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REPHRASING EXERCISES

English

1-There is a six-month time limit on residence at the hostel.


You cannot stay longer than six months at the hostel.
2-Immediately he returned from his run, he had to re-organize the morning
schedule.
No sooner had returned from his run that he had to re-organize1
3-He seemed to be very wealthy.
He gave the impression of being very wealthy.
4-He found the pressures of the job intolerable.
He could not tolerate the pressures of the job.
5-I had better prepare for tomorrows training session now.
Its time I prepared for tomorrows2
6-The workers did not arrive home until midnight.
It was not until midnight that the workers arrived.
7-The ships in the harbour3 took the full force of the storm.
(BRUNT). The ships in the harbour bore the full brunt of the storm.
8-Most of the orders will have been processed by Friday.
(BULK). The bulk of the orders will have
9-They renovated and redecorated the old house.
(DID). They did up the old house.4
10-Not much heat came from the radiators.
(BARELY) .Barely any heat came from the radiators.5
11-In this job you have to work long hours.
(INVOLVES). This job involves working long hours.6
12-He was given permission to apply for a very special training course.
(APPLICATION). He was given permission to put in an application for a very 7
13-He had no idea that armed police were waiting for him.
Little did he know that armed police were
14-If we had counted the money, we would have realized we had been
cheated.
Had we counted the money, we would
15-As soon they got out of the car the police arrested him.
No sooner had them got out of the car than the police arrested him.
16-We had only just reached the summit when the storm began.
Hardly had we reached the summit when the storm began. 8
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

NO SOONER + HAD + subject + Past Participle + THAN + Simple past.


ITS TIME + (that) + Simple past.
Harbor (US).
To do up = Darle la vuelta a algo, hacer una obra a fondo.
Little > Barely any. Seldom / Rarely > Barely ever.
To involve + ing.
To put in an application.
Seldom = Hardly ever: no lleva inversin.

Javier P colegio NUESTRA SEORA DEL PILAR - Madrid

REPHRASING EXERCISES

English

17-He must definitely not be allowed to leave.


On no account must he be allowed to leave.
18-It was so cold that we stuffed our boots with dried grass.
So cold was it that we stuffed
19-Bears were hardly ever seen during the winter.
Seldom were bears seen during the winter.
20-The only way we could cross the river was by floating across on tree
trunks.
Only by floating across on tree trunks we could cross the river.
21-It was the first time the cave had been entered by human beings.
Never before had the cave been entered by human beings.
22-A number of accidents occurred, when the week for practice arrived.
(COME). Come the week for practice, a number9
23-The driver had been travelling at over 180 m.p.h.
(EXCESS). The driver had been travelling in excess of 180 m.p.h.
24-Up to a half a million people may have perished at the earthquake.
(CLAIMED). The earthquake may have claimed up to
25-The team is unlikely to reach the summit.
(ODDS). The odds are against the team reaching the summit / The odds are
against their reaching the summit10
26-The boxer agreed to take part in the match only on the conditions he
himself laid down.
(TERMS). The boxer match only on his own terms.
27-Mr. Brown is not involved in the management of this company.
Mr. Brown has nothing to do with the management of this company.

(to

be involved in!).
28-Althought he liked strawberries very much, John couldnt face eating any
more that day.
Much as he likes strawberries, John couldnt
29-The court made him re-pay the debt week by week.
He was made to repay11
30-Although some of his shares had gone down in price, he had made an
overall profit.
In spite of the fact some of his shares / In spite of his shares having gone
down
31-She was interested in nothing except making money.
Making money was the only thing she was interested in.
32-Peters workload is more than he can handle.
9

Participio delante de sujeto puede equivaler a oracin subordinada.


The odds are against + posesivo o acusativo + gerundio.
11
Verbos de percepcin: En indicativo, sin TO: I see you read the book. Pero en subjuntivo,
con TO: I was seen to read the book.
10

Javier P colegio NUESTRA SEORA DEL PILAR - Madrid

REPHRASING EXERCISES

English

(COPE). Peter has more work than he can cope with.


33-If you dont pay by the end of the month, interest is charged.
(INCURE). If you month, you will incur interest charges.
34-The company doesnt intend to replace this model.
(PLANS). The company has no plans to replace this model.
35-There is not much difference between these two vehicles.
(CHOOSE). Theres little to choose between these two vehicles.
36-She is entitled to receive a share of the profits.
(RIGHT). She has a / the right to receive a share of the profits.
37-It gave him great pleasure to contemplate the misfortune that had
befallen his rivals.
(GLOATED). He gloated over the misfortune that 12
38-Although the car was difficult to steer, Andrew managed to complete the
race.
In spite of the fact that the cat was difficult to steer,
39-John finds it difficult to accept that he was responsible for the accident.
What is most difficult for John to accept is that he was responsible for the
accident.
40-The number of people killed in motorcycle accidents during the races this
year is now twenty-four.
Already this year twenty-four people have been killed in motorcycle
accidents.
41-This driver failed to win any races last season.
No races have been won this season by this driver.
42-He gets his salary plus a company car and free accommodation.
Along with his salary, he gets a company car and free accommodation.
43-Children often over-react when they learn that animals are killed to
provide meet.
On learning that animals children often over-react.
44-It is probable that there will be strong resistance to the ban on shooting.
There is great probability that there will be
45-I didnt see the trainers mistreat the animals.
I didnt see the animals be mistreated by the trainers.
46-The panther took the girl thinking she was a dog.
The panther mistook the girl for a dog.
47-He estimated that there were thirty panthers in the park.
He put the number of panthers in the park at thirty.
48-The tiger was stalking the hunter, who was quite unaware of it.
The hunter didnt realize he was being stalked by the tiger.
49-The young girl died when she was attacked by the panther.
12

