TRANSFORMATION

1. I’ve just noticed that the car has almost run out of petrol.
HARDLY
I’ve just noticed that ______________________ left in the car.
2. I didn’t know that cars were so expensive in this country.
IDEA
I ______________________ so much in this country.
3. Don’t get depressed because of such a small problem.
LET
It’s such a small problem that you shouldn’t ______________________ down.
4. It is reported that he is now recovering in hospital.
RECOVERY
He is reported ______________________ in hospital now.
5. Laura’s teacher says that she doesn’t have a serious enough attitude to her work.
SERIOUSLY
Laura doesn’t ______________________ to her teacher.
6. What’s confusing you so much?
LOT
What is it that’s ______________________ confusion?
7. It took me some time to understand fully what happened.
WHILE
It was ______________________ understood what had happened.
8. There’s no point arguing about this small detail, in my opinion.
WORTH
This ______________________ small detail , in my opinion.
9. If your order is delayed, we will contact you.
DELAY
Should ______________________ to your order, we will contact you.
10. The two situations are completely different.
COMMON
The two situations don’t ______________________ each other.
11. I was amazed because there were no problems throughout the holiday.
WENT
To ______________________ wrong throughout the holiday.
12. I have no intention of doing another kind of job.
DREAM
I ______________________ other kind of job.
13. I’ve been too busy to answer my emails, but I’ll do it soon.
ROUND
I ______________________ my emails yet, but I’ll do it soon.
14. The ambulance came within minutes.
MATTER
It ______________________ before the ambulance came.
15. Experts say that things are bound to improve.
DOUBT
Experts say that there is ______________________ better.
16. Jake was the person who started my interest in collecting pottery.
GOT
It ______________________ in collecting pottery.
17. He really wanted to impress the interviewers.
DESPERATE
He ______________________ the interviewers a good impression.
18. Because he was injured he couldn’t play in the next game.
PREVENTED
His ______________________ in the next game.
19. Can anyone solve this problem?
COME
Can anyone ______________________ to this problem?
20. I’m sure you’re wondering why I haven’t contacted you for so long.
HAS
You must ______________________ so long since I contacted you.
21. Are you saying that I’m lying about what happened?
TRUTH
Are you accusing ______________________ about what happened?
22. He made a very quick decision and he didn’t think about the matter enough.
WITHOUT
He made a very quick decision ______________________ to the matter.
23. Recently, the number of people who are out of work has gone down.
DECREASE
Recently, ______________________ the number of people who are out of work.
24. It doesn’t matter how badly he behaved, you shouldn’t have been so rude to him.
HOWEVER
You shouldn’t have been so rude to him, ______________________ was.
25. I was just about to call you to tell you about the rearranged meeting.
POINT
I was ______________________ you to tell you about the rearranged meeting.
26. My sister was totally shocked when she won the lottery.
CAME
Winning the lottery ______________________ my sister.
27. Joe originally intended to drive but the bad weather caused him to change his mind.
WAS
Joe’s ______________________ drive but the bad weather caused him to change his mind.
28. It was heavy snow on the line that delayed the train.
HELD
The train would have arrived on time if it ______________________ heavy snow on the line.
29. She realised she’d lost her keys the moment she arrived home.
SOONER
No ______________________ she realised she’d lost her keys.
30. He clearly felt very strongly about the situation, which took me by surprise.
STRENGTH
It ______________________ about the situation that took me by surprise.
31. It’s six years since I moved here.
BEEN
I ______________________ six years.
32. My study is full of papers – I can’t get another thing on the desk!
ROOM
There is ______________________ on my desk!
33. It’s the first time I’ve seen such a beautiful painting!
BEFORE
Never ______________________ such a beautiful painting!
34. She didn’t listen to my idea at all and refused to consider it.
DISMISSIVE
She ______________________ my idea and refused to consider it.
35. I absolutely forbid you to tell anyone about the plan.
NO
Under ______________________ tell anyone about the plan.
