Open cloze, word formation and key word transformation at every level that sets them. Spelling counts in every answer, and transformations are marked in two halves, so check the key for which half you lost, not just whether you were right.
A2 Key (A2). Part 5 of the Reading and Writing paper. Timing on the real exam — Reading and Writing: 60 minutes. At this level the open cloze counts towards the Reading score; there is no separate Use of English score.
Tip: Most answers are small grammar words: prepositions, parts of verbs, linking words and words in fixed phrases. When you finish, read the whole sentence again, and check your spelling.
Questions 25–30 For each question, write the correct answer. Write one word for each gap. Example: (0) for
From: Ben To: Sam
Hi Sam,
Thanks (0) your email. I’m really pleased you can come and stay next weekend! On Saturday, I’d like to show you the new science museum. It’s in the middle (25) the city, next to the river, and it’s already one of the (26) popular places to visit. In the evening, we (27) going to have dinner at my favourite Indian restaurant. Is there anything you don’t eat?
Ben
From: Sam To: Ben
Hi Ben,
Thanks – I’m really looking forward (28) seeing you! My train gets in at 7.30 on Friday evening. I don’t eat meat, but I love vegetables, so an Indian restaurant is perfect. Is it OK (29) I bring my bike? I’d like to go cycling by the river on Sunday. Also, shall I bring my sleeping bag, (30) have you got a spare bed?
See you soon,
Sam
Answer key
25. of — The phrase is “in the middle of” something.
26. most — “One of the most popular” is a superlative. “Popular” is a long adjective, so it needs “most”, not “-est”.
27. are — “We are going to have dinner” uses “be going to” for a plan. The subject is “we”, so the verb is “are”.
28. to — The phrase is “look forward to” + -ing: “I’m looking forward to seeing you.”
29. if — “Is it OK if I …?” is a common way to ask for permission.
30. or — Sam asks a question with two choices: “Shall I bring my sleeping bag, or have you got a spare bed?” Two choices in a question are joined with “or”.
B1 Preliminary (B1). Part 6 of the Reading paper. Timing on the real exam — Reading: 45 minutes. At this level the open cloze counts towards the Reading score; there is no separate Use of English score.
Tip: Most gaps need a grammar word: a preposition, a linking word, part of a fixed phrase or part of a verb form. Read on past the gap before you decide, and check your spelling, because only one word is allowed.
For each question, write the correct answer. Write one word for each gap.
Email from Mia
Hi Lena,
Thanks for your email. You asked what I’ve been doing recently, so here’s my news – I’ve joined a choir! I’d never sung in public before, so I was really nervous at the first rehearsal. But everyone was (27) friendly that nobody seemed to mind when I sang the wrong notes.
We meet every Tuesday evening in the school hall, and at the moment we’re practising (28) a concert in December. Some of the songs are quite difficult, but our teacher is very patient. She says it doesn’t matter whether you can read music (29) not, as long (30) you enjoy singing.
I’ve made lots of new friends, and I feel much more relaxed than I (31) to. Why don’t you come along one week? There are a few free places, and I’m sure you’d love it.
I can’t wait to hear (32) you!
Mia
Answer key
27. so — So + adjective + that shows a result: everyone was so friendly that nobody minded. Such is used before a noun (such friendly people), not before an adjective on its own, and very or too can’t be followed by that.
28. for — You practise for an event, meaning to prepare for it.
29. or — Whether … or not is a fixed pattern for two possibilities.
30. as — As long as means “only if”. The first “as” is missing.
31. used — Used to describes a past state that is no longer true: Mia is more relaxed now than she was in the past.
32. from — Hear from someone means to receive a message from them.
B2 First (B2). Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 of the Reading and Use of English paper. Timing on the real exam — Reading and Use of English: 1 hour 15 minutes.
Tip: Most gaps in an open cloze are grammar words or parts of fixed phrases. Read the whole sentence, decide what kind of word is missing, and check that only one word goes in each gap.
