Preparing for Proficency

A bit of music to relax after the exam...

Purpose Purpose clause usually comes after the main clause. I have a safe for valuables at home for the fear that a thief break in. Purpose clauses are introduced by these conjunctions: for fear that (formal), lest (formal), in order to, in order not to, in order that, so as to, so as not to, so that. Reason Reason clauses can be before or after the main clause. As it's a cloudy day, I'll take an umbrella. I'm studying hard because I want to pass my exams. Reason clauses are introduced by these conjunctions: As, because, in case, since.

Plurals, abstract and uncountable nouns → No article needed if talking about things in general. Imagination is characteristic from the humankind. The imagination allowed us to dream about our futures. Singulars and concrete nouns → Require an article (except some idioms). The definite article is precise and refers to something; and the indefinite articles is vague and more general, or to refer things that are mentioned for the first time. The telephone is ringing in the kitchen. (definite) When they opened the box they found a telephone. (indefinite) We don't use articles with certain countries, names of mountains, meals, unless formal ones, and words like: "bed", "school", "hospital" and "prison" when used for their intended purpose. I'm planning to visit Uganda. He had an accident, and now he's in hospital. I'll be there for the dinner .    The definite article is used with natural elements like: rivers, seas, o...

Used to explain what happened. That involves changes in verb tenses, pronouns. I went to the cinema. → He said he had gone to the cinema. "Must" → "had to"; and "mustn't" → "was not to" (when referring to obligations) I must buy my lunch. → He said he had to buy his lunch. You mustn't do that. → She said I was not to do that. You must buy a ticket. → He said we must buy a ticket. (no changes in laws or truths) First conditional: "If" → reported as usual; but "will" → "would" If you don't study you will fail. → She said if I didn't study I would fail. In general second conditional doesn't change. He would have won the competition. → She said he would have won the competition. Often a verb or a verb and an adverb are used to contain element of the report "What about going out tonight?", she asked. → She suggested going out tonight. "Oh my God! What a mess!...

Formation Be + Past Participle My hair has been cut by my hairdresser. Modal + Be + Past Participle That could be easily done by an skilled person. Tenses Simple present It is done. Present continuous It is being done. Present perfect It has been done. Present perfect continuous It has been being done. Simple past It was done. Past continuous It was being done. Past perfect It had been done. Past perfect continuous It had been being done. Future It will be done. Future continuous It will be being done. Future perfect It will have been done. Future perfect continuous It will have been being done. Uses of passive The action is more important than the person doing it. The solar panels are being replaced by the technicians. The subject doing the action is not known. The car has been stolen tonight. We want to produce an impersonal or official tone. Visitors must be guided by an official guide.

Comprehension Questions and Summary Writing This exercise consists on reading two texts and extracting the main ideas of both to make a summary and answer some questions related to it. You should be able to simplify the two texts to four basic ideas that paraphrase the whole meaning.

Key word transformations This exercise consist on given a sentence, to transform it while using a part of an incomplete sentence given and a key word. Suggestions for this exercise: Comparative structures She is as prepared as I am.  → She is no more prepared than I am. Sea water has warmed up compared to June. → Sea water isn't nearly as cold as it was in June. Both kids are as clever as each other. → None of the kids are  a bit as clever as the other. Dictator's son was not quite as bad . → Dictator's son was the lesser evil of the two . Not as many people attended the concert. → A lot fewer people attended the concert. He isn't as good as he pretends. → He is half as good as he pretends. Lexical patterns You aren't listening to me. → You aren't paying attention to me. The workers said the responsible was the president. →The workers put the blame on the president. We eventually decided to go on strike. →We came/reached to the ...

Gapped sentences That exercise consist on looking for a word that is suitable for three gapped sentences. There are six words to find and each correct answer count two marks. Suggestions for the gapped sentences: The missing word is a noun arrangement (legal agreement, meeting), gap (generation, between two events), defence (lawyer, come to my...), taste (for drinks and meals, sense of...), security (job..., sense of...), bottom (...line, from top to...), crack (at the...of dawn, nearly broken) The missing word is a verb or a phrasal verb capped (... with snow, finishing something brilliantly), exercise (fitness, the vote), gather (your thoughts, data on something), clamp (down: enforce stricter measures, fasten), induce (provoke, stimulate an action), invite (offer, suggest), come (...out: result, end), embrace (adopt, hug) The missing word is an adjective even (equal, smooth), fresh (clear, with no additives), full (opposite to empty, busy), faintest/slightest (...a...

Word Formation In this exercise you have a text with 10 gaps. You have to fill in each gap with a word derived from the root of a given word. Suggestions for possible transformations: Formation of verbs and nouns Moist → moistening, pure → purify, harmony → harmonising, large → enlarged, history → historians, noramal → abnormalities, arm → armful, mantain → maintenance  Formation of adjectives and adverbs Bitter → embittered, muscle → muscular, trouble → troubles, invite → uninviting, dream → dreamily, content → discontentedly, comfort → uncomfortably, shame → shamefully   Addition of "not so common" prefixes (for example extra-, co-, ill-) Author → co-author, curriculum →  extra-curricular, prepare  →  under-prepared, ill-prepared,  unprepared ; wit  →  outwitted, standard →  substandard, privilege →  underprivileged, think →  reth...