To gloat over = regodearse.

Javier P colegio NUESTRA SEORA DEL PILAR - Madrid

REPHRASING EXERCISES

English

(LOST). . lost her life


50-The elephant and his trainer seem to spend all their time together.
(INSEPARABLE). . seem to be inseparable.
51-Toy animals tend to be bears and lions, not cows and pigs.
(LIKELY). Toy animals are likely to be bears.
52-Dont tell anybody about our plans.
(BREATHE). Dont breath a word about our plans.
53-Any goods in excess of what is necessary can be returned to the
manufacturers.
(SURPLUS). Any surplus goods can be
54-I know those nursery rhymes because I was taught them as a child.
(BROUGHT). because I was brought up on them.
55-Very few people are willing to do this job.
Hardly anybody is willing to do this job.13
56-Im sorry I was angry with you yesterday, Kate, said Paul.
Paul apologized to Kate for having being angry with her the day before.
57-She likes presenting seminars on self-promotion more than anything
else.
What she likes more than anything else is to present seminars.
58-Sally was never at a loss for words.
At no time was Sally at a loss of words.
59-Unless we use a special crane we cannot move these containers.
Only by using a special crane will be able to move these containers.
60-He did not hesitate to write a letter of complaint.
He had no hesitation in writing a letter of complaint.
61-I dont think that Mary is able to accept criticism.
(LACKS). I think Mary lacks the ability to accept criticism.
62-Work done before 9 a.m. isnt overtime.
(COUNT). Work done before 9 a.m. doesnt count as overtime.
63-He was forced to accept a transfer to another office.
(CHOICE). He had no other choice than to accept / He had no choice but
no accept
64-We can be confident that Rita will perform well in the games.
(RELY). We can rely on Rita to perform well in the games. 14
65-His conviction for theft was not known to us.
(AWARE). We were not aware of his conviction for theft.
66-Are we likely to get this contract?
13

Hardly ever {seldom


{rarely
Hardly any { little
{ few, etc.
14
To rely + ON + acusativo + infinitivo.

Javier P colegio NUESTRA SEORA DEL PILAR - Madrid

REPHRASING EXERCISES

English

(CHANCES). Have we got many chances of getting this contract?.


67-He would do anything to get revenge.
There is nothing he wouldnt do to get revenge.
68-John said that he disapproved of capital punishment.
John expressed his disapproval of capital punishment.
69-Its more of an art than a science.
Its not so much of a science as (of) an art. 15
70-The crime rate has risen sharply in the last ten years.
There has been a sharp rise in the crime rate in the last ten years.
71-Whatever your personal opinions, you must carry out your duty.
No matter what your personal opinions may be, you must carry out your
duty.
72-The police officers never mistreated the prisoner.
At no time did the police officers mistreat the prisoner.
73-A high standard of customer service is the reason for the companys
success.
(FOUNDED). The companys success is founded on a high standard of
customer service.
74-He decided to make Edinburgh his permanent home.
(SETTLE). He decided to settle in Edinburgh.
75-She felt unable to accept the courts decision.
(RECONCILE). She felt unable to reconcile herself to the courts decision. 16
76-He became a very popular singer.
(ACHIEVED). He achieved (a) great success as a popular singer. (To achieve
success).
77-There is no evidence at all to connect my client with the crime.
(LACK). They completely lack any evidence to connect (Verb). / There is a
total lack of evidence to connect (Substantive).
78-Christopher was determined to get revenge.
(BACK). Christopher was determined to get his own back.
79-Most teenagers think twice about a career on the stage, even if they are
very keen.
However keen most teenagers are, they think twice
80-Anns mother is worried about her health, as well as being concerned
about her career.
Quite apart from being concerned about Anns career, her mother is worried
about her health.
81-This jockey continued to break the rules, although he was officially
warned about this behaviour.17
15
16

{ A is more than B } { B is not so / as as A.


{ B is less .. than A } {
To reconcile oneself to = hacerse a la idea de.

