Ege Academy Blog

FCE SENTENCE TRANSFORMATION TIPS 1  (TENSES)

Sentences which give the same meaning

1) I have never watched such a boring film.

or

It’s the most boring film I have ever watched.

2) When did Derya start work?

or

How long is it since Derya started work?

or

How long ago did Derya start work?

3) My parents haven’t reached Marmaris yet.

or

My parents still haven’t reached Marmaris.

4) Duygu moved to Karşıyaka five months ago.

or

Duygu has been in Karşıyaka for five months.

5) I haven’t been to the Fenerbahçe’s football match for three years.

or

The last time I went to Fenerbahçe’s football match was three years ago.

6) It’s a long time since we went out.

or

We haven’t been out for a long time.

7) Alex has never eaten Turkish food before.

or

It’s the first time Alex has ever eaten Chinese food.

8) Melisa started cooking as soon as her husband (had) left home.

or

Melisa started cooking when her husband left.

or

Melisa waited until her husband had left before she started cooking.

or

Melisa didn’t start cooking until after her husband had left.

9) They got married ten years ago.

or

Thay have been married for ten years.

- Put the verbs in parenthesis into the Present Perfect, Present Perfect Continuous or Simple Past.

1) Alex: I think I _______________(1) ( lose ) my watch. I ________________ (2) (look) for it for nearly an hour, but I can’t find it. And it ____________ (3) (be) very expensive.

Roberto: I_____________(4) (lose) three watches so far and I ____________(5) (learn) my lesson. I only buy cheap watches now… Maybe you ______________(6)  (leave)  it at Tim’s office this morning.

Alex: No, I _____________ (7) (already, ask) him.

2) Sarp: This is the most exciting movie I ___________(8) (ever, watch)

Bora: Where ___________you___________(9) (get) that DVD film? I ___________(10 (try) to find it since last summer.

Sarp: My girlfriend ____________(11) (give) it to me for my birthday. I think she ___________(12) (order) it from shophere.com

3) Anelka: I’m afraid Deivid isn’t here. He _____________(13) (be) in a meeting since 8.30, but he should be here soon.

Selin: He__________(14) (leave) six messages on my voice mail but I’m not at home, so please tell him to call me at my summer house. I ___________(15) (stay) in my summer house for the past three weeks, but I ___________(16) (forget) to tell Deivid when I last __________(17) (see) him.

4) Kemal: Hey, Murat. Can you come here for a moment?

Murat: What’s the matter?

Kemal: Who ______________(18) (play) with Playstation?

Murat: I have no idea. Why?

Kemal: Well, someone ___________(19) (scratch) two of my blue-ray discs. I can’t play any games. Where’s Alex?

Murat: I don’t know. I ____________(20) (not see) him this morning but he’ll be here for lunch. You can ask him then.

KEY: 1. ‘ve lose  2. ‘ve been looking for  3. was  4. ‘ve lost  5. ‘ve learnt  6. left 7. ‘ve already asked  8. ‘ve ever watched  9. did / get 10. ‘ve been trying 11. gave  12. ordered  13. has been 14. has left  15. ‘ve been staying 16. forgot  17. saw  18. has played  19. has scratched 20. haven’t seen

For Printable Version, click the link below

present-perfect

We use “SINCE” for a point of time.

Examples

I have lived in Karşıyaka since 1994.

She has worked for IBM since last October.

We’ve been playing tennis since two’clock.

Alex hasn’t seen his parents since he moved to İzmir.

I haven’t been to England since I finished the university.

We use “FOR” for a period of time.

Examples:

Ozan has been married for two years.

They haven’t been to their summer house for 6 months.

I have been listening to the radio for an hour.

She has been a teacher for 35 years.

PUT THE VERBS INTO THE CORRECT PRESENT FORMS

Dear Mr and Mrs. Witmore

I (1) __________ (write) to thank you for coming to our wedding last month. I hope you enjoyed yourselves. Sheila and I (2)__________ (just / return) from our honeymoon in

Kenya and (3)__________ (now / look forward to) starting our new life together. We (4)__________ (just / move) into our new house and since our honeymoon we

(5)__________ (spend) all our free time decorating. The house (6)__________ (actually / begin) to feel like home now and we (7)_________ (gradually / settle) in a routine. We

(8)__________ (have) breakfast together in the morning, but then we (9)__________ (not / see) each other until late in the evening when we (10)__________ (get) home from

work. I hope both of you (11)__________ (be) well since we last saw you.

Love.

ERROR CORRECTION

CORRECT THE MISTAKE IN EACH SENTENCE

1. Murat is married for ten years.

__________________________________________________.

2. Fernando Sucre lives in Chicago since 2003.

__________________________________________________.

3. I haven’t seen my cousin since three weeks.

__________________________________________________.

4. How long does she work for Samsung Electronics?

_________________________________________________.

5. Anelka has been in England for June.

_________________________________________________.

6. How long do you have your i-phone?

_________________________________________________.

7. Sinan knows his best friend Erkan since 2001.

________________________________________________.

8. Sara has had this job since eight years.

_________________________________________________.

KEY

1. …..has been married

2. ……has lived…..

3. …………..for three weeks.

4. How long has she worked…….?

5. …………………since June.

6. How long have you had your i-phone?

7. ……….has known

8. …………………..for eight years

USED TO / DIDN’T USE TO

Complete the sentences by using the correct form of the simple present or used to.

