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.

It had been a 1)_______ day and I was looking forward to 2)_______ a quiet evening. My husband would not be back until late and I had decided 3)_______ down in a comfortable chair in the living

room and read a book. I put the children to bed early and prepared a cold supper and some coffee.  I 4)_______ with a tray full of food before me and a book at my side and I was just beginning to

read when the telephone 5)_______. I dropped my knife and fork and hurried to answer it. I came back to the living room but my coffee was 6)_______ to drink. I finished my supper. Suddenly there

was a loud knock at the door. I was so 7)_______ that I split the coffee on my skirt. Some stranger had lost his way and wanted 8)_______ . It took me a long time to get rid of him. At length, I

managed 9)_______ down again and actually read a whole page without further  interruption- until the baby woke up. He began crying loudly. I stopped 10)______ and went upstairs. The baby was

still awake at 11 o’clock when my husband came home. I could have screamed when he asked me 11)_______ a pleasant evening.

1-) a) tried     b) tire              c) tiring           d) tired

2-) a) spending   b) spent           c) to spend      d) spend

3-) a) settled       b) settle           c) to settle       d) settling

4-) a)sat      b)was sitting   c) have sat       d) had sat

5-) a) rang       b) has rung      c) rings            d) was ringing

6-) a) enough cold   b) cold enough           c) very cold     d) too cold

7-) a)surprise    b) surprised     c) surprising    d) surprisingly

8-) a) me to direct him b) to direct him c) to direct  d) me direct him

9-) a) sit    b) to sit           c) sitting          d) sat

10) a) louder    b) loud      c) loudly         d) the most loudly

11-) a) if I did spend  b) if I had spent c) if I spend d) if I have spent

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

PHRASAL VERBS

Put the phrasal verbs into correct sentences. Use each only once.

1. Alex’s been __________ his keys for an hour but he hasn’t found them yet.

2. She doesn’t want to go to the airport alone. She wants her friends to __________ her ________.

3. It’s getting late. I think we have to __________on our journey now.

4. You have to __________this application form to get a full membership.

5. I __________suddenly when I saw Carlos on the side of the stadium. His car had __________ and he was trying to repair it.

6. I can’t hear the radio. Can you please_________it___________?

7. Claire really __________ her mother, she has the same eyes and hair.

8. Could you please _________ me ________ when you learn the result of the test?

9. The teacher ________ Kerim ______ for not bringing his books to the class.

10. A: I have to spend the night in the city because I have an appointment in the morning.

B: Don’t worry we’ll _________ you ________ for the night.

11. The fire spread very quickly but the firemen were able to _________ it _______.

12. Orkun __________ a lot of suggestions at the meeting but none of them were accepted.

13. If we invite all your friends, the food will __________ and we will have no food for the next week.

14. It was very easy to ________ Aylin ________ in the crowd because she was wearing a bright green jumper.

15. The soldiers tried to __________ the bridge ________ but there weren’t enough explosives.

16. While I was walking down the main street I __________ one of my old friends. We talked about old days for hours.

17. Jack is really very attractive and he __________ from the rest among other people because of his appearance.

18. Kate got fed up with working for other people. As a result, she decided to __________ her own business.

19. They had to __________ all the flights ________ because of the thick fog.

20. It’s freezing outside. You’d better _________ a jacket __________.

21. I finish work at 5 but I’ll __________ until half past five to meet you.

22. Lugano fell a sleep after the plane __________ because he had taken some sleeping bills.

23. Veronica __________ in a village near Manchester. Since her parents died in an accident when she was two, her uncle and aunt ________ her ________.

KEY

1. looking for  2. see me off  3. set off 4. fill in  5. pulled up / broken down  6. turn it up  7. takes after  8. call me up  9. told Kerim off  10. puy you up11. put it out  12. put forward  13. run out  14. pick Aylin out  15. blow the bridge up  16. bumped into  17. stands out  18. set up  19. put the concert off  20. put a jacket on 21. hang on  22. took off  23. grew up / brought her up

Complete this conversation.  Use the simple or the infinitive form of the verbs in parentheses.

Murat              Let’s go (go) to the cinema tonight.  I want 1____________ (see) Saw V

Aylin               Well, we need 2____________ (find) a baby-sitter first.

Murat              ___________3 (call) my mother.  She usually likes 4 ___________ (baby-sit) for her grandson.  Cenk likes 5_________ (play) at Grandma’s home.

Aylin               OK, but somebody needs 6___________ (do) the cleaning first.

Murat              7____________ (do) the , then let’s 8___________ (go) to the movie.

Aylin               Fine, but you have 9__________ (help) me.

Murat              Well, I don’t really want 10___________ (do)cleaning.

Aylin               And I don’t want 11____________ (see) Saw V.  Let’s 12___________ (stay) home.  Let’s 13____________ (hire)) DVDs.

Key: 1.to see  2. to find  3. Call  4. baby-sitting  5. playing  6. to do  7. Do  8. go  9. to help 10. to do 11. to see  12. stay  13. hire

Expressions with GET

Choose the best alternative

1. The product manager failed to get his ideas ____________to his team.

a) across     b) down     c) in

2. It’s not easy for them to get __________from prison.

a) away     b) into     c) down

3. She has got a good salary, so she can get __________without any help from her husband.

a) about     b) over     c) by

4. OK friends. It’s time to get __________to business.

a) in     b) down     c) away

5. We all hope you don’t get __________trouble again.

a) into     b) on     c) in

6. The inspector was lucky to get the truth ___________of him.

a) up     b) out     c) away

7. Stop getting __________my nerves.

a) on     b) at     c) down

8. I doubt my sister’ll ever get _________her trauma.

a) out     b) over     c) in

9. I can’t get __________all this work. I need some help.

a) about     b) away     c) through

10. What time do you usually get _________ at the weekends?

a) on     b) up      c) about

11. The rumors of dismissal will soon get __________.

a) along     b) away     c) about

12. If you’re in trouble, get ___________ to lawyer.

a) by     b) on     c) in

KEY: 1.a 2.a 3.c 4.b 5.a 6.b 7.a 8.b 9.c 10.b 11.c 12.b

PHRASAL VERBS

Fill in the blanks with the phrasal verbs below. Use the correct tense form.

look for—-break down—–find out—-bump into—–look after——pull up

pin up—–call up——-look at——set off—–turn out—–call at

1. Alex was two hours late for the meeting because his wife’s car ____________ on the way to her school.

2. If she __________ in time, she would have crashed the car in front of her.

3. While they were doing a research in the jungle, they __________ that there were a lot of different species of plants and insects.

4. When Aylin saw her surname ___________on the noticeboard, she went to her teacher’s room to learn what the problem was.

5. The plane to Ankara __________at 06.20 on Monday so I must be at the check-in one hour before the flight time.

6. I am really worried about my grandfather’s operation. Do you think you could ___________ when the operation is over?

7. While we were walking around the stadium, we ____________ Roberto Carlos.

8. I am tired of __________ my nephews. They are really naughty.

9. As it is an important thing, I can’t speak it on the phone. However, if you are at home this evening, I __________ and discuss the matter with you.

10. As soon as he __________ this matter from my point of view, he’ll understand why I have refused his offer.

11. He ___________ the sales report which he has just written but he can’t find it anywhere.

12. After I made a joke about losing my wallet, it suprisingly _____________ to be true.

KEY: 1. broke down / had broken down  2. hadn’t pulled up  3. found out  4. pinned up  5. sets off  6. call me up  7. bumped into  8. looking after  9.will call at  10.looks at  11.is looking for  12. turned out