Why grammar range matters beyond Part 4
Part 4 is where grammar is tested openly: a sentence, a key word, and two to five words to write so the meaning survives. But the same structures are quietly scored everywhere else — the Writing paper’s Language scale rewards “a range of simple and some complex structures”, and the Speaking test listens for exactly the same thing. One well-placed third conditional in an essay does double duty: it answers the task and raises the Language band. Even the Listening paper leans on these structures — reported opinions and conditionals are its bread and butter, as the Listening format guide shows.
Conditionals — with their transformation patterns
Cambridge does not ask you to name a conditional; it asks you to rebuild a sentence so a conditional appears. These are the four, each with the rewrite the exam loves:
| Type | Shape | The classic transformation |
|---|---|---|
| Zero (facts) | If + present, present | “Water boils when you heat it.” → If you heat water, it boils. |
| First (real future) | If + present, will | “Hurry or you'll miss it.” → If you don't hurry, you will miss it. |
| Second (unreal present) | If + past, would | “I can't call — no phone.” → If I had a phone, I would call. |
| Third (unreal past) | If + past perfect, would have | “She didn't study, so she failed.” → If she had studied, she would not have failed. |
Two Part 4 favourites hide here: unless (“If you don’t hurry” = “Unless you hurry”) and wish (“I’m sorry I didn’t go” = “I wish I had gone” — past perfect for past regrets, past simple for present ones).
Reported speech: the three shifts
Every direct-to-reported rewrite runs the same three shifts at once:
- Tenses step back: present → past, past → past perfect, will → would. “I’m leaving tomorrow” → She said she was leaving the next day.
- Time and place words move: today → that day · tomorrow → the next day · yesterday → the day before · here → there · this → that.
- The reporting verb carries meaning: Part 4 rarely settles for “said”. Learn the patterns of suggest doing / suggest (that) we do, apologise for doing, accuse someone of doing, admit doing, warn someone not to do, refuse to do — the verb + preposition + -ing/infinitive shape is usually the whole test.
Passive transformations
The active-to-passive rewrite tests whether you can keep the tense while moving the object first: “They are building a new stadium” → “A new stadium is being built”; “Somebody has stolen my bike” → “My bike has been stolen”. B2 also expects the personal passive with reporting verbs — “People say he is rich” → “He is said to be rich” — and the have something done structure: “A mechanic repaired my car” → “I had my car repaired”.
Key word transformations: strategy before writing
The Part 4 method that saves marks: identify the grammar point first. Read the key word and ask what structure it belongs to — wish signals unreal regret, unless a negative condition, been a passive or present perfect, despite a noun/-ing contrast, too/enough a degree rewrite. Then rebuild around that structure, and only then count your words: two to five, contractions count as two (don’t = do not). Each item carries up to two marks, so a half-right answer — right structure, small slip — still earns one. Never leave a blank.
Try it nowRebuild real Part 4 sentencesKey word transformations with the grammar point named in every explanation. The first two are free.PractiseA ten-item transformation drill
Complete the second sentence with 2–5 words including the key word (answers below):
- 1. “I regret selling my guitar.” — WISH — I ___ my guitar.
- 2. “You’ll fail unless you practise.” — IF — You’ll fail ___ practise.
- 3. “They’re repairing our roof this week.” — HAVING — We ___ repaired this week.
- 4. “It was wrong of you to shout.” — SHOULD — You ___ shouted.
- 5. “People believe the picture is genuine.” — BE — The picture is believed ___ genuine.
- 6. “Although it rained, we enjoyed the trip.” — DESPITE — We enjoyed the trip ___ rain.
- 7. “The coffee was too hot for me to drink.” — ENOUGH — The coffee ___ for me to drink.
- 8. “‘I’m sorry I’m late,’ said Tom.” — APOLOGISED — Tom ___ late.
- 9. “I haven’t seen her for years.” — LAST — The ___ her was years ago.
- 10. “Maybe Anna forgot the meeting.” — MIGHT — Anna ___ about the meeting.
Answers: 1. wish I hadn’t sold · 2. if you don’t · 3. are having our roof · 4. shouldn’t have (= should not have) · 5. to be · 6. despite the · 7. wasn’t cool enough · 8. apologised for being · 9. last time I saw · 10. might have forgotten. Six or more right: you are pattern-matching already. Fewer: each miss names the structure to revise above.
Turn patterns into speed
Part 4 rewards repetition like nothing else in the paper. The B2 Use of English bank has a full part of key word transformations — 60 exercises, every answer explained, the first two free. For the vocabulary half of Use of English, continue with word formation patterns and the topic-based vocabulary list; the whole exam is mapped in the complete B2 First preparation guide.