Javier P colegio NUESTRA SEORA DEL PILAR - Madrid

REPHRASING EXERCISES

English

Despite the fact that the jockey was officially warned / Despite having
being officially warned about
82-Mr. Taylor was sacked from his job as Minister of Defence 18 when details
of his private life were revealed.
Revelations about Mr. Taylors private life led to his being sacked from his
job as Minister of Defence.
83-This letter guarantees that the boots are authentic.
The authenticity of these boots is guaranteed by this letter.
84-Mary plans to finish her novel and then to go abroad.
Mary will go abroad when she has finished her novel.
85-This drink is different from all the others.
(DIFFERENCE). This is a drink with a difference. (Viene de un slogan
publicitario).
86-These events did not benefit Tom.
(DETRIMENT). These events works to Toms detriment.19
87-Shes very proud of the way she keeps her house clean and tidy.
(TAKES). She takes great pride in keeping her house clean and tidy.20
88-He always took the best jobs for himself without thinking of the bad
effect on his colleagues.
(EXPENSE). He always took the best jobs for himself at the expense of his
colleagues.21
89-The commentator decided to criticize particularly the councils housing
policy.
(SINGLED OUT). The commentator singled out for criticism the councils
housing policy.22
90-This TV programme

23

will not make any difference to the difficult

situation that exists between these two organizations.


(STRAINED RELATIONS). This TV programme will not do anything to ease
the strained relations existing
91-The raft seems to be in good condition despite a leak in the observation
port.
Although there is a leak
92-I couldnt see out of the vehicle at all.
I was unable to see out of the vehicle. (Capable of).
93-I succeeded in beating him at chess on only one occasion.
Only on one occasion did I succeed in beating him at chess.

17
18
19
20
21
22
23

(US) behavior.
(US) defense
To work to the detriment of).
To take pride in + (gerundio).
At the expense of.
To single out = Elegir uno entre ms.
(US) program.

Javier P colegio NUESTRA SEORA DEL PILAR - Madrid

REPHRASING EXERCISES

English

94-There was hardly ever enough work to keep me occupied for the whole
morning.
Rarely was there enough work to keep me
95-I am certain Stephen would leave some kind of sign before going away.
Surely Stephen wouldnt go away without leaving some kind of sign.
96-I think someone is following me, said Tom.
Tom suspected he was being followed.
97-All the days seemed the same to me.
(DISTINGUISH). I couldnt distinguish one day from another.
98-The team of experts finally managed to get the right solution to the
problem.
(CAME). The team of experts finally came up with the right solution to the
problem.
99-There was sufficient time for us to feel we had no need to hurry.
(WORLD). We had all the time in the world to feel
100-I spend all my energy trying to support my family.
(GOES). All my energy goes on trying
101-You have to be very clever to reach the end of the game in ten
minutes.
(SKILL). You need a lot of skill to reach
102-The number of people in the square must have exceeded 10000.
(LEAST). There must have been at least 10000 people in the square.
103-The inspector explained the situation briefly.
The inspector gave a brief explanation of the situation.
104-He contributed generously to charity.
He made generous contributions to charity.
105-It is impossible to say what problems might arise in the future.
Future problems cannot be predicted.
106-Among the sales staff, there was widespread opposition to the new
proposals.
Most24 of the sales staff were opposed to the new proposals.
107-Although

John

can

understand

these

calculations, he is

not

mathematician.
John may understand these calculations although he is not a mathematician.
108-Even the best samples you have shown us do not meet our standards.
None of the samples you have shown us meets our standards. 25
109-I think everyone got a lot out of the training course.
(WORTHWHILE). I think everyone found the training course worthwhile.
110-With this machine you can do all the calculations that you need.
24
25

Staff is a plural !.
To meet the standards = reunir los requisitos. (None is a singular ! ).

Javier P colegio NUESTRA SEORA DEL PILAR - Madrid

REPHRASING EXERCISES

English

(ENABLE). This machine will enable you to do all


111-This company stands a very good chance of winning an Export Award.
(HIGHLY). Its highly probable / likely that this company will win an Export
Award.
112-When the police arrived, he didnt even try to hide himself.
(EFFORT). When the police arrived, he made no effort to hide himself.
113-The speaker was soon surrounded by a large crowd.
(GATHERED). A large crowd soon gathered around the speaker.
114-Martin suddenly started to sing.
(BURST). Martin suddenly burst into song.
115-He behaved in such an extraordinary way that I wondered whether he
was quite sane.
So extraordinary was his behavior that I wondered whether
116-It might be a good idea if trucks were sent there to help in the
distribution of food supplies.
It was suggested that trucks should be sent .. / It was suggested sending
trucks
117-As he failed to explain why he had left without warning, he was
dismissed.
His dismissal was due to his failure to explain /

due to his having failed to

explain
118-He had no idea that armed police was waiting for him.
Little did he know that armed police
119-Not many of the people in Britain speak my language.
Hardly anyone in Britain speaks my language.
120-Even he doesnt win the election, he counts on the support of his party.
(WHETHER). Whether he wins the election or not, he counts
121-Most people regard him as being the best man for the job.
(WIDELY). He widely regarded as being the best man for the job. / Hes
widely considered to be the best man
122-My worst fears about this government have actually happened.
(TRUE). My worst fears about this government have come true.
123-Jane was given permission by her boss to take a day off.
(AGREED). Janes boss agreed that she could / might have / take a day off.
124-If you dont pay you will be prosecuted.
Failure to pay will result in your being prosecuted.
125-She didnt let them out of her sight for a second.
Not for a second did she let them out of her sight.
126-despite his brilliance, he never became famous.
Brilliant as he was, he never became famous.
127-What are your views on reforming the rape laws?

