One of my favourite Cambridge examination components was key word transformation . It truly was a test of a student’s knowledge of English at both First Certificate and Advanced levels.

However it is also a great exercise for accomplished writers. I still love doing them as it fine tunes my writing skills by having to constantly search for alternatives.

So just for fun, why don’t you see how you go with these examples.










For Questions 1-12, complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between three and six words, including the words given.


1 This is your third warning from me this week about being late for work.
NOT
This is the third time this week I……………………………be late for work.

2 I think Anita must have gone on a diet recently because she's quite slim now.
HAS
It looks as…………………………….dieting because she's quite slim now.

3 I always hated pasta when 1 was a child but now I cook it regularly.
USE
I…………………………pasta when I was a child but now 1 cook it regularly.

4 I went to have my own look at the apartment and 1 couldn't understand why my
friend wanted us to live in such a depressing place!
SEE
Having………………………………..myself, I couldn't understand why my friend
wanted us to live in such a depressing place!

5 We wanted to continue our mountain trek but the weather was too bad.
LIKE
We……………………………on with our mountain trek but the weather was too bad.

6 I want to inform you that I was not satisfied with the standard of service in your
hotel.
EXPRESS
I would……………………………………with the standard of service in your hotel.
7 I wanted to stay in last night but my flatmate insisted we go out.

SOONER
I……………………………………..in last night but my flatmate insisted we go out.
8 Didn't you want me to tell the staff about your resignation?
RATHER
Would………………………………………the staff know about your resignation?

9 I didn't stop worrying about the wild animals until we were safe inside camp.
ONLY
It was……………………………………………………….safety of camp that I
Stopped worrying about the wild animals.

10 Steve's one topic of conversation is the time he spent as a pilot.
EVER
The time he spent as a pilot …………………………………………………..about.

11 After arriving at the airport, we realised that our passports were still at home.
UNTIL
It…………………………………………………at the airport that we realised our
passports were still at home.

12 When Michael's boat began to sink, he sent a signal for help.
DID
When Michael's boat began to sink, what ……………………………………..a signal
for help.


Now please don’t ask for answers! You are all fine writers of English.


These examples came from the Practise English blog. More examples can be found by searching for CAE and FCE Key Word Transformations in any search engine.

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I came across this interesting article on sentence variety for writers. Thought it was worth sharing with you.


Hints on Variety
Try an occasional question, exclamation, or command. A question can be especially useful at the beginning of a paragraph where you want to summarise quickly what preceded and then launch into what will now follow. "And what were the results of this Proclamation of 1763?" This reminds your readers where you are in your discussion — Ah yes, that's what we're talking about — and prepares them for what comes next.
A command or directive provides direction and energy. Readers react to being grabbed by the collar and told what to do. It's hard to ignore, if not to resist. Tone is terribly important here. A bit of well-intentioned cajoling is usually more useful than in-your-face shouting. "Learning the principle of parallel structure can be the most important thing you learn in writing class. Learn it now!"
Try beginning an occasional sentence with something other than the normal subject-followed-by-verb order of things. Begin with a modifying clause or participial phrase instead. "After Pontiac's insurrection led to the Proclamation of 1763, a brief period of peace ensued. Having led his people in a successful resistance, Pontiac was astonished to discover how Indian tribal differences and individualism began, instantly, to erode their base of unified power."
Try beginning a sentence with a coordinating conjunction (and, but, nor, for, yet, or, so). Many writers have had it pounded into their skulls that if you begin a sentence with and or but that sentence should have been linked (instead) to the previous sentence in a compound structure. It goes against the grain to begin a sentence with and or but. But give it a try. A sentence beginning with a conjunction will almost always call attention to itself and it will always serve primarily as a connective device. If that's what you want, use it — but not so often that the effect gets out of control and becomes self-defeating.
Try using a variety of basic sentence structures. We can categorise sentences into four main types, depending on the number and type of clauses they contain:

Simple (one independent clause):
We drove from Connecticut to Tennessee in one day.
Compound (more than one independent clause):
We were exhausted, but we arrived in time for my father's birthday party.
Complex (one independent clause and at least one dependent clause):
Although he is now 79 years old, he still claims to be 65.
Compound-complex (more than one independent clause and at least one dependent clause):
After it was all over, my dad claimed he knew we were planning something, but we think he was really surprised.

