This is your final revision before the exam. These four areas carry the most marks on the paper — and they are the four that B1 students most often lose them on. Each section below is built as a decision, because that is what the exam actually tests: not whether you know the form, but whether you pick the right one under time pressure.
Rule 1
Choosing the tense from the context
Exam §F · 10 marks
Rule 2
Active → Passive in every tense
Exam §E · 5 marks
Rule 3
Reported speech — three changes at once
Exam §D · 5 marks
Rule 4
Transforming a sentence, same meaning
Exam §C · 10 marks
One habit worth building now: in three of the six exam sections you are given the first words of the answer and must continue from them. Never rewrite the whole sentence — read the prefix, work out what is missing, and write only that. The exercises below train you the same way.
1. Choosing the Right Tense
🎯Start here. This is the largest single block of marks on the paper. You are given a verb in brackets and must decide the tense from the sentence alone. The verb form is never the hard part — the decision is. Train yourself to look for the signal before you write anything.
Every tense answers a different question about when and how long. Find the signal word or the second clause, and the tense chooses itself.
Signal in the sentence
Tense
Example
yesterday, last week, in 2019, ago
Past Simple
He bought a gift yesterday.
a longer action interrupted by a short one
Past Continuous
We were walking when the rain started.
an action finished before another past action
Past Perfect
The film had started before we arrived.
for + period, since + point, up to now
Present Perfect
I have known her since we were kids.
how long an action has been going on
Perfect Continuous
They had been standing there for 20 minutes.
a fixed arrangement, tomorrow, next week
Present Continuous
What are you packing for the trip?
a past habit that is no longer true
used to
I used to eat junk food.
The two that decide most marks:Present Perfect connects the past to now — no finished time expression is possible. Past Simple needs a finished time, stated or understood. Dickens wrote many novels (he is dead — the time is closed), but I have known her since we were kids (still true now).
📝 Easy: Choose the tense the signal points to.
1. She stayed inside because it ___ heavily. (snow)
2. I ___ my best friend since we were children. (know)
3. They ___ at the bus stop for twenty minutes before it came. (stand)
4. Shakespeare ___ thirty-seven plays. (write)
5. What ___ you ___ for the school trip tomorrow? (pack)
🎯 Hard: Write the verb in the correct tense. Exam format — the verb is in brackets.
1. He ___ a gift for his friend yesterday. (buy)
2. We ___ by the lake when the rain started. (walk)
3. She couldn't get in because she ___ her keys. (lose)
4. I ___ junk food, but now I eat healthily. (eat — past habit)
5. They ___ in this village since 2010. (live)
Before you move on: find the signal first, choose the tense second, write the form last. Rule 2 keeps the tense you just chose — but moves the object to the front of the sentence.
2. Active → Passive
🔄Building on rule 1. The passive does not change the tense — it keeps whatever you chose in rule 1 and rebuilds the sentence around it. Get the tense right and the passive is mechanical: the right form ofbe+ past participle.
Take the object of the active sentence and make it the new subject. Then put be into the original tense, and add the past participle.
Tense
Passive form
Example
Present Simple
am / is / are + V3
The office is cleaned daily.
Past Simple
was / were + V3
The lottery was won by an old lady.
Present Continuous
is / are being + V3
My child is being looked after.
Past Continuous
was / were being + V3
The car was being repaired.
Present Perfect
has / have been + V3
My TV has been repaired.
Past Perfect
had been + V3
All the doors had been locked.
Modal
modal + be + V3
Smoking should be banned.
Two things the exam checks:(1) Questions — the auxiliary still comes first: Have they repaired my TV? → Has my TV been repaired?(2) The agent — keep by + agent only when it adds real information (won by an old lady). Drop it when it is obvious or unimportant (they, someone, people).
📝 Easy: Choose the correct passive form.
1. They clean the office every morning. → The office ___ every morning.
2. A nurse is looking after my child. → My child ___ by a nurse.
3. She had locked all the doors. → All the doors ___.
4. They should ban smoking. → Smoking ___.
5. Have they repaired my TV? → ___ my TV been repaired?
🎯 Hard: Continue the passive sentence from the words given. Exam format.
1. An old lady won the national lottery. → The national lottery
2. Someone is repairing the road. → The road
3. They have cancelled all the flights. → All the flights
4. The chef had prepared the food. → The food
5. You must complete the form. → The form
Before you move on: object to the front, be in the original tense, past participle, agent only if it matters. Rule 3 also rebuilds a sentence — but it moves the tense one step back instead of keeping it.
3. Reported Speech
💬Three changes at once. This is where marks disappear, because you must make three changes simultaneously and students usually remember only the first. Do them in a fixed order every time: tense back → pronouns → time & place words.
The reporting verb is in the past, so the verb inside moves one step back in time. Then every word that pointed to the original speaker's here and now must move too.