Javier P colegio NUESTRA SEORA DEL PILAR - Madrid

REPHRASING EXERCISES

English

How do you feel about reforming the rape laws?


128-Apart from Philip, everyone else at the meeting was a party member.
With the exception of Philip, everyone else
129-He spends all day sleeping.
(BUT). He does nothing but sleep all day.
130-He asked her whether she was agreeable to the change.
(ASSENT). He asked her if she gave her assent to the change. / He asked
her to assent to the change. / He asked her for her assent to the change.
131-Hows the Cup final going
(SCORE). Whats the score in the Cup final?.
132-His refusal to commit himself does annoy me.
(NERVES). His refusal to commit himself gets on my nerves.
133-The Social Security pamphlet told me all about the benefits I could
claim.
(ENTITLED). The Social Security pamphlet told me about the benefits I was
entitled to.
134-Im sorry now that I asked her to stay.
Now I wish I hadnt asked her to stay.
135-There is always trouble when he comes to visit us.
Whenever he comes to visit us, there is trouble.
136-If you want to save your eyesight, we must operate immediately.
Only by operating immediately can we save your eyesight.
137-The director told the representative to finish his report by the weekend
but he didnt complete it till Wednesday.
It was not till Wednesday that the representative completed his report,
although the director had told him to finish it by the weekend.
138-He had undergone a very large number of operations.
He had been operated on many times.
139-The term public assistance has now been replaced by supplementary
benefit, though the means test is the basis on both.
(SUBSTITUTED).

The

term

supplementary

benefit

has

now

been

substituted for public assistance, though


140-He doesnt find it easy to express himself.
(DIFFICULTY). He finds / has difficulty in expressing himself.
141-The noise was deafening but the teacher went on talking.
(DESPITE). Despite the noise being deafening, the teacher / Despite the
fact that the noise was deafening, the / The teacher went on talking despite
the deafening noise.
142-Wed prefer you not to wear those slippers in the office.
(RATHER). Wed rather you didnt wear those slippers in the office.
143-There are very great differences between the two systems.
(WIDELY). The two systems are widely different.

Javier P colegio NUESTRA SEORA DEL PILAR - Madrid

REPHRASING EXERCISES

English

144-The car wouldnt start, which annoyed him intensely.


To his intense annoyance, the car wouldnt start.
145-You wont see cliffs like these anywhere else in the world.
Nowhere else in the world will you see cliffs like these.
146-An early announcement is doubtful.
It is doubtful that there will be an early announcement.
147-They have very little in common but still get on very well together.
Despite the fact that they have very little in common, they get on very well
together. / Despite having very little in common, they
148-She answered the policemans question as accurately as she could.
She gave the policeman as accurate an answer as she could.
149-The roof needs mending, not to mention the walls and woodwork.
(NOTHING). The roof needs mending, to say nothing of the walls and
woodwork.26
150-He got to the meeting two minutes before it was due to begin.
(SPARE). He got to the meeting with two minutes to spare.
151-I knew he was our man the moment I saw him.
(EYES). I knew he was our man the moment I laid / set eyes on him.
152-The pictures show the frustrations of urban society.
(PORTRAYED). The frustrations of urban society are portrayed by / in the
picture.
153-I was about to give them up for lost, when they arrived.
(POINT). I was on the point of giving them up for lost when they arrived.
154-If you dont test pupils on what they know and can do, you will not able
to find out their strengths and weaknesses.
Unless you test your pupils on what
155-He never suspected that the money had been stolen.
At no time did he suspect that the money had been stolen.
156-The noise next door did not stop until after midnight.
It was not till after midnight that the noise next door stopped.
157-My decision to get up and dance coincided with the band decision to
stop playing.
The moment I decided to get up and dance, the band decided to stop
playing.27
158-It was his own fault that he lost his job. He was late for work every
morning.
If he hadnt been late for work every morning, he wouldnt have lost his job.
159-We didnt go in case we were recognized.
(FEAR). We didnt go for fear that we might be recognized.

26
27

The roof needs mending, to let alone the walls and woodwork.
The moment = when.

10

Javier P colegio NUESTRA SEORA DEL PILAR - Madrid

REPHRASING EXERCISES

English

160-The man in the painting bears a great resemblance to my uncle.


