Fce word transformation practice

• Task Type:                    Key Word Transformations

• Focus:                           Lexical and grammatical

• • Format:                             Six separate items, each with a lead-in sentence and a gapped second
                                                sentence to be completed in two to five words, one of which is a given
                                               ‘key word’

• Number of questions: 6

• How many marks are there: Up to two marks for each correct answer

What is testing:

• modal verbs and semi-modal verbы
• phrasal verbs
• verb patterns
• direct speach to reported speach
• active voice to passive voice
• linking words/do and make/idioms/conditionals/unreal past

General Advice

1. Write between two and five words as your answer
2. Contractions like can’t or mustn’t are counted as two words
3. Take a guess if necessary! You will not loose marks
4. Remember that you cannot change the key word

cambridge english first certificate (fce) test 
Key Word Transformations
 

• FCE : Key Word Transformations 1
• FCE : Key Word Transformations 2
• FCE : Key Word Transformations 3
• FCE : Key Word Transformations 4
• FCE : Key Word Transformations 5
• FCE : Key Word Transformations 6
• FCE : Key Word Transformations 7
• FCE : Key Word Transformations 8
• FCE : Key Word Transformations 9
• FCE : Key Word Transformations 10
• FCE : Key Word Transformations 11
• FCE : Key Word Transformations 12
• FCE : Key Word Transformations 13
• FCE : Key Word Transformations 14
• FCE : Key Word Transformations 15
• FCE : Key Word Transformations 16
• FCE : Key Word Transformations 17
• FCE : Key Word Transformations 18
• FCE : Key Word Transformations 19
• FCE : Key Word Transformations 20

On the Cambridge FCE Reading and Use of English exam, there are seven parts. Today you will learn about and practice Part 4 – Key Word Transformations. Many students think this part of the exam is challenging, but it just takes strategy and practice!

How to do Reading and Use of English Part 4

To begin, in part 4 each question has a sentence and a key word in BOLD. You must use this key word to complete the gap in a second sentence so its meaning is as close as possible to the first sentence.

You MUST use the key word in your answer. You CAN’T CHANGE the key word. For example, if the key word is “WRITTEN,” you cannot use the word “wrote” in your answer.

Use between 2 and 5 words. ** Contractions count as TWO WORDS! For example, won’t = will not. If you are unsure, always write out the entire word.

Use a pencil for this test. Write your answers in CAPITAL LETTERS only.

There are 6 questions total in this part. You can earn up to 2 points for each question.

What grammar structures and vocabulary does part 4 test?

This part of the FCE exam tests different grammar structures and vocabulary. Here are some of the most common ones that appear on the exam. 

If you are taking a course, these structures and vocabulary should be covered by your teacher. If you are studying on your own, make sure you know the rules for each one. 

GRAMMAR

Passive

Verb patterns

Conditionals

Reported speech

Future forms 

Future time clauses

Causative – have/get

Verb tenses – especially perfect forms

Wish and other hypotheticals

VOCABULARY

Phrasal verbs

Set expressions

Words like height, weight, length, width

Linking words

Word forms

Example Key Word Transformation and Strategy

Look at the example question below:

He tried to keep running although he felt tired.

SPITE

He tried to keep running _____________________________ tired.

Step One: Cross out words that are the same.

He tried to keep running although he felt tired.

SPITE

He tried to keep running _____________________________ tired.

First, I cross out any words that are EXACTLY THE SAME in both sentences.

Step Two: Focus on the remaining words and try to find the grammar or vocabulary rule.

He tried to keep running although he felt tired.

SPITE

He tried to keep running _____________________________ tired.

I need to focus on although he felt. Although is a linking word of contrast. This is the structure that I have identified.

Next, I start to think about other linking words and expressions of contrast while keeping in mind that I need to use the word SPITE.

Step Three: Choose your answer between 2 and 5 words.

He tried to keep running although he felt tired.

SPITE

He tried to keep running _____________________________ tired.

In spite of and despite are both linking words/expressions of contrast. Remembering that I have to use the EXACT KEY WORD, I decide not to use despite.

Now, I remember that after in spite of I need a verb + ing form of the verb. So, I look at my original sentence and identify the verb “felt.”