Direct
→
Reported
Present Simple
→
Past Simple
Present Continuous
→
Past Continuous
Past Simple / Present Perfect
→
Past Perfect
will
→
would
can / may / must
→
could / might / had to
now · today · tomorrow · here
→
then · that day · the next day · there
What the exam accepts:that is always optional — She said (that) she was tired. Contractions are fine too (he'd = he would). But the backshift and the pronoun change are never optional. Questions lose the inversion and the question mark: "Are you tired?" → She asked me if I was tired.
📝 Easy: Choose the correct reported form.
1. "I am thinking about you." → He said he ___ about me.
2. "They haven't called yet." → We said they ___ yet.
3. "I'll give you a fine." → The boss said he ___ me a fine.
4. "Are you tired?" → She asked me ___ tired.
5. "I saw her yesterday." → He said he had seen her ___.
🎯 Hard: Continue the reported sentence. Exam format — punctuation is checked.
1. She said: "I feel really disappointed." → She said that
2. Tom said: "I miss you." → Tom said that
3. We said: "They haven't called yet." → We said that
4. She asked: "Where do you live?" → She asked me
5. He said: "I will call you tomorrow." → He said that
Before you move on: tense back, pronouns, time words — in that order, every time. Rule 4 is the same skill applied more widely: keep the meaning, change the structure.
4. Sentence Transformation
🔁Everything together. Rules 2 and 3 were transformations with a fixed recipe. This section gives you no recipe — only a first word or two, and the instruction to keep the meaning. It is worth as many marks as the tense section, and it is where reading the prefix carefully matters most.
The prefix tells you which structure is wanted. Read it, identify the pattern, and change only what the pattern forces you to change. These are the transformations the exam uses again and again.
Pattern
Original
Transformed
used to
He had a car, but now he doesn't.
He used to have a car.
didn't use to
I disliked vegetables. Now I eat them.
I didn't use to like vegetables.
superlative
It is more expensive than any other.
It's the most expensive one.
unless
If Tom doesn't finish, he won't get the job.
Unless Tom finishes, he won't get the job.
don't need to
It isn't necessary to bring a gift.
You don't need to bring a gift.
be good at
She couldn't ride a bike.
She was no good at riding a bike.
have
There are three gyms in the complex.
The complex has three gyms.
on your own
She doesn't share her flat with anyone.
She lives on her own.
The single most common mistake: writing a correct sentence that does not fit the prefix. Unless already means if not, so never write unless he doesn't. After be good at you need -ing, not an infinitive. Always re-read your answer joined to the prefix before moving on.
📝 Easy: Choose the transformation that keeps the same meaning.
1. John had a car, but now he doesn't. → He ___ a car.
2. If Tom doesn't complete his project, he won't get the job. → ___ Tom completes his project, he won't get the job.
3. Kate couldn't ride a bike. → Kate was no good at ___ a bike.
4. This restaurant is more expensive than any other in the city. → It's ___ restaurant in the city.
5. Emma doesn't share her apartment with anyone. → She lives ___.
🎯 Hard: Complete the second sentence so it means the same. Exam format — punctuation is checked.
1. There are three gyms in the sports complex. → The sports complex
2. You don't need to bring a gift to the party. → It isn't
3. When I was young, I disliked vegetables. → I didn't
4. Junk food is unhealthy. → Junk food is bad
5. If you don't hurry, you will miss the train. → Unless
All four together. Tense from the signal · passive keeps the tense · reported moves it back · transformation keeps the meaning. In the exam, read the prefix first in every rewriting task — it tells you which of these four you are being asked for.
Exercises: Word Order & Complex Sentences
Task: All exercises are based on the grammar from the lab. ⚠ Exercises 4, 5, and 6 are marked strictly — capitals and full stops are checked.
📝 Exercise 1 — Put the words in the correct order. Write the full sentence.
1. never / I / have / been / to / Scotland
2. quietly / she / spoke / in / the / library
3. always / my / brother / is / late
4. hard / she / studied / for / the / exam
5. yesterday / I / saw / him / at / the / station
6. fluently / speaks / she / three / languages
7. still / they / are / waiting / for / the / results
8. already / I / have / finished / the / report
9. rarely / we / eat / out / during / the / week
10. well / very / he / does / not / speak / English
📝 Exercise 2 — Fill in the correct conjunction.
1. ___ it was cold, we went for a walk.
2. She left early ___ she could catch the first train.
3. He was tired ___ he had worked all night.
4. You can stay ___ you help with the cooking.
5. We took extra cash ___ the card machines were not working.
6. ___ she studied hard, she still failed the test.
7. ___ you leave now, you will miss the last train.
8. He saved money for a year ___ he could buy a new laptop.
9. She wore sunglasses ___ nobody would recognise her.
10. They missed the bus ___ they left too late.
📝 Exercise 3 — Fill in the correct sentence connector.
