Syntax test A (Chalker 13, 16, Gethin 3, 6, 10)
Use appropriate passive verb + a to-infinitive to transform the following sentences:
1. Students reported that the exams had been very difficult.
2. Everyone assumes that some progress has been achieved.
3. We know that some children behave well.
4. We understood that the result were incredible.
(8 points)
Complete the following sentences adding suitable prepositions:
5. I´m pleased she has passed her exam. I congratulated ..........
6. Some people waste their time doing nothing useful. But you can´t prevent ..........
7. I´d like to meet your husband. Please introduce ..........
(3 points)
Rewrite the following sentences in the passive where possible:
8. Do you thing you lack sufficient experience?
9. Two men hold my car in the garage.
10. My car holds five people comfortably.
(3 points)
Respond to the sentences below using pronouns and indicate whether the verbs used are phrasal
or prepositional verbs:
phrasal verb/prepositional verb
11. I´ve invested in some machinery shares. Why have you .....
12. Why have you turned down my offer? I haven´t .....
13. They insisted on paying in advance. How could they .....
Insert us or to us:
14. He explained ..... that he knew what he wanted.
15. He admitted ..... that his mistake was serious.
16. She repeated ..... that she studied very hard.
Without altering the meaning, reword the following sentences by using the exact words in
italics either with the –ing form or with the full infinitive / object + full infinitive:
17. There´s no point in going all the way home to fetch my car. (worth)
18. Someone must make Peter see sense. (be made)
19. Jane says she didn´t break your vase. (denies)
Choose the best answer:
20. John, with his brothers, was/were responsible for the loss.
21. Catherine, as much as her colleagues, was/were responsible for the lost.
22. As well as print/printing the books, he publishes them.
Indicate which type of coordination is gapping and supply your own example:
23. Gapping is a type of ..................... coordination.
24. One example of gapping:
What is asyndetic coordination and supply your own example:
25. Asyndetic coordination ..........................................................
26. Example:
27. Explain the difference between coordination and subordination:
28.-29. Present two sentences, one compound and one complex, with a similar meaning
illustrating the above difference:
(4 points)
Put the verbs in brackets into the correct form (gerund or infinitive):
30. If you go on (let your dog (chase) cars he´ll end by (be) run over.
31. I don´t prefer (drive) to (be driven).
32. I advise you (start) (look) for a new flat immediately.
33. Some people seem (have) a passion for (write) to the newspaper.
34. He postponed (make) a decision till it was too late (do) anything.
35. My sister remembers (pay) him yesterday.
36. Did you remember (give) him the key of the safe? – No, I didn´t.
37. Please forgive me for (interrupt) you but would you mind (repeat) that sentence?
38. Why do you keep (look) back? Are you afraid of (be) followed?
39. I´m very sorry for (be) late. It was good of you (wait) for me.
40. Do you like (go) to a film or would you rather (stay) at home?
41. I didn´t mean (offend) anyone but somehow I succeeded in (annoy) them all.
42. It´s much better (go) to a hairdresser that (try) (save) time by (cut) your own hair.
Join the following pairs of sentences using correlatives:
43. She hasn´t met her brother. Nor has she met her mother.
44. Henry is not the owner. His wife is the owner.
45. Many students didn´t like the test. Many students didn´t finish the test.
Omit the subjects in the following wherever possible:
46. They are living in England, or they are spending a vacation there.
47. He was unhappy about it, and yet he did as he was told.
48. My parents look forward to retiring, but when they retire they will find they long for the company
of their former colleagues and they miss the entertainment they had at their work.
49. Switch on the radio or we´ll miss the news.
(9 points)
Can you insert the words that have been omitted?
50. My sister admires, but my mother despises, his behaviour.
51. John brought me a bunch of flowers and my sister a box of chocolates. (4 points)
Transform the following by using the words in brackets?
52. As our teacher spoke very fast we found it difficult to make any notes. (so... that)
53. She also spoke with a strong accent, so that we didn´t understand all she said. (as)
54. As my car wouldn´t start I had to take a taxi (and so)
55. I realized I´d be late for my appointment and phoned my secretary. (realising)
(8 points)
Express the following using enough. Find a contrastive adjective:
56. The man was sitting rather a long way away and we could not see who it was.
57. The coffee was just a little too strong for my liking.
(2 points)
Use suitable constructions to express purpose:
58. When I´m away I shall telephone my husband every evening. Otherwise he may think I´m having
too good a time.
59. Let me know when you are going. Then I can keep your husband company if he´s lonely.
(2 points)
Express cause/concession using prepositional constructions:
60. We had a most pleasant day in Prague, although there was no sun.
61. Because I was delayed last Wednesday I did not get to my work on time.
(2 points)
Transform the following by the use of four different links expressing concession
(Use each of them once and in the following order):
though (link), even so, even though, though (adverb)
62. Sheila´s pupils have been learning Spanish for only a year. Some of them are already up to
examination standard, though.