Source: The Guide to Grammar and Writing

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We can all recognise formal and informal texts, but you may not know that it has a name. It is called ‘Register’. The scales of register are generally classified as Formal, Neutral, Informal and Vulgar. In this sense, vulgar refers to childish or common utterances and not rude jokes.

Here are two example letters. Very easy to tell formal from informal, but what are the language forms that make the difference? I will give you a few clues. Grammar, Vocabulary and Punctuation are the three areas of difference. Use the table attached to try and find the lexical areas of difference.


Letter (Formal)

Thank you for your letter received 14 September 2002. A copy has been sent to company headquarters in addition to a memorandum concerning your financial situation. A meeting has been scheduled for 3 October 2002 at 11 am to discuss your request for a further bank loan. Therefore please inform us of your availability for this meeting at the earliest opportunity.

However, a number of issues concerning your income and expenditure may be queried prior to a loan being granted. Furthermore the General Manager needs to be contacted in order to authorise bank loans of this nature. Moreover, your previous failure to meet payment arrangements will first have to be considered.

Nevertheless, in the interim you are required to complete the enclosed business plan, which should be brought to the meeting.


Letter (Informal)

Thanks for your letter. I got it 14 Sept. I’ve sent a copy to comp. H.Q. along with a memo re. your financial situation. I’ve set a meeting for 3 Oct at 11am to talk about another bank loan. So, please let us know if you can make it a.s.a.p.

But, we might ask you a few things to do with your inc. and exp. before giving you a loan. Also, I need to get in touch with the G.M. to okay it. Plus, we’ll first have to think about the last time you didn’t keep up with your payments.

Anyway, in the meantime, you need to fill in this business plan. Bring it to the meeting with you.


Good luck! If you get desperate, you can find the answer here.

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One of the most common word forms in English is ‘ing’. Sometimes referred to as the gerund, present participle or progressive form. It has such a multitude of uses that a single label just cannot be affixed to these amazing three letters. So broad is their use that Michael Swan prefers the simple label of the ‘ing form’ in his wonderful book Practical English Usage.

“I am wondering if that book is really that interesting. Having read the reviews, I may not be interested at all. But reading has always been my passion, so I will probably end up buying it anyway. Interestingly though, my friend is reading it and enjoying the story he told me. Amazing as it may seem, he lovingly cares for his books. Wrapping them in plastic and storing them under his bed. Boring huh?”

In this short example there are thirteen ‘ing’ words. Some are present participle and some are adjectives and adverbs. While some seem very difficult to grammatically label. Unless you define them as the gerund.

The gerund form comes form Latin, and in simple terms is a verbal noun. Or if you like, a verb that takes ‘ing’ and then inherits the properties of a noun.

“I like swimming.”

Now it is easy to see that swimming is a noun, in the same way as chocolate would be in this short sentence. In the first example, the words reading, buying, wrapping and boring are all examples of a verbal noun.

Another interesting point that I am interested in is how adjectives change with ‘ing’ and ‘ed’. So here we have the ‘ing’ form indicating that it is the object that is being described. “I think that is an interesting book.” When we change to the ‘ed’ form, it in now the subject that is being described. “I am interested in buying that book.”

Interesting isn’t it?

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Nothin’ don’t tell tell the blues like bad grammar. Now I ain’t gonna say that no one don’t know like me, ‘cause they do. Don’t they? If it ain’t gonna do you no good, it’s the blues. Didn’t John Lee tell us right.

My baby she gone, she been gone two night
I ain't seen my baby since night before last
One bourbon, one scotch, and one beer

Damn it won’t ‘ya, I ain’t believin’ my eyes. Who don’t need articles ‘n prepositions ‘n spellin’. John Lee didn’t. Didn’t need no plurals too.

They gon' take you right down
By the riverside
Now four is goin' down
Ain't but three comin' back
You read between the line
We're gonna have a deal

Don’t ‘ya just love it. You know, I mean t’ say, if that ain’t magic in ‘dem words, I don’t know where else you’d be findin’ magic like that.

I ain’t thinkin’ that this is wrong. No, fact is, I been thinkin’ that there ain’t been enough blue grammar in litritcha. You know, them book things. I’m supposin’ to write more usin’ this. Now don’t go gettin’ all crazy on me and tellin’ me I don’t know nothin’. Cause if I ain’t been listenin’ to John Lee and Muddy and BB for near gone fifty years, I ain’t been doin’ nothin’. I didn’t study blue grammar this long for you to tell me I can’t. So don’t.

