Ejercicios de transformación gramatical con respuestas comentadas (nivel avanzado)

Advanced level

1.- You must try to accept that you will never become a famous actor
(terms)
1.- You ................................that you will never be a famous actor

2.- They didn't realize how serious the situation was
(little)
2.- ............................. how serious the situation was

3.- Observers believe he resigned because of the economic crisis
(believed)
3.- He ........................................... because of the economic crisis

4.- What would you do if you found a buried treasure?
(were)
4.- What would you do if you ..............a buried treasure?

5.- I regret drinking so much last night
(drunk)
5.- If only ............................. last night

6.- Although he drank too much, Norma loved her husband very much
(spite)
6.- Norma loved her husband very much......................that he drank too much

7.- I don't want you to spend that money on a new car
(sooner)
7.- ........................................ that money on a new car

8.- There is no precedent for that action
(is)
8.- That action.....................

9.- Please say hello to your sister from me
(remember)
9.- Please .....................your sister

10.- If you're not careful, you will be dismissed
(sack)
10.- You will ................if you're not careful

KEY

1.- must come to terms with the fact
Commentary: If you accept an unpleasant or sad situation and no longer feel upset or angry about it, you can say that you've come to terms with it/with that fact.

2.- Little did they realize
Commentary: With some verbs such as to know, to realize or to think, little is used at the beginning of the sentence with inversion of the subject and the operator did, to indicate that  sb did not know or think that sth would happen or was true.

3.- is believed to have resigned
Commentary: With some verbs such as to believe, to think, to say, to know or to suppose, two impersonal passive constructions are possible: a) It's believed/thought/said, etc. + that-clause, e.g. it's believed (that) he has resigned and b) he/she/they is/are believed/thought/said + to-infinitive. The to-infinitive can be a simple infinitive, e.g he's believed to be in Spain, or a perfect infinitive, if the fact happened in the past, e.g. he's believed to have resigned.

4.- were to find
Commentary: You use were + to-infinitive in type two conditionals to indicate that there are few chances for the condition to be fulfilled.

5.- I hadn't drunk so much
Commentary: if only + past perfect is synonymous with I wish + past perfect, so it can be used to express a regret or a strong wish.

6.- in spite of the fact
Commentary: In spite of  ('a pesar de') must be followed by a noun or an -ing form. It can't be followed by a clause with the verb in a personal form; in this case, you have to use in spite of the fact that, like in the example.

7.- I'd sooner you didn't spend
Commentary: I'd/he'd/she'd, etc. sooner (much prefer sth) has about the same meaning as I'd/he'd/she'd, etc. rather, and two constructions are also possible: a) I'd/he'd etc. sooner  + infinitive without to (used when the subject  of 'd sooner is the same as the subject of the infinitive, e.g. I'd sooner die than betray my country - prefiero morir antes que traicionar a mi país), and b) I'd/he'd etc. sooner + simple past (used when the subject of 'd sooner is different from the subject of the simple past), like in the example.

8.- is unprecedented
Commentary: If there's no precedent for sth, it is unprecedented.

9.- remember me to
Commentary: You say remember me to sb else when you ask sb to give your greetings to sb else. 

10.- get the sack
Commentary: to get the sack is an idiom meaning to be dismissed from your job.