63. I don´t think Sheila has spent more than two or three months in Spain, yet she has acquired a pretty
sound knowledge of the language.
64. There´s a lot of difference in my parents´ ages, and yet it has been a very good marriage.
65. What you say may be true in your parents´ case, but I think it´s more the exception that the rule.
(8 points)
KEY Syntax test A (Chalker 13, 16, Gethin 3, 6, 10)
Use appropriate passive verb + a to-infinitive to transform the following sentences:
1. The exams were reported to have been very difficult.
2. ?
3. Some children are known to behave well.
4. The results were understood to be incredible.
Complete the following sentences adding suitable prepositions:
5. I congratulated her on passing her exam.
6. But you can´t prevent them from wasting their time.
7. Please introduce me to your husband.
Rewrite the following sentences in the passive where possible:
8. Passive is not possible.
9. My car is held by two men in the garage.
10. Passive is not possible.
Respond to the sentences below using pronouns and indicate whether the verbs used are phrasal
or prepositional verbs:
phrasal verb/prepositional verb
11. Why have you invested in them?
12. I haven´t turned in down.
13. How could they insist on it?
prepositional verb
phrasal verb
prepositional verb
Insert us or to us:
14. to us
15. to us
16. to us
Without altering the meaning, reword the following sentences by using the exact words in
italics either with the –ing form or with the full infinitive / object + full infinitive:
17. It´s not worth going all the way home to fetch my car.
18. Peter must be made to see sense.
19. Jane denies breaking your vase.
Choose the best answer:
20. was
21. was
22. printing
Indicate which type of coordination is gapping and supply your own example:
23. Gapping is a type of complex coordination.
24. One example of gapping: One girl wrote an essay, the other a short story.
What is asyndetic coordination and supply your own example:
25. Asyndetic coordination – there are no conjunctions used
26. Example: I wasn´t at school, he was.
27. Explain the difference between coordination and subordination:
Coordination – all units are at the same syntactic level (compound sentence)
Subordination – one unit is superior to the other (others) (complex sentence)
Present two sentences, one compound and one complex, with a similar meaning
illustrating the above difference:
28. He studied hard but he failed. – compound sentence
29. Although he studied hard, he failed. – complex sentence
Put the verbs in brackets into the correct form (gerund or infinitive):
30. letting
31. driving
32. to start looking
33. to have
34. making
35. paying
36. to give
37. interrupting
38. looking
39. being
40. going
41. ?
42. to go
chase
being driven
being
writing
to do
repeating
being
to wait
stay
annoying
trying to save
cutting
Join the following pairs of sentences using correlatives:
43. She has met neither her brother nor her mother.
44. Not Henry, but his wife is the owner.
45. Many students neither liked nor finished the test.
Omit the subjects in the following wherever possible:
46. They are living in England, or they are spending a vacation there.
47. He was unhappy about it, and yet he did as he was told.
48. My parents look forward to retiring, but when they retire they will find they long for the company
of their former colleagues and they miss the entertainment they had at their work.
49. Switch on the radio or we´ll miss the news.
Can you insert the words that have been omitted?
50. My sister admires his behaviour, but my mother despises his behaviour.
51. John brought me a bunch of flowers and my sister brought me a box of chocolates.
Transform the following by using the words in brackets?
52. Our teacher spoke so fast that we found difficult to make any notes.
53. We didn´t understand all she said as she spoke with a strong accent.
54. My car wouldn´t start, and so I had to take a taxi.
55. Realizing I´d be late for my appointment, I phoned my secretary.
Express the following using enough. Find a contrastive adjective:
56. The man wasn´t sitting close enough for us to see who it was.
57. The coffee wasn´t just weak enough for my liking.
Use suitable constructions to express purpose:
58. When I´m away I shall telephone my husband every evening in case he thinks I´m having too good
a time.
59. Let me know when you are going so that I can keep your husband company if he´s lonely.
Express cause/concession using prepositional constructions:
60. We had a most pleasant day in Prague inspite of the lack of sun.
61. Because of the delay last Wednesday, I did not get to my work on time.
Transform the following by the use of four different links expressing concession
(Use each of them once and in the following order):
though (link), even so, even though, though (adverb)
62. Though Sheila´s pupils have been learning Spanish for only a year, some of them are already up to
examination standard, though.
63. I don´t think Sheila has spent more than two or three months in Spain. Even so, she has acquired a
pretty sound knowledge of the language.
64. Even though there´s a lot of difference in my parents´ ages, it has been a very good marriage.
65. What you say may be true in your parents´ case. Though I think it´s more the exception that the
rule.