Challenging Transformations for Cambridge FCE  NEARLY C1 LEVEL CEFR

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

Would you MIND IF WE BORROW / MIND OUR BORROWING / IF WE

BORROW(ED) / LENDING US your ladder for half an hour?

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

He pretended NOT TO BE frightened.

3. The Majestic is better than this hotel. GOOD

This hotel IS NOT AS / SO GOOD AS the Majestic.

4. To enjoy travel, you must go on your own. ONLY

You CAN / WILL ONLY enjoy travelling if you go on your own.

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

It was very generous OF YOU TO LEND / GIVE us all that money.

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

He WISHED (THAT) HE HAD NOT asked the bank to lend him the money.

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

It is five years SINCE I (LAST) OWNED a car.

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

You SHOULD HAVE WARNED me it was going to rain.

9. Heavy smokers are more likely to suffer serious illness than non-smokers. RUNS

A heavy smoker RUNS A GREATER RISK OF / RUNS MORE RISKS OF serious

illness than a non-smoker.

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

Mary still went to the disco DESPITE THE FACT that she had to get up early.
11. She had not bought so much for a long time. SINCE

It was a long time SINCE SHE HAD DONE SO much shopping.

12. Ken arrived there twelve months ago. FOR

Ken HAS BEEN THERE FOR A year.

13.If Mary hadn't failed her driving test, she wouldn't be unhappy. PASS

Mary is unhappy SINCE / AS / BECAUSE SHE DID NOT PASS her driving test.

14. Rabbits used to be more numerous. NOT

Rabbits ARE NOT AS NUMEROUS AS they used to be.

15. His new book has been widely criticised. LOT

His new book has come IN FOR A LOT OF criticism.

16. His secretary updated the list. BROUGHT

His secretary THE LIST UP TO date.

17. I couldn't have managed it without your help. NOT

If IT HAD NOT BEEN FOR your help, I couldn't have managed it.

18. Regular exercise kept him healthy. OWED

He OWED HIS HEALTH TO regular exercise.

19. He couldn't lend us the car because it didn't belong to him. HIS

The car WAS NOT HIS TO lend.

20. We were not surprised when he won. CAME

His winning CAME AS NO surprise.

21. It was difficult for the yachtsman to steer into the wind. GOT

The yachtsman GOT INTO DIFFICULTIES STEERING into the wind.

22. I couldn't have managed without your help. BEEN

If it HAD NOT BEEN FOR your help, I couldn't have managed.

23. We had just arrived when it started to rain. WHEN

Hardly HAD WE ARRIVED WHEN it started to rain.

24. He only did the work after he had been paid. DID

Not until he had been paid DID HE DO the work.

25. The idea that the Scots are miserly is simply not true. TRUTH

There IS NO TRUTH IN the idea that the Scots are miserly.

26. She was too busy to see us. SO

She was SO BUSY (THAT) SHE DID NOT see us.

27. It is quite pointless to complain. POINT

There IS NO POINT IN complaining.

28. I’ve never met anyone who works as hard as he does. MAN

He is the most HARD-WORKING PERSON I HAVE (EVER) met.

29. A long speech is unlikely to be interesting. LITTLE

There IS LITTLE LIKELIHOOD a long speech being interesting.

30. It was difficult to hear the speaker from the back of the room. DIFFICULTY
From the back of the room, we HAD DIFFICULTY (IN) HEARING the speaker.

31. I don't really want to go out. RATHER

I ‘D / WPOULD RATHER STAY home.

32. I did it entirely by myself. ALL

I did it ALL ON MY own.

33. You should not be so shy. SPEAK

You should SPEAK UP FOR yourself.

34. He has been in hospital for six months. WENT

It is six months SINCE HE WENT INTO hospital.

35. If only he had been taken to hospital sooner. PITY

What A PITY (THAT) HE WAS NOT taken to hospital earlier.

36. The doctors tried very hard to save him. BEST

The doctors DID THEIR BEST to save him.

37. She was surprised to find there was little she could do. SURPRISE

She FOUND TO HER SURPRISE (THAT) there was little she could do.

38. Only Holland permits the smoking of marijuana. PERMITTED

The smoking of marijuana IS ONLY PERMITTED IN / IS PERMITTED ONLY

IN Holland.

