Key Word Transformations Advanced Level 

TRANSFORMATIONS
Transformations 1

1. If it doesn't rain soon, millions of pounds' worth of crops will be lost.

 Unless it rains soon, millions of...
2. Although the team played well, they lost.
 Despite (their) playing well, …. / the fact that…
3. Galileo is considered to be the father of modern astronom.
 Galileo is regarded as the father of...
4. The only way you can become a good athlete is by training hard every day.
 Only by training hard every day can you become...
5. He speaks more persuasively than his brother.
 He is a more persuasive speaker than his brother.
6. He can hardly read at all. (virtually)
 He is virtually blind / illiterate.
7. He can speak French well enough to go to the conference. (fluent)
 His French is fluent enough to go to the conference.
 He is fluent enough in French to go to the …
8. I travel by bus only when I have no alternative. (resort)
 I resort to traveling by bus only when…
 I travel by bus only as a last resort.
9. Immediately after his arrival, things went wrong.
 No sooner had he arrived than things went wrong.
10. "I must see the manager!" he cried.
 He insisted on seeing the manager.
11. I had better get back to work.
 It's high time I got back to work.
12. The last time it rained was a fortnight ago.
 It hasn't rained for a fortnight.
 It last rained a fortnight ago.
13. He never has enough money.
 He's always short of money / hard up / broke.
14. Martin had difficulty in accepting the loss of his money. (hard)
 Martin had a hard time accepting... / found it hard to accept...
15. My father speaks very little English. (hardly)
 My father hardly speaks any English.
16. He said he was not guilty of stealing the car.
 He denied stealing the car.
17. I'm sorry now that I asked her to stay.
 Now I wish I hadn’t asked her to stay.
18. He never suspected that the money had been stolen.
 At no time did he ever suspect that...
19. I have never seen such a mess in my life!
 Never in my life have I seen...
20. If I were left alone, I'd finish the job quickly. (interrupting)
 If people didn't keep interrupting, I'd finish the job quickly.
21. The notice said that you could not smoke in class. (forbidden)
 The notice said that smoking in class was forbidden / it was forbidden to smoke in class.
22. My mother did not like my new shoes. (disapproved)
 My mother disapproved of...
23. Anne’s dedication to her work has always been exemplary. (herself)
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 Key Word Transformations Advanced Level 

 Anne has always dedicated herself to her work/job in…

24. The delay is a nuisance, but I’m sure Sam can solve our problems. (come)
 … Sam can come up with a/the solution/answer / the/some solutions/answers to….
25. Henrik was very pleased to be selected for the team. (delight)
 Much to Henrik’s delight/to the delight of Henrik, he was selected…
26. 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….
27. It may seem strange, but the composer has no formal training in music. (lacks)
 Strange as/though it seems/appears, the composer lacks any….
28. I’ve never thought of asking the hotel staff for advice about restaurants. (occurred)
 It has never occurred to me to ask…
29. In spite of all my efforts, I couldn’t persuade Soraya to come to the concert. (hard)
 No matter how hard I tried, …
30. The police had to let the suspect go because new evidence was produced. (light)
 The police had to let the suspect go, in the light of (the) new evidence produced.
31. The cost of building materials has gone up a great deal recently. (sharp)
 There has been a sharp/dramatic rise in/of the cost/price of …
32. Don’t let her relaxed manner deceive you; she’s an extremely shrewd businesswoman! (taken)
 Don’t let yourself be/get taken in by…
33. Unless the weather changes dramatically overnight, we’ll be leaving at dawn. (no)
 Provided (that) there is/are no dramatic change/changes in/to…
34. Werner found it hard to get used to the fact that he’d lost his job. (terms)
 Werner found it hard to come to terms with the fact that….
35. Simon does not intend to visit his aunt again. (has)
 Simon has (got) no intention of (ever) visiting….
36. They gave Despina the impression that she would win first prize. (believe)
 Despina was let/given to believe that….
37. Selena really has no idea of the difficulty of finding a parking place. (how)
 Little does Selena know/suspect/realise how difficult/hard it is/it will be to…