For questions 9–16, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only one word in each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0), and its answer, OF, is shown in the text.
Why do dreams disappear?
Most of us know the feeling (0) OF waking from a vivid dream, only to find that within a few minutes almost nothing of it is left. Scientists have spent years trying to work (9) why dreams fade so quickly, and one explanation has (10) do with the chemistry of the sleeping brain.
During the stage of sleep in (11) most dreaming takes place, the level of a chemical that helps us store new memories is unusually low. (12) a result, the brain is simply not ready to record what it is experiencing. The way we wake up matters too. People who wake slowly and lie still for a moment are far more likely to remember their dreams (13) those who jump out of bed the moment the alarm goes off.
If you would like to recall more of your dreams, the advice is straightforward. Keep a notebook beside your bed and write down whatever you can remember, (14) if it is only a single image or feeling. Try not to look at your phone first, (15) this seems to wipe out the memory almost instantly. After a week or two, most people find it becomes much easier, and many are surprised at (16) detailed their dreams turn out to be.
Answer key
9. out — ‘Work out’ is a phrasal verb meaning ‘find the answer to a problem’, and it is often followed by a question word such as ‘why’.
10. to — The fixed phrase is ‘have (something) to do with’, meaning ‘be connected with’. ‘Has’ is already in the text, so only ‘to’ is missing.
11. which — After a preposition (‘in’), a relative clause about a thing needs ‘which’. ‘That’ is not possible directly after a preposition.
12. As — ‘As a result’ is a linking phrase that introduces a consequence: the chemical level is low, so the brain does not record the dream.
13. than — The comparative ‘more likely’ needs ‘than’ to introduce the second group being compared.
14. even — ‘Even if’ introduces a condition that might seem unimportant but does not change the advice: write it down anyway.
15. because (also accepted: as, since, for) — The clause gives the reason for the advice, so a conjunction of reason is needed. ‘Because’, ‘as’ and ‘since’ are all correct here, and so is the more formal ‘for’.
16. how — ‘Surprised at how detailed’ uses ‘how’ + adjective to talk about the degree of something. ‘What’ cannot be followed directly by an adjective in this way.
Tip: Decide what kind of word each gap needs (noun, adjective, adverb) before you think about the ending, then check whether the meaning needs a plural or a negative prefix.
For questions 17–24, read the text below. Use the word given in capitals for each question to form a word that fits in the gap. There is an example at the beginning (0): the word given is PAY and the answer, PAYMENT, is shown in the text.
Community fridges
In a growing number of towns, a simple idea is helping to cut food waste. A community fridge is a public fridge where local shops and residents can leave food they no longer need. Anyone can take what they want, with no questions asked and no (0) PAYMENT expected.
The rules are refreshingly (17). Shops, bakeries and home growers can donate a wide (18) of items, from bread and vegetables to sealed dairy products. Raw meat and fish are not allowed for reasons of (19), and volunteers check the fridge daily.
Organisers point out that the fridges are not only for people living in (20). Students on tight budgets use them, but so do people who simply hate seeing good food thrown away. As nobody has to explain why they are there, there is none of the (21) that some people feel when they ask for help.
The fridges were set up to reduce waste, but they have also had an (22) effect on the neighbourhoods around them. Regular users start to recognise one another, and people who might never have spoken now stop for a chat. Several organisers say that this sense of (23) has become just as important as the food itself, and they now (24) encourage people to stay and talk.
Answer key
17. uncomplicated — After ‘refreshingly’ an adjective is needed, and the positive meaning of ‘refreshingly’ shows it must be negative: ‘uncomplicated’ (simple).
18. variety — ‘A wide variety of’ is a fixed noun phrase meaning ‘many different kinds of’. ‘Variation’ is a noun too, but it means a change or difference, not a range.
19. safety — ‘For reasons of’ is followed by a noun. The noun from ‘safe’ is ‘safety’.
20. poverty — ‘Living in’ needs a noun here. The noun from ‘poor’ involves an internal change: ‘poverty’. ‘Poorness’ is not used with this meaning.