36. I understand what you are saying but I can’t agree.
POINT
I can’t agree, although ______________________
37. I am confident that he will be successful in his career.
CHANCES
I am confident ______________________ in his career.
38. If you feel stressed, breathing slowly should calm you down.
MAKE
Breathing slowly ______________________ if you feel stressed.
39. I am really bad at remembering people’s names when I meet them.
MEMORY
I ______________________ people’s names when I meet them.
40. He lost his job because he was inefficient.
GROUNDS
He lost his job ______________________ his inefficiency.
41. I’m sorry that I didn’t help him.
REGRET
I ______________________ him.
42. I couldn’t go away for the weekend because I didn’t have enough money.
PREVENTED
I was ______________________ for the weekend by lack of money.
43. This was Peter’s biggest challenge to date.
FACED
Peter ______________________ challenge before.
44. I wish I had tried harder when I was at school!
REGRET
I really ______________________ when I was at school!
45. I wish people wouldn’t talk during the performance – it makes me really uptight!
NERVES
It really ______________________ people talk during a performance!
46. He is so ambitious – he’s determined that he’ll be successful in the company.
MARK
He is determined ______________________ in the company.
47. Can you suggest a way of turning dreams into reality for ambitious people?
TRUE
Can you suggest how ______________________ for ambitious people?
48. I don’t want to take part in the project.
RATHER
I ______________________ part in the project.
49. This milk is bad – it smells terrible!
OFF
This milk ______________________ it smells terrible!
50. What the archaeologists discovered when they opened the tomb was amazing.
MADE
The ______________________ when they opened the tomb was amazing.
51. People are more interested in history than you might expect.
LESS
You______________________ interested in history.
52. For me, imagining what life must have been like then is just not possible.
QUITE
I find it ______________________ what life must have been like then.
53. It’s difficult for a poorly performing company to make a profit.
TURN
If a company is performing poorly, it’s difficult ______________________ one.
54. The failure of the company was incredibly disappointing.
BITTERLY
I ______________________ the failure of the company.
55. The village shop is now being managed by a national supermarket chain.
TAKEN
A national supermarket chain ______________________ of the village shop.
56. This door is an emergency exit and must never be locked for any reason.
ACCOUNT
On ______________________ be locked because it is an emergency exit.
57. Melvin’s friend recommended that website where he bought the
camping equipment.
ON
Melvin bought equipment from that website ______________________ a friend.
58. We never imagined that Julian might be planning to resign from his job.
OCCURRED
It never ______________________ Julian might be planning to resign from
his job.
59. As long as he could see, Kevin really didn’t mind where he sat in the stadium.
DIFFERENCE
As long as he could see, ______________________ where he sat in the stadium.
60. Unfortunately, I don’t have enough time to visit the gym regularly.
ABLE
If I had more time, ______________________ more regular visits to the gym.
61. Ben married his fiancee without his parents’ knowledge.
UNAWARE
Ben’s ______________________ his marriage to his fiancee.
62. The help-desk service is not, as many people believe, restricted to customers who buy products from
the company directly.
COMMONLY
The help-desk service is not, ______________________ , restricted to customers who buy products from
the company directly.
63. Jane didn’t feel like going to her sister’s party.
MOOD
Jane wasn’t ______________________ to her sister’s party.
64. My friends and I are looking for alternative accommodation because our apartment building
is being pulled down.
ELSE
My friends and I are looking for ______________________ live because our apartment building is being
pulled down.
65. Peter’s colleagues didn’t realise how significant the research he was doing for his PhD was.
FAILED
Peter’s colleagues ______________________ of the research he was doing for his PhD.
66. ‘Did our sales figures get better last month, Martha?’
ANY
‘Was ______________________ our sales figures last month, Martha?’
67. Your books will be despatched on receipt of your order provided they are in stock.
SOON
We will despatch your books ______________________ the order provided they are in stock.
68. Because the gym increased its fees last month, I am no longer a member.
UP
If the gym ______________________ its fees last month, I would still be a member.
69. The driver said that we were delayed because an earlier train had broken down.
CAUSED
According to the driver, our ______________________ breakdown of an earlier train.