(REMINDS). The man in the painting reminds me of my uncle.
161-Man was able to control his environment in a new way through his
discovery of how to light fires.
(SUCCEEDED). Man succeeded in controlling his environment
162-As a boy, he was a regular churchgoer.
(USED). As a boy, he used to go to church.
163-You may be entitled to British child benefit even if your family is living
in Spain.
(DESPITE). Despite the fact that your family / Despite you family being
living in Spain (ms raro).
164-Their dog was so fierce that nobody would visit them.
They had such a fierce dog / so fierce a dog that nobody would visit them.
165-Even though I admire his courage, I think he is foolish.
Much as I admire his courage, I think he is a foolish.
166-Everybody has to wear a seat belt.
Wearing a seat belt is compulsory.
167-The doctor said that his breakdown was caused by over-work.
The doctor put his breakdown to over-work.28
168-They declared war on the pretext of defending their territorial rights.
The excuse for the declaration of war was the defence of their territorial
rights.
169-I think it is a great pity you didnt tell me before.
(WISH). I wish you had told me before.
170-He ignited the rubbish he had collected.
(FIRE). He set fire to the rubbish he had collected. 29
171-How likely am I to win the first prize?
(CHANCE). What chance have I got / do I have to win the first prize?
172-The murdered wiped the gun in case his fingerprints should betray him.
(GIVE). should give him away.
173-For three consecutive years our market has expanded by more than a
3%.
(RUNNING). For the fourth year running our market has
174-I am sure it was by mistake that he took my umbrella.
I am sure he didnt have intention to take my umbrella. / I am sure he
didnt take my umbrella on purpose.
175-Pam is the only real friend she has.
Except for Pam she has no friends.
176-His passport was nowhere to be found.
28
29

To put down = achacar a.


To set fire to = pegar fuego a.

11

Javier P colegio NUESTRA SEORA DEL PILAR - Madrid

REPHRASING EXERCISES

English

Nobody could find his passport anywhere.


177-But for Peters help we would have been in serious trouble.
If Peter hadnt helped us, we would
178-Its such a wonderful opportunity that we mustnt miss it.
Its too wonderful an opportunity to be missed. / for us to miss.
180-We couldnt have done more for them really.
We didnt do our best for them really.
181-As one grows older one becomes more tolerant.
The older one grows the more tolerant one becomes.
182-The fourth time he asked her to marry him she accepted.
Only on his fourth proposal did she accept to marry him.
183-Immediately after his arrival home the pressure cooker exploded.
No sooner had he arrived home than the pressure cooker exploded.
184-These happenings may be bizarre, but the fact they are welldocumented means they should be investigated.
However bizarre these happenings may be, they are well documented and
they should be investigated.
185-I may forget about the meeting, so remind me about it.
(IN CASE). Remind me about the meeting in case I forget.
186-Many people were conned into giving donations and very few realized
even later that they had been duped.
( REALIZING). Many people were conned into giving donations, very few
realizing even later than they had been duped.
187-According to the centre

30

for Cosmic Consciousness, aliens from outer

space are now visiting the Earth.


(BEING). According , the Earth is now being visited by aliens.
188-It was possible to hear rapping noises.
Rapping noises could be heard.
189-The conjurer obtained alarming effects and many of them frightened
the younger members of his audience.
(MANY OF WHICH). The conjurer obtained alarming effects, many of which
frightened
190-The evidence on this point is not totally convincing.
(FALLS). The evidence on this point falls short of being totally convincing.
191-Lets not waste any time but get down to the business in hand.
(ADO)

31

. Without more ado lets get down to the business in hand.

192-People are now claiming that John is the murderer.


(ALLEGED). John is alleged to be the murderer.
193-When Tom arrived, work had already started.
30

(US) center. (As metre meter).


ado / @"du: / n [u]: without further o more ado sin ms (prembulos); much ado about
nothing mucho ruido y pocas nueces
31

12

Javier P colegio NUESTRA SEORA DEL PILAR - Madrid

REPHRASING EXERCISES

English

(UNDER WAY). When Tom arrived, work was already under way.
194-Francis discovered the evidence to prove his new theory quite by
chance.
(STUMBLED). Francis stumbled on the evidence to prove his new theory.
195-The work he has done is not up to the standards that we expect.
(FALLS). The work he has done falls below the standard.
196-If you want to become proficient at any skill, you will have to put in
hours of practice.
Becoming proficient at any skill involves putting in hours of practice.
197-As a public speaker, John is not good at all.
What John is bad at is public speaker.
198-It is possible that a rigid grammatical structure would have led to a
different development of the language.
A rigid grammatical structure might have led
199-It is a pity the author has not considered all the relevant facts.
I wish the author had considered all the relevant facts.
200-Its easy for computers to ensure that expressions are consistently
throughout a long text.
Computers have no difficulty in ensuring that expressions are
201-There is no tougher problem in computer translation than how to
handle context.
How to handle context is the toughest problem in computer translation.
202-Everyone became tired on the mountain path.
(GOING). Everyone found the mountain path hard going.
203-Stephen just couldnt manage to explain how he made so many spelling
errors.
(LOSS). Stephen was at a loss to explain how he made so many spelling
errors.
204-He did not hesitate to report his grandmother to the police.
(QUALMS)32. He had no qualms about reporting his grandmother to the
police.
205-Tom comes from Yorkshire, but you couldnt tell this from his accent.
(TRACE). Tom comes from Yorkshire, but has no trace of an accent.
206-Technical manuals are quite suitable for this purpose.
(BILL). Technical manuals fit the bill.
207-The skier injured his back, so that was the end of his championships
hopes.
32