1. The course was expensive. ___, it was very well organised.
2. She passed all her exams. ___, she got a scholarship.
3. There are many benefits of reading. ___, it improves your vocabulary.
4. The flat was small. ___, it was in a terrible location.
5. He forgot to set his alarm. ___, he missed the interview.
6. Learning a language takes time. ___, it requires a lot of practice.
7. The plan looked simple. ___, it turned out to be very complicated.
8. She is a talented musician. ___, she is also an excellent teacher.
9. Many students struggle with grammar. ___, they find tenses difficult.
10. He did not study. ___, he failed the exam.
🎯 Exercise 4 — Rewrite using a cleft sentence.
Use It was… who/that… or What… was/is… as shown. Strict marking.
It was…My brother broke the window.
What…I enjoyed the food most.
It was…She bought the red coat, not the blue one.
It was…The noise woke me up.
What…He loves travelling.
🎯 Exercise 5 — Write the correct tag question.
1. She has been to Paris, ___?
2. They don't live here, ___?
3. I am next on the list, ___?
4. Let's take a break, ___?
5. Nothing went wrong, ___?
6. You will help me, ___?
7. He had already left, ___?
8. Nobody told you, ___?
9. Open the door, ___?
10. They should be here by now, ___?
🎯 Exercise 6 — Find and correct the one error in each sentence.
Write the correct full sentence. Strict marking.
1. She sings always beautifully at concerts.
2. I yesterday saw her at the station.
3. They usually are late for meetings.
4. She has finished already her homework.
5. We go rarely out on weekdays.
6. He told me that he will call me later.
7. The concert was cancelled because of it was raining.
8. Although she was tired, but she kept working.
9. He arrived at the airport lately.
10. She is always working hard, but never she complains.
Reported Speech
Task: Rewrite each sentence in full reported speech. Use the reporting verb given in brackets. ⚠ Capitals, commas, and full stops are checked.
📝 Exercise 1 — Statements
1. "I always study in the morning." (she / say)
2. "We have never been to Scotland." (they / say)
3. "He is going to quit his job." (she / tell me)
4. "I finished the report yesterday." (he / say)
5. "She can speak three languages." (he / mention)
6. "We will arrive by midnight." (they / promise)
7. "I was working late last night." (she / explain)
8. "The meeting starts at nine." (he / tell us)
9. "I may be late today." (she / warn us)
10. "You must hand in your work today." (the teacher / tell us)
🎯 Exercise 2 — Questions
1. "Are you coming to the party?" (he / ask her)
2. "Where do you usually work?" (she / ask him)
3. "Have you finished your homework?" (she / ask me)
4. "Why are you always late?" (the manager / ask him)
5. "Did you lock the door?" (she / ask me)
6. "What time does the lesson start?" (he / ask)
7. "Can you help me with this?" (she / ask him)
8. "Will there be enough time?" (she / ask)
9. "How long have you been learning English?" (he / ask her)
10. "Who told you about the meeting?" (she / ask me)
🎯 Exercise 3 — Mixed
1. "I didn't take your keys." (he / deny)
2. "You should see a doctor." (she / tell him)
3. "Is the report ready?" (she / ask him)
4. "I have been living here for ten years." (he / say)
5. "We won't be able to come." (they / explain)
6. "Where did you put my bag?" (she / ask me)
7. "I will send you the details tomorrow." (he / promise)
8. "The system is being updated right now." (she / say)
9. "Do you usually walk to work?" (he / ask me)
10. "I was sleeping when you called." (she / tell me)
Active to Passive Voice
Formula: Object → Subject · be (correct tense) · Past Participle · (by + agent, when relevant). When the subject is general (they, people, someone), the by-phrase is usually omitted. ⚠ All exercises are marked strictly.
📝 Exercise 1 — Present & Past Simple
1. A journalist writes the column every week.
2. The committee rejected her proposal.
3. People speak English all over the world.
4. The police arrested two suspects last night.
5. They deliver the post at eight every morning.
6. Someone stole his wallet on the train.
7. The company produces all its goods in Bulgaria.
8. They built that bridge in 1932.
9. A local artist painted this mural.
10. She teaches two classes every day.
📝 Exercise 2 — Present Perfect & will
1. They have cancelled the meeting.
2. The manager has approved the budget.
3. They will publish the results next week.
4. Someone has broken the window.
5. They will award the winner a prize.
6. We have already booked the venue.
7. They will announce the decision tomorrow.
8. She has written three reports this month.
9. They have not yet fixed the problem.
10. The government will introduce new laws next year.
🎯 Exercise 3 — Modals & Continuous Tenses
1. You must submit the form by Friday.
2. They are repairing the road at the moment.
3. You should finish the task before noon.
4. Workers were painting the walls when I arrived.
5. They might postpone the event.
6. You can download the app for free.
7. They are currently reviewing all applications.
8. You must not park on this street.
9. They could solve the problem easily.
10. She was reading the report when the fire alarm went off.
Key Word Transformation (KWT)
B1 Exam Skill: Complete the second sentence so it has the same meaning as the first sentence(s), using the KEY WORD given. Do not change the key word. Continue from the start given. ⚠ Capitals, commas, and full stops are checked exactly as on the exam.