Change the subject + verb in the original sentence to a verb + ing form to fit the second sentence.

My answer is IN SPITE OF FEELING.

Step Four: Check your answer. Did you use the key word? Do you have the correct word count? Did you write your answer in CAPITAL LETTERS?

He tried to keep running although he felt tired.

SPITE

He tried to keep running IN SPITE OF FEELING tired.

Finally, I need to check my answer.

• Key word SPITE? Yes.
• Correct word count? 4 words, yes.
• Capital letters? Yes.

Common mistakes on FCE Key Word Transformations

• Changing the key word – you MUST use the exact word 
• Using too many words – maximum of 5 words
• Spending too much time – if you don’t know the answer, take a guess and continue with the next question
• Pronoun gender and agreement- if the first sentence uses a name, try to use the name in your second sentence. Sometimes you will need to use “her / his / she / he” etc. in your answer – make sure it matches the gender in the first sentence
• Subject-verb agreement – make sure your subject and verb match. For example, “she is singing” not “she are singing”
• Writing sentences that are too different – try to use the same words where you can when possible (words like very, really, etc. that appear in the first sentence). Make sure these are expressed in the second sentence as well.

FCE Key word Transformations Practice

Try these 10 key word transformations. Use the steps from above to help you and check your answers at the end of this post.

1. It’s a pity we don’t have a warmer climate!

ONLY

If _____________________ a warmer climate!

2. Someone is going to redecorate our terrace for us next week.

HAVE

We are going to _________________________________ next week.

3. I will only bring a jacket if it rains.

UNLESS

I will _________________ it rains.

4. They found the ring when they were fixing the garden.

CAME

They ____________________________ when they were fixing the garden.

5. I regret not selling my house sooner.

SOLD

I wish _______________________ my house sooner.

6. Fashion is the same as it was in the 1970s.

CHANGED

Fashion  _______________________________________ the 1970s.

7. The teacher didn’t let them leave the class.

ALLOWED

They  _________________________________ leave the class.

8. How many pyramids did the Egyptians build?

BY

How many pyramids ________________________ the Egyptians?

9. My colleague probably won’t come to the meeting.

UNLIKELY

My colleague  ____________________________ to the meeting.

10. You’ve got to decide what you want to study next year.

TIME

It’s _________________________ what you want to study next year.

---

Answers

How to score your answers:

You can earn up to two points for each answer.

The two parts of the answer are separated by “ — “

If your answer to the left of the  “–” is EXACTLY the same, give yourself one point.

If your answer to the right of the “–” is EXACTLY the same, give yourself another point.

Depending on your mistakes, you may earn 0, 1, or 2 points per answer.

1. ONLY — WE HAD
2. HAVE OUR TERRACE — REDECORATED
3. NOT BRING A JACKET — UNLESS
4. CAME ACROSS — THE RING
5. I HAD — SOLD
6. HAS NOT CHANGED — SINCE
7. WERE NOT — ALLOWED TO
8. WERE BUILT — BY
9. IS LIKELY — TO COME
10. (HIGH)* TIME — YOU DECIDED

*Words in ( ) are optional. You can still earn the full point for “time” if you didn’t write “high time.”

For more FCE Practice, try these posts.

• FCE Essay Writing Guide
• B2 Reading and Use of English Part 1
• FCE Speaking Exam Tips

Part 4 of the B2 FIRST exam is a rephrasing exercise, or as it is probably better known KEY WORD TRANSFORMATIONS or SENTENCE TRANSFORMATIONS, is probably the most dreaded and detested part of the Use of English section of the Cambridge exams. But what this post seeks to to explain is that it doesn’t need to be that way.

What do you need to do?

In this part of the exam you have six sentences to complete. You need to read the first sentence in each question. From this you need to look at the second sentence and think about what information is missing. You must then complete the second sentence so that it has the same meaning as the first with 2-5 words (NO MORE). Another thing to understand is that you are provided with a word that you must use in exactly the same form (if it is TOLD, you cannot use tell, telling or any variation of the word. ONLY TOLD). Each of the questions is worth 2 points and the points are based on lexical (vocabulary) or structural (grammatical) points. What they assess in this part of the exam are as follows:

Lexical: phrasal verbs, word patterns, fixed expressions, contextual vocabulary etc. TO IMPROVE YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF PREPOSITIONS: HERE

Structural: passive, relative clauses, reported speech, quantifiers, connectors, tense changes, gerund versus infinitive, modal verbs, inversions (rarely), conditionals etc.