21. embarrassment — After ‘none of the’ a noun is needed, and the feeling people have when asking for help is ‘embarrassment’. Note the double r and double s.
22. unexpected — An adjective is needed before ‘effect’, and ‘an’ shows it starts with a vowel sound. The contrast with ‘were set up to reduce waste, but …’ shows the effect was not planned, so the negative ‘unexpected’ is needed.
23. belonging — ‘A sense of belonging’ is a fixed phrase meaning the feeling of being part of a group, which is what the chats between neighbours create.
24. actively — An adverb is needed to describe the verb ‘encourage’. ‘Actively encourage’ means they make a deliberate effort to do it, not just allow it.
Tip: Count contractions as two words, and check that your answer keeps the meaning of the first sentence exactly, including whether it is positive or negative.
For questions 25–30, complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between two and five words, including the word given.
The committee has decided to postpone the meeting until next week.
PUT
The committee has decided (25) until next week.
I regret not telling Sarah the truth about the broken vase.
WISH
I (26) Sarah the truth about the broken vase.
Tom started learning the piano six years ago.
BEEN
Tom (27) the piano for six years.
It’s possible that Maria missed the last bus.
MAY
Maria (28) the last bus.
The film was so boring that I fell asleep halfway through.
SUCH
It (29) that I fell asleep halfway through.
I didn’t go to the gym because I was too tired.
IF
I would have gone to the gym (30) so tired.
Answer key
25. to put the meeting off (also accepted: to put off the meeting) — marks: to put … off (1) | the meeting (1) — ‘Put off’ means ‘postpone’. Because ‘the meeting’ is a noun, it can go either between the verb and the particle or after the particle; both orders are correct.
26. wish I had told (also accepted: wish I’d told, wish that I had told, wish that I’d told) — marks: wish I (1) | had told (1) — A regret about the past is expressed with ‘wish’ + past perfect. The negative ‘not telling’ becomes the positive ‘had told’, because you wish the opposite of what happened. ‘I’d’ counts as two words.
27. has been learning (also accepted: ’s been learning) — marks: has been (1) | learning (1) — An activity that started in the past and is still going on, with ‘for’ + a period of time, needs the present perfect continuous. ‘Has learnt’ is wrong because it does not use the key word.
28. may have missed — marks: may have (1) | missed (1) — Speculation about a past event uses a modal + ‘have’ + past participle. ‘May miss’ would refer to the future.
29. was such a boring film — marks: was such (1) | a boring film (1) — ‘So’ is followed by an adjective, but ‘such’ is followed by (a/an) + adjective + noun, so the noun ‘film’ must be added: ‘such a boring film’. ‘It’ at the start of the sentence needs the verb ‘was’.
30. if I hadn’t been (also accepted: if I had not been) — marks: if I (1) | hadn’t been (1) — This is a third conditional about an unreal past situation, so the if-clause needs the past perfect. Because I really was tired, the condition must be negative: ‘if I hadn’t been’. ‘Hadn’t’ counts as two words, so the answer has five.
C1 Advanced (C1). Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 of the Reading and Use of English paper. Timing on the real exam — Reading and Use of English: 1 hour 30 minutes.
Tip: Many gaps at this level belong to fixed phrases, linking expressions or comparative structures, so read the whole sentence, and the one after it, before deciding what kind of word is missing.
For questions 9–16, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only one word in each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0), and its answer, THERE, is shown in the text.
Second lives beneath the waves
When a ship sinks, its story does not necessarily end (0) there. Within weeks, a steel hull lying on the seabed begins to attract life. Algae and tiny invertebrates settle on its surfaces first, and it is not (9) before fish arrive in search of food and shelter. In some parts of the world, long-established wrecks now support (10) many species as nearby natural reefs, if not more.