If my dog done died, and I my missus done left too, then it ain’t gonna be you cryin’ for me hey honey bee? All my money done gone, and nothin’ ain’t goin’ right too, ‘cept my grammar in negative blue.

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The grammatical term of the present in English is a bit of trap. Yes it is a tense, but when combined with the four basic aspects of simple, progressive (or continuous), perfect and perfect progressive the concept of the present being the now type present goes out the window.

The confusion starts with the present simple. It is big. Really big. So big in fact that it swallows up the past and future and sticks them together.

For example. I am a man. Could I have been a woman last year? Or will I change into a woman in five years? No, it says I was a man, am a man, and will continue to be a man. Past, present and future.

To move aspects. I am reading a book. So, what right at this very moment? No. Perhaps I started reading the book three weeks ago, and still have ten chapters left to read. Perhaps I only read one chapter of an evening before going to bed. Again, past, present and future.

Or, I am having my tooth extracted. When. Today, tomorrow, next week. We don’t know, but it is definitely in the future.

To the perfect present. I have painted the kitchen. When exactly? Am I painting now? No, I finished some time ago. So here we have the present talking about the past. That’s logical isn’t it? The economy has collapsed. When? Now, or in the past?

I have been painting the kitchen. Add the progressive to the perfect and what do we have now? Past action again, but now there is a hint that I may not have completed it yet. Now there is a subtle difference to ponder.

So there we have it. The grammatical present in English. Quite a simple concept really. It is everything, every time and quite illogically huge.

To understand why the English present is different from many other languages, one needs to look at how English uses time in its tenses. Yes, as in most languages English has the three standard grammatical time periods of past, present and future. Where English differs, is that it needs another time period, and that is the time concept of now.

Now is infinitely small. It is gone before you know it has been. It is the very fine line of time that separates the past from the future. The present sits on top of this structure, and with a change of aspect, moves to the appropriate point in time.

Hence, the present in English is not just the present at all. It can be the past, the present or the future. Or, a combination. Simple really.

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English has one of the coolest, and at the same time most mysterious of verbs. Verbs to me are the motors that drive phrases and sentences. Normally, as in most languages, these verbs are one word. But in English we have the special and totally cool phrasal verb. Sometimes now called the multi-word verb.

They are normally two words, but sometimes can be longer. For example, to put up with, to look down on or to get on with. Common two word verbs are give up, get over, take up or get by. All very cool, and should need no thought or consideration when writing. Except!

Well, two things really that may need a second thought. In formal English, the use of phrasal verbs is not so cool. In fact they should be avoided at all costs if you wish to communicate in highly formal writing. A single word verb is much better. Job application letters, reports, letters of complaint and legal correspondence are examples of where they should be avoided. So to put up with would need to be replaced by to tolerate.

The second small matter is that of meaning. The phrasal verb to take out is a common example. But what meaning does it take? Consider these examples.

To take out the garbage. (to remove)
To take out my wife. (to invite)
To take out a loan. (to contract)
To take out a President. (to eliminate)

In these four examples we can see how context is the key. Try these.

To put a deposit down. (to secure)
To put a dog down. ( to kill)
To put your friend down. (to humiliate)

Then there are these.

To dine out.
To eat in.
To go away.
To get lost.

Just in these three sets of examples we have:

• A change of meaning depending on the object.
• A change of location for the object to between the verb.
• A verb that cannot take any object.

In fact there are seven kinds of phrasal verbs in English and it is one of the most complex grammatical points in our language. Somehow though, we find them highly communicative, and without them, advertisers would be lost for words. They are finding their way into other languages as well because of their simplicity in message. Another interesting point about them is that each year new phrasal verbs are added to our language. One of the most famous in recent times is the one attributed to Tony Blair. To sex up a dossier.

We are now so used to googling someone up aren’t we?
You can find more information here.

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The possessive adjective in English must be the most difficult to master. When is it a plain old adjective such as a car door? Or is that really a compound noun? When is it possessive as in a hair’s breadth? Is it a woman’s leg, or a woman leg? Or is at a chair’s leg, or a chair leg? There are many examples of this confusing English grammar point.

You would say the tree’s leaves, a butcher’s hook, a horse’s tail. Or you could say a bottle top, a door handle, a computer screen, day break, mountain top.

