This document contains 83 examples of sentence transformations. Each example provides an original sentence and its transformation using a specified word or phrase given in parentheses. The transformations maintain the overall meaning while changing the structure or words based on the provided term. The examples cover a wide range of grammar structures and vocabulary for reference when rewriting sentences.

1. I: SENTENCE TRANSFORMATION
1. The fox was unsuccessful in reaching the grapes. (VAIN)
→The fox tried in vain to reach the grapes.
2. The crops were badly affected by the storm. (EFFECT)
→The storm had a bad effect on the crops.
3. The project received unanimous approval of the committee.
(FAVOUR)
→The whole committee was/were in favour of the project.
4. The personnel officer promised him that she wouldn’t tell any one
that he had been in the prison. (WORD)
→The personnel officer gave him her word that she…
5. Nobody could possibly believe the story he told us. (BEYOND)
→The story he told us was beyond belief
6. I had lost his phone number, so I could not contact him before.
(TOUCH)
→ I could not keep/get in touch with him because I had lost his
phone number.
7. I enjoy being the boss of a small company. (FISH)
→I enjoy being a big fish in a small pond.
8. The success of our local theater has made our city famous. (MAP)
→The success of our local theater has put our city on the map.
9. She is not upset; she is only pretending. (ACT)
→She is not upset; she is only putting on an act.
10. The bank robbers escaped in a stolen car. (GETAWAY)
→The bank robbers made a getaway in a stolen car.
11. As people use a lot of wood-pulp, many trees are cut down.
→The more wood-pulp is used, the more trees are cut down
12. Because of the absence of the atmosphere on the moon, the sky there
is black, just as in space.
→Because there is no atmosphere on the moon, the sky…
13. These young men became doctors after six years training.
→After these young men had been trained for six years, they became
doctors.
14. People believe that the Chinese invented paper in 105 A.D.
→Paper is believed to have been invented by the Chinese in 105 A.D.
15. A man I don’t know told me about that.
→I was told about that by a man I don’t know.
16. That was a silly thing to say!
→What a silly thing to say!
17. We’ve run out of petrol.
→There is no more petrol left.
18. It takes six hours to drive from here to London.
→It is a six hour drive from here to London.
19. He was sorry he hadn’t said goodbye to her at the airport.
→He regretted not saying goodbye to her at the airport.
20. They failed to find out a solution to the problem.
→They didn’t succeed in finding out a …
21. Most stores will accept a credit card instead of cash.
(ALTERNATIVE)
→Most stores will accept a credit card as an alternative to cash.
22. You can avoid tooth decay by brushing your teeth regularly.
(PREVENT)
→Brushing your teeth regularly can prevent tooth decay.
23. Some of Peter’s expressions make me think of my brother.
(REMIND)

2. →Some of Peter’s expressions remind me of my brother.
24. When do you think this bridge was built? (OLD)
→How old do you think this bridge is?
25. That old typewriter is not worth repairing. (POINTLESS)
→Repairing that old typewriter is pointless.
26. They share a lot of hobbies and interests. (COMMON)
→They have a lot of hobbies and interest in common.
27. This train should have left 30 minutes ago. (MEANT)
→This train was meant to leave 30 minutes ago.
28 The president arranged for me to use his chauffeur-driven car
whenever I liked. (DISPOSAL)
→The president placed/put his chauffeur-driven car at my disposal.
29. The painting is worth $25,000. (VALUED)
→The painting has been valued at $25,000.
30. This passport can be used in most countries.
→This passport can be valid for most countries.
31. My bank manager and I get on together very well. (TERMS)
→I am on very good terms with my bank manager.
32. That hotel is a bit too expensive for us, I am afraid. (REACH)
→That hotel is a bit beyond our reach, I am afraid.
33. Absolute secrecy was crucial to the success of the mission.
→Without absolute secrecy, the mission wouldn’t have succeeded.
34. Immediately after his arrival home a water-heater exploded.
→Hardly had he arrived home when a water-heater exploded.
35. Rita doesn’t realize how serious her husband’s operation is going to
be.
→Little does Rita realize how …
36. A waiter spilled soup over Lydia’s new dress last night.
→Lydia had some soup spilled over her new dress by a waiter last
night.
37. It was the goalkeeper that saved the match for us.
→Had it not been for the goalkeeper, we would have lost the match.
38. Tim insisted on being told the complete story.
→Nothing but the complete story would satisfy Tim.
39. Jane’s husband will be returning from South America quite soon.
→It won’t be long after Jane’s husband returns from S.A.
40. The permit expires at the end of this month.
→The permit is not valid after the end of this month.
41. I don’t really like her, even though I admire her achievements.
→Much as I admire her achievement, I don’t really like her.
42. Alice and Charles did not decide to move to a bigger house until the
birth of their second child.
→Only when A. and C. had their second child did they decide to
move to a bigger house.
43. Martin may not be very well but she still manages to enjoy life.
→Martin’s poor health doesn’t prevent/stop him from enjoying life.
44. The Pacific Ocean is on average deeper than the Atlantic.
→The average depth of the Pacific Ocean is greater than that of the
Atlantic.
45. Under no circumstances should you phone the police.
→The last thing you should do is to phone the police.
46. We couldn’t find George anywhere.
→George was nowhere to be found.
47. Provided your handwriting is legible, the examiners will accept your
paper.

3. →So long as the examiners can read your handwriting, they will
accept your paper.
48. There are a lot of people depend on him.
→He has a lot of dependants.
49. I daren’t turn on the television because the baby might wake up.
(FEAR)
→I daren’t turn on the television for fear of waking the baby up.
50. The teachers agreed to introduce the new methods. (AGREEMENT)
→There was an agreement among the teachers to introduce the new
methods.
51. If interest rates are cut, the economic situation may improve.
(REDUCTION)
→A reduction in/of interest rates may improve the economic
situation.
52. I don’t personally care if they come or not. (MATTER)
→It doesn’t matter to me whether they come or not.
53. Local residents said they were against the new traffic scheme.
(DISAPPROVAL)
→Local residents expressed their disapproval of the new traffic
scheme.
54. Why isn’t this TV working?
→What is wrong with this TV?
55. May I borrow your pen?
→Would you lend me your pen?
56. We must do something about the problem even if it costs a lot.
→Costly as/though it may be, we must do something about the
problem.
57. We should ban the use of pesticides, but we should also restrict the
use of other chemicals.
→In addition to banning the use of pesticides, we should also restrict
the use of other chemicals.
58. You might fall if you are not careful.
→Be careful or you will fall.
59. Immediately after his arrival, things went wrong.
→No sooner had he arrived than things went wrong.
60. Although Nam was the stronger of the two, his attacker soon
overpowered him.
→Despite his being the stronger of the two, Nam was soon
overpowered by his attacker.
61. The only reason the party was a success was that a famous film star
attended.
→Had it not been for the attendance of a famous film star, the party
wouldn’t have been a success.
62. Galileo is considered to be the father of modern astronomy.
→Galileo is regarded as the father of modern astronomy.
63. The only way you can become a good athlete is to train hard every
day.
→Only by training hard every day can you become a good athlete.
64. He speaks more persuasively than his brother.
→He is a more persuasive speaker than his brother.
65. He can hardly read at all. (VIRTUALLY)
→He is virtually unable to read.
66. He can speak French well enough to go to the conference.
(FLUENT)
→His French is fluent enough to go to the conference.

4. 67. His arrival was completely unexpected. (TOOK)
→His arrival took us completely by surprise.
68. The first sign of the disease is a feeling of faintness. (ONSET)
→The onset of the disease is a feeling is shown by a feeling of
faintness.
69. He began by giving us a summary of his progress so far. (OUTSET)
→At the outset, he gave us a summary of his progress so far.
70. As an antidote to their disappointment, he bought them ice-cream.
(OFFSET)
→To offset their disappointment, he bought them ice-cream.
71. It was Walter Raleigh who introduced potatoes and tobaccos into
England.
→The English owe the introduction of potatoes and tobaccos to W.
R.
72. That rumour about the politician and the construction contract is
absolutely false.
→There is absolutely no truth in that rumour about the politician
and the construction contract.
73. He was sentenced to six months in prison for his part in the robbery.
→He received a six month sentence for his part in the robbery.
74. You can eat as much as you like for $5 at the new lunch-bar.
→There is no limit/restriction on how much/what you eat for $5 at
the new lunch-bar.
75. The Yeti has very rarely been seen at this altitude.
→There have been very few sightings of the Yeti at this altitude.
76. You think that fat people are allays jolly, but you are wrong.
→Contrary to what you think, fat people aren’t always jolly.
77. The only thing that kept us out of prison was the way he spoke to
the local dialect.
→But for his command of the local dialect, we could have been
jailed.
78. The council rarely allows appeals against its decisions.
→Hardly does the council allow appeals against its decisions.
79. She is a student good at mathematics. (FIGURES)
→She is a student having a head for figures.
80. I think we ought to permit him to do whatever he chooses. (HAND)
→I think we should give him a free hand.
81. Margaret was offered a place on the course but couldn’t accept
because she was ill. (TURN)
→Margaret was offered a place on the course but had to turn down
because …
82. You’ll just have to take a chance. (POT)
→You’ll just have to take pot luck. (Take pot luck: ăn thử)
83. Assembling the furniture is extremely easy. (PLAY)
→Assembling the furniture is a child’s play.
84. I resent the way that she clearly feels herself to be superior to me.
(NOSE)
→I resent the way that she looks down her nose at me.
85. Your attitude will have to change if you want to succeed. (LEAF)
→You have to turn over a new leaf if you want to succeed.
86. Many species of wildlife are threatened with extinction. (VERGE)
→Many species of wildlife are on the verge of extinction.
87. The storm blew the roof off the house.
→The house had its roof blown off by the storm.
88. This is the quickest way to get into the town centre.