qualm / kwA:m / n (often pl)


a (scruple) reparo m, escrpulo m; to have no qualms about sth no tener* ningn reparo or
escrpulo en algo; I felt a slight qualm (of conscience) me dio cierto cargo de conciencia;
without a qualm sin el menor reparo or escrpulo
b (misgiving) duda f; he had qualms about the project tena dudas or senta aprensin
acerca del proyecto.

13

Javier P colegio NUESTRA SEORA DEL PILAR - Madrid

REPHRASING EXERCISES

English

(PAID). The skiers back injury put paid to his championships hopes.
208-The gangsters threatened Peter with violence.
The gangsters made threats of violence against Peter.
209-Mark does not intend to pay back the money he has borrowed.
Mark has no intention of paying back the money he has borrowed.
210-The driver behaved in such a way as to place the passengers in danger.
The passengers were placed in danger by the drivers behaviour.
211-Sheila has every chance of getting the job.
It is very likely that Sheila would get the job.
212-It wasnt Jills fault that we got lost.
Jill wasnt to blame for our getting lost. / Jill wasnt to blame for the fact
that we got lost. (Mejor la primera).
213-The full story of the disaster was not told until 1990.
Not until 1990 was the full story of the disaster told.
214-One is very much inclined to dismiss the whole thing as a joke.
(TEMPTING). Its tempting to dismiss the whole thing as a joke.
215-After a short prison sentence, he decided to go straight.
(SPELL). After a spell in prison, he
216-The right attitude to the job is as important as the right qualifications.
(LESS). The right attitude to the job is not less important than the right
qualifications.
217-He paid no regard to his own comfort.
(INDIFFERENT). He was indifferent to his own comfort.
218-The meals we are getting now cannot be compared to the ones we had
to put up with before.
(COMPARISON). There is no comparison between the meals we are getting
now and the ones we had to put up with before.
219-We have long since ceased to keep information in printed form.
(AGES). It is ages since we kept information in printed form.
220-Fewer people attended the meeting than the chairman had expected.
There werent so many people at the meeting as the chairman had
expected.
221-She is better qualified than the others members of the department.
The other members of the department arent as well qualified as she is. /
arent so well qualified as she is. / are worse qualified .
222-Toms behavior was far worse than anyone elses.
No one else had worse behavior than Toms. / No one else behaved so badly
as Tom.
223-You wont find objects like this anywhere else.
Nowhere else will you find objects like this.
224-Only recently was the cause of the disease discovered.

14

Javier P colegio NUESTRA SEORA DEL PILAR - Madrid

REPHRASING EXERCISES

English

It was only recently that the cause of the disease was discovered.
225-He decided to repair it himself and not take it back to the shop.
Rather than take it to the shop, he decided to repair it himself.
226-Offering her money wouldnt make any difference.
Even if you offered her more money, it wouldnt make any difference.
227-Your hair really needs cutting, doesnt it?
Your hair really must be cut, mustnt it?
228-I wont keep you long. I know you are in a hurry.
I wont take up much of your time, I know you are in a hurry.
229-Peter left the room without saying a word.
Peter didnt say a word when he left the room. / Peter didnt say a word as
he left the room.
230-She hardly ever opens her mouth at meetings.
Hardly ever does she open her mouth at meetings.
231-Only when I heard the full story did I realize I had been taken in.
It was when I heard the full story that I realized
232-Franks car goes much faster than Dans.
Dans car doesnt go as fast as Franks (by far).
233-This is the nicest place I have ever seen.
Nowhere I have ever seen nicer than this.
234-Ill repeat the information only once.
Only once shall I repeat the information.
235-I have locked the door so that the cat wont get out.
(PREVENT). I have locked the door to prevent the cat from getting out.
236-I expect they were enjoying themselves because they were laughing
and singing.
They must have been enjoying themselves because
237-The situation has changed considerably in the last three years.
The situation is not the same as it was three years ago.
238-It is thought that the robbers used their car to escape.
The robbers are thought to have used their cat to escape.
239-You ought to settle the matter once and for all.
It is time for you to settle / It is time you settled
240-He prefers playing tennis to studying.
He would rather play tennis than study.
241-Dont work so hard, I said to him.
I suggested that he shouldnt work so hard.33
242-She was worry that she hadnt applied for the job.
She regretted not having applied for the job.
33

Suggest + ing: cuando el sujeto est incluido.


+ that ... should: Cuando son diferentes sujetos.