There is an obtuse grammatical explanation about ownership and being part of an object, but I won’t go there as the exception list is so long. I think in this case the exceptions really are the rule. The point about possessive adjectives is that they are impossible to learn by any process other than natural acquisition by repetitive collocation. By this I mean that by hearing and using a phase correctly enough times, it becomes automatic, and thus the error is corrected. For learners of English, this can be very frustrating.

I have often heard it said that English is a relatively easy language to learn. In many ways I agree with this. However I would have to say that it is as difficult as any language to master. While having no grammatical gender or accordance of singular and plural adjectives, it does however have a grammatical and lexical complexity stemming from its multiple roots in German, French, Latin and Old English but to name a few. An example of this is the word blonde, or blond. I stand to be corrected, but I believe this to be the only English adjective that changes with the gender of the noun. A relic of French grammar.

The challenges of English grammar are a daily dilemma for experienced writers of English. Spelling, punctuation, vocabulary, collocation and tense all offer a wonderfully diverse set of rules, uses, exception, variants and accepted new forms. When did you last see the word whom, and who remembers how to use it correctly? When did it become accepted to finish a sentence with a preposition? I am pleased though that splitting the infinitive is still not acceptable.

English has the largest vocabulary of any living language, and grows at a rate of approximately five thousand words every year. It is now well over one million words. It is one of the richest, most commonly used and evolving languages in the world. This however, makes the task of using it correctly a challenge for all of us who work with our incredible language.

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The following three phrases have become my all time favourites in demonstrating clarity in writing for my students of English. While all are grammatically perfect, only one is absolutely clear in its sense, meaning and accuracy of description.

1. The man played the piano with three legs.

2. She loves him.

3. I usually wear a smurtleclop in winter because my bald head and ears get very cold.

It probably didn’t take you long to select phrase 3, even though it has a very strange word as its primary object. The word smurtleclop is a complete invention on my part, but I use it to demonstrate how a well constructed sentence can give sense and meaning accurately. A smurtleclop is obviously something worn on the head to keep warm. It also covers the ears. The reader my also see something made of fur or wool. Perhaps with flaps that can be lowered to cover the ears.

When writing about technical or professional matters for general consumption, I would always recommend this approach for material that contains in house or new technical vocabulary. A well written article can lose the reader in the first paragraph if it contains a word such as smurtleclop without assisting the reader to understand.

The first phrase is a common error. It is simply confusion as to the descriptive element of the subject or object. Use of an adjective would solve the problem. So either a three legged man, or a three legged piano would have been preferable as it clarifies which object is being described. Or, if in fact the man was deformed, the phrase could say that the man with three legs played the piano. Either way, the proximity of the description to the object or subject is the key to understanding.

The second phrase is the most difficult to understand. The reason is that such a short phrase could be interpreted a number of ways. If we heard the phrase spoken we would understand from the intonation used. However, in writing we do not have that ability. I have seen this problem occur many times and in our era of rapid and short textural communication and it can lead to major misunderstandings. The various meanings of this phrase are outlined below.

She➙ loves him.
Stress on she indicates that there is question as to whether it is her who loves him. Maybe it could be someone else who loves him.

She loves➚ him.
Stress on loves indicates that there is question as to whether she loves him. Maybe she just likes him or is just after his money.

She loves➘ him.
Downward stress on loves indicates that there is no question as to whether she loves him. She is in love.

She loves him.➚
Upward stress on him indicates that there is question as to whether she loves him or someone else in fact.

She loves him.➘
Downward stress on him indicates that there is no question as to whether she loves him.

Five meanings from three words. I have seen short phrases such as ‘I’ll do it.’, ‘No way.’ and ‘Yes, I know.’ misinterpreted in emails and cause more than a little aggravation. So my advice it to be careful in using these in text.

Although we are encouraged as writers to keep our writing concise, clear and to the point, there are some circumstances where a little thought about word order, or additional information is necessary to ensure our message is delivered clearly.

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While all languages have their positive attributes, be it structure, rhythm, sound or lexis, English has one of the most unique tenses. It is one that we tend to forget all about when we are writing. In some manner it does exist in some other languages, but not to the extent that it can be used in English.

What is it? It is the present perfect. More correctly it should be called an aspect rather than a tense, but I won’t quibble about its grammatical name. In my view it should be renamed the experience tense, the tense of the living or even the tense that can affect now. These descriptions are much more accurate and informative in my mind.