This has led a number of coastal authorities to sink decommissioned vessels deliberately, (11) the aim of creating new habitats and attracting divers. The practice is not (12) its critics, however. Before a ship can be sent to the bottom, every trace of fuel, paint and loose wiring has to be removed, a process (13) can take many months and cost a great deal of money. Even then, some marine scientists question (14) artificial reefs genuinely increase the amount of marine life or simply draw existing populations away from other areas.
(15) the evidence on that point remains inconclusive, most researchers accept that a carefully prepared wreck does little harm to its surroundings. And (16) it comes to tourism, the benefits are hard to dispute: in several regions, a single well-placed wreck has turned a quiet harbour town into a destination for divers from all over the world.
Answer key
9. long — ‘It is not long before …’ is a fixed pattern meaning ‘soon’. ‘Soon’ has a similar meaning but cannot be used in this pattern.
10. as — The comparison ‘as many … as’ is completed by the second ‘as’ after ‘species’, and ‘if not more’ confirms that equality is being described.
11. with — ‘With the aim of + -ing’ is a fixed phrase expressing purpose.
12. without — ‘Not without its critics’ is a fixed expression meaning that some people do criticise it. ‘However’ signals the contrast with the benefits just described.
13. which (also accepted: that) — A relative pronoun is needed as the subject of ‘can take’, referring back to ‘a process’. ‘That’ is also correct because the clause is defining.
14. whether — ‘Question whether … or …’ introduces an indirect question with two alternatives. ‘If’ is not normally used after ‘question’ with ‘or’ in formal writing, so ‘whether’ is the answer.
15. While (also accepted: Whilst, Although, Though) — A concessive conjunction is needed: the evidence is unclear, but most researchers still accept the point. ‘Despite’ is wrong because it cannot be followed by a full clause.
16. when — ‘When it comes to’ is a fixed phrase meaning ‘on the subject of’.
Tip: Decide the word class first, then check the meaning of the whole sentence: some gaps need a prefix, often a negative one, as well as a suffix.
For questions 17–24, read the text below. Use the word given in capitals for each question to form a word that fits in the gap. There is an example at the beginning (0): the word given is PLEASE and the answer, UNPLEASANT, is shown in the text.
The unexpected value of boredom
For most of us, boredom is an (0) unpleasant state, to be escaped as quickly as possible, usually by reaching for a phone. Yet a growing body of research suggests that it may serve a genuine purpose. Many psychologists now regard boredom as a kind of signal: an (17) that whatever we are doing has stopped engaging us and that we should look for something more meaningful.
In one frequently cited study, participants who had first been given a (18) dull task, copying numbers out of a telephone directory, went on to produce more (19) answers in a creativity test than those who had gone straight to the test. The explanation, researchers believe, lies in the tendency of an (20) mind to wander. Freed from constant (21), it begins to make connections between ideas that would otherwise remain separate.
None of this means that boredom is always (22). Chronic boredom has been linked to low mood and poor decision-making. Even so, some psychologists recommend giving children regular periods of unstructured time, arguing that it helps to (23) their capacity to entertain themselves. The real problem, they suggest, may not be boredom itself but our growing (24) to tolerate even a few minutes of it.
Answer key
17. indication (also accepted: indicator) — A noun is needed after ‘an’ and before a ‘that’ clause: an indication that something is true. ‘Indicator’ also fits the grammar and meaning, so it is accepted.
18. deliberately — An adverb is needed to modify the adjective ‘dull’: the task was made dull on purpose.
19. imaginative — An adjective meaning ‘showing creativity’ is needed before ‘answers’. ‘Imaginary’ (not real) and ‘imaginable’ (possible to imagine) are adjectives from the same root but have the wrong meaning.
20. unoccupied — The sense requires a negative adjective: a mind with nothing to do is the one that wanders. ‘Occupied’ would contradict the point of the paragraph.
21. distraction (also accepted: distractions) — A noun is needed after ‘constant’. Both the uncountable ‘distraction’ and the plural ‘distractions’ are correct here.
22. beneficial — An adjective is needed after ‘is always’. The next sentence gives an example of harm, so the sense is ‘good for us’.