5. →There is no quicker way than this to get into the town centre.
89. Only one person knew what had caused the fire.
→The cause of the fire was known to only one person.
90. I’m not going to retire unless I myself want to. (FEEL)
→ I’m not going to retire unless I feel like it.
91. After two hours the bride had still not arrived. (SIGN)
→After two hours there was still no sign of the bride.
92. Rosa found the heat quite intolerable. (BEAR)
→Rosa couldn’t bear the heat.
93. You were rude to that woman’s husband, and she’s upset now.
→The woman whose husband you were rude to is upset now.
94. Are they likely to pass Proficiency?
→Is there any likelihood that they pass Proficiency?
95. 6,000 pounds is a better offer than you have ever had before.
→You have never had an offer better than 6,000 pounds before.
96. Harry paid 50 pounds a week for bed and breakfast.
→Bed and breakfast cost Harry 50 pounds a week.
97. You can not make use of this offer after 15 December.
→This offer is only valid until 15 December.
98. Be careful not to waste water. (ECONOMICAL)
→Be economical with water.
99. We haven’t sold many cars this month. (DEMAND)
→There has been little demand for cars this month.
100. The accident victim was having increasing difficulty in breathing.
(DIFFICULT)
→The accident victims were increasingly difficult to breathe.
101. Betty is very happy to look after handicapped people.
→Betty is devoted to looking after handicapped people.
102. The decorators have finished the whole of the first floor.
→We have had the whole of the first floor finished by the
decorators.
103. If you want my advice, I would forget about buying a new house.
→If I were you, I would forget about buying a new house.
104. The only way to eliminate world terrorism is by united opposition.
Eliminate: chấm dứt
→Only by united opposition can we eliminate world terrorism.
105. Everybody made fun of him because he’d his hair cut so short.
(MICKEY)
→Everybody took the Mickey out of him because he had his hair
cut so short.
106. I felt stupid when I realized what I’d done. (FOOL)
→I felt such a fool when I realized what I’d done.
107. She was very relieved when she realized that her bag hadn’t been
stolen. (BREATHED)
→She breathed a sign of relief when she realized …
108. Would you like to contribute something to our campaign? (MAKE)
→Would you like to make a contribution to our campaign?
109. Products which seem to lack credibility are not popular. (CALL)
→There is no call for products which seem to lack credibility.
110. Technical skills are needed to operate this new machinery.
(DEMANDS)
→Operating/ the operation of this new machinery demands
technical skills.
111. We have run out of small sizes. (STOCK)
→We have no small sizes in stock. / We are out of stock of small
sizes. / Small sizes are out of stock.

6. 112. In all probability we will finish the project on Thursday.
(CHANCES)
→The chances are that the project will be finished on Thursday.
113. They arrived at their destination alive and kicking. (SOUND)
→They arrived at their destination safe and sound.
114. In her previous job, Mara was a picture restorer. (WORK)
→Mara used to work as a picture restorer.
115. I’m sure you were driving too fast.
→You must have been driving too fast.
116. It was overeating that caused his heart attack.
→If he hadn’t overeaten, he wouldn’t have had a heart attack.
117. The storm completely wiped out all my crops. (Wipe out: destroy)
→I have had all my crops completely wiped out by the storm.
118. The fire led to the setting up of a public enquiry.
→As a result of the fire, a public enquiry was set up.
119. Vitamin intake and intelligence are not connected.
→There is no connection between vitamin intake and intelligence.
120. He suddenly thought that he might have misunderstood her.
→It crossed his mind that he might have misunderstood her.
121. His wife keeps telling him that he should get a better job.
→His wife is pushing him to get a better job.
122. His second attempt on the world record was successful.
→ He broke the work record at/on his second attempt.
123. I applied for the job but was turned down.
→My application for the job was turned down.
124. There are more people out of work in this country than ever before.
→Never have there been more people out of work in this country.
125. My boyfriend is very short-tempered.
→My boyfriend loses his temper very easily.
126. Let’s clean the dishes in the morning. (WASHING)
→Let’s do the washing-up in the morning.
127. Despite his age, he’s still working. (RETIRED)
→He still has not retired despite his age.
128. Whose name should I write on the cheque? (MAKE)
→Who should I make out the cheque to?
129. “Please don’t drive so fast!” Ann begged her friend.
→Ann pleaded with her friend not to drive so fast.
130. My protests were ignored.
→Nobody took notice of my protests.
131. I’m sure he took your briefcase by mistake.
→I am sure he didn’t take your briefcase deliberately.
132. We only despatch goods after receiving the money.
→Only after the money is received can we despatch goods.
133. You pay 20 pounds a month for a period of one year.
→You pay in twelve successive monthly instalments of 20 pounds.
134. He’ll settle down. Then his performance will improve.
→Once he settles/ has settled down, his performance will improve.
135. The result of the match was never in doubt.
→At no time was the result of the match in doubt.
136. This will be the orchestra’s first performance outside London.
→This will be the first time the orchestra has performed/ played
outside London.
137. He will not be put off by their comments. (DETER)
→Their comment won’t deter him.
138. She complains far too often for my liking. (FREQUENT)
→She makes frequent complaint about my liking.

7. 139. Some people accept that a storm is inevitable. (RESIGNED)
→Some people are resigned to the fact that a storm is inevitable.
140. The fridge is completely empty. (LEFT)
→There is nothing left in the fridge.
145. Money is of little value on a desert island. (COUNTS)
→Money counts for little on a desert island.
146. Can you tell me where the Midland Hotel is? (DIRECT)
→Can you direct me to the …
147. The Prime Minister felt it appropriate to make a statement. (FIT)
→The Prime Minister saw/ thought fit to make a statement.
148. I’d rather we started at seven. (PREFERENCE)
→My preference was for a seven o’clock start.
149. The accident wasn’t his fault. (BLAME)
→He wasn’t to blame for the accident.
150. Although he seems friendly, he’s not to be trusted.
→Friendly as he may seem, he’s not to be trusted.
151. Not until the body was found did the police believe her.
→It was only when the body was found that the police believed her.
152. “Whatever you do, don’t give up hope” they said.
→They urged me not to give up hope
153. Far more people live to retirement age in Britain than in the
Philippines.
→Not as many people live to retirement age in Philippines as in
Britain.
154. We have no seats left for the concert on December 12th
.
→All the seats for the concert on December 12th
have been booked.
155. The foreigner declared his innocence. (DENIED)
→The foreigner denied knowing anything about it.
156. Everyone but Jane failed to produce the correct answer.
(SUCCEEDED)
→Only Jane succeeded in producing the correct answer.
157. An open fire can’t be compared to/with central heating.
(COMPARISON)
→There is no comparison between an open fire and central heating.
158. There is no way that young man can achieve success in this test.
(BOUND)
→That young man is bound to fail in this test.
159. I was scared to tell him what I really thought. (COURAGE)
→I didn’t have enough courage to tell him what I really thought.
160. The Greens consider Henry a good friend. (LOOK)
→The Greens look on Henry as a good friend.
161. Teachers think that hard work is good for you. (HARM)
→Teachers think that work does/causes you no harm.
162. Because of the delay we missed our connecting flight. (MEANT)
→The delay meant that we missed our connecting flight.
163. Don’t wait to be asked if you want a sandwich! (HELP)
→Help yourself to a sandwich. (= take some of it)
164. Most people regard Dr. Peters as being the best surgeon in his field.
(WIDELY)
→Dr. Peters is widely regarded as being …
165. The Prime Minister was determined to remain in office.
→The Prime Minister had no intention of resigning office.
166. I don’t know the first thing about aeronautics.
→I am utterly ignorant of aeronautics.
167. The students’ riotous behaviour should have been severely
punished.

8. →The students deserved severe punishment for their riotous
behaviour.
168. The chances are that the whole thing will have been forgotten by
next term.
→In all probability/likelihood the whole thing will …
169. Despite his ungainly air he is remarkably agile.
→Although he looks ungainly, he is remarkably agile.
170. The numbers of cars on the roads must be reduced. (DOWN)
→We must cut down on the number of cars on the roads.
171. Interrupting when someone is speaking is rude. (CUT)
→It’s rude to cut in when someone is speaking.
172. We have an emergency electricity supply in case we are cut off.
(BACK)
→If we are cut off, we can fall back on our emergency electricity
supply.
173. We’ve decided to leave early tomorrow morning. (SET)
→We are going to set off early tomorrow morning.
174. I know you are hiding something from me. (BACK)
→What are you keeping back from me?
175. Come on Thursday or Friday. It’s all the same to me.
(DIFFERENCE)
→Come on Thursday or Friday. It makes no difference to me .
176. Amanda has improved a lot this term. (PROGRESS)
→Amanda has made great/good progress this term.
177. Gunman kills 3 people in Bank Drama.
→A man with a gun kills 3 people in …
178. The riddle of the missing heiress has been solved.
→The police has found the cause of the missing heiress.
179. His appearance was completely unexpected.
→His appearance was beyond our expectation.
180. He is by no means a smart boy.
→He is completely not a smart boy.
181. I take it for granted that he is influential person.
→I assume that he is …
182. He won’t let anyone touch his records. (OBJECTS)
→He objects to anyone else touching his records.
183. He didn’t think much of the musical show yesterday. (OPINION)
→He had a low opinion of the musical show yesterday.
184. The concert was not as good as he had hoped. (EXPECTATIONS)
→The concert failed to come/live up to his expectations.
185. The music teacher was the only member of staff not to attend the
concert. (EXCEPTION)
→With the exception of the music teacher every member of staff
attended the concert.
186. The impression most people have of him is that he is a good singer.
(REPUTATION)
→ He has a reputation as a good singer.
187. He is said to be a very good violinist. (COMES)
→He comes over/across as a very good violinist.
188. We missed the beginning of the concert because we had overslept.
(CONSEQUENCE)
→We missed the beginning of the concert as a consequence of
oversleeping.
189. It is your duty to tell him what to do.
→You are supposed to tell him what to do.
190. My boss works better when he’s pressed for time.

9. →The less hurried the boss is, the worse he works.
191. It is expected that the company can get more profit this year.
→The company is expected to get more profit this year.
192. I was astonished by her confidence.
→What astonished me was her confidence.
193. Someone told me my flight was cancelled when I got to the airport.
→Arriving at the airport, someone told me my flight was cancelled.
194. I knew I had met him before, but I can’t remember his name.
(TONGUE)
→I knew I had met him before, but his name is on the tip of my
tongue.
195. His choice always followed what his wife decided. (STEP)
→His choice was always in step with his wife’s decision/what his
wife decided.
196. Remember to write to us! (DROP)
→Remember to drop us a line/note!
197. Phone and write to him if you can’t talk directly to him. (GET)
→Get in touch with him if you can’t talk directly to him.
198. Don’t worry. There will be another chance. (KEEP)
→Keep your end up, there will be another chance.
199. On the day she agreed to marry him, he was happier than he had
ever been in his life.
→The day she agreed to marry him was the happiest he had ever
had in his life.
200. Is it really necessary for me to arrive so early?
→Do I have to arrive so early?
201. Someone has stolen the boss’s car.
→The boss has had his car stolen/ been robbed of his car.
202. Whoever did that must have been a very brave person.
→Only a very brave person could have done that.
203. The last time we were here was in 1980.
→We haven’t been here since 1980.
204. The fourth time he asked her to marry him, she accepted.
→Only on his fourth proposal did she accept him.
205. Has she written to you lately? (HEARD)
→Has you heard form her lately?
206. We must have your answer tonight at the latest. (INSIST)
→We insist on having your answer tonight at the latest.
207. We’ve decided to replace those plastic shower curtains with these
rubber ones. (SUBSTITUTE)
→We have decided to substitute those plastic shower curtains for
these rubber ones.
208. Somebody has stolen all Miranda’s jewellery. (ROBBED)
→Miranda has been robbed of all her jewelry.
209. Nothing ever frightens him. (AFRAID)
→He is afraid of nothing.
210. It’s not my habit to get up quite so early as this. (USED)
→I am not used to getting up quite so early like this.
211. Everything went well that morning. (NOTHING)
→Nothing went wrong that morning.
212. A portion of strawberries and cream costs a lot in the café.
(CHARGES)
→The café charges a lot for a portion …
213. How likely am I to pass the examination, do you think? (CHANCE)
→What chance have I of passing the examination, do you think?

