THEME: SENTENCE TRANSFORMATION

Rewrite the sentences with the given words or beginning in such a way that their meanings remain
unchanged.
1. The police arrived as the thieves were committing the crime. RED-HANDED
→ The thieves were caught red-handed by the police
Or: The police caught the thieves red-handed.
2. They arrived at their destination alive and kicking. SOUND
→ They arrived at their destination safe and sound.
3. My jewelry has been stolen! OFF
→ My jewelry has been ripped off!
4. This is the first time I've seen her in my life. SET
→ I have never set eyes on her before.
5. It's unlikely he'll be picked for the Olympic swimming team. CHANCES
→ His chances of being picked for the Olympic swimming team are slim/ poor.
6. He is different from his brother in almost all respects. BEARS
→ He bears little/ hardly any resemblance to his brother.
7. Andrew doesn't claim to have a lot of musical talent. PRETENCE
→Andrew doesn’t make any pretence to/ of having a lot of musical talent.
Or: Andrew make no pretence to/ of having a lot of musical talent.
8. We were lucky to find somewhere to park so quickly. STROKE
→ It was a stroke of luck that we find somewhere to park so quickly.
Or: Finding somewhere to park so quickly was a stroke of luck.
9. I wonder where Harry is now –I haven't seen him for years. BECOME
→I wonder what has become of Harry, I haven't seen him for years.
10. This is a subject that Jack and I disagree about. EYE
→ I don’t see eye to eye with Jack about this subject
Or→ This is a subject that Jack and I don’t see eye to eye on.
Or: Jack and I don’t see eye to eye on this subject.
11. I'll have to consider working abroad if an opportunity doesn't arise here soon. (near)
→ Unless an opportunity presents………itself (to me) in / within the near…………. future, I'll have to
consider working abroad.
12. I wanted to make sure that all my good work wasn't wasted in that way. (waste)
→ I wanted to prevent all my good work from going to waste……….in that way.
13. I wasn't surprised to hear that he'd failed. (no) .
→ It came…as no surprise………………….to me to hear that he'd failed.
14. They haven't decided whether to sack him or not. (come)
→ They haven't ……come to a descision……………………………….about whether to sack him or not.
15. Peter has gone on a sailing course in spite of being unable to swim. (although)
→ Peter has gone on a sailing course …although he is not able/unable ……… to swim.
16. Perhaps no one will ever know what happened that fateful night.
→ What happened that fateful night may/ will possibly never be known.
17. She is almost certain to turn down your proposal.
→ I doubt… (very much) whether she will (agree to) accept your proposal.
18. No one stands a chance of beating Mansell in this year's championship.
→ It's a foregone conclusion that Mansell will win this year’s championship.
19. If he had done his homework, his parents might have let him go to the party.
→ If he had done his homework, he might… have been allowed to go to the party by his parents.
20. In the event, the extra insurance we took out wasn't necessary.
→ In the event, we...needn’t have taken out the extra insurance.....................................................
21. I never thought that I could win the first prize in this competition.
→It never......crossed my mind that I could win the first prize in this competition......................
Or: It never occurred to me that I could win the first prize in this competition.
22. He was such a bright student that he could solve all the math problems.
→So…bright a student was he that he could solve all the math problems…...
23. We were impressed by the new cinema, but we found it rather expensive.
→ Impressed..as we were by the new cinema, we found the new cinema / it rather expensive....
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24. They still haven't found out what caused the accident.
→ They have yet to find out what caused the accident.
Or: They have yet to find out what the cause of the accident was.
25. He denied the accusation unconvincingly, which made me think that he was guilty. (LED)
→ His..denying the accusation unconvincingly led me to think that he was guilty.
Or: His unconvincing denial of the accusation led me to believe that he was guilty.
26. My husband has had to earn the income since broke my leg. (BACON)
→......My husband has brought home the bacon since I broke my leg..
27. The teacher got extremely upset when she realized nobody had done the homework. (COW)
→.............The teacher had a cow when she realized nobody had done the homework......
28. Francis chose computing rather than marketing for his next course. (PREFERENCE)
→ Francis opted for computing in preference to marketing for his next course.
29. Being inexperienced was a disadvantage to her when she applied for promotion. (COUNTED)
→Her…inexperience counted against her when she applied for promotion.
Or: Her lack of experience counted against her when she applied for promotion.
30. My brother is deeply in love with his new girlfriend. (HEELS)
→ My brother is head over heels (in love) for his new girlfriend
31.The brochure gives hardly any useful information.
→Precious little useful information is given in the brochure.