39. The salesman said he was sorry he was late for the meeting. APOLOGISED

The salesman APOLOGISED FOR BEING late for the meeting.

40. Our decision has not yet been confirmed by head office. CONFIRMATION

We haven’t HAD/RECEIVED (ANY) CONFIRMATION FROM THE head office.

41. The dog is wagging its tail because it is trying to be friendly. FRIENDS

The dog is wagging its tail because it wants BE FRIENDS WITH you.

42. He was not able to work effectively because of his illness. PREVENTED

His illness PREVENTED HIM FROM WORKNG effectively.

43. Scotsmen will never give anything to waiters. TIP

No SCOTSMEN WILL (EVER) TIP A waiter.

44. Mary said,” I do not want to get married yet." RATHER

Mary protested that she WOULD RATHER NOT GET married yet.

45. Mothers must try hard to understand. BEST

Mothers must DO THEIR BEST TO BE understanding.

46. The younger you marry, the greater the chance you will be unhappy. LIKELY

The younger you marry, the MORE LIKELY YOU ARE TO be unhappy.

47. It was wrong to argue with him. MISTAKE

I should NOT HAVE MADE THE MISTAKE to argue with him.

48. I want to go to university this year. INTERESTED

I AM INTERESTED IN GOING to university this year.

49. "Have you been on holiday recently, Jane?" asked Tony. BEEN
Tony asked Jane ........................................ on holiday recently.
50. I was too tired to go to the party. THAT
I was SO TIRED (THAT) I couldn't go to the party.

51. There's no point asking Lynda to help as she's really busy. WASTE
It's A WASTE OT TIME asking Lynda to help as she's really busy.

52. Because it snowed heavily yesterday, the road is closed. DUE

The road is closed DUE TO THE FACT that there was heavy snow.

53. Did you manage to get in contact with the boss today? GETTING
Did you SUCCEED IN GETTING in contact with the boss today?

54. I don’t care what you do. CONCERNED

As FAR AS I AM CONCERNED , you can do what you like.

55. The meal we had in the restaurant was so nice. SUCH

It WAS SUCH A NICE meal in the restaurant.

56. He was ordered to leave the field for arguing with the referee. SENT
The referee SENT HIM AWAY for arguing.

57. Do you and your brother have the same looks? LIKE
Does YOUR BROTHER LOOK LIKE you?

58. That’s the garage where I left my car last week. REPAIRED
That’s where I went TO HAVE / GET MY CAR REPAIRED last week.
59. You can't bring food into this room. SUPPOSED
You ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BRING food into this room.

60. The union claims its members will only return to work if the company agrees to
a meeting. NOT
The union claims its members will NOT RETURN PROVIDED/PROVIDING /
AS LONG AS / SO LONG AS / ON CONDITION (THAT) the company agrees to
a meeting.

61. I'm sure it was Ana I saw in town as I recognised her coat. MUST
It MUST HAVE BEEN Ana I saw in town as I recognised her coat.

62. We demanded to see the hotel manager to make our complaint. SEEING
We INSISTED ON SEEING / PERSISTED ON SEEING the hotel manager to
make our complaint.

63. The boss wouldn't object to you going early today. OBJECTION
The boss would not HAVE/RAISE ANY OBJECTION TO you going early today.

64. 'Why don't you come over for dinner at the weekend?', he asked her.
SUGGESTED
He SUGGESTED GOING / THAT WE (SHOULD) GO for dinner at the
weekend.

65. His boss won't tolerate lateness. PUT

His boss won't PUT UP WITH lateness.

66. The school I studied at last year was better than this one. GOOD
This school IS NOT AS / SO GOOD AS my last one.

67. Although the weather was terrible, we had a good time. SPITE
We had a good time IN SPITE OF the terrible weather.

68. Being rude is inexcusable. EXCUSE

There is NO EXCUSE FOR BEING rude.
69. I find driving on the left in England very strange. ACCUSTOMED
I AM NOT ACCUSTOMED TO DRIVING on the left in England.

70. I regret taking up smoking. WISH

I WISH I HAD NOT TAKEN up smoking.