10. 214. He had no idea how difficult the exercise would be until he was half
way through it.
→Only when he was half way through the exercise did he realize
how difficult it was.
215. Further progress was impossible because of the floods.
→The floods made further progress impossible.
216. As he rose to speak, the crowd began cheering.
→The cheering from the crowd began as he rose to speak.
217. We had not expected that we should have so much difficulty in
finding the place.
→The place was much more difficult to find than we had expected.
218. Our present financial problems will soon be a thing of the past.
→We’ll soon find a solution to/overcome our present financial
problems.
219. It’s nobody’s fault that the meeting was cancelled.
→Nobody is to blame/is responsible for the fact that the meeting was
cancelled.
220. The fate of the two climbers is unknown.
→It’s a mystery as to what happened to the two climbers.
221. There is no need for us to hurry; the play doesn’t start until 8:30.
(TIME)
→We can take our time; the play …
222. John is very self-confident. (CONFIDENCE)
→John has a lot of confidence in himself.
223. His holiday is at exactly the same time as mine. (COINCIDES)
→His holiday time coincides with mine.
224. He is alleged the owner of the valuable picture. (CLAIMED)
→He is claimed to be the owner of the valuable picture.
225. The way he took everything he did for granted really annoyed her.
(BACK)
→The way he took everything he did for granted really got/put her
back up.
226. It was touch and go whether he recovered or not. (BALANCE)
→It was in the balance whether he recovered or not.
227. Which of the two books would you prefer? (RATHER)
→Which of the two books would you rather read?
228. These books have been lent by the British Council library. (LOAN)
→These books have been on loan from the British Council library.
229. I bought a pair of shoes this morning. They cost 40 pounds.
→This morning I spent 40 pounds on a pair of shoes.
230. Mrs. Wilson says she is sorry she didn’t attend the meeting
yesterday.
→Mrs. Wilson sends her apologies for not having attended the
meeting yesterday.
231. It’s almost nine months since I stopped subscribing to that
magazine.
→I cancelled my subscription to that magazine nine months ago.
232. The north west of Britain has more rain each year than the
southeast.
→The annual rainfall in/for the North West of Britain is
greater/higher than that in the southeast.
233. When I arrived in Canberra, I wrote a letter home.
→On arriving in Canberra, I wrote a letter home.
234. What Rachel does in her spare time doesn’t concern me.
(BUSINESS)
→It’s none of my business what Rachel does in her spare time.

11. 235. The final version of the plan was quite different form the initial
draft. (RESEMBLANCE)
→The final version of the plan bore no/little resemblance to the
initial draft.
236. They feel the same way about each other. (MUTUAL)
→Their feeling about each other is mutual.
237. The bottle must not be laid on its side. (UPRIGHT)
→The bottle must be kept/ placed in an upright position.
238. Not many people attended the meeting. (TURNOUT)
→There was a poor turnout for the meeting.
239. I’d like to visit Singapore more than any other countries in the
world.
→Singapore is the country I’d like to visit most.
240. She listens more sympathetically than anyone else I know.
→She is a person who listens more sympathetically than anyone else
I know.
241. People don’t want to buy cars with large engines any more. (CALL)
→There is no longer any call for cars with large engines.
242. In the end, I felt I had been right to leave the club. (REGRETS)
→I had no regrets about leaving the club in the end.
243. His reactions are quite unpredictable. (KNOWS)
→Nobody knows how he is going to react.
244. “If you don’t apologize immediately, I’m leaving”, she told him.
(THREATENED)
→She threatened to leave if he didn’t apologize immediately.
245. There isn’t enough space in this room for a big cupboard. (TAKE)
→A big cupboard would take up too much space in this room.
246. Could I stay with you for the weekend? (PUT)
→Could you put me up for the weekend?
247. The service given by the bank has improved recently.
(IMPROVEMENTS)
→The bank has made improvements to its service recently.
248. They are letting the well-known gang leader out of prison
tomorrow. (RELEASED)
→The well-known gang leader is being released from prison
tomorrow.
249. Is this the only way to reach the city center?
→Isn’t there any another way to reach the city center?
250. I have never seen such a mess in my life!
→Never in my life have I seen such a mess!
251. The weather is probably not going to change.
→There will probably be no change in the weather.
252. I’d made up my mind, but at the last minute I lost my confidence.
(FEET)
→I’d made up my mind, but at the last minutes I got/had cold feet.
253. I couldn’t help smiling when he told me of his plan. (A STRAIGHT
FACE)
→I couldn’t keep a straight face when he told me of his plan.
254. He seemed to be worried about something. (IMPRESSION)
→I had/got the impression that he was worried about something.
255. I’ve never seen anyone play so skillfully before. (MUCH)
→I’ve never seen anyone play with so much skill before.
256. When should we collect the books we ordered last week?
(SUPPOSED)
→When are we supposed to collect the books …
257. His memory gradually failed as he grew old.

12. →The older he got, the more his memory failed him.
258. The house has got everything except for a large garden. (LACKS)
→The only thing the house lacks is a large garden.
259. I hardly think she will agree to give you a pay rise. (LIKELIHOOD)
→There is little likelihood of her giving you a pay rise.
260. I remained neutral during their disagreement because I like both of
them. (SIDES)
→I didn’t take sides during their disagreement because I like both
of them.
261. A great many people will congratulate her if she wins.
(SHOWERED)
→She will be showered with great many congratulations if she wins.
262. I’m annoyed with you for not phoning me to say you’d be late.
(MIGHT)
→You might have phoned me if you’d be late.
263. She thought she had paid the bill but she hadn’t.
→She was convinced that she had paid the bill but she hadn’t.
264. The hurricane blew the roof off the house.
→The house had its roof blown off by the hurricane.
265. This affair doesn’t concern you.
→This affair is no concern of yours.
266. That dress has only the slightest mark on it.
→I can barely see any marks on that dress.
267. No one stands a chance of beating Mansell in this year’s
championship.
→It’s a foregone conclusion that Mansell will win this year’s
championship.
268. The only thing that makes this job worthwhile is the money.
→Were it not for the money, the job wouldn’t be worthwhile.
269. Her success went beyond her expectation.
→Never had she expected that she was so successful.
270. How likely is it she will pass the exam? (CHANCES)
→What are her chances of passing the exam?
271. He did the puzzle in two minutes. (SOLUTION)
→He found the solution to the puzzle in two minutes.
272. My brother is not feeling terribly well. (UNDER)
→My brother is under the weather.
273. It will be necessary to pay the full amount when you look. (HAVE)
→The full amount will have to be paid when you look.
274. The room seemed to have been unoccupied for weeks.
→It looked as though the room had been unoccupied for weeks.
275. I didn’t see her again for five years.
→Five years have passed since I last saw her.
276. People no longer smoke so many cigarettes as they used to.
→The smoking of cigarettes is no longer as popular as it used to be.
277. The millionaire decided to give away his money to the poor.
(PRESENT)
→The millionaire decided to make a present of his money to the
poor.
278. There is no ice cream left. (RUN)
→We have run out of ice cream.
279. I had better go back to work. (TIME)
→It is high time I went back to work.
280. He is more a lecturer than a teacher.
→He is considered a lecturer rather than a teacher.
281. I’m the only child in my family.

13. →My mother gave birth to only one child.
282. She was smoking in the bathroom, I went in to the bathroom and
knew that. (CAUGHT)
→I caught her smoking in the bathroom.
283. He was forced to apologize. (CHOICE)
→He had no choice but apologize.
284. John inflated the tires of his bicycle. (BLEW)
→John blew up the tires of his bicycle.
285. Alternative medicine is a complete mystery to some people.
→Some people are strange to alternative medicine.
286. You may be disqualified if you don’t obey the regulations.
→Failure to obey the regulations may cause your disqualification.
287. He tried hard so that he would win the first prize.
→With the hope to win the first prize, he tried hard.
288. They declared war on the pretext of defending their territorial
rights.
→The excuse for the declaration of the war is the defence of their
territorial rights.
289. Can I speak to someone about my problem?
→Would it be possible for me to talk to …
290. He is said to be a very hard bargainer. (REPUTATION)
→He has a reputation for being a very hard bargainer.
291. He doesn’t appreciate his wife. (GRANTED)
→He doesn’t take his wife for granted.
292. The amount of firm spent on the project initially was $15,000.
(OUTLAY)
→The initial outlay on the project was $15,000.
293. It was a red-letter day.
→That day was a memorial one for me.
294. We regret to inform you that your application has not been
successful.
→Much to our regret we must inform …
295. He made no bones about helping me.
→He didn’t hesitate to help me.
296. He never thought of telling her.
→It never occurred to him to tell her.
297. The dress was so temping that I bought it.
→I couldn’t resist the temptation to buy the dress.
298. The idea no longer interests her.
→She has gone off the idea.
299. Very little money was raised by the charity appeal. (RESPONSE)
→The response to the charity appeal was very poor.
300. His irresponsible attitude is endangering his career as a doctor.
(JEOPARDY)
→His irresponsible attitude is putting his career as a doctor in
jeopardy.
301. He liked the new job straight away. (DUCK)
→He took to the new job like duck to water.
302. He’s not sure whether to go or not. (MINDS)
→He’s in two minds about whether to go or not.
303. She has extensive knowledge of ancient Egypt. (VERY)
→She is very knowledgeable about ancient Egypt.
304. We were very impressed by the new camera but found it rather
expensive.
→Impressed by the new camera as/though we were, we found it
rather expensive.