15

Javier P colegio NUESTRA SEORA DEL PILAR - Madrid

REPHRASING EXERCISES

English

243-Although he worked hard, he couldnt finish the job.


Despite the fact that he / Despite having worked hard, he couldnt finish
the job.
244-If she feels worse during the night, give her these tablets.
Should she feel worse during the night, give her these tablets.
245-He said it was the best chicken he had ever tasted.
He said he had never tested such a good chicken. / a better chicken. / so
good a chicken.
246- We went back into the forest when we had reached a decision.
Having reached a decision, we went back into the forest.
247-I spoke in a whisper because I didnt want to wake her.
(SO THAT). I spoke in a whisper so that wouldnt wake her.
248-John couldnt catch the bird, and I couldnt either.
Neither John nor I (neither of us) could catch the bird.
249-Why didnt you tell me that you didnt feel very well?
You should have told me you didnt feel very well.
250-As she grew older, the gap between her believes and mines became
more noticeable.
The older she grew, the more noticeable was the gap between
251-You broke the window, didnt you?, she said to the boy.
She accused the boy of breaking the window.
252-Im sorry, I caused you so much trouble, I said to her.
I apologized to her for having caused so much trouble.
253-I wish I hadnt complained about the girl, Mary said.
Mary regretted having complained about the girl.
254-It seems that his parents lost him when he was a baby.
His parents seemed to have lost him when he was a baby.
255-Its different for them than for us.
It is not the same for them as it is for us.
256-The girl had the saddest expression I had ever seen.
I had never seen such a sad expression. / a sadder expression than the one
the girl had.
257-It may be expensive but it has a lot of advantages.
Although it may be expensive, it has a lot of advantages.
Expensive though / as it may be, it has
However expensive it may be, it has
258-Boarding times on the new buses are twice as slow.
It takes twice as long to board on the new buses.
259-People used to know their neighbors better than they do now.
People dont usually know their neighbors as well as they used to.
260-Charles expected his uncle to leave him a lot of money in his will.

16

Javier P colegio NUESTRA SEORA DEL PILAR - Madrid

REPHRASING EXERCISES

English

Charles expected to be left a lot of money in his uncles will.


261-His morality is almost the same as a criminals.
There isnt much difference between his morality and criminals.
262-If you dont understand by now, Im sure you havent been paying
attention.
You cant have been paying attention if you dont understand by now.
263-They offer the opportunity of developing the area commercially.
They offer the opportunity of the commercial development of the area.
264-It is really necessary for me to arrive so early?
Do I (really) have to arrive so early?
265-Two new shirts have been made for him.
He is having two new shirts made.
266-He felt sick because he ate polluted fish.
If he hadnt eaten polluted fish he wouldnt have felt sick. / he wouldnt feel
sick now.
267-Whoever did that must have been a very brave person.
Only a very brave person could have done that.
268-It is a great pity you wrote that letter.
I wish you hadnt written that letter.
269-On receipt of your check, we shall send the goods to you.
As soon as we receive your check, we shall
270-The headmaster said some reassuring things.
What the headmaster said was very reassuring.
271-Wed better buy a new fridge.
It is time we bought a new fridge. / It is time for us to buy a new fridge.
278-Shall we go to Paris for the weekend?, said Mary.
Mary suggested going to Paris for the weekend. / Mary suggested we ALL
should go to Paris for the weekend.
279-The demand for tickets was so great that a second concert had to be
arranged.
Such was the demand for tickets that a second
280-There isnt much likelihood of it snowing. / g today.
It is not likely (unlikely) to snow today. / It is not likely (unlikely) that it
snows today.
281-I would love to live in Rome for a year.
If only could I live in Rome for a year. / If only for a year, Id love to live in
Rome.
282-Tear gas was released as soon as the thieves touched the safe.
No sooner had the thieves touched the safe than tear gas was released.
283-No matter how hard I try, I cant do it properly.
However hard I try, I cant do it properly.

17

Javier P colegio NUESTRA SEORA DEL PILAR - Madrid

REPHRASING EXERCISES

English

284-Ill take un umbrella because it may rain this evening.


In case it rains this evening, Ill take un umbrella.
285-Can I have some sugar?, asked Susan.
Susan asked if she could have some sugar.
286-Someone must tell him soon.
He must be told soon.
287-Norma speaks English more fluently than Linda.
Linda speaks a less fluent English than Norma.
288-He is very critical about his parents.
He criticizes his parents a lot. / He is always criticizing his parents.
289-He lost his job.
They fired him. / dismissed him. / gave him the sack.
290-He did not leave enough money to spend any on souvenirs.
He had too little money to spend any on souvenirs.
291-Nobody told me it was so cold here.
I wish I have been told it was so cold here.
292-She would prefer you to buy a new car.
Shed rather you bought a new car.
293-They are throwing away the opportunity to improve the situation.
The opportunity of improving the situation is being thrown away.
294-Its five years since my husband spoke to me.
My husband hasnt spoken to me for five years.
295-She hasnt written to them for ages.
It is ages since she wrote to them.
296-You should only press the alarm button if you smell smoke.
Only if you smelt smoke should you press the alarm button.
297-The children should be in bed by now.
It is high time for the children to be in bed. / It is high time the children
were in bed.
298-They made him wait for two hours.
He was made wait for two hours.
299-I dont think you should carry all that money in your hip pocket, Alan,
said Margaret.
Margaret advised Alan not to carry all that money in his hip pocket.34
300-Please make sure I do not forget to post this letter.
Can you remind me to post the letter?
34