23. strengthen — A verb is needed after ‘helps to’. The adjective ‘strong’ changes internally (o → e) and takes the suffix -en.
24. unwillingness — A noun is needed after ‘our growing’, and the meaning must be negative: people find it hard to tolerate boredom. The word needs both a prefix and a suffix.
Tip: Count contractions as two words, and check the tense and the words after the gap: every answer here has to join up grammatically with what follows it.
For questions 25–30, complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between three and six words, including the word given.
I’m sure the museum didn’t know the painting was a fake when it bought it.
AWARE
The museum (25) the painting was a fake when it bought it.
People say that the novelist wrote her first book in just six weeks.
SAID
The novelist (26) her first book in just six weeks.
The manager’s decision to cancel the event surprised everyone.
CAME
The manager’s decision to cancel the event (27) everyone.
I’d prefer you not to mention this to anyone yet.
RATHER
I’d (28) this to anyone yet.
There was no possibility that she would admit she had made a mistake.
QUESTION
Admitting that she had made a mistake (29) for her.
Although he tried very hard, he couldn’t open the window.
MATTER
No (30), he couldn’t open the window.
Answer key
25. can’t have been aware that (also accepted: cannot have been aware that, couldn’t have been aware that, could not have been aware that, can’t have been aware, cannot have been aware, couldn’t have been aware, could not have been aware) — marks: can’t / cannot / couldn’t have (1) | been aware (that) (1) — ‘I’m sure … didn’t’ is a confident deduction about the past, expressed with ‘can’t/couldn’t have + past participle’. ‘Know’ becomes ‘be aware (that)’. ‘Mustn’t have been’ is wrong: ‘mustn’t’ is not used for negative deductions.
26. is said to have written — marks: is said (1) | to have written (1) — The impersonal passive with the person as subject is ‘is said to …’. Because the writing happened before the saying, the perfect infinitive ‘to have written’ is needed.
27. came as a surprise to (also accepted: came as a complete surprise to, came as a great surprise to, came as a big surprise to, came as quite a surprise to, came as a real surprise to) — marks: came as (1) | a surprise to (1) — The fixed expression is ‘come as a surprise to someone’. Answers that leave out ‘as’ or ‘to’, such as ‘came a surprise for’, lose a mark.
28. rather you didn’t mention (also accepted: rather you did not mention, rather that you didn’t mention, rather that you did not mention) — marks: rather you (1) | didn’t / did not mention (1) — When the subject changes, ‘would rather’ is followed by a past tense with present meaning: I’d rather you didn’t. ‘Rather you not mention’ and ‘rather you don’t mention’ are not correct.
29. was out of the question — marks: was (1) | out of the question (1) — ‘Out of the question’ means ‘impossible, not to be considered’. ‘Was beyond question’ is wrong because it means ‘certainly true’, the opposite idea.
30. matter how hard he tried (also accepted: matter how hard he had tried, matter how much he tried, matter how much he had tried) — marks: matter how hard (1) | he tried (1) — ‘No matter how + adjective/adverb + clause’ expresses a concession. ‘Very’ has to go, because ‘how hard’ already carries the degree.
C2 Proficiency (C2). Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 of the Reading and Use of English paper. Timing on the real exam — Reading and Use of English: 1 hour 30 minutes.
Tip: Most gaps here are part of a fixed phrase or structure that stretches beyond the gap itself, so read a few words either side before deciding, and check that your word fits the grammar of the whole sentence.
For questions 9–16, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only one word in each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0).
The great fern craze
Few crazes in the history of collecting have been quite (0) peculiar as the passion for ferns that took hold of Britain in the middle of the nineteenth century. At its height, scarcely a parlour in the land was without its glass case of fronds, and fern motifs found their way on to everything from teapots to gravestones.
