Key word transformations: six patterns worth learning by heart
The rewrite-the-sentence task in Cambridge Use of English looks endless, but a small set of structures does most of the work. Learn these six and the task gets a lot more predictable.
In the key word transformation task you rewrite a sentence so it means the same thing, using a word you're given and a set number of words. It appears in B2 First, C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency. Students often find it the hardest part of the Use of English paper. Each item is usually worth two marks, though, so it is also where a little pattern practice pays most.
The good news is that the same structures come up again and again. Here are six to learn.
1. Passive with reporting verbs
People believe the painting is a forgery. BELIEVED The painting is believed to be a forgery.
Watch the tense. If it's people believe he left, the answer is he is believed to have left.
2. Inversion after negative adverbials
I had no idea how serious the problem was. LITTLE Little did I realise how serious the problem was.
Not until, no sooner… than, hardly… when and under no circumstances all trigger question word order. This is common at C1 and C2.
3. Wishes and regrets
It's a pity I didn't take the job. WISH I wish I had taken the job.
The verb moves one step back in time. Present regret takes the past simple (I wish I knew), and past regret takes the past perfect.
4. Mixed and inverted conditionals
We only caught the train because the taxi came early. HAD Had the taxi not come early, we would have missed the train.
When the key word is had, were or should, think inverted conditional first.
5. Phrasal verbs and fixed phrases
She finally accepted that she had been wrong. TERMS She finally came to terms with having been wrong.
These items test vocabulary more than grammar. A notebook of phrases built around common key words (account, point, sake, question) is the best preparation.
6. Comparatives and the more… the more
As he got older, he became more patient. THE The older he got, the more patient he became.
How to practise
- Count your words. Contractions count as two words (didn't = did not), and going over the limit loses the marks.
- Never change the key word. Believed can't become belief.
- Check both halves. Most mistakes come from fixing the structure and changing the meaning by accident, for example a tense that slips or a negative that disappears.
Our Cambridge mocks include a full Use of English paper with key word transformations, and your results are broken down part by part so you can see where the marks went. Try a Cambridge mock free.