14. 305. The team is the same as it for last Saturday’s match.
→There have been no changes to the team since last Saturday’s
match.
306. Couldn’t you have got a bus to the station?
→Wasn’t it possible for you to get a bus …
307. I’m telling you this for you not to make a mistake. (FEAR)
→I’m telling you this for fear that you might make a mistake.
308. They have security guards so that people won’t try to steal.
(DISCOURAGE)
→They have security guards in order to discourage someone from
trying to steal.
309. This government has changed its taxation policy completely since
the last general election. (UNDERGONE)
→This government has undergone a complete change in its taxation
policy since …
310. We won’t get to the airport in less than 30 minutes. (LEAST)
→It will take us at least 30 minutes to get to the airport.
311. Claire suddenly realized what a blunder she had made. (DAWNED)
→It suddenly dawned on Clair what a …
312. Collecting stamps is Peter’s great passion. (CRAZY)
→Peter is crazy about collecting stamps.
313. Don’t run away with the idea that this job is easy. (CONCLUSION)
→Don’t come to/draw a conclusion that this job is easy.
314. Tony’s very charming, but I wouldn’t trust him.
→Charming as/though Tony may be/is, I wouldn’t trust him.
315. I left without saying goodbye as I didn’t want to disturb the
meeting.
→Rather than disturbing the meeting, I left without saying goodbye.
316. The thief must have come in through the window.
→The thief almost certainly came in through the window.
317. Driving at that speed is dangerous whether you are an experienced
driver or not.
→However experienced a driver you are, driving at that speed is
dangerous.
318. The play is so popular that the theater is likely to be full every night.
→Such is the popularity of the play that the theater is likely to be
full every night.
319. All of you are likely to be able to enter college. (CHANCES)
→The chances are that all of you will be able to enter college.
320. I think his theory is clear and logical. (STANDS)
→I think his theory stands to reason.
321. Don’t panic about something so trivial. (MOUNTAIN)
→Don‘t make a mountain out of the molehill.
322. Mass tourism has been one of the causes of the problem. (BLAME)
→Mass tourism is partly to blame for the problem.
323. Teaching doesn’t really suit her. (CUT)
→She isn’t really cut out for teaching.
324. Graham spends all his time doing research. (DEVOTED)
→Graham has devoted all his time to doing research.
325. You must accept the fact that she has left you. (RESIGN)
→You must resign yourself to the fact that she has left you.
326. My friend took no notice of my advice. (DEAF)
→My friend turned a deaf ear to my advice.
327. She was just as good as they had thought. (CAME)
→She came up to their expectations.
328. They will not announce the decision formally.

15. →No formal announcement of the decision was made/ given.
329. She firmly believed John to be telling the truth.
→It was her firm belief that John was telling the truth.
330. Although he didn’t want to pay such a high price, he had no choice.
→Reluctant as/though he was to pay such a high price, he had no
choice.
331. This is our temporary office.
→For the time being, this is our office.
332. The spectators got so angry that they had to cancel the football
match.
→Such was the anger of the spectators that they …
333. They arrived at the station with only a minute to spare. (NICK)
→They arrived at the station in the nick of time.
334. She had completely forgotten him. (MIND)
→He was completely out of her mind.
335. The man in that painting reminds me of my uncle. (BEARS)
→The man in that picture bears a resemblance to my uncle.
336. Why you are against inviting Jackie to the party? (OBJECTION)
→What’s your objection to inviting Jackie to the party?
337. She is too busy to go shopping. (HANDS)
→She has her hands full so cannot go shopping.
338. Just thinking about his face at that moment makes me laugh.
→The very thought of his face at that moment makes me laugh.
339. Their chances of success are small.
→It’s not likely that they will succeed.
340. I’ve considered the advantages and disadvantages and I’ve decided
not to go. (WEIGHED)
→I’ve weighed up the pros and cons and …
341. This house is very different from the little flat we used to live in.
(CRY)
→This house is a far cry from the little flat we used to live in.
342. I really want to see her again. (DYING)
→I am dying to see her again.
343. Oil was slowly coating the edge of the shore.
→The edge of the shore was becoming covered with oil.
345. We may not be able to give the concert.
→The concert may have to be cancelled.
346. Alan worked too hard at the office, and this led to his illness.
→Alan’s illness was the result of/ caused by her working too hard at
the office.
347. The coach’s tactics were directly responsible for the team’s defeat.
(CONSEQUENCE)
→The team’s defeat was the direct consequence of the coach’s
tactics.
348. There is no point in your phoning Caroline – she’s away. (TIME)
→It is a waste of time phoning …
349. Who will inherit the estate? (HEIR)
→Who is the heir to the estate?
350. He likes to be addressed as “Professor”. (CALL)
→He likes people to call him “Professor”.
351. The brochure gives hardly any useful information.
→Precious little useful information is given in the brochure.
352. That reminds me of the time I climbed to the top of Mount Fuji.
→That takes me back to the time I climbed to the …
353. If you find it necessary, you can contact me on this number.
→Should you find it necessary, you can …

16. 354. My friend persuaded me to go to the party in fancy dress.
→My friends talked me into going the party …
355. Mr. Foster asked me to write this letter to you.
→It is at Mr. Foster’s request that I write this letter to you.
356. He gave me a detail account of the operation.
→He gave me a blow- by- blow account of the operation.
357. We agreed that each of us would do the washing up on alternative
days. (TURNS)
→We agreed to take turns to do the washing up.
358. He makes sure that he isn’t associated with politics he disagrees
with. (DISTANCES)
→He makes sure that he distances himself from politics he …
359. The new manager blames me for everything that goes wrong.
(PICKING)
→The new manager keeps picking on me for …
360. They have narrowed the many applicants down to three. (SHORT)
→They have short-listed three applicants.
361. Bruce said that the situation at work was like a family argument.
(LIKENED)
→Bruce likened the situation at work to a family argument.
362. Carol pretended that she hadn’t understood my request. (MADE)
→Carol made a pretence of not having understood my request.
363. If you want good accommodation in Brighton, you should book in
advance.
→If you want good accommodation in Brighton, it is e to book in
advance.
364. They recommended opening new factories in the depressed area.
→They recommended that new factories should be opened in the …
365. He’s a taxi driver, so he is thoroughly familiar with the city.
(HAND)
→He’s a taxi driver, so he knows the city like the back of his hand.
366. If she ever learns about this news, she’ll be furious. (EARS)
→If this news ever reaches/comes to her ears, she’ll be furious.
367. There’s a very long list of repairs. (ARM)
→There’s a list of repairs as long as your arm.
368. Do you agree with Jill Tweedie’s views on male female relations?
→Are you in agreement with Jill Tweedie’s views on male female
relation?
369. The local government systems was first incorporated into law in the
late 19th
century.
→The late 19th
century first saw the local government systems
incorporated into law.
370. You certainly can’t play your music after midnight.
→I won’t have you play music after midnight.
371. You have little realization of how much I have sacrificed for you.
→Little do you realize how much I …
372. You’ve got a nerve, implying that it was all my fault.
→How dare you imply that it was all my fault.
373. My job involves working from 6 p.m till midnight.
→I am on duty from 6 p.m till midnight.
374. We can start at either 1 PM or 2 PM.
→It makes no difference whether we will start at 1PM or 2PM.
375. The boy was about to cry when he was reprimanded by his mother.
→The boy was on the point of crying when he …
376. Alice lost all her hope; she decided to stop her business.
→Such was her hopelessness that she decided to …

17. 377. We have to settle this matter in a definitive manner. (ALL)
→We have to settle this matter once and for all.
378. In the area, Thailand is much better than all other countries in
football. (SHOULDERS)
→In the area, Thailand is head and shoulders above all other
countries in football.
379. He gambled, lost everything and began to owe money. (INTO)
→He gambled, lost everything and ran into debt.
380. You should punish him severely so that others will be afraid to
behave as he did. (EXAMPLE)
→You should make an sample of him so that …
381. Did you see Alice at the party last night? (CATCH)
→Did you catch sight of Alice at the party last night?
382. He is a generous person. (NAME)
→Generosity is his middle name.
383. Working independently is sometimes a great advantage, I reckon.
→I think it sometimes a great advantage working independently.
384. To get the best result, you should work as hard as you can.
→You should work the best you can to get the best result.
385. It was surprising the storm caused little damage in the area.
→The storm surprisingly caused little damage in the area.
386. You won’t find a school anywhere whose students get such good
results.
→Nowhere will you find a school of which the students get such
good results.
387. Let’s watch TV anyway. There’s nothing better to do this evening.
→We might/could just as well watch TV this evening.
388. She was so attractive that every boy in the class ran after her.
→Such was her attractiveness that every …
389. Despite the lack of their financial support, we will have to carry out
the project.
→Whether we have their financial support or not, we will …
390. Your empty promises won’t have any effect on her. (ICE)
→Your empty promises won’t cut any ice with her.
391. The boy does whatever his father wants in an obedient way.
(ATTENDANCE)
→The boy dances attendance on his father.
392. They have arranged to see the director tomorrow morning.
(ARRANGEMENTS)
→They have made arrangements to see …
393. I really regret to have lost the opportunity to get the promotion.
(BOAT)
→I really regret to have missed the boat to get the promotion.
394. He was finally able to adjust himself to the new working condition.
(SWING)
→He finally got into the swing of the new working condition.
395. His grandfather is now having an operation. (KNIFE)
→His grandfather is now under the knife.
396. His action was incomprehensible to his parents. (LOSS)
→His parents were at a loss when they tried to understand his
action.
397. You didn’t attend yesterday’s class so you can’t do this exercise
now.
→Had you attended yesterday’s class, you could do this exercise
now.

18. 398. It will be necessary for him to try harder if he wants to win the
prize.
→He will have to try harder in order to win the prize.
399. There’s no one here who would not like to be in your place. (BUT)
→There’s no one here but would like to be in your space.
400. You are broke. So am I. (BOAT)
→You are broke. I am in the same boat.
401. They fell in love when they first saw each other. (SIGHT)
→They fell in love at first sight.
402. We continued waving until the train could not be seen any more.
(SIGHT)
→We continued waving until the train was out of sight.
403. We haven’t heard from him for ages. (TOUCH)
→We have lost touch with him for ages.
404. I’m sure the children have been doing something terrible while
we’ve been out. (UP)
→I’m sure the children have been getting up to something terrible
…
405. I was greatly relieved to hear that her condition was not serious.
→It was with great relief to hear that her …
406. It is more than likely that she will succeed as an actress.
→She has a good chance of success as an actress.
407. You must concentrate on your work more.
→You must apply yourself to your work more.
408. If you weren’t born in this country you can’t vote in the election.
→Not having been born in this country, you can’t …
409. The police caught the burglar in the process of committing the
crime. (RED)
→The burglar was caught red-handed.
410. I suddenly realized the meaning of a “freebie”. (DAWNED)
→The meaning of a “freebie” suddenly dawned on me.
411. You look grumpy this morning. (BED)
→You get out of bed on the wrong side this morning.
412. She felt uncomfortable in the huge hotel. (FISH)
→She felt like a fish out of water in the huge hotel.
413. I was there when they admitted the truth. (PRESENCE)
→They admitted the truth in my presence.
414. I’ve hardly done anything today. (NEXT)
→I have done next to nothing today.
415. I am not to be disturbed under any circumstances.
→Under no circumstances am I to be disturbed.
416. You will eventually appreciate what I am getting at.
→In time you will appreciate what I am getting at.
417. I’d rather you didn’t go.
→I’d prefer you not to go.
418. They’ll arrive soon.
→It won’t be long before they arrive.
419. There is a rumour that you stole it.
→It is rumoured that you stole it.
420. I can’t find the answer without a calculator. (OUT)
→I can’t work out the answer without a calculator.
421. I didn’t expect to see Tim there! (LAST)
→The last person I expected to see there was Tim.
422. Everyone who spoke to the victim is a suspect. (UNDER)
→Everyone who spoke to the victim is under suspicion.
423. This is none of your business! (DOESN”T)