32. I have frequently made stupid mistakes like that.
→Many's the time that I have made stupid mistakes like that.
33.Trudy was quite relieved when she found out the truth.
→It was something of a relief to Trudy when she found out the truth.
34.What put me off the idea was simply how expensive it was going to be.
→The sheer expense/ cost was that put me off the idea.
35. He didn't mention our previous conversation at all. (reference)
→He didn’t make any reference to our previous conversation
Or: He made no reference to our previous conversation
36. I don't feel like going to the party. (mood)
→I am not in the mood to go to the party……………………………………
Or: I am not in the mood for going to the party
Or: I am not on the right mood for going to the party
37. "Please don't take my money, it's all I’ve got," said the old woman to the intruder. (pleaded)
→ The old woman pleaded with the intruder not to take her money as it was all that she had.
38. My impression of her is that she is a very effective teacher. (strikes)
→ What strikes me about her is that she is a very effective teacher.
→ It strikes me that she is a very effective teacher.
→ What strikes me as (being ) a very effective teacher.
39. We never purchase small quantities as we would make less profit. (bulk)
→We never purchase small quantities as we would make less profit.
40. Nowadays goods are often acquired but not paid for immediately. (credit)
→Nowadays goods are often bought on credit.
41 "Can you give me a lift to school?" he asked his friend.
→He asked his friend.......if she could give him a lift to school............
42. I’m amazed by the mistakes you have made.
→What.......amazing mistakes you have made
Or: What amazes me is the mistakes you have made.
43. For further information, please send a self-addressed envelope to the above address.
→Further information can be obtained by sending a self-addressed envelope to the above address.
44. The northwest of Britain has more rain each year than the southeast
→The annual rainfall in/ for the northwest of Britain is higher than that in the southeast.
45. If anyone succeeds in solving the problems, it will probably be him.
→He is the most likely person to succeed in solving the problems.
46. These days, she is very cheerful. (SPIRITS)
→These days, she is in good/high spirits.
47. Carol claimed that she hadn’t understood my request. (MADE)
→ Carol made out that she hadn’t understood my request.
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48. There was no conclusion at the end of the workshop. (CONCLUDE)
→They did not conclude anything at the end of the workshop.
49. Life in the countryside was completely different from that in the city. (DIFFERENCE)
→There was a complete difference between life in the countryside and that in the city.
50. He watched videos all day. (ENTIRE)
→He spent the entire day watching videos.
51. Half the afternoon was spent on clay-modeling.
→Clay-modelling took up half the afternoon.
Or: Clay-modelling was timetabled for half the afternoon.
Or: Clay-modelling was scheduled for half the afternoon.
52. I heard her use those words many times.
→Many's the time that I heard her use those words.
53. Have you ever used gestures to communicate before?
→Is this the first time you have used gestures to communicate?
54. Please do not disturb the contestants under any circumstances.
→On no account should the contestants be disturbed.
Or: On no account are the contestants to be disturbed.
55. Your silly question distracted me.
→.You drove me to distraction with your silly question.
56. They were very keen to hear the president's speech. (EARS)
→ They were all ears to the president's speech.
57. I think you've been overcharged, old son! (OFF)
→ I think you have been ripped off, old son.
58. Your story is different from the facts. (TIE)
→ Your story doesn’t tie in with the facts.
59. I put a lot of care and attention into this letter. (TROUBLE)
→ I took a lot of troubles over this letter.
60. Because I believed his lies, he got a lot of money from me. (CONNED)
→ He conned me out of a lot of money.
Or: He conned me into giving him a lot of money.

61. She had her own reasons for not telling us anything about her past. (dark)
→As to her past, she kept us __in the dark for her own reasons.
62. If only I hadn't believed his lies ! (taken)
→I wish__I hadn’t been taken in ________________ by his lies !
63. The committee said there was no possibility of discussing the matter any further. (discussion)
→The committee said that further_( of the matter) discussion was out of the_________ question.
64. The stranded climber would never have been rescued if his brother hadn't had an ingenious plan.
(ingenuity)
But for the ingenuity of his brother’s …_plan, the stranded climber would never have been rescued.
65. Alison bought the big house because she wanted to open a hotel. (view)
→Alison bought the big house…with a view to opening…………….a hotel.
66. Don't eat so many sweets and you won't have to visit the dentist so often. (save)
→ Eating few sweets will save you (from) having to see the dentist so often.
67. A sudden downpour resulted in the postponement of the football match. (put)
→The football match had to be put off due to a sudden downpour….
68. The fact that he will never race again is something he cannot accept. (terms)
→ The fact that he will never race again is something he cannot come to terms with………..