TRANSFORMATIONS 2 :

1. They had to wait for twelve hours before their flight left.
 Only after a 12-hour wait / delay of 12 hours did their flight leave.
2. He insisted on a full apology.
 Nothing but a full apology would satisfy him / was good enough for him / would do for him.
3. Their teacher is making them study hard.
 They are being made to study hard.
4. The band was just as good as we had expected.
 They certainly lived up to our expectations.
5. Even though I admire his courage, I think he is foolish.
 Much as I admire his courage, I think he's foolish.
6. "You don't appreciate me," she complained. (granted)
 "You take me for granted," she complained.
7. The man in that painting bears a strong resemblance to my uncle. (reminds)
 The man in that painting reminds me very much of my uncle.
8. Someone has stolen their bicycle. (had)
 He had his bicycle stolen.
9. After two hours the bridegroom still hadn't appeared. (sign)
 After two hours there was still no sign of the bridegroom.
10. The critics were impressed by her performance.
 Key Word Transformations Advanced Level 

 Her performance made a considerable impression on the critics.

11. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't find the answer to the question.
 Try as hard as I might, I couldn't…
12. When are the council going to do something about the city's traffic problems?
 It's high time the council did something about...
13. I didn't realise who he was until later.
 Only later did I realize who he was.
14. Given fair warning, I could have avoided that date.
 If you had told me in advance / beforehand, I could've avoided …
15. It is mu strong belief that John was responsible. (suspect)
 I strongly suspect John of being responsible / having been responsible.
16. He has good relationships with all his students. (gets)
 He gets on well with all his students.
17. His rude behaviour is too much for me. (put)
 I won't put up with his rude behaviour.
18. The meeting was well attended. (turned)
 A lot of people turned up for the meeting.
19. It was obvious that the old house was past its prime. (days)
 The old house had seen / had known better days.
20. "Let's go for a walk in the park, " said Andrew.
 Andrew suggested going for a walk/that they went for a walk/that they should go for a walk ...
21. I'm sure he didn't know that his brother was seriously ill.
 He couldn't possibly have known that…
22. The result of the match was never in doubt.
 At no time was the result of the match ever in doubt.
23. Most people know that Britain's economy is heavily dependent on North Sea oil. (common)
 It's common knowledge that…
24. I'd be grateful if you would check these accounts for me. (mind)
 Do you mind checking those accounts for me?
25. It's unlikely that the contractor will complete the work before February. (take)
 The work is likely to take until February.
26. The PM was determined to remain in office.
 The PM had no intention of resigning / giving up office.
27. The refugees continued to feel unsafe until they had crossed the border.
 Not until the refugees had crossed the border did they begin to feel safe.
28. There are more people out of work in this country than ever before.
 Never before have there been so many people out of work...
29. You must be on time for your interview. (essential)
 It's essential that you are on time…
30. Only if you work hard now have you any chance of success. (depends)
 Whether or not you succeed depends on your working hard. / Your only chance of success
depends on…
31. He'll settle down. Then his performance will improve.
 Once he settles down / has settled down, his performance will improve.
32. She complains far too often for my liking. (frequent)
 Her complaints are far too frequent for my liking.
33. I find his handwriting very hard to read. (difficulty)
 I have considerable difficulty in reading his handwriting.
34. It is said that he escaped to a neutral territory.
 He is said to have escaped...
35. In spite of the forecast it stayed fine.
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 Key Word Transformations Advanced Level 

 Although rain was forecast, it stayed fine.

