FCE key word transformation (Part 4): patterns and marking
FCE key word transformation is Part 4 of Reading and Use of English: 6 sentences where you complete a second sentence so it means the same as the first, using a key word you must not change. Each answer can earn up to 2 marks, usually 1 for each correct half. It is part of our Reading and Use of English guide.
By Eleanor BennettLast updated:
What Part 4 tests and how it is marked
Part 4 has 6 separate items. Each item has a first sentence, a key word in capitals, and a second sentence with a gap. You complete the gap so that the second sentence means the same as the first. You must use the key word, and you must not change it in any way (not even make → made). The instructions also give a word limit, and the key word counts towards it, so count carefully.
Each item is worth up to 2 marks. As a general rule, the answer is made of two parts that test two different things, for example a grammar structure and a vocabulary item. You get 1 mark for each part that is correct. This means a half-right answer is still worth something, so always write your best attempt.
For example: "I'm sure Ana forgot about the meeting." MUST → Ana ___ the meeting. The full answer is must have forgotten about. One part is the modal of deduction (must have forgotten), the other is the dependent preposition (forgotten about). A student who writes must have forgotten without about would usually still get 1 mark.
Part 4 tests the grammar you meet in the open cloze and the vocabulary you meet in Part 1: phrasal verbs, collocations and fixed phrases. Our phrasal verbs list and collocations list cover many of the vocabulary halves.
Strategy, step by step
- 1
Read the first sentence and underline the key idea
Find exactly what the sentence means: who does what, when, and how certain the speaker is. Your answer must keep all of this, including tense and negative meaning.
- 2
Look at the key word and ask what pattern it needs
Wish suggests a past tense after it. Unless means if not. Rather suggests would rather + verb. Been suggests a perfect or passive form. The key word tells you the structure.
- 3
Look at the words after the gap
A preposition, a noun or an -ing form after the gap limits what you can write. If the second sentence ends with of, your answer must lead naturally into of.
- 4
Write the answer and count the words
Stay within the word limit in the instructions. The key word counts. Contractions count as two words, so didn't = did not.
- 5
Check that nothing has changed
Read both sentences again. Is the tense the same? Have you kept small details like always, never, yet or still? Have you added information that wasn't there?
Common key word transformation patterns (with original examples)
| Use it to… | Phrases |
|---|---|
| Passive |
|
| Reporting verbs and reported speech |
|
| Wish / if only |
|
| Conditionals and unless |
|
| Comparatives, too and enough |
|
| Phrasal verbs |
|
| Modals of deduction and obligation |
|
| Contrast: despite, in spite of, although |
|
| Used to / be used to / would rather / it's time |
|
| So / such and result |
|
| Fixed phrases and collocations |
|
| Verb patterns and noun phrases |
|
Common traps
Trap: Changing the key word: TAKE → took.
Fix: The key word must appear exactly as given. If you need a different form, your structure is wrong; find another one that uses the word as it is.
Trap: Going over the word limit with an answer that is "nearly right".
Fix: Count every word, including the key word. Contractions count as two words. Over the limit = no marks, even if the grammar is perfect.
Trap: Changing the tense: I last saw Pablo in June. SINCE → I didn't see Pablo since June.
Fix: Since needs the present perfect: haven't seen Pablo since.
Trap: Losing a small part of the meaning: He rarely complains. HARDLY → He ___. Answer written: hardly complains.
Fix: Rarely means "not often", so you need hardly ever complains. Without ever the meaning changes to "complains only a little". Check small words like ever, still, yet and nearly every time.
Trap: Writing the whole second sentence or repeating words already given.
Fix: Write only the words that go in the gap. Repeating words before or after the gap can make the answer ungrammatical.
Worked example: three original transformations
The task
Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first. Use the word given and do not change it.
1. People say the castle was built in the twelfth century. SAID The castle ___ in the twelfth century.
2. I regret not booking the tickets earlier. WISH I ___ the tickets earlier.
3. Tom didn't revise, so he failed the test. WOULD If Tom had revised, he ___ the test.
- 1.
Item 1: This is the impersonal passive. People say + past event becomes subject + is said + to have been + past participle. Mark 1: is said. Mark 2: to have been built (the past passive infinitive). Answer: is said to have been built.
- 2.
Item 2: Regret about the past becomes wish + past perfect. Mark 1: wish I had. Mark 2: booked. Notice that not disappears because regret not booking (negative) becomes wish I had booked (positive). Answer: wish I had booked.
- 3.
Item 3: A third conditional about an imagined past. Mark 1: would not have (or wouldn't have, if the word limit allows). Mark 2: failed. Answer: would not have failed.
- 4.
In each item, if you got one half right, you would usually still get 1 mark. That is why it is always worth writing an answer, even if you are unsure.
Answer
1 is said to have been built · 2 wish I had booked · 3 would not have failed
How to prepare for Part 4
Keep a "transformations bank": a page for each pattern in the table above, with three or four examples you have written yourself. When you get a Part 4 item wrong in practice, add it to the right page. Before the exam, read through the bank; you will notice the same patterns again and again.
Then work under time pressure. Our free key word transformation practice shows you how each answer splits into two marks. For a list of grammar errors that cost marks in Part 4, see our common mistakes page.
Practice · Reading & Use of English Part 4
Practise FCE key word transformations
FCE key word transformation: FAQ
How many marks is each key word transformation worth?
Up to 2 marks. As a general rule the answer has two parts, and you get 1 mark for each part that is correct.
Can I change the key word?
No. The key word must appear exactly as it is printed. Changing its form, for example give → gave, means the answer is wrong.
Do contractions count as one word in Part 4?
No. A contraction such as won't counts as two words (will not), so be careful with the word limit.
What grammar comes up most in Part 4?
Passives, reported speech, wish, conditionals, comparatives, modals, used to, contrast linkers and phrasal verbs are among the most frequent patterns.
Is it worth guessing in Part 4?
Yes. You do not lose marks for wrong answers, and a partly correct answer can still earn 1 mark.