69. From the educational point of view his childhood years had been well spent. (terms)
→In terms of education, his childhood years had been well spent ……………………..
70. I could tell by the tone of his voice how serious the situation was. (home)
→ The tone of his voice brought it home to me how serious the situation was ……………………
71. Nowadays, we refer to barber's shop as hairdresser's.
→Nowadays,…………barber’s shop is known …………….as hairdresser's.
72. Fewer people smoke these days.
→There has…been a smaller number of people who smoke these days.
Or: There has been a decrease in the number of people who smoke these days.
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73. I bet Ginolo earned a lot for that Renault ad.
→ Ginolo…must have earned a lot…………………….for that Renault ad.
Or: → Ginolo must have been paid a lot for that Renault ad.
74. Travellers consider themselves superior to those who lead a more sedentary life.
→Travelers look down on those................................... who lead a more sedentary life.
75. Certain factors are not given due consideration in your essay. (ACCOUNT)
→Certain factors are not taken into account in your essay.
Or: You fail to take certain factors into account in your essay.
76. I haven't realized what it means yet. (SUNK)
→ Its meaning hasn’t sunk into me yet.
77. His smooth manner didn't deceive us. (TAKEN) .
→ We weren’t taken in by his smooth manner.
78. The disagreement is a lot of fuss about nothing. (TEACUP)
→The disagreement is a storm in a teacup.
79. I could tell by the tone of his voice how serious the situation was. (HOME)
→The tone of his voice brought it home to me how serious the situation was.
80. All tenants must act in accordance with the regulations about guests. (COMPLY)
→All tenants must comply with the regulations about guests.
81. What exactly am I supposed to have done wrong? STAND
→ What exactly do I stand accused of?
82. Good colour sense is instinctive for some people. COMES
→ Good colour sense comes naturally to some people.
83. Don't ask him about the accident, he's upset already. STATE
→ Don't ask him about the accident, he's in the state already.
84. Everyone's saying the government is about to resign. RUMOURED
→It is rumoured that the government is about to resign.....................................
85. The senior students believe that they are old enough to choose which classes to attend. REGARD
→ The senior students regard themselves as (being) old enough to choose which classes to attend.
86. Since the company's methods were exposed in a newspaper, people have lost their good opinion of it.
The company has been into disrepute since its methods were exposed in a newspaper.... DISREPUTE
→ Since the company's methods were exposed in a newspaper, it has fallen into disrepute.
87. What really depresses me is this continual wet weather. GETS
→ What really gets me down is this continual wet weather.
88. We missed the bus because we had overslept. CONSEQUENCE
→ We missed the bus as a consequence of oversleeping.
89. She passed the word around that she was looking for a flat. KNOWN
→ She let it be known that she was looking for a flat.
90. They continued to suggest that I was lying. PERSISTED
→ They persisted in suggesting that I was lying.
91. So that he would be able to leave the room quickly, Mathew stood by the door. (positioned)
→ Mathew positioned himself by the door so that he would be able to leave the room quickly.
Or: Mathew positioned himself by the door so as to be able to leave the room quickly.
92. I haven't been told clearly what I will have to do in my next project at work. (required)
→ It hasn't been made clear what I will be required to do in my next project at work.
Or: It hasn't been made clear to me what I will be required of me in my next project.
93. In my opinion, it was an absolute miracle that they survived the accident. (short)
→ The fact that they survived the accident was nothing short of the miracle, in my opinion.
94. What gave you the impression that Sue and Jack were going to split up. (led)
What was……it that led you to think that Sue and Jack were going to split up………………?
Or: What was in which led you to beleive that Sue and Jack were going to spilt up?
95. I tried as hard as I could to make sure that his problem would not arise. (power)
→ I did everything within my power to make sure that his problem would not arise.
Or: I did everything in my power to prevent this problem from arising.
96. Robert was offended when he was left out of the team. (exception)
Robert took exception to being left out of the team..
97. I don't think it was reasonable of you to complain so much about the service. (justified)
I don't think you are justified in complaining so much about the service.
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Or: I don't think you are justified in making such a fuss.
98. Laura was faced by a lot of problems during her childhood. (contend)
Laura had a lot of problems to contend with during her chidhood.
99. The audience suddenly started to applaud loudly. (sudden)
All of a sudden there was a loud applause from the audience.
100. The film was so controversial that it was banned in several parts of the world. (caused)
Such was …a controversial film that caused its being banned in several parts of the world…
Or: Such was the controversy caused by the film that it was banned in several parts of the world.