hip1 / hIp / n
b (joint) cadera f; they fitted him with a plastic hip le pusieron una cadera de plstico
1 a cadera f; with ones hands on ones hips con los brazos en jarras; to be broad/narrow in
the hip(s) ser* ancho/estrecho de cadera(s); to shoot from the hip (colloq) no tener* pelos
en la lengua (fam); (lit: with pistol) disparar sin apuntar; (before n) size / measurement
de caderas; hip flask petaca f, botella f de bolsillo; hip joint articulacin f de la cadera; hip
pocket bolsillo m trasero (del pantaln)

18

Javier P colegio NUESTRA SEORA DEL PILAR - Madrid

REPHRASING EXERCISES

English

301-The ship was so far off that it was almost invisible.


I had difficulty seeing the ship because it was so far away / off.
302-I hadnt ever used a typewriter before.
This was the first time Id ever used a typewriter.
303-I couldnt see my way without my torch.
Only with my torch was I able to see my way.
304-Im sorry I didnt write to you last week, he said.
He apologized for not writing (having written) last week.
305-He said he would have preferred me to have typed the letter and not
written it.
It would have been better to have typed the letter instead of writing it. /
better for you to have typed / if you have typed the letter and not written
it.
306-I havent seen so much rain for a long time.
Its been a long time since Ive seen so much rain.
307-It is high time for us to go home.
Its time for us to go home. / Its time that we go home.
308-Jane regretted her foolish behavior.
Jane wished she had not been so foolish. / she had not behaved foolish.
309-We took more clothes then we needed on holiday last summer.
We neednt take so many clothes on holiday this summer as we did last.
310-It is an area remarkably little affected by industrialization.
The effect of the industrialization on the area is remarkably small.
311-It was much larger than had at first conjectured.
Our first conjecture was that it was much smaller than it really (actually)
was.
312-They would not throw away such a valuable privilege.
It was too valuable a privilege to throw away. / It was such a valuable
privilege that thy wouldnt throw away.
313-They are accustomed to heavy work.
Heavy work was they are accustomed to. / was customary for them.
314-The restoration of the Roman fort is being financed by Coventry
Corporation.
Coventry Corporation is financing the restoration of the Roman fort.
315-He was received cautiously.
(CAUTION). He was received with caution.
316-It required considerable intelligence.
(CALLED). It called for considerable intelligence.
317-The results couldnt have achieved in any other way.
(MEANS). achieved by any other means.
318-He was going to be released in a matter of weeks.

19

Javier P colegio NUESTRA SEORA DEL PILAR - Madrid

REPHRASING EXERCISES

English

(DUE). He was due for release in a matter of weeks. / due to be


released
319-Farmers have the tendency to criticize some sections of the outdoor
fraternity.
(APT). Farmers are up to criticize
320-I thought they were splendid.
(STRUCK). I was stuck by their splendor.
321-When his father died, he decided to manage the shop himself.
(TAKE). he decided to take over the shop.
322-London could hardly be recognized.
(RECOGNITION). London has changed almost beyond recognition.
323-The self was so high that the child couldnt reach it.
(HEIGHT). The height of the self prevented the children from reaching.
324-I was much impressed by tidiness.
(MADE). His tidiness made a big impression on me.
325-Dont you understand that its important to be more careful?
(IMPORTANCE). Dont you understand the importance of being more
careful?
326-Dont forget, its only my opinion, he said.
(STRESSED). He stressed not to forget that it was only his opinion.
327-I wish youd accept that this is important.
(SERIUOSLY). I wish youd take this seriously.
328-What did this silence mean?
(SIGNIFICANCE). What was the significance of his silence?
329-He pretended that his latest business failure was not important.
(LAUGHED). He laughed his latest business failure off.
330-Football is the most important thing in his life.
(LIVES). He lives for football.
331-My opinions on religion are not very strong.
(STRONGLY). I dont feel strong about religion. / Im not strongly
opinionated about religion.
332-She was dancing with a student who had a slight limp.
The student she was dancing with had a slight limp.
333-Im looking after some children who are terrible spoilt.
The children Im looking after are terrible spoilt.
334-Many of the refugees the roads were crowded with were wounded.
The roads were crowded with refugees, many of whom were wounded.
335-She said that the men were thieves, which turned out to be true.
What she said about the thieves turned to be true.

20

Javier P colegio NUESTRA SEORA DEL PILAR - Madrid

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