36. We'd prefer you not to smoke.
 We'd rather you didn’t smoke.
37. Provided your handwriting is legible, the examiner will accept your answer.
 So long as the examiner can read your writing, he will accept your answer.
38. Without his help we would all have died.
 If it hadn't been for his help we would all have died.
39. He forgot about the gun until he got home.
 Not until he got home did he remember about the gun.
40. May I borrow your pen?
 Would you mind lending me your pen?
41. If the work is finished by lunchtime you can go home.
 Get the work finished by… and you can go home.
42.Although Judy was severely disabled she participated in many sports.
 Despite her severe disability, Judy...
43. That was my first time in Rome. (never)
 I had never been to Rome before.

TRANSFORMATIONS 3

1. The first candidate impressed the interviewers immediately. (made)

 The first candidate made an immediate/instant impression on/upon…
2. The area is completely devoid of vegetation. (whatsoever)
 There was no vegetation whatsoever (growing) in…
3. No matter what happens, we will never do business with that firm again. (ever)
 Under no circumstances will we (ever) work with that firm again.
4. The news that the Prime Minister had resigned came as a great shock to everyone. (aback)
 Everyone was taken aback by the news of the….
5. I’ll get ready before your arrival.
 By the time you arrive, I’ll get ready.
6. I’m afraid it’s much salty for me to eat it now.
 It’s so salty that I can’t eat it now.
7. He got into bed and immediately fell fast asleep.
 The moment he got into bed, he fell fast asleep.
8. There are bound to be problems whether you adopt one plan or another.
 Whichever plan you adopt, there are bound to be problems.
9. After the beginning of the opera, late comers had to wait before taking their seats.
 Once the opera began, late comers….
10. The only way for us to keep safe was to keep close to the guide.
 As long as we kept close to the guide, we were safe.
11. I expected the test to be easier than that.
 The test wasn’t as easy as I had expected.
12. You’ll be able to relax soon if we get there as quickly as possible.
 The quicker we get there, the sooner you’ll be able to relax.
13. It may look difficult, but it’s easy once you have the knack.
 However difficult it may look, it’s easy…
14. The plan may be ingenious, but it will never work in practice.
 Ingenious as it may be, the plan will…
15. We tried very hard, but we couldn’t talk him out of his crazy scheme.
 Try as hard as we did,…
16. This is the first time that TV has played such an important role in our lives.
 Key Word Transformations Advanced Level 

 Never before has TV played…

17. It’s unusual for the temperature to fall below freezing in the south of the country.
 Seldom does the temperature fall…..
18. If you obey the regulations, you’ll be permitted to fish in the river. (long)
 As long as you obey….
19. Taking the necessary precautions, you shouldn’t have any health problems. (provided)
 Provided (that) you take the necessary precautions,…
20. Your refusal to co-operate would cause immediate expulsion from the country. (should)
 Should you refuse to co-operate….
21. If we took effective action now, we could still save the rainforest. (were)
 If we were to take…
22. He can tell how much a picture is worth immediately he sees it. (glance)
 He can tell how much a picture is worth at first glance.
23. As far as I know she is still working for the same company. (knowledge)
 To my knowledge, ….
24. They don’t get on well with their neighbours. (terms)
 They are not on friendly terms with their neighbours.
25. I wanted to find a new job because I felt bored with my life. (rut)
 I wanted to find a new job because I felt (as if/though) I was stuck in a rut.
26. We couldn’t possibly sell this paining. (question)
 Selling this painting is out of the question.
27. When the theft was discovered, Mike was dismissed immediately. (led)
 The discovery of the theft led to Mike’s immediate dismissal.
28. Although I should have telephoned my boss today, I just didn’t have time. (supposed)
 I was supposed to call my boss today, but….
29. Bad weather led to the cancellation of the trip yesterday. (account)
 The trip was cancelled on account of (the) bad weather.
30. It terrifies me just to think about climbing that mountain. (mere)
 The mere idea of climbing that mountain terrifies me.
31. The opposition were just strong to beat. (such)
 It was such strong opposition, that it was impossible to beat them/they were impossible to beat.
32. I really don’t like when I have to work overtime. (object)
 I object to working overtime/having to work overtime.
33. She insisted that I had to leave immediately. (my)
 She insisted on my immediate leaving.
34. We only realised what had been happening after the accident. (unaware)
 We were unaware of what had been….
35. You have to book specially if you want to tour the Olympic stadium. (arrangement)
 You have to make a special arrangement if you….
36. He is the quickest learner I’ve ever met. (so)
 I have never met so quick a learner.
37. He was arrested when the police found the stolen painting in his home. (possession)
 He was arrested when the police caught him in possession of the stolen painting.