70. It was Sarah’s ideas that enabled us to put on a successful fashion show.
FOR
If ______________________ ideas, we wouldn’t have been able to put on a successful fashion show.
71. Leo was the only person in the street who didn’t come to my farewell party.
EXCEPTION
Everyone in the street ______________________ to my farewell party.
72. The concert should have started about three hours ago.
DUE
The concert ______________________ about three hours ago.
73. This novel stands a very good chance of winning the book prize.
HIGHLY
It is ______________________ win the book prize.
74. ‘You really must stay and have dinner with us!’ Laura said to us.
STAYING
Laura ______________________ for dinner.
75. If you need me, call me any time, night or day.
MATTER
Call me if you need me, ______________________ be.
76. I don’t want to be disturbed at all this morning!
ACCOUNT
On ______________________ disturbed this morning!
77. If Mark hadn’t told Bella about that letter, we wouldn’t have argued.
FOR
Had ______________________ telling Bella about that letter, we wouldn’t have argued.
78. We’re going to miss the start of the film if we don’t hurry.
TIME
Unless we hurry, the film ______________________ we get there.
79. ‘Mr Brown, a holiday would do you good,’ said Dr Mansley.
FROM
‘Mr Brown, you ______________________ a holiday,’ said Dr Mansley.
80. We were never aware at any moment that something was wrong.
TIME
At ______________________ that something was wrong.
81. If Gary hadn’t had that accident, he would have become a professional football player.
FOR
If it ______________________ , Gary would have become a professional football player.
82. We get on very well with Laura’s parents.
TERMS
We ______________________ Laura’s parents.
83. This wardrobe is so big that I don’t believe only one person assembled it.
HAVE
This wardrobe is so big that it ______________________ together by only one person.
84. Someone snatched Sue’s bag at the concert.
HAD
Sue ______________________ at the concert.
85. The biographer decided to leave out all the less interesting details of the footballer’s childhood.
ANY
The biographer decided not ______________________ the less interesting details of the footballer’s
childhood.
86. David apologised for being unable to come to the meeting next week.
COULD
David said he ______________________ come to the meeting next week.
87. Since starting her new job, Charlotte has completely forgotten about the plans she used to have.
SIGHT
Since starting her new job, Charlotte has completely ______________________ the plans she used to
have.
88. I can never remember dates for anything, even though I really try.
MATTER
I can never remember dates for anything ______________________ try.
89. The impression his boss has of Jack is that he’s an ambitious person.
ACROSS
Jack ______________________ an ambitious person.
90. Casper didn’t mention the fact that we had met before.
REFERENCE
Casper ______________________ the fact that we had met before.
91. The reason they did not give him the job was because he could not use a computer.
INABILITY
Had it not ______________________
92. If there is a fire, people should not use the lift.
EVENT
In ______________________
93. Harry knows about the new regulations so let’s ask him.
BRAINS
Let’s ______________________
94. I managed to persuade John not to resign.
TALK
I managed ______________________
95. Why did you have to cause so much trouble over something so unimportant?
DANCE
Why did you have to ______________________ ?