19. →This doesn’t concern you!
424. Robert had no idea of his next move. (DO)
→Robert didn’t know what he was going to do next.
425. It was only when I checked that I noticed the tyre was flat. (DID)
→Only when I checked the tyre did I notice it was flat.
426. Please inform the relevant authorities at once. (DELAY)
→Please inform the relevant authorities without delay.
427. She never seems to succeed, even though she works hard.
→However hard she works, she never seems to succeed.
428. Andrew is the most generous person I have ever met.
→I‘ve yet to meet anyone who is more generous than Andrew.
429. I never thought that I would win a prize.
→It had never crossed my mind that I would win a prize.
430. I don’t think the television’s likely to blow up at any minute.
(LIKELIHOOD)
→There is little likelihood that the television will blow up at any
minute.
431. This car only cost me five hundred pounds. (PICKED)
→I picked this car up for only five hundred pounds.
432. Someone paid five thousands pounds for the painting. (WENT)
→The painting went for five thousands pounds.
433. We have made neither a profit nor a loss this year. (EVEN)
→We have broken even this year.
434. In 1967 programs began to be transmitted in color. (ADVENT)
→1967 saw the advent of the transmission of programs in color.
435. Simon hadn’t expected that he would feel so weak after the
operation.
→The operation left Simon feeling weaker than he had expected.
436. He didn’t mention our previous conversation at all.
→He made no reference to our previous conversation.
437. We were all shocked by his reaction.
→His reaction came as a shock to all of us.
438. I find Harold’s behaviour quite incomprehensible. (LOSS)
→I am at a loss to understand Harold’s behaviour.
439. The severity of the punishment bore no relation to the seriousness of
the crime. (PROPORTION)
→The severity of the punishment was out of proportion to the
crime.
440. I’m afraid our problems are only just beginning. (ICEBERG)
→Our problems are just the tip of the iceberg.
441. Thomas was not given details of the company’s new projects.
(DARK)
→Thomas was kept in the dark about the company’s new projects.
442. I was too scared to tell him what I really thought. (LACKED)
→I lacked the courage to tell him what I really thought.
443. The police ended the fighting between the 2 gangs by arresting the
leader. (STOP)
→The police put a stop to the fighting …
444. Colin’s inability to make sound judgement dates from his accident.
→Ever since his accident, Colin was has been unable to make sound
judgement.
445. Critics are hoping the new director can bring some positive changes
into the French film industry. (BREATHE)
→Critics are hoping the new director can breathe new life into …
446. It is very difficult to give the exact value of a table like this.
(FIGURE)

20. →It is very difficult to put an exact figure on the value of a table like
this.
447. Five boys on a motorbike at the speed of 60 mph are very likely to
end up in hospital. (RECIPE)
→Five boys on a motorbike … mph is a recipe for disaster.
448. Detectives had stopped working on the Horsley murders three years
previously. (BOOK)
→Detectives had closed the book on …
449. He is very good at cooking spaghetti. (DAB)
→He is a dab hand at cooking spaghetti.
450. We all want to make him realise that he is not as important as he
thinks. (SIZE)
→We all want to cut him down to size.
451. He really disappointed me when breaking the promise to help me
out. (TEETH)
→He really kicked me in the teeth when …
452. He died, having nothing of his own. (NAME)
→He died with no thing to his name.
453. Have a look at this picture. It may help you to remember something.
(JOG)
→Have a look at this picture. It may help you to jog your memory.
454. He is becoming quite famous as an interviewer. (NAME)
→He is making a name for himself as an interviewer.
455. Social scientists find it hard to accept that the fall in the birth rate is
responsible for the old age. (Resistance)
→There is resistance among social scientists to the idea that the fall
…
456. The Minister gave no precise figures about the casualties. (GO
INTO)
→The Minister didn’t go into detail about the casualties.
457. He doesn’t think very highly of politicians.
→He’s got a low opinion of politicians.
458. One advantage of living in the city is the range of clothes shops.
→One point in favour of living in the …
459. Mary explained the problem surprisingly clearly.
→Mary explained the problem with surprising clarity.
460. We have credited the money to your current account at this bank.
→We have placed the money to the credit of your current account at
this bank.
461. Your silly questions distracted me.
→You drove me to distraction with your silly questions.
462. I like her a lot. (AFFECTION)
→I have a lot of affection for her.
463. For gymnastics and skiing, regular practise is needed.
→Sports such as gymnastics and skiing need regular practise.
464. I find it surprising that she didn’t like her present.
→I would have thought that she would have liked her present.
465. A new flu vaccine has been on trial since the beginning of the year.
→They have been trying out/testing a new flu vaccine since the …
466. I’m afraid that I think he shouldn’t marry her.
→I can’t help feeling that he …
467. They sent him to prison for three years. (SENTENCED)
→He was sentenced to three years in prison/ three years’
imprisonment.
468. I’m sorry I missed Professor Baker’s lecture.

21. →I’m sorry not to have attended Professor Baker’s lecture.
469. “That’s a lovely new dress, Jean”, said her mother.
→Jean’s mother complimented her on her lovely new dress.
470. Tim looks nothing like his father. (TAKE)
→Tim doesn’t take after his father at all.
471. He watched videos all day. (ENTIRE)
→He spent the entire day watching videos.
472. I never thought of going by train. (OCCURRED)
→It never occurred to me that I could go by train.
473. The cause of the explosion is still unknown. (CAUSED)
→What caused the explosion is still unknown.
474. The train is 5 minutes late in leaving. (DUE)
→The train was due to leave 5 minutes ago.
475. The children are in disgrace for being so badly behaved.
→The children are under a cloud because of their bad behaviour.
476. John spends all his time working. (DEVOTED)
→John devoted to his work.
477. Mary knew what the answer was after reading the book.
→By the time she finished reading the book, Mary knew what the
answer was.
478. The President’s bodyguards stood behind him, watching.
→Watchfully standing behind the President were his bodyguards.
479. I find his clothes the most irritating about him.
→What most irritates me about him is his clothes.
480. The young man was very embarrassed because his proposal was
turned down. (REJECTION)
→The rejection of his proposal greatly embarrassed the young man.
481. It is not worth trying to save endangered species. (WASTE)
→It is a waste of time trying to save endangered species.
482. I took little notice of the girl standing at the gate.
→I didn’t pay much attention to the girl standing at the gate.
483. The Prime Minister resigned because of his sudden illness.
(RESULTED)
→The Prime Minister’s resignation resulted from his sudden illness.
484. Did the football team play any better last weekend?
→Was there any improvement in the way the football team played
last weekend?
485. There is a risk that the black rhino will become extinct.
(THREATENED)
→The black rhino is threatened with extinction.
486. She doesn’t know why they are attracted to spending all day on the
beach.
→She can’t see the attraction of spending all day on the beach.
487. I would do anything to prevent him from going there.
→There is nothing I wouldn’t do to …
488. He said he had won as a result of good luck.
→He attributed his victory/success to good luck.
489. Our new Director wants to call her “Madam”. (ADDRESSED)
→Our new Director wants to be addressed as “Madam”.
490. We’ll have to make up our minds by the end of the week, won’t we?
(BE)
→A decision will have to be made by the end of the week, won’t it?
491. Surely nobody likes it when people make fun of them in public.
(BEING)
→Surely nobody likes being made fun of in public.
492. You should have called the doctor at once.

22. →It was wrong of you not to call the doctor at once.
493. We have no option but to collect this license free.
→The collection of this license free is obligatory.
494. He can shout even louder but I still won’t take any notice.
→No matter how much louder he can shout, I still won’t take …
495. That’s none of your business.
→That’s nothing to do with you.
496. No sooner had he been appointed to the post than the new editor fell
ill.
→Immediately after his appointment to the post, the new …
497. You should excuse his bad manners; he’s only a child.
(ALLOWANCES)
→You should make allowances for his bad manner; …
498. Life in the countryside was completely different from that in the
city. (DIFFERENCE)
→There was a complete difference between life in the countryside
and that in the city.
499. For thousands of years, people have highly believed in supernatural
powers.
→Thousands of years ago, people had high belief in …
500. Telephone has brought convenience to people all over the world.
→Tele has been convenient to people all over the world.
501. A man with high ambition will never find leisured time in his life.
(AMBITIOUS)
→Highly ambitious man will …
502. She was finally persuaded to travel by train. (PERSUASION)
→She finally accepted the persuasion of traveling by train.
503. She didn’t inherit anything under her uncle’s will.
→Her uncle didn’t leave her anything in his will.
504. They had been lost in mountains for three days but they looked
strong and healthy.
→Even though they had been lost in mountains for three days, they
looked strong and healthy.
505. I’ll find that man no matter how long it takes.
→However long it takes I will find that man.
506. This is the most amusing thing I have ever read. (SUCH)
→I have never read such an amusing thing before.
507. What are you thinking at the moment?
→What are in your mind at the moment?
508. Mary rang hours and hours ago. (THAT)
→It was Mary that rang hours and hours ago.
509. It was easy for us to find the house.
→We had no difficulty in finding the house.
510. Attendance at the exhibition has been down this year.
→The exhibition has not been so well attended this year.
511. It shouldn’t have surprised me that my children didn’t like the new,
cheaper ice-scream.
→I might have known that my children wouldn’t like …
512. Don’t go to lunch until you have typed all these letters.
→Make sure you finish tying all these letters before going to lunch.
513. He didn’t realise until that moment how much he loved her.
→Only then that moment did he realise how much he …
514. You can leave only when I tell you.
→Until I tell you, you cannot leave.
515. I think you should go by train. (WERE)
→If I were you, I would …