TRANSFORMATIONS 4:

1. Somebody will slash your car tyres if you park here.

 You will have your tyres slashed if you park here.
2. They were quite appalled by the dirty condition of the flat.
 They found the dirty condition of the flat appalling.
3. All crew members were killed in the explosion.
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 Key Word Transformations Advanced Level 

 Not a single crew member survived the explosion.

4. You’ll have to pay the mechanic even if the car cannot be repaired.
 Whether the car can be repaired or not, you’ll still have to pay the mechanic.
5. Even though I tried to understand the lesson, I learnt almost nothing.
 Despite trying to understand the lesson, I learnt...
6. He didn’t remember his key until he had shut the door.
 Only after he had shut the door/shutting the door did he remember his key.
7. Who is the owner of this fine thing?
 Who does this fine thing belong to?
8. She acted brilliantly at the school party.
 She gave a brilliant performance at the school party.
9. It was later admitted that the information had been obtained from unreliable sources.
 The information was later admitted to have been obtained from...
10. They believe he is studying in London.
 He is believed to be studying...
11. Has someone mended the cooker?
 Have you had the cooker mended?
12. It’s a pity he left!
 If only he had stayed!
13. He was behaving disgracefully towards his relations.
 I complained about his disgraceful behavior towards...
14. He attended to the problem immediately.
 He gave the problem immediate attention.
15. Everyone must wear a seat belt.
 Wearing a seat belt is obligatory/mandatory/a must.
16. Legislation can never be perfect.
 There is no such thing as perfect legislation.
17. In Britain, the element that seems to pose the most risk is age.
 In Britain, age is the element that seems to pose...
18. The report recommended the factory’s immediate closure.
 The report recommended that the factory be immediately closed.
19. It appears that men and women adopt quite different strategies to avoid collisions.
 Men and women seem to adopt quite...
20. Although it was raining, they went on playing.
 In spite of the rain, they...
21. He got someone to paint his garage.
 He had his garage painted.
22. It won’t be advisable for you to go to work tomorrow.
 You (had) better not go to work...
23. It wasn’t necessary for you to make all that noise when you came home.
 You needn’t have made all that noise...
24. I had no sooner opened the door than the telephone rang.
 No sooner had I opened the door than the telephone rang.
25. Nobody told us what to expect.
 We were not told what to expect.
26. He was not able to dissuade him from leaving school. (FAILED)
 He failed to dissuade him from ...
27. Without extra cash, he won’t be able to manage. (UNLESS)
 Unless he has extra cash, he won’t...
28. Mr. Smith was on the point of retiring. (ABOUT)
 Mr. Smith was about to retire.
 Key Word Transformations Advanced Level 

29. The manager asked me to consider this proposal very carefully. (CONSIDERATION)
 The manager asked me to take this proposal under careful consideration.
30. My parents met in 1970. (SINCE)
 My parents have known each other since 1970.
31. Whatever happens I shan’t change my mind. (MATTER)
 No matter what happens, I shan’t...
32. Could you possibly share your book with me? (MIND)
 Do you mind sharing...?
33. The mechanic checked the tyres on my car. (HAD)
 I had the tyres on my car checked.
34. She speaks English well. (COMMAND)
 She has an excellent command of English/Her command of English is excellent.
35. The barrister asked for the acquittal of the prisoners by the court. (SHOULD)
 The barrister said that the prisoners should be acquitted by the court.

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