Sentence Transformations: Practice and Examples
1. The inventor was worried because his invention didn’t work.
If his invention had worked, the inventor wouldn’t have been worried.
2. I fell asleep because the film was boring.
It was such a boring film that I fell asleep.
3. ‘Are you coming to my office tomorrow?’ Tom said to his partner.
Tom asked his partner if he was coming to his office the following day.
4. The police chief fought against the Mafia. He received death threats.
In spite of receiving death threats, the police chief fought against the Mafia.
5. The mother gave €200 to her son. She wanted him to buy a smart suit for the graduation ceremony.
The mother gave €200 to her son so that he could buy a smart suit for the graduation ceremony.
6. ‘Your package arrived yesterday, but we won’t deliver it until next Tuesday,’ the operator said to Mark.
The operator said to Mark that his package had arrived the day before, but that they wouldn’t deliver it until the next Tuesday.
7. I’m sorry I can’t give you any money.
I wish I could give you some money.
8. I long to be intelligent.
If only I were intelligent.
9. ‘Don’t smoke in my office,’ the employer said to his employees.
The employer told his employees not to smoke in his office.
10. I can’t speak French, so I’m not going to live in France.
If I could speak French, I would live in France.
11. I started learning Japanese two years ago.
I have been learning Japanese for 2 years.
12. When did you move into your new flat?
How long have you been living in your new flat?
13. It is impossible to do this exercise because we have no time.
If we had time, we could do this exercise.
14. I was allowed to watch the rehearsal.
They let me watch the rehearsal.
15. Fred has been doing parkour for two months.
It has been 2 months since Fred started doing parkour.
16. The weather was good, but we stayed indoors.
Despite the good weather, we stayed indoors.
17. Dan thinks English food is better than French food.
Dan prefers English food to French food.
18. ‘Who did you see at Pelicano last night?’ she said to them.
She asked them who they had seen the night before.
19. He wants his daughter to become a vegetarian.
He would rather his daughter became a vegetarian.
20. I hated driving on the left at first, but now it’s OK.
I am used to driving on the left now.
21. It is possible that Jane forgot her mobile phone in John’s car.
Jane may have forgotten her mobile phone in John’s car.
22. Taking the train doesn’t cost as much as flying.
Flying costs more than taking the train.
23. Drunk driving is causing many accidents.
Many accidents are being caused by drunk driving.
24. If I were you, I would stay in bed for a few days.
Why don’t you stay in bed for a few days?
25. I must hang up the washing later.
I must remember to hang up the washing later.
26. Can I borrow your sleeping bag?
Do you mind me borrowing your sleeping bag?
27. I don’t want to feel the dentist’s drill. I want to have an injection.
I prefer having an injection to feeling the dentist’s drill.
28. The man called a famous detective. His son was murdered.
The man whose son was murdered called a famous detective.
29. It was wrong of Alan to be rude to his teacher.
Alan shouldn’t have been rude to his teacher.
30. This is Felicity. You met her husband last week.
This is Felicity, whose husband you met last week.