23. 516. It wasn’t my fault the business failed.
→Through no fault of mine that the business failed.
517. David played the main role when the proposal was drafted.
(INSTRUMENTAL)
→David was instrumental in drafting the proposal.
518. If you hadn’t changed our original agreement, everything would
have been fine. (STUCK TO)
→If you had stuck to our …
519. I think you should have some consideration for those who don’t
have lives at privilege as yours. (SPARE)
→ I think you should spare a thought for…
520. When I heard her speak, it affected me profoundly. (IMPACT)
→When I heard her speak, it made a profound impact on me.
521. The rain in Ha Noi last October was the biggest one since 1984.
→No rain in Ha Noi since 1984 was as big as the one last October.
522. Nick told one of the detectives that he had taken the cashbox.
→Nick admitted to one of the detectives that …
523. We cannot see animals in a vast area after the forest fire.
(ADSENCE)
→There is an absence of animals in vast area after the forest fire.
524. Our environment is polluted seriously. (POLLUTION)
→There is a serious pollution in our environment.
525. We cannot make any comparison with her sacrifice. (COMPARE)
→We can compare nothing else with her sacrifice.
526. A huge investment has been put into the field of hydro-electricity.
(INVEST)
→They invest a big fund/ sum of money in the field of hydro-
electricity.
527. They speak English in a high proficiency. (PROFICIENTLY)
→They speak English very proficiently.
528. He tried his best but he couldn’t succeed. (SUCCESS)
→He tried his best but he couldn’t get any success.
529. Regular practice will make us skillful. (PRACTISE)
→You will be skillful if you practise regularly.
530. He maintained his position against his adversary. (GROUND)
→He held/kept/stood his ground against his adversary.
531. Don’t conclude that learning English is easy. (COME)
→Don‘t come to conclusion that learning English is easy.
532. The local council has considered mass tourism the cause of the
environmental problems. (PUT)
→The local council has put/laid the blame on mass tourism for the
cause of environmental problems.
533. The book interestingly describes the life of Marx as a young man.
(ACCOUNT)
→The book gives an interesting account of the …….
554. John asked if it was the blue one or the green she wanted.
→ “Which one do you want, the blue or the green?” John asked her
555. I haven’t eaten this kind of food before.
→ This is the first I have eaten this kind of food.
556. Only if you work hard now have you any chance of success.
→ Your chance of success depends on your hard working.
557. He tried very hard to give up smoking.
→ He made great efforts to give up smoking
558. An aerial is not required with this radio
→ You don’t need to use an aerial with this radio.
559. When he stops smoking, he’ll feel better.

24. → The sooner they stop smoking, the better he will feel.
560. The wedding was held despite the rain.
→ The wedding took place despite the rain.
1.I am expecting to be promoted soon ( BANKING )
~> I'm banking on being promoted soon.
2. I found swimming easy ( NATURALLY )
~> Swimming came naturally to me.
3. Organic vegetables are said to be healthy ( WONDERS )
~> Organic vegetables are said to do wonders for one's health.
4. He really disappointed me when breaking the promise to help me out
( TEETH )
~> He really kicked me in the teeth when breaking the promise to help
me out.
5. That movie star used to have lots of fans, but recently he has become
unattractive ( TOUCH )
~> That movie star used to have lots of fans, but he has lost (his) touch
recently.
6. if you work without the break , you are likely to make an error
(PRONE)
~> Working without the break makes you more prone to error.
7. they were very keen to hear the president’s speech ( EARS )
~> They were all ears to the president's speech.
8. the final score in the match between Liverpool and Everton on
daturday was two all ( DREW)
~> Liverpool and Everton drew 2-2 in the match on saturday.
9. the mistake in the accounts had not been noticed until the figure were
re-checked ( LIGHT)
~> The mistake in the accounts hadn't come to light until the figure were
rechecked.
10. when Mary was pregnant , all she wanted to eat was jelly
(CRAVING)
~> When Mary was pregnant, she had a craving for jelly.
15. The house should not be left unlocked for any reason ( ACCOUNT )
~> On no account should the house be left unlocked.
16. Weather may cause various effects on a person ‘s mood (AFFECTED)
~> A person's mood may be variously affected by weather.
17. for thousands of years , people have highly believed in supernatural
powers ( BELIEF )
~> For thousands of years, people have had high belief in supernatural
powers.
18. You look grumpy this morning ( BED )
~> You got out of bed on the wrong side this morning.
8. The first sign of the disease is a feeling of faintness ( onset )
~> The onset of the disease is a feeling of faintness.
9. Don’t tell henry anything about it ( breathe )
~> Don't breathe a word of it to Henry.
10. his ideas are out of date ( behind )
~> His ideas are behind the times.
11. no sooner had I done the test than I knew I had made a mistake
(directly )
~> Directly I had done the test, I knew I had made a mistake.
12. the students lack self-discipline ( shy )
~> The students are shy of self-discipline/are self-discipline shy.
13. the traffic jam extended for four kilometers ( nose )
~> The traffic jam was nose to tail for four kilometres.
14. I certainly will not change my mind about resigning (question)

25. ~> There is no question of my/me changing my mind about resigning.
16. I enjoy being the boss of a small company (fish)
~> I enjoy being a big fish in a small pond.
17. Smoking damages your health (good)
~> Smoking is not good for your health/does your health no good.
18. Thunder terrifies me (death)
~> Thunder frightens/scares me to death.
19. We have not sold many cars this month (demand)
~> There has been a low demand for cars this month.
20. She could not believe that she had finally found her brother
(reaction)
~> Her reaction to having finally found her brother was not believe =.=
21. they have security guards so that people won’t try to steal
( discourage )
~> They have security guards to discourage people from trying to steal.
22. it might be better if that paragraph was omitted ( leave )
~> We had better leave out that paragraph.
23. a lot of things keep stopping me from working ( way )
~> A lot of things are in my way.
24. his arrival was completely unexpected ( took )
~> His arrival (completely) took us aback/by surprise .
27. he feels bad about cheating them ( conscience )
~> He has a (terrible) conscience about cheating them.
28. waiting for buses irritates me ( nerves )
~> Waiting for buses gets on my nerves
29. your mistake did not influence the way things turned out (different )
~> Your mistake did not make the way things turned out different.
30. I am afraid we can’t do anything about it (helped)
~> I am afraid it can't be helped.
31. You have been deceived by them (ride).
~> You have been taken for a ride.
32. She complains far too often for my liking (frequent)
~> Her complaints about my liking are frequent.
33. the fridge is completely empty (left )
~> There is nothing left in the fridge.
34. will you please stay with me for a while ? (company)
~> Will you please keep me company for a while?
35. I don’t conceal my loathing for war (no secret)
~> I don't make no secret of my loathing for war
You made an embarrassing mistake when you asked him where his wife
was (foot )
~> You put your foot in it when you asked him where his wife was.
2. It was hard to start laughing when she started to sing (face)
~> It was hard not to keep a straight face when she started to sing.
3. Many husbands often don’t appreciate their wives, and vice-versa
( granted )
~> Many husbands often take their wives for granted, and vice-versa.
4. I happen to know the manager of the firm you have applied to for a
job. I can recommend you if you like ( word )
~> I happen to know the manager of the firm you have applied to for a
job. I can put in a good word for you.
5. Many people nowadays find it increasingly difficult to exist on the
money they earn (ends)
~> Many people nowadays find it increasingly difficult to make (both)
ends meet.
6. She is always trying to force other people to accept her opinions

26. (impose)
~> She is always trying to impose her opinions on other people.
7. I cannot remember where or when I have met him (place)
~> I cannot place him.
8. There are no need for us to hurry, the play doesn’t star until 7.30
(time)
~> We can take our time, the play doesn't..........
9. My father is observed with football, it’s the only thing he ever thinks
about (brain )
~> My father has football on the brain, it's................
15. They have narrowed the many applicants down to three (short)
~> They have shortlisted three applicants.
16. He likes the new job straight away ( duck )
~> He takes to the new-job like duck to water
Câu này nếu cho từ EASE thì hình như là He is at ease in the new-job
17 Bruce said that the situation at work was like a family argument
(likened )
~> Bruce likened the situation at work to a family argument.
19. Trade has deteriorated and staff are being laid off (worse)
~> Trade has become worse and staff are being laid off.
21. You should think about the price before you decide whether to buy it
or not (consideration )
~> You should take the price in consideration before............
22. She is not sure whether she wants to marry him or not now ( second )
~> She has second thoughts about whether........../marrying him.
23. You will need the choke out to start the car (with)
~> You will need the choke out with a view to starting the car.
24. Some people always live within the limitations of their own experience
(outside)
~> Some people never go outside their limitations of their own
experience.
25. I don’t think she is good enough to join m class (up to )
~> I don't think she feels up to joining my class.
26. Her job is making her miserable (down )
~> Her job is getting her down.
27. When I bought it I thought it was a beautiful color, but I don’t like it
any more (gone )
~> When I......................, but I have gone off it.
28. Never mind your previous failures , try to forget them and think of
what your next venture might be (behind )
~> Put your previous failures behind, try to...................
29. Some people say that Tsiolkovsky invented the space rocket (credited)
~> Tsiolkovsky is credited with inventing/having invented the space
rocket.
30. The two young men introduced the virus into a computer system
(allged )
~> The two young men are allged to have introduced the virus......
31. we missed the bus because we had overslept ( consequence )
~> We missed the bus as a consequence of having overslept.
32. They continued to suggest that I was lying (persisted)
~> They persisted in suggesting that I was lying.
33. I’m sorry, I thought you were somebody else (took)
~> I'm sorry, I took you for sb else.
34. Surely it was dangerous for you to hitchhike all that way alone (risk)
~> Surely you took a risk in hitchhike all that way alone.

27. 35. He didn’t take part in the conversation (contribute)
~> He didn't contribute to the conversation.
36. Let me know as soon as you have any news (minute)
~> Let me know the minute you have any news.
37. Although he was very tired, he agreed to play tennis (tired)
~> Tired as he was, he agreed..........
38. Their problems are all self-inflicted (making )
~> Their problems are all of their own making.
39. Nobody is fallible (mistakes)
~> Everybody makes mistakes.
40. Very little money was raised by the charity appeal (response )
~> The response to the charity appeal was (very) poor.
41. The minister’s popularity suffered as a result of the scandal ( effect )
~> The scandal had a negative effect on the minister's popularity.
42. People don’t want to buy cars with large engines any more (call )
~> There is no longer call for cars with large engines.
43. There are several categories of people who do not have to pay the new
tax (exempt )
~> There are several categories of people who are exempt from paying
the new tax.
44. Nobody could possible believe the story he told us ( beyond )
~> The story which he told us was beyond belief.
45. The project received the unanimous approval of the committee (favor)
~> The whole committee was/were in favor of the project.
46. A lot of things keep stopping me from working ( way )
~> A lot of things are in my way.
26. Her job is making her miserable (down )
→Her job is getting her down.
46. My cat has lost its appetite (off )
……………… gone off food.………………………………
49. you ‘ll just have to take a chance ! ( pot )
……………………take pot luck…………………
50. Assembling the furniture is extremely easy ( play )
……………………a child’s play………………
51. I resent the way that she clearly feels herself to be superior to me
(nose )
………………look down her nose at me ……………………………
52. That sort of behavior is deplorable, in my opinion ( approve )
…………………I don’t approve of ……………………………………
53. This is the procedure (follows)
………………The procedure is as follows……………………
56. When I was younger, this record was one of my favourites (favourite)
…………………………………………………
57. Wendy said that she would like to dance and immediately there were
twenty young men offering to dance with her (time )
…………………………………………………………………………………
58. Many people are opposed to women with small children going out to
work (hold )
…………………………………………………………………
59. My father is going to be really angry when he finds out that I have
lost the car keys (wall)
…………………will go up the wall……………………………
60. All this talk about gloom and doom makes me feel very
uncomfortable (creeps )
…………………………gives me the creeps…………
61. Tom remained in a deep sleep throughout the thunderstorm (sound )

