B2 First: 4 common key word transformation topics | Learn English with Cambridge

No. There is only was set up.

Oh, by his father.

Oh.

Set up his father.

Hello, everybody.

Today, we’re looking at the key word transformation part

of the Cambridge B2 exam.

Now, some of my students absolutely love this part

of the exam.

However, I also have some students who

find it challenging.

There are several reoccurring themes in this part of the exam,

and today, I’m going to be helping you by showing

you four common topics that regularly feature.

Also, you see the question on the screen,

so why don’t you do it as well?

If you do want to do it, please press pause now

and go and get yourself a pen and paper.

And before we start the video, as ever, please don’t forget to

subscribe to the channel.

But anyway, let’s get on with this particular exam video.

So, I asked two friends, Tessa and Lizzie, to do

some key word transformation sentences to demonstrate an

L1 speaker’s thought process.

They’ll be guessing which words appear in the blank

space for each example.

And don’t forget to have a go at the same time.

Let’s how they’ve got on.

Oh, because we have to use the word set.

The company that Mike now runs was set up by his father.

Mike’s father started the company that Mike now runs.

Yes.

The company that Mike now runs was set up by his father,

not set up.

Sorry, it was.

Because runs set up doesn’t make sense.

No. Oh.

No. There is only was set up.

Oh, by his father.

Oh.

Set up his father.

A phrasal verb is a phrase that consists of a verb and a

preposition or adverb, or both.

For example, wake up, hang out, and wash up are good examples of

common phrasal verbs.

And my top tip here is to find out if a phrasal verb

is separable or inseparable.

If it’s separable, that means that the direct object can go

either in the middle of the phrasal verb or at the end.

Whereas if it’s inseparable, the direct object can only go

at the end.

Antonio only lost the 100m race because he fell.

If Antonio had not fallen...

Not fallen... Oh, yes, not.

He would have won.

Wait a sec.

If Antonio had not fallen, he would...

You can’t have he would, you would have he would

have won.

Oh.

He would won, yes. One, two, three, four, five.

Yes, we’re in.

He would have won the 100m race.

Conditionals are structures that we use to consider imagined

or uncertain situations and the possible results

of these situations.

And here are examples of both the second

and third conditional.

The two structures thar you are most likely to

be tested on at B2 level.

And my top tip here is to be careful with the word would

when forming the second and third conditional.

This is because I regularly see my students either put

it in the wrong place or use it where they don’t have to.

It was wrong of you to borrow my jacket without asking.

Ought is the word.

You...

Ought to ask before...

Ought to have asked.

Why have you put asked in there? Yes.

You ought to before you borrowed by jacket.

I was going to say you ought to have before

you borrowed my jacket, but then I suppose...

You ought to have asked.

Can you count, please? Yes.

One... Ought to...

Of course, it’s quite funky.

Modal verbs are verbs that are used to express a person’s

attitude towards the world when talking about certainty,

possibility, willingness, obligation, necessity,

and ability.

Here, are all of the modal verbs that we have in English.

And my top tip here is to remember which modal verbs

are followed by the word to.

In English, only have to, need to, and ought to are

followed by the word to, and the rest of the modal verbs,

quite simply, aren’t.

Right, Peter, you’ve eaten all

the ice cream, said his mother.

The word is accused.

Has accused him of eating.

That’s it.

No. Oh.

Accused him.

Oh, accused him of eating.

Yes. Yes.

Indirect speech is where one speaker reports the direct

speech of another speaker.

For example, Nelson Mandela says in a speech that education

is the most powerful weapon that you can use to change the world.

One person who heard it live will then tell another

person that Nelson Mandela said that education was the

most powerful weapon that you could use to change the world.

And my top tip here is not to forget to change the pronouns,

demonstratives, and adverbs of time and place that often

come with an indirect speech exam question.

So, there you go.

Four common topics that regularly feature in the key

words transformation part of the Cambridge B2 exam.

Please comment below and tell us which of these

topics do you find both the hardest and the easiest.

And while you’re commenting, please don’t forget to give

this video a like and also, to subscribe to the channel,

if you haven’t already.

Take care and I’ll see you next time for more language fun.