When teaching learners of English, it is the one structure that needs to be taught as a concept. A way of thinking. With other tenses such as the past simple, present continuous or future simple, time is of the essence and is therefore not a concept but an event that is defined by a clock or calendar.

I will take three examples of the present perfect to demonstrate its remarkable properties.

Example 1. Have you ever been to Spain?
Example 2. I’ve written three books.
Example 3. Oh dear! I’ve lost my keys!

Although there are other uses, these three examples demonstrate the three main functions.

In the first example, the question is searching for an experience that someone has had. If the answer is yes, the questioner can then proceed to use the other person’s experience. Perhaps by asking if Spain is hot. When the best time to travel is. What the food is like. I’ve eaten ants, have you? In this example it expresses an experience again and looks to promote a discourse from that basis.

The second example is not really about books. It is saying that the person is in fact not dead. With the present perfect, the ability to add to a list of achievements indicates that the person, or object, is alive. Contrast these two sentences. 1. Dan Brown has written many books. 2. Shakespeare wrote many plays. We now know who can add to their achievements and who is alive and who is dead.

Lastly, the effect on now example. Although the action of losing the keys is definitely in the past, it has a present effect. Such as, I can’t open the door now. Or I can’t start my car now. I’ve eaten too many slices of cake would indicate that the person now feels quite ill after they ate too much cake.

In combination with adverbs and prepositions such as yet, already, for, since, ever, never and just the present perfect can be used to describe a multitude of situations in absolute minute detail. One last use worth mentioning is that of currency. The media are the ultimate artists in this use. Imagine this headline. The economy has gone into total meltdown. Think about this phrase. When did it happen? Today or months ago. It doesn’t matter. It sounds like it happened just a few minutes ago doesn’t it?

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By far the most useful and beautifully flexible part of speech just has to be the wonderfully versatile adverb. It can not only describe a verb and an adjective but even another adverb. How incredibly super cool is that? How can a part of speech do something to itself? Look at the complexity of adverb use in the following ridiculously simple sentence.

My wife eats quickly. When she is very hungry, she eats really quickly.

Did you spot the adverbs? No, try again.

My wife eats quickly. When she is very hungry, she eats really quickly.

Or, try this?

My wife eats so quickly. When she is really very hungry, she eats quite quickly.

Absolutely marvellous isn't it?

What about taking an all to common little adverb that we use without thought, and move the little devil around a bit. Let’s see what happens.

I don’t drink whiskey often.
Often I don’t drink whiskey.
I don’t often drink whiskey.
I often don’t drink whiskey.

Well, how much whiskey do I drink then? And how often? I’m sure you’d love to know. To be perfectly frank with you, I don’t often drink whiskey as I habitually drink beer. Or I occasionally drink a glass of refreshingly cold white wine.

Let’s have some fun with Captain Kirk. Did he…?

Boldly go where no man had gone before.
Go boldly where no man had gone before.
Go where no man had gone before boldly.
Go where no man had gone boldly before.

I hardly had time to quietly contemplate this very special little conundrum, before I had suddenly realised that I was uselessly wasting my time on a point that was ridiculously simple. He went. Boldly. Yes, he did. He simply did. Or did he simply do it?

Apparently I have stupidly abused your precious time by uselessly wasting your recently acquired subscription. I apologise profusely. Or, maybe, I profusely apologise. Whatever. I am very sorry. But, I can’t be sorry very, can I? Strange huh?


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When is it better to use a relative clause, defining or non-defining, and when is it better (like in this case) to use brackets. I have no idea. And does the word Mum always carry a capital, or only when it is in reported speech? Same question with Dad and Grandma I suppose. Just a few grammatical conundrums I had to decide on today as I proof read and edited myself into a grammatical coma. Is cooly spelt cooly or coolly?

Have to make sure to get the verb to the end in a reported speech question. Think I got them all. When do I use " or '. Am I quoting or not? Does Mr have a full stop, or not? Mrs doesn't. And do acronyms need a point between letters? Can I use a ? and a ! together when I want to infer that someone shouted a question? Like, "You said what?!"

Oh, English grammar and punctuation. So easy.

I have made sure I have not split my infinitives and tried where possible to make sure I don't end a sentence with a preposition. But with reported speech questions, it is not possible, is it?

Who did you go to the cinema with?

Has to end with the preposition, doesn't it?

Oh, I didn't mention spelling did I?

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