28. ……………………sound asleep……………………………………
62. I tried as hard as I could make their stay here enjoyable ( utmost )
………did my utmost……………………………………
63. If I were you, I would not spend more than you can afford too often
(habit)
…………………break the habit of spending …………………
64. The whole enterprise was very dangerous (fraught )
…………………………………fraught with danger ……………………
65. It is clear to everyone that he is excellent at his job ( denying )
……There is no denying that ……………………
66. Are you suggesting that I’m dishonest (questioning )
……………questioning my honesty………………………………………..
67.He was shouting as loud as he could ( top )
………………………at the top of his voice………………………………
68. Your story is different from the facts ( with)
………………does not tie in with the facts.…………… ………..
69. The company was bought up by a large multinational ( over )
…………………………taken over……………………………
70. I won’t allow swearing in my class ( for )
………………not stand for …………………………………
71. I think we should increase the pressure on her to resign (up )
……………………… step UP the pressure on her …………
72. I think you have been overcharged , old son ( off )
……………………………ripped off …………………………
73. I need a calculator to arrive at the total ( out )
……………………………work out the …………………
74. Terry has just insured her life ( out )
………………taken out her life insurance……………….
77. I do not like him because he boasts a lot ( mouth )
…………………………………has a big mouth……………………
79. Winning that prize has made him very conceited ( head )
………………………………gone to his head…………
80. If you don’t like the idea, then just say so . I believe you should always
speak frankly (spade)
………………………………………….call a spade a spade………………
1. Great power concentration are needed to display tennis professionally (
demands )
…………………………..professional tennis demands great……
2. Don’t eat so many sweets and you won’t have to visit the dentist so
often (save)
………….eating fewer sweets can save you from visiting………….
3.Physical exercise is not a new modern past time ( nothing )
………………………….is nothing new ……………………………..
7.The result of his study was a deep disappointment to his parents
(deeply)
………His parents was deeply disappointed at the…………………….
8.It was his lack of confidence that surprised me ( surprising)
…………………I found his luck of confidence surprising……
10.The fact that you are always successful doesn’t surprise me (no
wonders)
…………it is no wonders to me that you are.…………………
11.He very much surprised me when he said he loved me ( breath )
……….took my breath away……………………………..
12. Steady work is sure to be rewarded eventually ( run )

29. …………..in the long run………………..
13. Gerald never had enough to live on until he married that rich
businessman (short)
→Gerald had been short of money until……….
14. We have more important things to do at the moment ( fish )
→…………….other fish to fry………
15. Julie has to work very hard to earn just enough money to pay his bills
(ends)
→make ends meet
16. Jack has become confident as a result of his success (turned)
→ Jack’s success has turned him into a confident person.
17. A rise in temperature in the next country seems likely (chance )
→The chance is that there will be a …..
18. You have said exactly the right thing ( nail )
→You have hit the nail on the head
19. He maintained his position against his adversary ( ground )
→held/took/stood his ground against………….
20. Twenty years ago , this region produced twice as much coal as it does
now(halved)
→ Coal production in this region has been halved in the
last twenty years.
21. People don’t want to buy car with large engines any more ( call )
→There is no longer any call for call with large engines.
22. Nobody could possibly believe the story he told us (beyond )
23. There have several categories of people who do not have to pay the
new tax (exempt)
→Exempt from paying…
24. Our opinions on the subject are identical ( difference )
→There is no difference between our….. on….
25. Jenny did not feel like going to the party ( mood )
→Not in a mood….
26. The teacher agreed to introduce the new methods ( agreement )
→Be n agreement with
27. Local residents said they were against the new traffic scheme
(disapproval )
→Expressed/ showed disproval of
28. We have no ideas where he is ( whereabouts )
→His whereabouts is still unknown to us.
29. The policeman acted quickly and averted an accident ( prompt )
→ The prompt action of the policeman averted an accident.
30. This new record is certain to sell a lot of copies ( doubt )
→ There is no doubt that this new record will sell a lot of copies.
31. My bank manager and I get on together very well ( term )
→on good terms
33. No obstacle was allowed to stand in the way of the director’s new
project ( swept )
→The director swept away any obstcle
34. The number of people out of work has been going down little by little
(gradual )
→There has been a gradual decrease in
36. They’ll have to take the dog on holiday with them ( behind )
→They will not leave their dog behind on holiday.
37. Money is of little value on a desert island ( counts )

30. →Money counts little on a….
38. The interview panel thought that Sarah had a very good manner
(impression )
→Sarah made a good impression on the………..
39. You should think about the price before you decided whether to buy it
or not ( consideration )
→You should take the price into consideration before…
40. She is not sure whether she wants to marry him or not now (second)
→She is having second thoughts about marrying him now.
41. You’ll need the choke out to start the car (with)
→The car will only start with the choke.
45. We have made neither a profit nor a loss this year (even).
→ Break even
46. Someone paid five thousand pounds for the painting (went).
→The painting went for five thousand pounds.
47. I feel that I do not fit with the people in the new office (fish).
→ like a fish out of water in …………
49. Not a word came out of her mouth (lost).
→She was lost for word.
50. Your attitude will have to change if you want to succeed (leaf)
→You have to turn over a new leaf if you want to succeed.
51. He gets very annoyed when you criticized him! (bull)
→If you criticize him, it is like a red rag to a bull.
52. Ill health resulted in his inability to do the job. (cope)
→…….made him unable to cope with the job.
53. The minister’s popularity suffered as a result of the scandal (effect)
→ The scandal has a bad effect on the Minister's popularity.
57. Even though the election is tomorrow, many voters still haven’t
decided on the candidate they are going to vote for ( fence )
→ Even though the election is tomorrow, many voters still sit on the fence
about whom they are going to vote for
(sit on the fence : trung lập, không đứng về phe nào)
3. They had to dismantle their vehicles to get them across the gorge.
PIECES
->They had to take their vehicles to pieces to get them across the gorge.
4. Her sudden appearance surprised all of us. SURPRISE
->All of us were taken by surprise by her sudden appearance.
5. Bob agreed to undertake the leadership of the expedition. ON
->Bob agreed to take on the leadership of the expedition.
6. She's never been out of the town. Nor has she been out of the country.
LET ALONE
->She's never been out of the town,let alone out of the country.
8. After a pause for questions and refreshments, he continued his story.
UP
->He took up with his story after a pause for questions and refreshments.
9. That reminds me of the time I climbed to the top of Mount Fuji. BACK
->That brings me back to the time I climbed to the top of Mount Fuji.
10. He couldn't stop looking at the crocodile's jaws. EYES
->He couldn't take his eyes off the crocodile's jaws.
2. I can’t often afford to spend my holiday abroad. (SELDOM)
→I’m seldom able to afford to spend my holiday abroad.
5. This is an important scheme and we want him to approve.
(APPROVAL)
→We want his approval of / for this important scheme.

31. 6. I wouldn’t object to moving to a larger flat. (RATHER)
→ I’d rather like to move a larger flat.
7. The price of coffee has risen 50% since last year. (HIGHER)
→The price of coffee is 50% higher than last year.
8. As a boy, he was a regular churchgoer. (USED)
→As a boy, he used to (be a regular churchgoer / go to church regularly).
9. She seemed quite unhappy when I saw her last week. (…LOOK… AT
ALL.)
→ When I saw her last week, ( she didn’t look happy )at all.
10. They decided to build a new school immediately. (SHOULD)
→ A new school should be built.
16. Don’t you regret not learning to swim? (WISH)
→ Don’t (you wish you had learnt) to swim?
19. A country cannot be prosperous if it is not quite independent.
→ Only…( when it is quite independent can a country be prosperous .
20. I didn’t have enough time to visit the town properly.
→ The time I had…( was too short to visit the town properly.
21. What exactly am I supposed to have done wrong? (STAND)
What exactly do I stand accused of?
22. Good color sense is instinctive for some people. (COME)
→ Good color sense comes naturally to some people.
23. Don’t ask him about the accident, he’s upset already. (STATE)
→ Don’t ask him about the accident, he’s in the state already.
24. Everyone’s saying the government is about to resign. (RUMORED)
→ It is rumored the government is about to resign.
25. The senior students believe that they are old enough to choose which
classes to attend. (REGARD)
→ The senior students regard themselves as (being) old enough to
choose…
26. Since the company’s methods were exposed in a newspaper, people
have lost their good opinion of it. (DISREPUTE)
→ Since… newspapers, it has fallen into dispute.
27. What really depresses me is this continual wet weather. (GETS)
What really gets me down is this continual wet weather
28. We missed the bus because we had overslept. (CONSEQUENCE)
→ We missed the bus as a consequence of over-sleeping.
29. She passed the world around that she was looking for a flat.
(KNOWN)
→ She let it be known that she was looking for a flat.
30. They continued to suggest that I was lying. (PERSISTED)
→They persisted in suggesting that I was lying.
31. Ten thirty is too late to arrive. ( BEFORE)
→ You must arrive before ten thirty.
32. I’m not considering that suggestion. ( OUT)
→ That suggestion is out/ I’ve ruled out that suggestion.
1. I’m sorry, but I don’t think there any hope for your brother
now. ( BEYOND)
→ I’m sorry, but I think your brother is beyond hope now.
2. You have to be eighteen to vote. You’re not old enough.
(UNDER). → You can’t vote if you’re under 18
3. Alcohol makes some people act very foolishly. ( LIKE)
→ Alcohol makes some people act like fools.
4. I’m going to give up drinking. Today I’ll have my last glass of
wine. (AS FROM)
→As from tomorrow I’ll give up drinking.