96. She is proud of her cooking.
PRIDES
She_____________________________________________________________________
97. The loss of the account was not our fault.
BLAME
We_______________________________________________________________________
98. Buenos Aires is much hotter than London.
NOWHERE
London____________________________________________________________________
99. I can’t believe he said that to her face.
CAME
I can’t believe____________________________________________________________
100. Tom didn’t understand the situation and so made a terrible mistake.
STICK
Tom______________________________________________________________________
101. Roger is now responsible for the whole sales department.
CHARGE
Roger_____________________________________________________________________
102. Time is precious, so can we please hurry?
SHORT
We______________________________________________________________________
103. In all likelihood, the board of directors will choose Derek rather than Neil.
CHANCES
The_____________________________________________________________________
104. You must make sure this never happens again or there will be trouble.
SEE
Please_____________________________________________________________________
105. Ray’s good work record enabled him to get promotion.
STRENGTH
Ray______________________________________________________________________
106. David should concentrate more on his studies.
APPLY
David____________________________________________________________________
107. That the socialists won the election was totally unexpected.
SURPRISE
The socialist’s______________________________________________________________
108. I have to write everything out in triplicate and I’m completely fed up with it.
DEATH
I’m_______________________________________________________________________
109. I’m sick of that program because I’ve watched it too often.
OFF
I’ve_______________________________________________________________________
110. Tom teased Alice about her new hairstyle.
POKED
Tom_________________________________________________
111. Do you understand what he’s written at the end?
SENSE
Can you_____________________________________________________________________
112. If the referee hadn’t intervened promptly, a fight would have developed on the pitch.
INTERVENTION
But for______________________________________________________________________
113. Fiona will not join the strike because she thinks it is morally incorrect.
PRINCIPLE
It is_________________________________________________________________________
114. Our plans to visit Jamaica this summer have fallen through again.
NOTHING
Our plans___________________________________________________________________
115. Mary was always making Jones the subject of her cruel jokes.
BUTT
-Jones_______________________________________________________________________
116. John was quite frank about his criminal record.
SECRET
John made___________________________________________________________________
117. There have been a lot of redundancies in that area.
LOST
A lot of_____________________________________________________________________
118. Sue is always ready to help you out.
TURN
Sue ________________________________________________________________________
119. When he made friends in the new place, Ron became less shy and reserved.
SHELL
When_______________________________________________________________________
120. When you lose someone you love, everything else seems pointless.
PALES
When________________________________________________________________________
121. Doesn’t anyone but me care about this issue?
ONLY
Am I ______________________________________________________________________?
122. I was amazed at the speed with which Chris learned to drive.
FOUND
I__________________________________________________________________________
123. So long as the examiner can read your handwriting, he’ll accept your answer.
LEGIBLE
Provided that_______________________________________________________________
124. She‘s only just started now, but, judging by her recent performance, she should become an
excellent tennis player.
MAKINGS
She_________________________________________________________________________
125. The needs of the poor should be given more importance than those of the middle classes.
PRIORITY
The needs__________________________________________________________________
126. I finally met her by chance.
ONLY
___________________________________________________________________________
127. He hasn’t been to the college since May.
LAST
The_________________________________________________________________________
128. I didn’t work long hours because I was aware of health risks.
BETTER
I knew_______________________________________________________________________
129. We must go back to the beginning and find the error.
SQUARE
We__________________________________________________________________________
130. Tim failed to get into university and he gets very annoyed if it’s mentioned.
CHIP
Timothy_____________________________________________________________________
131. “I’ll fill in the form for you”, said Claire.
OFFERED
Claire ___________________________________________________________________________
132. Not many people wants typewriters nowadays.
DEMEND
Typewriters_______________________________________________________________________
133. I had a disagreement with Alice about the party.
DIFFERENCE
Alice ___________________________________________________________________________
134. Don’t worry you will be well taken care of at the hospital.
HANDS
Don’t worry ________________________________________________________________________
135. I don’t care if he meant it or not. The fact is, he said it.
IMMATERIAL
Whether ___________________________________________________________________________

KEY
1. there’s (is/was) hardly any petrol. Almost no = hardly any.
2. had no idea (that) cars cost. Had no idea = didn’t know
3. let it get you. To be depressed = to be down.
to make someone depressed = to get someone down.
4. to be making a recovery.
5. take her work seriously enough according.
To have serious attitude to something= to take something seriously.
6. causing you such a lot of.
Confuse so much – cause a lot of confusion.
7. a while before/until/till I fully.
A while = some time. E.g.: ‘I haven’t seen you for a while!’ = I haven’t seen you for some time.
8. isn’t /is not worth arguing about.
Not point doing something = not worth doing something.
9. there be any/a delay.
To make it easier to understand, just replace ‘should’ with ‘if’ (in your head, not on the paper!)
10. have anything in common with.
To have something in common = to have similarities.
11. my amazement, nothing went.
To my amazement = I was amazed. To have problems = to go wrong.