The craze owed (9) existence to a chance observation. A London doctor with an interest in insects had sealed a chrysalis in a glass jar with a little damp soil. Some weeks later he noticed that a tiny fern had sprouted at the bottom and was thriving, (10) though nobody had watered it. The closed case he went on to design allowed delicate plants to survive the soot-laden air of Victorian cities, and (11) long, collectors, many of (12) had never shown the slightest interest in botany, were scouring woods and riverbanks for unusual specimens.
Guidebooks appeared, specialist nurseries flourished, and (13) was the demand for certain varieties that whole hillsides were stripped of them. Some species that had once been common became all (14) extinct in the places most easily reached by rail.
Towards the end of the century the fashion gave (15) to other enthusiasms, and the glass cases were consigned to attics. Yet the craze was not without its lasting benefits: the careful records kept by thousands of amateur collectors remain of genuine value to botanists to (16) day.
Answer key
0 (example). as — Example. ‘As peculiar as’ is a comparison of equality; the second ‘as’ after ‘peculiar’ shows that the first one is needed.
9. its — The fixed pattern is ‘owe your existence to something’; the possessive must refer back to ‘the craze’, so ‘its’ is required.
10. even — ‘Even though’ introduces a surprising contrast: the fern thrived although it had no water. ‘As though’ would make the sentence mean something different and illogical.
11. before — ‘Before long’ means ‘soon’ and links the invention of the case to the rapid spread of collecting.
12. whom — After a quantifier and preposition (‘many of’), a non-defining relative clause about people needs ‘whom’; ‘who’ is not possible after a preposition.
13. such — ‘Such was the demand … that …’ is an inverted structure used for emphasis, meaning ‘the demand was so great that …’.
14. but — ‘All but’ means ‘almost’: the species became very nearly extinct in those places. ‘All too’ goes with gradable adjectives (‘all too common’), and ‘extinct’ is not gradable.
15. way (also accepted: place) — ‘Give way to’ means ‘be replaced by’; the fashion was replaced by other enthusiasms. The more formal ‘give place to’ has the same meaning and is also accepted.
16. this — ‘To this day’ is a fixed phrase meaning ‘even now’. ‘To the day’ means ‘exactly’, as in ‘ten years to the day’, which does not fit.
Tip: For each gap decide first what part of speech is needed, then read the whole sentence to see whether the meaning calls for a negative form. Some words need both a prefix and a suffix.
For questions 17–24, read the text below. Use the word given in capitals at the end of some of the lines to form a word that fits in the gap in the same line. There is an example at the beginning (0).
The case for boredom
In an age of (0) stimulation, few states of mind are regarded with such (17) distaste as boredom. From early childhood we are taught to treat it as a problem to be solved, and an (18) supply of entertainment now ensures that it seldom lasts longer than it takes to reach into a pocket. Yet a growing number of psychologists argue that our (19) to tolerate even brief spells of tedium may come at a price.
In one much-discussed study, volunteers who had first spent a quarter of an hour on a (20) monotonous task – copying out long lists of numbers – went on to produce noticeably more (21) answers in a test of creative thinking than those who had gone straight to the test. The explanation, the researchers suggest, is that boredom prompts the mind to wander, and that the (22) connections it makes while doing so are the raw material of original thought.
Boredom, on this view, is less an absence than a signal: an uncomfortable state that may actually (23) our appetite for novelty to the point where we go looking for it. None of this is to deny that chronic boredom does real harm; it has been linked to (24) at work and to reckless behaviour of various kinds. But the occasional empty afternoon, far from being time wasted, may be doing us rather more good than we suppose.
Answer key
0 (example). relentless — Example. An adjective is needed before the noun ‘stimulation’; ‘relentless’ means never stopping.
17. universal — An adjective is needed before ‘distaste’. ‘Universal distaste’ means a dislike shared by everyone.
18. inexhaustible — The sense is ‘endless’, so the negative prefix and the suffix -ible are both needed. ‘Exhaustive’ means thorough or complete, which does not fit ‘supply’.
19. unwillingness — A noun follows ‘our’, and the meaning must be negative: it is our refusal to tolerate tedium that ‘may come at a price’. ‘Willingness’ would contradict the argument.