32. 5. I wasn’t a bit surprised to hear that Carol had changed her
job.
→It came as no surprise (to me) (to hear) that Carol…
6. I’d do anything to be able to travel to China.
→There’s (nothing I wouldn’t do to be able to travel to …)
7. It was two years ago at the end of this week that I started
working here.
→At the end (of this weekend I’ve been working here for 2 years.
8. You should have an early night, so that you don’t feel tired.
→So as (not to feel tired, you should have…)
9. Fischer will require bottlers to use water that Fischer specifies.
→Bottlers (will be required to use water specified by Fischer)
10. The passengers don’t realize how lucky they have been.
→Little ( do the passengers realize how lucky they have been)
11. You must not leave important documents lying around.
(ACCOUNT)
→On no account should/must we leave important documents lying
around.
12. You don’t seem very well. Take a few days holiday. ( RUN)
→You are/ seem a bit run down. Take…
13. It’s age since that telephone worked properly. ( ORDER)
→That telephone has been out of order for ages.
14. We should abolish all these antiquated customs. (DONE)
→All … customs should be done away with.
15. His spoken English is very poor indeed. ( SCARCELY)
→He can scarcely speak any English.
16. I haven’t the faintest idea what you are talking about.
(EARTH)
→I don’t know what on earth you are…
17. I am sure it wasn’t Bob’s fault.
→ It can’t (have been Bob’s fault)
18. I’m sure it was Tom who cleared everything up.
→Tom must have cleared everything up.
19. I apply for the job but was turned down.
→My application for the job was turned down.
20. He suggested that Tom and I should go ahead and get the
tickets.
→He said: “What about Tom and you going ahead and getting
the ticket?”
21. Jo may not be very well but he still manages to enjoy life.
→Jo’s poor health does not prevent/ stop him (from) enjoying life.
22. In the end it was quite a sunny day after all. (OUT)
→The day turned out quite sunny after all.
2. His irresponsible attitude is endangering his career as a doctor.
(JEOPARDY)
=> His irresponsible attitude is putting his career as a doctor in jeopardy.
3. That wasn't what I meant at all. You've completely misunderstood me
as usual. (STICK)
=> That wasn't what I meant at all. You've got the wrong end of the stick
4. I don't like him because he boasts me so much (MOUTH)
=> I don't like him because he has a big mouth
5.He liked the new job straight way (DUCK)
=> He took to the new job like duck to water.
( take to st like duck to water: thoải mái như cá gặp nước )
6. Your attitude will have to change if you want to succeed (LEAF).
=> You will have to turn over a new leaf if you want to succeed

33. ( turn over a new leaf : bắt đầu lại từ đầu )
7. The new musical has delighted theater audiences throughout the
country (STORM).
=> The new musical has taken theater audiences by storm
There was not a single copy of the new book left in the shops. Sell-out
→The new book is a sell-out.
1. He has definitely agreed to accept the job. Committed
→He has been committed to accepting the job
2. There is an unpleasant odor of sweaty socks in here! Smells
→It smells of sweaty socks in here
3. He will not be put off by their comments. Deter
→Their comments can’t deter him from continuing what he is
doing
1. I didn't want to buy it, but because he insisted, I bought it
-→He pushed me into buying it.
2. You pay $20 a month for a period of one year.
-→You pay in twelve successive monthly instalments of $20.
3. The instruction say you just add boiling water to the soup powder.
-->The soup powder just needs boiling water added to it according to the
instruction.
4. He was suspended for two matches for swearing at the referee.
-→Swearing at the referee earned him a two-match suspension.
1. Act immediately or you won't have time to do it! (strike)
=) Strike while the iron is hot or you won't have time to do it!
2. She always tries hard to do such a hard math problems. (racks)
=) She always racks her brains to do such a hard math problems.
4."I don't know! Ask someone else!" (search)
=) "Search me! Ask someone else!"
5. Don't look down on me. Without your help, I can still win the race.
(steam)
=) Don't look down on me. Under your own steam, I can still win the race.
1. It was risky of him to ask for more pay although he got a pay rise
three months ago. NERVE
→He had / took a lot of / the nerve to ask for more pay although
he got a pay rise three months ago.
2. After a hard day of work, he went straight to bed without eating
the dinner. HAY
→Hit the hay without…
3. He got into a panic when he realized that he had lost his passport.
HOT
→He went hot and cold when…
4. Whatever difficulties Mary had, she still attended university.
SHINE
→Mary took the shine off whatever difficulties to attend
university.
→Mary still attended university come rain or shine.
5. Your loud music really drives me up the wall, please turn down a
bit. CEILING

34. → Please…, I really hit the ceiling to…
6. The thief had to confess when he was caught in the act.
ALTERNATIVE
The thief had no alternative but to confess because he was…
7. I give him a job despite lingering doubts about his suitability.
QUESTION
→I give …. despite his suitability was open to question/ in
question.
8. She thought that she had paid the bill but she hadn’t.
→ She was convinced that she had …
9. It’s what people eat that betrays their social background, not their
table manners.
→ What gives people's social background away is what they eat, not
their table manners.
10. Do you agree with Jill Tweedie’s views on male female relations
→ Are you in agreement with …
11. I can’t believe that the rates are going to remain at the same level
this year.
→ I find it hard to believe that …
1. Is it because they’re working class that behave like this?
→ Is it their class/ working class origins that make/makes them
behave like this?
1. Contact the social Services department if you have any further
problems.
→Get in touch with the…
2. Apart from Phillip, everyone else at the meeting was a party
member.
→With the exception of Philip,…
3. No tuition fees are payable in any publicly – maintained school.
→Publicly–maintained schools do not change tuition fees.
4. Half the afternoon was spent on clay – modelling.
→Clay – modelling took up/ was timetabled for half the afternoon.
5. It was more an argument than a discussion.
→It was not so much a discussion as an argument.
1, She was disgusted beyond endurance when she came to the finish.
-→She was disgusted beyond endurance when she reached the ROPE
2, Do you think Mary is extremely awkward?
-→Do you think Mary is extremely all fingers and THUMBS?
3, He gets very annoyed when you criticize him.
-→You criticize him like a red rag to a BULL.
4, You shouldn't talk to people who will not listen.
-→You shouldn't talk to people who will FALL short of listening.
5, Perter caught a bad cold yesterday.
-→Peter caught his DEATH of cold yesterday
6, I often find Jane and I have misunderstandings
-→I often find Jane and I have CROSS opinions.
7, The houses that were very close to the blast were badly damaged.
-→The houses that were very IMMEDIATE to the blast were badly
damaged.

35. 8, He got revenge on her
-→He got his OWN back on her
9, Don't overprotect the boy-let him play with the others
-→Don't overprotect the boy-let him COTTON on to the others
10, If the child grew restless, she would take him out of his cot and sing
him to sleep. SING
If the child grew restless, she would take him out of his cot and sing him
to sleep.
11, Whatever difficulties Anna had, she still attended university.
-→Anna took the SHINE off whatever difficulties she had to attend
university.
12, The price of the house has been reduced as much as possible because
the owner needs some money.
-→The price of the house has been cut to the BONE as much as possible
because the owner needs some money.
13, Nobody does her any harm.
FINGER
→Nobody has laid a finger on her.
14, You can't compare tabloids with quality newspaper.
-→You can never offer to teach FISH to swim
15, Although I don't speak Italian very well, I understood the general
meaning of what he said.
-→Although I don't speak Italian very well, I got the DRIFT of what he
said.
17, Getting an apology from him was almost impossible to obtain.
BLOOD
→ Getting an apology from him was like getting blood out of a stone.
18, He is so rich and successful.
-→He carries the WORLD before one.
19, They will cause a lot of trouble.
-→They will put the CAT among the pigeons.
20, He is very good at cooking spaghetti.
-→He is a DAB hand at cooking spaghetti.
21. These things must be done, so make sure that they are
→These things must be done, so see to it that they are.. (?)
1. People are persuaded by advertises to spend more than they can
afford.
Advertises tempt people into spending more than they can afford.
2. He promised he would give up smoking forever.
He forswore smoking.
3. Johna's inability to make decisions dates from his accidence.
Ever since his accident Johna has been unable to make decisions.
4. Something must be done quickly to solve the problem of homelessness.
Urgent action is necessary to solve the problem of homelessness.
5. He said: "The crisis were not important" (light)
He made light of the crisis.
1. I never thought of going to Iceland for the holidays.
(OCCURRED) (HEAD)
o It never OCCURRED to me to go to Iceland
for the holidays.

36. o Going to Iceland for the holidays never
OCCURRED to me.
o It never got into my HEAD to go to Iceland
for the holidays.
o It never entered my HEAD to go to Iceland
for the holidays.
o Going to Iceland for the holidays never got
into my HEAD.
o Going to Iceland for the holidays never
entered my HEAD.
2. His holiday insurance scheme failed through lack of support.
(BACK) (BACKING)
o His holiday insurance scheme failed because
no one was prepared to BACK him.
o His holiday insurance scheme failed because
no one would BACK it.
o His holiday insurance scheme failed because
there was no one to BACK it.
o His holiday insurance scheme failed because
it had no BACKING.
o His holiday insurance scheme failed because
he was unable to get any BACKING.
3. The last day of the holiday was disastrous. (IN)
(CATASTROPHICALLY)
a) The last day of the holiday ended IN disaster.
b) The last day of the holiday ended
CATASTROPHICALLY.
4. It poured down all day. (DOGS) (TORRENTS)
a) It rained cats and DOGS all day.
b) The rain came down in TORRENTS all day.
5. It seems likely that the company will fold. (PROBABILITY)
(ODDS)
o The company will fold in all PROBABILITY.
o In all PROBABILITY, the company will fold.
o There is a PROBABILITY that the company
will fold.
o The ODDS1
are that the company will fold.
6. Nobody plays football in front of my house! (HAVE)
(FORBIDDEN)
o I’ll HAVE nobody play football in front of my
house!
o I HAVE nobody playing football in front of
my house.
o Playing football in front of my house is
FORBIDDEN.
o It is FORBIDDEN to play football in front of
my house.
7. No one agrees with me. (VIEW) (OPINION)
o No one shares my (point of) VIEW.
o No one is of my OPINION.
o No one holds the same OPINION as I.
o No one holds the same OPINION as me.
o No one is of the OPINION I hold.
8. Physical exercise is not a modern pastime. (NEW) (HILL)
a) Physical exercise is nothing NEW.
b) Physical exercise is over the HILL2
.
1
‘Odds’ means ‘chances’ here.
2
(INFORMAL.) If you say that someone is ‘over the hill’, you are saying rudely that they are old
and no longer fit, attractive, or capable of doing useful work. He doesn't take kindly to suggestions that
he is over the hill.
A synonym would be ‘past it’. He doesn't take kindly to suggestions that he is past it.

37. 9. I hope my remarks haven’t upset you. (OFFENCE) (AMISS)
o I hope you haven’t taken OFFENCE at my
remarks.
o I hope my remarks haven’t given you
OFFENCE.
o I hope you haven’t taken AMISS my remarks.
o I hope my remarks haven’t come AMISS.
o I hope my remarks haven’t gone AMISS.
o I hope my remarks aren’t AMISS.
10.There are some people who didn’t agree with the decision.
(EVERYBODY) (UNANIMOUS)
o Not EVERYBODY agreed with the decision.
o The decision wasn’t UNANIMOUS.
o The people weren’t UNANIMOUS with
regard to the decision.
o The people weren’t UNANIMOUS as regards
the decision.