💧 This task type was originally taken from the Cambridge English exams (FCE/CAE/CPE) and has been included in different stages of the Olympiad in various years.
🌸 However, recently there has been a decrease in the popularity of this task type. This is because key word transformation allows for different key extension options, which makes it difficult for the jurors to check the works.
🌟 Even though this Use of English task type is losing its popularity in the Olympiads, it is useful for practicing your use of grammar by comleting parts of actual sentences.
🌟 Practisting key word transformation can help you learn grammar rules more effectively and teach you how to avoid redundancies. This, in turn, is highly useful in the "odd one out in the line" types of tasks, where you have to check for excess words that are grammatically incorrect in the given text.
What you can do:
💓Make sure that your version of the sentence repeats the tense used in the original sentence.
For example, if the original sentence uses the present perfect, you had better use the present perfect in the sentence with the gap, not the past simple.
💓Keep in mind that this task type might require you to insert an idiom that is similar to the meaning of the original sentence.
💓Check out the keys! You'll be able to see the kinds of grammatical structures tested in the task and apply the knowledge to your future practice.
💓 Do not write less than or more than the given word limit for each of the sentences (it's usually from 3 to 5 words).
💓Practise solving these tasks regularly. Quantity turns into quality if you are devoted enough.
💓Buff up your knowledge of grammar constructions before putting your skills to the test. Many CAE/CPE textbooks include practice sections devoted to key word transformation in each unit.
Don't hesitate to note down any new set expressions/phrases that you come across while solving the books. The continuations of the sentences with the gaps will pop into your head if you've learned many grammatical structures/phrases/idioms beforehand.
Textbooks for practising key word transformation:
🤩 Advanced Language Practice by Michael Vince - C1 level, great for targeted grammar practice that is actually useful in the Olympiads. Includes a huge number of different exercises, including the "odd one out in the line" and key word transformation tasks.
🤩 CPE Use of English by Virginia Evans - the holiest of the holy grails. I used it to up my grammar. This book really helped me with structuring my grammar usage, as well as tackling some of the conventionally difficult topics, like inversion and the use of past perfect. It includes a lot of key word transformation practice!
🤩 New Profficiency Gold Exam Maximiser by Richard Mann - a wonderful book that includes all sorts of CPE practice, including reading tasks, Use of English and more. Look for the grammar topics in this textbook: a lot of them contain key word transformation practice tasks.
🤩 CAE/CPE Practice Tests - if you want some practice that doesn't target specific grammar topics, please check out the CAE/CPE practice tests that I published earlier in this channel. They can usually be found in the Use of English section, Part 4.
🤩 Cambridge Proficiency 100 Key Word Transformations - the book that I frenetically started solving 12 hours before the final stage of ВсОШ (на закле в итоге не было этого задания). Literally a small booklet with 100 key word transformation tasks. You can use this as additional exercises for practice.
⭐️ If you have any specific questions regarding the key word transformation tasks that you're working on, feel free to text me at @the_maybe_man.
Ставьте 💓, если этот тип заданий вам кажется сложным.
#knowhow