20. deliberately — An adverb is needed to modify the adjective ‘monotonous’: the task was made dull on purpose.
21. inventive — An adjective is needed after ‘more’ and before ‘answers’; ‘inventive’ means creative and original.
22. unexpected — An adjective with a negative prefix is needed: surprising connections, not predictable ones, are ‘the raw material of original thought’.
23. heighten — A verb is needed after ‘may actually’. The stem changes internally (high → height) and takes the suffix -en, meaning ‘increase’; ‘to the point where we go looking for it’ shows that the appetite grows, which rules out ‘highlight’.
24. dissatisfaction — A noun is needed after ‘linked to’, and the context of harm requires the negative prefix dis-. ‘Unsatisfaction’ is not a word.
Tip: Count your words carefully: contractions such as ‘I’d’ count as two. Look at the words after the gap too, because they often show which structure you need.
For questions 25–30, complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between three and eight words, including the word given.
Jonathan found it very hard to accept that his business had failed.
TERMS
Jonathan found it very hard to (25) his business had failed.
I didn’t realise how demanding the job was until I started it.
UNTIL
Not (26) how demanding the job was.
The committee rejected the proposal because they considered it too expensive.
GROUNDS
The proposal was rejected (27) expensive.
I had no idea what to say when she asked me that question.
LOSS
I was (28) say when she asked me that question.
Coastal villages suffered most of the damage caused by the storm.
BRUNT
Coastal villages (29) damage caused by the storm.
The directors have said that jobs will not be cut under any circumstances.
ACCOUNT
The directors have said that (30) jobs be cut.
Answer key
25. come to terms with the fact that (also accepted: come to terms with the fact) — marks: come to terms with (1) | the fact that (1) — ‘Come to terms with’ means ‘accept something painful’. Because a clause follows, ‘the fact (that)’ is needed to link the phrasal expression to ‘his business had failed’.
26. until I started it did I realise (also accepted: until I had started it did I realise, until I’d started it did I realise, until I started the job did I realise, until I started did I realise, until I had started did I realise, until I’d started did I realise) — marks: until I (had) started it (1) | did I realise (1) — ‘Not until …’ at the start of a sentence requires inversion in the main clause, so the auxiliary ‘did’ comes before the subject: ‘did I realise’. ‘I’d’ counts as two words, giving eight.
27. on the grounds that it was too (also accepted: on the grounds that it would be too, on the grounds that it was considered too, on the grounds that they considered it too, on the grounds of being too, on the grounds of its being too) — marks: on the grounds (1) | that it was / would be / was considered too OR of (its) being too (1) — ‘On the grounds that’ is a formal way of giving a reason, followed by a clause with its own subject and verb; ‘on the grounds of (its) being’ is also possible. ‘Too’ must be kept before ‘expensive’.
28. at a loss as to what to (also accepted: at a loss what to, completely at a loss as to what to, at a complete loss as to what to, at a total loss as to what to, at a loss as to what I should) — marks: at a loss (1) | (as to) what to / what I should (1) — ‘Be at a loss’ means not know what to do or say. It is followed by ‘(as to) what to’ plus the infinitive already given, ‘say’.
29. bore the brunt of the (also accepted: took the brunt of the) — marks: bore / took the brunt (1) | of the (1) — ‘Bear the brunt of something’ means suffer the worst part of it; the past tense ‘bore’ matches the original. The definite article is needed before ‘damage’ because it is defined by ‘caused by the storm’.
30. on no account will (also accepted: on no account would) — marks: on no account (1) | will / would (1) — ‘On no account’ means ‘under no circumstances’. When it begins a clause, the auxiliary is inverted, so ‘will’ comes before ‘jobs’, which is already given.
Written by Kirill O'Nayd
English test expert and educator at TestSucceed. He has spent years preparing candidates for Cambridge English Qualifications from A2 Key to C2 Proficiency, and taking apart how each paper awards its marks. See all TestSucceed preparation materials.