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m a l Ii t yT 1 Iexercises
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Change the grammar of these sentences to make them more formal, and
remember, there might be several possible answers.

A Change to the 3rd person.

1. My essay will cover four main areas.

2. You need to take all factors into consideration.
3. We should monitor the results more closely.
4. In my opinion, the evidence seems flawed.
5. I will challenge this idea in my essay.
6. If you want to improve writing, you need to practise a great deal.
7. We feel that the government should take action.
8. When you go to college, you must organise your time effectively.
9. I do not agree with this solution.
[Link] we want to help the situation, we could raise money.

B Change to a passive. (Hint – reverse the sentence, so start your sentence with the
underlined words.)

1. Because of snow, the Principal has closed the college.

2. The teacher cancelled the classes.
3. Someone has called an election.
4. We should not ban smoking.
5. The government raises money from taxation.
6. The bank gave her a loan. (Hint – can start with ‘She’ or ‘A loan’.)
7. My essay will cover four main areas.
8. We should monitor the results more closely.
9. We can complete the project in a week.
[Link] can argue that this is not the solution. (Hint – start with ‘It can/could’)

C Change direct questions to indirect questions/sentences.

1. What are the consequences of high inflation?

2. How can we tackle this problem?
3. Is this new law needed?
4. Does continuous assessment put too much pressure on students?
5. Should grants replace loans?

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m a l Ii t yT 1 Iexercises
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6. Who is responsible for this policy?
7. Why do certain people commit crime?
8. Can watching violent video games damage people?
9. When is the best age to start school?
[Link] lowering the voting age be the answer?

D Complete the transformation of these sentences so there are not as many

simple/compound sentences, and link ideas better. You have the first letter,
plus * (asterisks) for each missing letter. Or write your own version!

1. She studied history at university. This was in Edinburgh. She now teaches at a
London school. There are many different nationalities, cultures and religions. She
likes the job. She finds discipline can be a problem.
Having s****** history at E******** University, she now teaches at a London
school, w**** there are many different nationalities, cultures and religions.
A******* she likes the job, she finds discipline can be a problem.

2. Oxford is the oldest university in England. It was established in the 11th century.
Henry II banned English students from going to Paris to study. Today it is one of the
foremost universities in the world. This is why so many students apply every year.
Teaching is based on weekly tutorials and these are supported by lectures and essay
assignments.
Oxford is the oldest university in England, e********** in the 11th century w***
Henry II banned English students from going to Paris to study. Today it is one of the
foremost universities in the world w**** is why so many students apply every year.
Teaching is based on weekly tutorials, s******** by lectures and essay
assignments.

3. The company employs mostly part-time workers. This keeps costs down. Some
people argue that the lack of security demoralises staff. Others argue that it makes
them more focused on doing the job well. Next year, it will relocate to Asia. This
means the UK factory will close down.
The company employs mostly part-time workers, w**** keeps costs down.
H******, some people argue that the lack of security demoralises staff w****

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m a l Ii t yT 1 Iexercises
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others argue that it makes them more focused on doing the job well. Next year, it
will relocate to Asia, m****** the UK factory will close down.

4. The reasons for the recession are complex. They range from the banking crisis, to
the growth of public spending and the global downturn. Businesses face growing
debts. They have less money to invest. This often affects recruitment. There are
fewer jobs available. More people sign on. In turn, this increases public spending.
The reasons for the recession are complex, r****** from the banking crisis, to the
growth of public spending and the global downturn. Businesses face growing debts
s* they have less money to invest, w**** often affects recruitment. B****** there
are fewer jobs available, more people sign on, w**** in turn, increases public
spending.

E Change the underlined sentences/verbs to nouns, making any other changes

as necessary.

1. This essay will discuss how much this option will cost.
2. It was difficult to understand what he meant.
3. This essay will discuss why the accident happened.
4. This essay will discuss how fast the Internet grew.
5. The report looked at how large the population was.
6. They treated women differently.
7. After they met the director, the issues were resolved.
8. They changed their mind when they saw the final product.
9. If you do not explain the problem clearly, it is difficult to follow.
[Link] there is too much coursework, students become stressed.

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m a l Ii t yT 1 Iexercises
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F Check the answers to the previous exercises, then put all the above together,
using the hints in brackets to help make these sentences more formal.

Remember, there might be several possible answers, and you will need to
rewrite most of them completely, not just substitute a few words.

1. It is obvious that you need good teachers to improve.

(Change this to the 3rd person; maybe use a passive; maybe use a noun.)

2. Interest rates have risen. This could be a problem for house buyers. Many people
with savings welcome the increase.
(Join sentences; maybe add some linking words, e.g. to show contrast.)

3. You need to study for at least three years for a degree.

(Change this to the 3rd person; maybe use a noun; maybe use a passive.)

4. Should businesses run schools or should it be the government’s responsibility?

(Get rid of the question)

5. The college is doing well. There had been difficulties at the beginning. It now has
over 1000 students. They often continue onto university.
(Join sentences; maybe add some linking words, e.g. to show contrast.)

6. The company started in 1992. It sold office equipment, for example mobile phones,
photocopiers and fax machines. It also sold computers. Computers were just
becoming affordable. They cost around £500. More people started buying them.
(Join sentences; maybe add some linking words.)

7. I would argue that increasing student numbers can cause problems. For example,
do we have the resources to teach them? Do most young people want to study at
16 rather than work? How do we pay for it? These are all issues that I will discuss
in my essay.
(Join sentences; get rid of questions; change to 3rd person, maybe by using passives.)

8. The writer points to the main problem. This is the lack of skilled workers. This has
meant that businesses spend more time and money on recruitment. This has led to
higher costs. These have been passed onto the consumer. Is there a solution?
(Join sentences; get rid of question.)

9. They discovered a link between cancer and certain genes, and this changed medical
care completely.
(Use more nouns)

10. She responded to being promoted by thanking all staff by email.

(Use more nouns)

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m a l Ii t yT 1 Iexercises
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G Do the same again, but with no hints.

1. We need to change the prospectus.

2. If you pass with good grades, you could apply to any university.

3. Applications have fallen. This is because there is a recession. It could be a problem

for some. It could be an opportunity for others.

4. You must not smoke in public places.

5. They elected a new Chancellor. She had been Head of International before. In that
job, she had recruited foreign students. She intends to target such students. They
often pay higher fees.

6. Are exams easier than 10 years ago, or are students better at passing them?

7. The essay was well written. It had clear structure. It had good content. It had
formal language. She received an excellent mark.

8. I will decide on the choice of career in my final year. This is because I have not
done enough research yet on the job market. This will take at least six months.

9. I would like to point out the advantages of speaking a foreign language. It is useful
for travelling. It helps you understand other cultures. You can find jobs abroad. So
why do so many students drop the subject at 14 and does this damage our
economy?

[Link] wrote the report in just two days. This meant she had more time to spend on
doing interviews. These were with her co-workers. These were needed to complete
the presentation.

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