FCE Use of English Part 4, Test 12

Answers and explanations

1. As I wanted to get/So as to get. A rather straightforward structure to show the reason for some particular action. The second suggested structure is more advanced and is more commonly used by C1/C2 speakers.
2. I turned their promotion offer. If you turn something down, you reject or decline it. It can be used for figurative cases (e.g. an offer) or literal (a gift or other material thing).
3. Eat up the potatoes/Eat the potatoes up. To eat something up in this context has the meaning to eat all of it, to finish eating a dish or a meal. Do not use ‘finish up’ as it is not normally used in relation to food.
4. From time to. If something takes place from time to time, then it happens fairly regularly, but without any definite system or timetable.
5. Would go to the cinema. The original sentence expresses the idea that the speaker no longer does that. A structure that is quite similar to ‘used to’, it is only used with actions, while ‘used to’ can be used both with actions and states.
6. Fell/Come apart. Please note that ‘break apart’ is incorrect in this context as it means ‘to disassemble, to take apart’, whereas we are looking for a phrasal verb that means ‘to stop functioning’.
7. Was going to see. Be careful not to answer “Was going to the sea” – it means a more definite plan that involves somebody else. Remember that we use Present Continuous to express a more definite plan that takes others into account.
8. Read out the newspaper/Read the newspaper out/Read the newspaper out loud. To read something out means to read it aloud for somebody to hear. ‘To read out loud’ is also possible and is probably the first choice for most students at this level.
9. Allowed us to enter. Both the original and the changed sentence should use a structure that gives permission to do something.
10. Get used to waking up. We use the structure ‘to get used to doing something’ to express the idea of making a new habit, especially something that previously was not a part of our routine. Note the gerund form that is required in this structure.