12. wouldn’t/would not dream of doing any.
To dream of something = to have no intention to do something at all’ or ‘to think of something that is
unlikely to take place’.
13. haven’t/have not got round to answering.
‘Get round to doing something’ means to find time or opportunity to do it.
14. was a matter of minutes.
Matter of minutes/hours/years’ etc. says how much time said activity took place, can be used to denote how
quick or slow something happens.
15. no doubt (that) things will get.
Bound to’ means ‘very likely to’.
16. was Jake who/that got me interested.
17. was desperate to give.
To be desperate to do something’ means that the person has strong desire to do it cần thiết, bức thiết
18. injury prevented him from playing.
To prevent’ means to stop something from happening.
19. come up with a solution.
To come up with’ means to produce or find something, in this case a solution (way of solving something).
20. be wondering why it has been.
21. me of not telling the truth.
22. without giving enough thought.
To give a thought to something’ means to think something over, to consider it for some time.
23. there has been a decrease in.
24. however bad his behaviour OR however badly(-)behaved he.
However bad/badly’ means ‘no matter how bad/badly’.
25. on the point of calling.
On the point of doing something = about to do something.
26. came as a total/complete shock to.
Come as can be used both with a noun and an adjective.
27. original intention was to.
28. had not been held up by.
To be held by something = to be delayed, to be hindered.
29. sooner had she arrived home than.
30. was the strength of his feeling(s).
31. have been living here for.
32. no room for anything else
The word ‘room’ is used in the meaning of ‘free space’.
33. before have I seen.
34. was dismissive of.
To be dismissive means to be unwilling to accept something, in this case — not wanting to accept or even
consider the idea offered to her.
35. no circumstances must/can/should you.
36. I take your point.
To take one’s point is to understand why a person thinks or does so.
37. of/about his chances of success.
To be confident about something.
38. should make you (feel) calmer/ more calm.
39. have a really/very bad memory for.
To have good/bad memory for something.
40. on the grounds of.
On the grounds of = because of.
41. regret not helping.
42. prevented from going away.
Prevented from something.
43. had not/never faced a bigger/such a big.
44. regret not trying harder.
Regret doing/not doing something. Regret is normally used with -ing form.
45. gets on my nerves when.
To get on somebody’s nerves means to upset, unnerve or irritate somebody.
46. to make his mark.
To make one’s mark means to succeed or to become recognised.
47. to make dreams come true.
48. would rather not take.
Would rather not do something indicates lack of desire to do it.
49. has gone off.
To go off” (when talking of food) means to become no longer edible, e.g. get spoiled.
50. discovery (that/which) the archaeologists made.
Discover = make a discovery.
51. would/might expect people to be less.
52. quite impossible to imagine.
Quite here means “somewhat”.
53. to turn it into a profitable.
Profitable one refers to the company in question.
To turn into means to make, to change.
54. was bitterly disappointed by.
Bitterly disappointed is the only collocation that fits here.
55. has taken over the management.
To take over’ means to take control of something owned or controlled by other person.
56. no account must this door ever.
On no account’ is another way to say ‘never’.
57. on the recommendation of.
58. occurred to us that.
To occur to smb’ means ‘to dawn on smb’, ‘to come to realisation’.
59. it made no difference to Kevin.
60. I might/would be able to make.
61. parents were / are unaware of
62. as (it is / it’s) commonly (believed / thought)
63. in the mood (to go / for going)
64. somewhere/someplace else to
65. failed to (realise / appreciate / understand) the (significance / importance)
66. there any (improvement in / increase in / increase to)
67. as soon as (we have received / we receive)
68. (hadn’t / had not) I put up
69. delay (was / had been) caused by the
70. it (hadn’t / had not) been for Sarah’s; (it wasn’t / was not / weren’t / were not) for Sarah’s
71. with the exception of Leo came
72. was due to (start / begin)
73. highly likely/probable (that) this novel will
74. insisted on us/our staying
75. no matter what time it may/might
76. no account am I to be / must I be / should I be
77. it not been for Mark
78. will have started by the time
79. would benefit from (taking/having)