GET OUR FULL KEY SENTENCE TRANSFORMATIONS EBOOKS HERE

Try the Deleting Technique: You take the sentence transformation, for example:

You’ll have a great time no matter where you go

REGARDLESS      You’ll have a great time ________ where you go

YOU MUST CONSIDER WHAT IS THE SAME IN BOTH SENTENCES AND THEN DELETE WHAT IS THE SAME IN THE FIRST SENTENCE

You’ll have a great time no matter where you go

REGARDLESS      You’ll have a great time ________ where you go

YOU ARE LEFT WITH NO MATTER AND ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS THINK OF THE SYNONYM FOR IT.

Answer: regardless of

Follow up activity: You should write down the answers and the common vocabulary. These are almost always synonyms. Write them in a list like…

put up with = tolerate

so that = in order

as long as = provided that

Look at our post on 110 EXPRESSIONS FOR KEY WORD TRANSFORMATIONS

Patterns:

Sentence transformations are quite predictable and if you do enough practice you will see that patterns emerge and that the grammar structures repeat. For example (see below) if the rephrasing includes SO, the answer they are looking for is likely to include such.

FCE (B2): KEY WORD TRANSFORMATIONS 1

FCE (B2): KEY WORD TRANSFORMATIONS 2

FCE (B2): KEY WORD TRANSFORMATIONS 3

FCE (B2): KEY WORD TRANSFORMATIONS 4

FCE (B2): KEY WORD TRANSFORMATIONS 5

FCE (B2): KEY WORD TRANSFORMATIONS 6

FCE (B2): KEY WORD TRANSFORMATIONS 7

FCE (B2): KEY WORD TRANSFORMATIONS 8

FCE (B2): KEY WORD TRANSFORMATIONS 9

FCE (B2): KEY WORD TRANSFORMATIONS 10

FCE (B2): KEY WORD TRANSFORMATIONS 11

FCE (B2): KEY WORD TRANSFORMATIONS 12

FCE (B2): KEY WORD TRANSFORMATIONS 13

FCE (B2): KEY WORD TRANSFORMATIONS 14

FCE (B2): KEY WORD TRANSFORMATIONS 15

FCE (B2): KEY WORD TRANSFORMATIONS 16

FCE (B2): KEY WORD TRANSFORMATIONS 17

FCE (B2): KEY WORD TRANSFORMATIONS 18

FCE (B2): KEY WORD TRANSFORMATIONS 19

FCE (B2): KEY WORD TRANSFORMATIONS 20

Example exercises:

1. I haven’t decided what type of sport I’d like to take up in the near future.

MIND

I haven’t ________________________ up what type of sport I would like to begin doing.

2. I didn’t know that you were having such a bad time at university.

AWARE

I was __________________________ the bad time you were having at university.

3. It is important to never take your eyes off the main goal in this activity.

FOCUS

You must never forget the principal ________________ as it is essential to be successful.

4. The exam didn’t go to plan because of the difficulty of the final task.

DUE

The exam didn’t go well ________________ the final task was.

5. I have literally no idea what I am supposed to do to improve my level.

UNDERSTAND

I do _______________________ have to do to enhance my level.

6. Last night, my favourite restaurant ran out of custard so I couldn’t order the apple crumble.

LEFT

Last night, my favourite restaurant didn’t _____________________ so I couldn’t order the apple crumble.

7. I have never found poetry all that interesting to be honest.

INTEREST

I have literally __________________________ poetry to be frank.

8. It has been great to get in contact after such a long time.

CATCH

I am really glad that we ___________________ after so long.

9. What I am most concerned by is the way he doesn’t accept any of the blame.

CONCERNS

What ____________________ is that he doesn’t accept that it is his fault at all.

10. We need to give some consideration to the possible consequences.

ACCOUNT

We ought to __________________ all the possible consequences.

EXAMPLES OF THE REPHRASING IN PDF CLICK (HERE)