1. I ___________(not play) computer games when I was a child, but now I ____________ (play) a lot of games in the evenings.

2. Mike _____________ (not smoke) before going to the army.

3. There _____________ (be) three parks in our village, but now now there ___________(be) only one.

4. Murat ____________(like) cheeseburgers, but now he ____________(eat) healthty food.

5. She _____________(not cook) before she got married, but now she ___________(cook) every evening.

6. Alex ______________ (not have) a mobile phone, but now he ___________ (send) text messages easily.

7. When I was single, I _____________(have) big parties in my house, but now I ___________(watch) TV in the evenings.

8. When I was in Istanbul, I ___________ (watch) Fenerbahçe’s matches at the stadium. Now I ___________ (watch) on TV every weekend.

9. A: _____________ you ____________ (drink) a glass of milk every morning when you were a child?

B: Yes, I did, but now I ______________ (drink) a cup of coffee every morning.

10. My sister_____________(love) classical music, but she ____________(hate) it when she was younger.

KEY: 1. didn’t use to play / plays  2. didn’t use to smoke  3. used to be / is  4. used to like / eats  5. didn’t use to / cooks  6. didn’t use to have / sends  7. used to have / watch  8. used to watch / watch 9. Did you use to drink / drink  10. loves / used to hate

PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

Join the sentences by using while and when.

1) I hurt my knee. I was playing football.

———————————————– . (when)

———————————————-. (while)

2) They were talking about the exam results. The manager came in.

______________________________________________________. (when)

______________________________________________________. (while)

3) Gaye lost her wallet. She was walking in a crowded street.

______________________________________________________.(when)

______________________________________________________. (while)

4) Somebody stole my i-pod. I was speaking to a friend on the phone.

_______________________________________________________. (when)

_______________________________________________________. (while)

5) We were getting ready for the picnic. It started to rain.

_______________________________________________________.(when)

_______________________________________________________. (while)

KEY

1. I was playing football when I hurt my knee.

While I was playing fotball, I hurt my knee.

2. When the manager came in, they were talking about the exam results.

While they were talking about the exam results, the manager came in.

3. When Gaye lost her wallet, she was walking in a crowded street.

Gaye lost her wallet while she was walking in a crowded street.

4. I was speaking to a friend on the phone when somebody stole my i-pod.

While I was speaking to a friend on the phone, somebody stole my i-pod.

5. We were getting ready for the picnic when it started to rain.

While we were getting ready for the picnic, it started to rain.

CORRECT THE MISTAKES

In each sentence there is a mistake with the simple present, present continuous or with the simple past.

1) Alex is a footballer. He play football in Turkey.

___________________________________________________.

2) Jack works for IBM and his wife working for HP.

_________________________________________________________.

3) I not know why Murat is furious.

_________________________________________________________.

4) We not got up early yesterday.

________________________________________________________.

5) My father fixes my old radio right now.

_______________________________________________________.

6) Roberto Carlos speaks Portugese, but he not speaks Turkish.

_______________________________________________________.

7) At the moment, Delgado writing reports in the office.

_______________________________________________________.

8) Where you stay in Antalya last year?

_______________________________________________________.

9) You cook everyday?

_______________________________________________________.

Key

1. He plays football in Turkey.

2. ……his wife works for HP.

3. I don’t know…………………..

4. We didn’t get up……….

5. My father is fixing……….

6. ……..but he doesn’t speak Turkish.

7. ……..Delgado is writing reports…..

8. Where did you stay …….

9. Do you cook everyday?

Fill in the blanks with just, already or yet.

1) I want to watch TV, but I haven’t finished writing the sales report ___________.

2) A: Where is Taner?

B: He has __________ arrived. He is having a shower.

3) Have you seen the new film of Demi Moore __________?

4) I don’t want to eat anything. I’ve ___________eaten two cheeseburgers.

5) Although they’re playing very well, they haven’t scored a goal _________.

6) Look! He has __________crashed that lorry.

KEY: 1.yet  2. just  3. yet  4. already  5. yet  6.just

CONDITIONAL SENTENCES ( IF CLAUSES )

EXERCISE 1. Choose the correct answer.

1. If my neighbours _____________ disturbing me, I will go to the police to complain.

a) have kept     b) keep   c) kept

2. If I __________ you, I’d rent a car in Bodrum, Turkey.

a) am      b) had been     c) were

3. __________you come to Antalya, don’t forget to call me.

a) Would    b) Will       c) Should

4. Mert will do the ironing ___________ Nihat does the cooking.

a) unless    b) as long as    c) will

5. If Alex had concentrated, he ___________ the penalty.

a) might not miss     b) wouldn’t have missed   c) wouldn’t miss

6. If the elecricity cuts off, ___________ the candles in the drawer.

a) use    b) will use    c) must use

7. He will begin to work with the team ____________ his leg injury is recovered.

a) unless      b) may       c) if

8. If you add engine protector to the engine, the car’s performance ____________.

a) increases    b) would increase   c) would have increased

9. They ____________ to look for another car if the red one is sold.

a) would start    b) will start     c) would have started

10) What would you do if you _____________a thief in your bedroom?

a) see     b) had seen         c) saw

KEY: 1.b 2.c 3.c 4.b 5.b 6.a 7.c 8.a 9.b 10.c