80. no time were we (ever) aware
81. had not / hadn’t been for that accident
82. are on (very) good terms with
83. can’t have been put
84. had her bag snatched
85. to include/mention/use any of
86. was sorry (that) he could not
87. lost sight of
88. no matter how hard I
89. comes across to his boss as
90. made no reference to; didn’t/did not make (any/a) reference to
91. Had it not been for his inability to use a computer, they would have given him the job.
92. In the event of a fire, people should not use the lift.
93. Let’s pick Harry’s brains about the new regulations
94. to talk John out of resigning.
95. Why did you have to make such a song and dance about something so unimportant?
96. She prides herself on her cooking.
- Pride oneself on something: to feel a satisfaction at a quality or a skill that you have.
97. We were not to blame for the loss of the account.
- Be to blame for something: used to say that someone or something is responsible for something bad
98. London is nowhere near as hot as Buenos Aires.
- Nowhere near: not in any way
99. I can’t believe he came out with that to her face.
Come out with something: say something
100. Tom got the wrong end of the stick and so made a terrible mistake.
Get the wrong end of the stick: misunderstand something
101. Roger is now in charge of the whole sales department.
- Be in charge of: be responsible for
102. We are running short of time, so can we please hurry?
- Run short of something: something is being used up
103. The chances are that the board of directors will choose Derek rather than Neil.
104. Please see to it that this never happens again or there will be trouble.
- See to something: to do something that has to be done
105. Ray got promotion on the strength of his good work record.
-On the strength of something: because somebody has been influenced or persuaded by something
106. David should apply himself more to his studies.
107. The socialists’winning the election came as a surprise.
108. I’m sick to death of having to write everything out in triplicate.
- Sick to death of someone or something: exceedingly wearied by, bored of or exasperated with someone or
something
109. I’ve gone off that program because I’ve watched it too often.
- Go off something: be bored of something
110. Tom poked fun at Alice’s new hairstyle.
- Poke fun at something: make a joke of something
111. Can you make any sense of what he’s written at the end?
Make sense of something: understand something
112. But for the referee’s prompt intervention, a fight would have developed on the pitch.
113. It is a matter of principle that she won’t join the strike.
A matter of principle: a situation that requires something be done a certain way because one believes it is
the only right way
114. Our plans to visit Jamaica this summer have come to nothing again.
Come to nothing: to fail
115. Jones was always the butt of Mary’s cruel jokes.
Be the butt of something: if you are the butt of jokes or criticism, people often make jokes about you or
criticize you.
116. John made no secret of his criminal record.
117. A lot of jobs have been lost in that area.
118. Sue is always ready to do you a good turn.
Do someone a good turn: to do something that helps, aids or benefits another person.
119. When he made friends in the new place, Ron came out of his shell.
Come out of one’s shell: be open and friendly to others
120. When you lose someone you love, everything else pales in comparison.
Pale in comparison: not as good as something
121. Am I the only one who cares about this issue?
122. I found it amazing how quickly Chris learned to drive.
123. Provided that your handwriting is legible, the examiner will accept your answer.
124. She has the makings of an excellent tennis player.
Have the makings of something: seem likely to develop into something
125. The needs of the poor should take priority over those of the middle classes.
Take priority over something: be more important than something
126. Only by chance did I finally meet her.
127. The last time he went to the college was in May.
128. I knew better than to work long hours because I was aware of health risks.
- Know better than: be wise or polite enough to avoid doing a particular thing
129. We must go back to square one to find the error.
- Square one: the beginning of something
130. Timothy has got a chip on his shoulder about his failure to get into university.
Get a chip on one’s shoulder: to seem angry all the time because you think you have been treated unfairly
or feel you are not as good as other people.
131. Claire offered to fill in the form for me.
132. Typewriters aren’t much in demand nowadays.
133. Alice and I had a difference of opinion about the party.
134. Don’t worry you will be in good hands at the hospital.
135. Whether he meant it or not is immaterial. The fact is, he said it.