FCE key word transformations

was sorry for breaking

"I'm sorry I broke your window," he said. BREAKING He __________________________my window.

wish you wouldn't

Don't shout all the time, it's so annoying. WOULDN'T I ________________ shout all the time.

are you being served

Excuse me, is somebody serving you, sir? BEING Excuse me, __________________, sir?

what the time

Fiona wanted to know the time. WHAT Fiona wanted to know __________________ was.

so as not

Harry left early because he didn't want to miss the bus. AS Harry __________________ to miss the bus.

still can't speak

He can't speak Italian yet. STILL He _______________ Italian.

still hasn't turned up

He hasn't turned up yet. STILL He _____________________up.

succeeded in breaking

He managed to break the world record after trying twice. BREAKING He ___________ the world record after trying twice.

is a skillful tennis

He plays tennis skilfully. SKILFUL He ___________________ player.

to walk rather than ride

He prefers walking to riding a bicycle. WALK He prefers __________________ a bicycle.

is it since you moved

How long ago did he move to Canada? MOVED How long ____________________ to Canada?

long ago did they

How long is it since they met? AGO How ________________________ meet?

is bound to be

I am certain that Norman will be late. BOUND Norman __________________ late.

wish I wasn't (weren't)

I don't like being so tall. WISH I _________________ so tall.

get used to

I don't think I'll ever find it easy to eat with chopsticks. USED I don't think I'll ever ________________ with chopsticks.

sooner you didn't

I don't want you to buy me a present. SOONER I'd ____________ buy me a present.

six months since I smoked

I haven't smoked a cigarette for six months. SINCE It's __________________ a cigarette.

though I knew

I kept looking for my missing watch, but I knew it was no use. EVEN I kept looking for my missing watch __________________ it was no use.

so that it would get

I put the water in the fridge because I wanted it to get cold. WOULD I put the water in the fridge ____________ cold.

wish I had gone

I regret not going to university. HAD I _____________ to university.

time we went

I think we should go home. WENT It's __________________ home.

time we

I think we should leave now. WE I think it's _________________ left.

had better give up

I think you should give up smoking immediately. HAD I think you __________________ smoking immediately.

ought to have known

I thought that you would know better. OUGHT You __________________ better.

wish you were

I would like you to be here. WISH I __________________ here.

can't have been

I'm sure it wasn't Jim who did it. HAVE It _______________________ Jim who did it.

fastest car I have ever

I've never driven such a fast car! EVER It's the ____________________ driven.

prettiest girl I have ever

I've never seen such a pretty girl. EVER She's the _____________________ seen.

first time I have (ever)

I've never spoken to him before. FIRST It's the ________________ spoken to him.

I have to bring

Is it necessary for me to bring my passport? HAVE Do __________________ my passport?

found it difficult to connect

It was difficult for her to connect the new dishwasher. FOUND She __________________ the new dishwasher.

could hardly understand

It was difficult for him to understand the instructions. HARDLY He _______________________ the instructions.

could play

It would be nice to be able to play the piano. COULD I wish I _____________________ the piano.

wish we had

It's a shame we don't have a camera. WISH I _________________ a camera.

in order to save

Jane gave up smoking because she wanted to save money. ORDER Jane gave up smoking ________________money.

is used to working

Kevin doesn't mind working long hours. USED Kevin __________________ long hours.

marketing manager was appointed

Last Thursday we appointed a new marketing manager. WAS A new __________________ last Thursday.

is not used to travelling

My grandmother rarely travels by plane. USED My grandmother _______________ by plane.

would always give me

My mother always gave me a bath every Friday night when I was little. WOULD My mother ___________ a bath every Friday when I was little.

has been decided

No decision has yet been made. DECIDED Nothing ________________ yet.

hasn't been seen since

No one has seen Peter since the day of the party. BEEN Peter _______________ the day of the party.

used to live

Paul lived in Brazil when he was young. LIVE Paul __________________ in Brazil when he was young.

is believed that Jenkins was

People believe that someone murdered Jenkins. WAS It __________________ murdered.

is thought to be good

People think that an apple a day is good for you. TO An apple a day __________________ for you.

didn't eat

Please don't eat in the classroom. I'd rather ________________ classroom.

rather you didn't

Please don't open the window. YOU I'd __________________ open the window.

she is used to

Rosa didn't like English food at first but now she quite likes it. USED Rosa didn't like English food at first but now _____________ it.

you like me to call

Shall I call the office for you? ME Would _______________________ the office for you?

had difficulty absorbing

She could hardly absorb all the new information. DIFFICULTY She ___________________ all the new information.

had called before she went

She didn't go out until Philip had called. BEFORE She waited until Philip ________________ out.

before she hired

She didn't hire him until she had seen his references. HIRED She waited until she had seen his references _________________ him.

gets on well with

She has a good relationship with her colleagues. GETS She ________________her colleagues.

has been taking ballet lessons

She started taking ballet lessons ten years ago. BEEN She __________________________ for ten years.

has been knitting for

She took up knitting five years ago. BEEN She _____________________ five years.

was going to call him

She wanted to call him but she couldn't find his phone number. GOING She ________________ but she couldn't find his phone number.

is being supplied with furniture

Smith Ltd are supplying our company with furniture. SUPPLIED Our company __________ by Smith Ltd.

went shopping to buy herself

Sue went shopping so she could buy herself a new television. TO Sue __________________ a new television.

so tired that she

Susan was tired, so she decided to go to bed. THAT Susan was __________________ decided to go to bed.

broke out

The First World War began in 1914. BROKE The First World War _______________ in 1914.

too long for her to

The dress is so long that she can't wear it. HER The dress is _______________________ wear.

haven't seen Emily for

The last time I saw Emily was six moths ago. FOR I ________________________ six months.

is out of order

The lift isn't working;used the stairs instead. OUT The lift ________________; used the stairs instead.

were followed by the

The police were following the suspects. WERE The suspects ____________ police.

will take place in

The summit meeting will be held in Berlin. PLACE The summit meeting ___________________ Berlin.

in spite of the fine

The weather is fine, but my flowers haven't come out. OF My flowers haven't come out _________ weather.

was called off

They cancelled the match because of the hail. OFF The match _____________________ because of the hail.

first time they have ever been

They have never been outside Britain before. FIRST It's the __________________ outside Britain.

have lived in Rome for

They moved to Rome two years ago. IN They _______________________ two years.

didn't get up until

They waited until sunrise before they got up. GET They ____________________after sunrise.

time we went abroad was

We haven't been abroad for two years. TIME The last _______________________ two years ago.

time we started

We ought to start work now. STARTED It's _____________ work.

about the trip was put

We put up a notice about the trip on the notice board yesterday. WAS A notice __________________ up on the notice board yesterday.

this time last

We were in Venice a week ago today. TIME We were in Venice __________________ week.

won't go out unless

We won't go out if the weather is bad. WON't We __________________ the weather is good.

only we hadn't eaten

What a pity we ate all the food. ONLY If _______________all the food.

is it since she decided

When did she decide to apply for the post? SINCE How long ____________________ to apply for the post?

he would wake up

When he was in the army, he used to wake up at 5 o'clock in the morning. WOULD When he was in the army, ____________ at 5 o'clock in the morning.

was built by

William the Conqueror built the castle in the 11th century. BY The castle _____________ William the Conqueror in the 11th century.

is used for opening

You use this to open wine bottles. FOR This __________________ wine bottles.

to get your hair

Your hair needs cutting. GET You ought ___________________ cut.