Open cloze The exercise has 15 you must fill with a missing word. Suggestion for possible words: Pronouns, relative pronouns or reflexive pronouns whom, whatever, herself, which, such, they, whenever, others Articles, determiners and quantifiers the very least, much as, above all, few, no fewer than, either way, the, many a time, several, after all  Conjunctions, linking words or linking phrases since, despite, a matter of fact, even though, while, in any case, after all that, whereas, although, in short, as far as ... concerned, as Prepositional phrases and phrasal verbs biased against, misgivings about, susceptible to, talk at length, throw X-self upon Y-self mercy, go off the idea, come in for (criticism), stand back from  Collocations shed light on (a subject), come into close contact (with someone), a working knowledge of (language), accept full responsibility, swallow his/her pride, made my position clear, with the overriding feeling, wit...

Gradable adjectives Adverbs (used to quantify the adjective) :  Deeply, extremely, fairly, immensely, rather, very, reasonably... Gradable adjectives: Angry, cheerful, happy, hurt, irritable, upset... Examples: I'm extremely happy for the announcement. She's deeply upset for the death of his father. Ungradable adjectives (they already have the notion of the degree) Adverbs (used to emphasise the adjective) : Absolutely, completely, entirely, totally, utterly... Ungradable adjectives: Awful, broken-hearted, impossible, terrible, wonderful... Examples: The guardian told it was absolutely impossible to visit the museum at that time. She was completely exhausted after reaching the peak of the mountain. Pretty  → Can be combined with gradable and ungradable adjectives in informal English I'm pretty happy for the news. He was pretty broken-hearted after they broke up. Really  → Can be combined with gradable and ungradable adjectives in...

Wish For Present → Use past tense He wish he could attend the meeting. For Past   → Use past perfect tense I wish I had studied harder. For criticism or irritation  → Use of would She wish he would be more quiet. Not used when the object and the subject are the same. I wish I would be there. If only  → has an stronger implication of regret than wish If only I had more time I could arrive on time. It's (about/high) time / would rather For Present with an object → Followed by a past tense It's high time we started learning Japanese. I'd rather you started learning Japanese. For General statement → Followed by an infinitive It's about time to leave. I'd rather go to India than Turkey. As if / though For unreal situation  → With past tense She acted as if we didn't know each other. (We know each other) You passed as though you were a model. (He isn't)

Verb + object + to infinitive Consider, warn, allow, believe, encourage, etc.  → Include object I consider to buy a new bike fro this summer. You warn you not to go the mountain in February. My parents allowed my sister to go out. He believe that UFOs doesn't exist. They encourages us to prepare some games for the kieds. Decide, refuse, hope, fail, agree, start, etc.  → Don't require object I decided to go on a differnt hollyday plan. She refused to take that offering. The Spanish presedent hope no to need external help. The analyst faied to predict the fall on the stock market. I agree to do that in your way. We start to plan our journey some moths ago. Hate, help, like, love, want, prefer, need  → Sometimes take object and some don't I hate to do housework. // I hate you to get the kitchen dirty. Verb + (object) + bare infinitive Hear, feel, make, notice, see, watch, let, etc. I hear her tell telling the story. I feel he choose the wro...

The use of inversions involve the alteration of word order to give emphasis to the sentence. The museum offers a wide range of pictures and some temporary expositions. (Normal) Not only does the museum offer a wide range of pictures, but there are also some temporay exhibitions. (Inverted) Structures of inverted sentences: Barely, hardly, rarely, scarcely, seldom Barely were we in Paris when it started to rain. Hardly had I arrived home I falled into the sofa. Rarely does a day go by without writing any sentence. Scarcely had she cooked the dinner when I arrived with some pizzzas. Never and nowhere Never had I felt more sick than when I caught malaria. Nowhere could I find those vegetables in Basel.  Little, no sooneer, not Little did the doctor for the patients with that lack of resources. No sooner had we arrived to Cameroon when it began to pour down. Not a single sentence could I say after such a big surpirse. Neither, nor, so (at the end of the ...

They have a similar function to relative clauses. The man singing is Elton John. → The man who is singing is Elton John. The painting stolen was finally found. → The painting that was stolen was finally found. The position of the clause can affect the meaning. Sitting in the havour, I could see the sailors. // I could see the sailors sitting in the harbour. Having + past participle  → previous action Having done al the housework I when to the cinema. Being + past participle  → passive action The book being published today will be on bookshops next week. Past participle -ed clauses  → are used similarly The images provided to the police helped to identify the thieves.

 Can  → Possiblity without temporal references I can be in the top of the mountain in 15 mintues. May / Might / Could  → Possiblity with references to past, present, future It may/might/could cause skin irritation. May not / Might not  → Negative possiblity She may/might not get that job position. Must be / must have been / will be / will have been / should be / should have been  → Deduction If you hear a noise downstairs it must be a thief. When you hear the phone rang at 5 pm, it will be the plumber. What's that hole in the middle of the garden. It should have been the neigbour's dog. Can't / can not / could not  → Impossibility It can't be possible! Could / might  → imply criticism or irritation She could be more explicit. You might have told me the accident. Other expressions it's a foregone conclusion It's a foregone conclusion that Barça would win any title. the chances are The chances are tha...