25- It´s is impossible to predict how long it will take to do this job.
telling
There is no telling how long this job will take.

26- Not many people buy that particular product these days.
demand
There is a little demand for that particular product these days.

27- For me, his skill as a negotiator was most impressive.

how
I was most impressed by how skillful a negotiator he was.

28- Nobody expected Natalia resign.

came
Natalia´s resignation came as a big surprise to everyone.

29- The area was completely devoid of vegetation.

whatsoever
There was no vegetation whatsoever in the area.

30- When he was at his most successful the President had enormous influence.
height
At the height of his success , the President had enormous influence.

CAE TESTS

TEST 1
43- I´ve just noticed that the car has almost run out of petrol.
hardly
I´ve just noticed that there´s hardly any petrol left in the car.

44- I didn´t know that cars were so expensive in this country.

idea
I had no idea that cars cost so much in this country.

45- Don´t get depressed because of such a small problem.

let
It´s such a small problem that you shouldn´t let it get you down.
46- It is reported that he is now recovering in hospital.
recovery
He is reported to be making a great recovery in hospital now.

47- Laura´s teacher says that she doesn´t have a serious enough attitude to her work.
seriously
Laura doesn´t take her work seriously enough according to her teacher.

48- He lost his job because he couldn´t do what was required.

inability
He lost his job because of his inability to do what was required.

49- I haven´t got the energy to argue with you.

bothered
I won’t be bothered to have an argument with you.

50- What´s confusing you so much?

lot
What is it that´s causing you so much confusion?

TEST 2
43- It took me some time to understand fully what happened.
while
It was after a while that I fully understood what had happened.

44- There´s no point in arguing about this small detail, in my opinion.

worth
This small detail isn´t worth arguing about, in my opinion.

45- If you order is delayed, we will contact you.

delay
Should there be a delay to your order, we will contact you.

46- He didn´t try to help me at all.

effort
He made no effort to offer me any help at all.

47- The two situations are completely different.

common
The two situations don´t have nothing in common with each other.

48- Can I speak to you privately for a few minutes.

word
Can I have a private word with you for a few minutes?

49-I was amazed because there were no problems throughout the holiday.
went
To my amazement nothing went wrong throughout the holiday.

50- I have no intention of doing another kind of job.

dream
I don´t dream of doing any other kind of job.
TEST 3
43- I´ve been too busy to answer my emails, but I´ll do it soon.
round
I couldn´t get round to answering my emails yet, But I´ll do it soon.

44- This computer is useless to me, so you can have it.

use
This computer is of no use to me, so you can have it.

45- It´s nearly lunchtime, so would you like to eat something?

feel
It´s nearly lunchtime, so so you feel like having something to eat?

46- The ambulance came eithin minutes.

matter
It was a matter of minutes before the ambulance came.

47-Experts say that things are bound to improve.

doubt
Experts say that there is no doubt that things will get better.

48- Jake was the person who started my interest in collecting pottery.
got
It was thanks to Jack I got my interest in collecting pottery.

49- He really wanted to impress the interviewers.

desperate
He was desperate to give the interviewers a good impression.

50- Because he was injured he couldn´t play in the next game.

prevented
His injury prevented him from playing in the next game.

TEST 4
43- Can anyone solve this problem?
come
Can anyone come up with a solution to this problem?

44- I´m sure you´re wondering why I haven´t contacted you for so long.
has
You must be wondering why it has been so long since I contacted you.

45- Are you saying that I´m lying about what happened?
truth
Are you accusing me for not telling the truth about what happened?
46-He made a very quick decision and he didn´t think about the matter enough.
without
He made a very quick decision without giving enough thought to the matter.

47- Recently, the number of people who are out of work has gone down.
decrease
Recently, there has been a decrease in the number of people who are out of work.

48- It doesn´t matter how badly he behaved, you shouldn´t have been so rude to him.
however
You shouldn´t have been so rude to him, however bad his behavior was.

49- I really regret making such a stupid mistake.

only
If only I hadn´t made such a stupid mistake.

50- Why are the two figures different?

accounts
What accounts for the difference between the two figures?

Nina was driving the car at the time, but I don´t think the accident was her fault.
responsible
Nina was driving the car at the time, but I don´t hold the thought/belief that she was responsible for the accident.

Jack has such a vivid imagination, it is possible that he invented the whole story.
made
Jack has such a vivid imagination that he might have made up the whole story.

I had only just got home when the phone rang.

sooner
No sooner had I got home than the phone rang.

Although Karen and Mark have very different personalities and interests, they seem to have a good relationship.
along
Although Karen and Mark have very different personalities and interests, they seem to get along with one
another very well.

I hadn´t seen Martha for over 20 years, but I didn´t find it difficult
difficulty
I hadn´t seen Martha for over 20 years, but I had no difficulty in recognaizing her at the airport.

She is proud of being abke to write clearly.

ability
She prides himself on her ability to write clearly.

Once Dr Smithers had given us a clear explanation of the procedure, we were able to go ahead with the experiment.
explained
Once Dr Smithers had explained the procedure clearly to us, we were able to go ahead with the experiment.

The government has banned all exports to the country except for food and medicine.
exception
The government has banned all exports to the country with the exception to/ of food and medicine.
The islanders are proud of the cheese they produce and, they also like tourists to try the local honey.
take
Not only do the islanders take pride in the cheese they produce, they also like tourists to try the local honey.

I was grateful to them for letting me stay with them while I was in London.
appreciated
I really appreciated they put me up while I was in London.

She hated publicity so much that she never gave any interviews to the media.
her
Such was her hatred of publicity, that she never gave any interviews to the media.

We expected to be told, but in fact nobody explained why he left the company so suddenly.
departure
We expected to be told, but in fact no one explained the reason for his departure from the company.

During her illness, she realized that the only choice she had was to take early retirement.
alternative
During her illness, she realized that there was no alternative but for her to take early retirement.

The President had only just been elected when the opposition party called for his resignation.
voted
No sooner had the President been voted in than the opposition party called for his resignation.

I´m sure she would do an excellent job if she ever became head of department.
were
I´m sure she would do an excellent job were she ever to become head of department.

It is distinctly possible that I will get promoted in the near future.

of
There is a distinct possibility of my getting promoted in the near future.