FCEPAPER3:USEOFENGLISH

Paper 3 tests your knowledge of grammar and vocabulary. These are the key language areas you
need to know.

Part 1: Multiple Choice Cloze

1) Synonyms You should be able to identify the correct word from a selection of similar words that
matches a particular context or goes with another word.

work job career employment

Would you like to meet for a coffee after ..........................?

He's decided to take a part-time ..........................

The number of people in full-time ..........................has risen this month.

If you commit a crime it will destroy your ...........................

journey trip tour ride

How was the bus ..........................to work today?

She's going on a six-week ..........................of Australia.

You won't see her until she's back from her skiing ..........................

Can I go for a ..........................on your bike?

quiz exam test trial

If you work hard you should pass the FCE ...........................

Today our teacher is giving us a short grammar ...........................

At the end of the lesson she'll give us a fun ...........................

I'm going to work for them for a ..........................period.

2) Collocations You will need to be able to identify common collocations, that is words that go
together (make the bed, do your homework)

1 He tried to .......... her some advice but she wouldn't listen.

A give B suggest C recommend D take

2 Have you .......... out the invitations to the party yet?

A posted B sent C dispatched D
delivered
3 I wonder if you could .......... me a favour and carry this box for
me.
 A make B do C give D hold

4 Could you just stand there quietly without .......... a sound?

A creating B doing C causing D
making
5 She's slowly getting .......... after the accident.
A better B over C well D
improve
6 Your father looks really different in this picture but I can .......... d
it's him.
A know B identify C tell D
choose
7 The recipe for vegetable soup has a number of different .......... .
A parts B components C ingredients D
elements
8 Guess who I .......... into in the supermarket today?
D
A knocked B bumped C hit banged

3) Phrasal Verbs Phrasal verbs are frequently tested in Part 1 of this paper. You need to look out for
missing verbs or

prepositions/particles.

You'll be able to ....... that book out of the library.

bring A take C move

We have to ....... ahead if we want the party to be a success.

plan B go C push

She didn't say goodbye before she ....... off. She must be upset about something.

switched B rang C cut

Although it was a wonderful job offer he decided to ....... it down in the end.

pass B take C turn

When I saw his awful haircut I burst ....... laughing.

out B into C in

As time goes ....... we do more damage to the environment.

beyond B forward C by

She has decided to take ....... a new hobby.

over B up C on

Could you repeat that? I couldn't quite make ....... what you were saying.

out B up C over

4) Phrases/Expressions There are many set expressions that you are likely to be tested on in this
section (hold your breath, on no account)

After a great deal of discussion we were all .......... agreement that we should have a party.

for B at C on D in

Thanks for telling me about that website. I'll keep it .......... mind.

in B on C to D about

What do you do ....... a living? I'm a computer programmer.

as B by C for D of

Our train's been cancelled. We'll have to listen out ....... an announcement.

for B to C about D on

She isn't going to university next year. She's had a change of ........ .

attitude B thoughts C heart D tune

There are lots of different sweets to choose from. Just ....... your pick.

make B take C do D select

If you want to buy that motorbike you'll have to take .......... a loan to do it.

down B on C up D out

The success of the school play was thanks .......... all the hard work involved.

to B for C in D of

5) Linking Words Make sure you know the difference between the common linking words used in

English (despite, although…) 1 Studying abroad is a great opportunity. .......... the other hand, you

might find yourself getting homesick.

A By B In C On

He did hardly any work before the exam. .........., he managed to pass.
Although B Nevertheless C Despite

Life in a big city is more stressful than the country. .......... it can also be expensive.

Further B Addition C Moreover

Some people have said the play is boring. .......... the contrary, I found it absolutely fascinating

On B In C At

The law regarding dangerous driving has been changed. As a/an .......... ,more people are going to
prison.

effect B result C outcome

The company is making a number of changes. In other .......... it seems that there are going to be a
number of job losses.

words B ways C sayings

She bumped into her ex-boyfriend in the street, .......... all her efforts to avoid him.

through B spite C despite

The team played well in the first half. In .........., during the second half they completely lost control of
the game.

contrary B contrast C context

Part 2: Open Cloze

Parts of Speech The missing word is often (but not always) one of the parts of speech that are listed in
the following exercise.

This is the doctor who cured my illness. … auxiliary verb

She's suffering from a bad cold at the moment … modal verb

I haven't seen him for ages. … other

We could go on a picnic or we could stay indoors. … preposition

The house was built ten years ago. … article

Books should not be removed from the library. … relative pronoun

That's the man I was telling you about. … pronoun

They didn't play well enough to win. … conjunction

Pronouns Words like 'you', 'her', 'which' etc. are often the missing word.

2a Complete the following text by adding a personal pronoun or a possessive adjective/pronoun.

Paul and Anne decided to decorate the living room (a) .......................... as they thought (b)
............... would be cheaper that way. Paul went up the ladder on (c) .......................... own to paint
the ceiling, even though Anne told (d) .......................... to wait till (e) .......................... could help (f)
.......................... by holding the ladder. Unfortunately, lost (g) .......................... balance and the
paint went all over Anne and (h) .......................... very expensive new dress.

2b The following sentences contain ONE missing relative pronoun. Write the missing word in the
space.

I work for a company ............. makes computers. 5 Who is that woman ............. husband we met
last week?

Thanks for your letter, ............. arrived last week. 6 That man we met at the party. Do you know
............. I mean?

To ............. it may concern. 7 We live in Madrid, ............. is one of my favourite cities.

The school ............. I studied is in the local newspaper. 8 Ten students went in for the exam, none of
............. failed.

3) Articles and Quantifiers Articles, 'a', 'the' and quantifiers like, 'much', 'many', 'all', 'enough' etc.
are often required.

The shop was very quiet and ............. people were waiting to be served.

little B few C none

I haven't got ............. plans for the weekend if you'd like to go out somewhere.

some B no C any

Was there ............. traffic on the roads this evening?

much B many C few

I've tried to phone several shops but ............. of them were open.
A no B none C any

5 Have you got ............. money to buy a new car?

C
A many B enough
much
 6 I asked Sally and Kim but ... of them wanted to
go out.
A none B either C
neithe
7 He's exercising a lot ............. than he used to. r
C
A less B fewer least
8 The doctor had two patients, ............. of whom were complaining of upset stomachs.

A both B either C all

4) Auxiliary verbs
If I had known you were in I …………... have come round.

That …………... have been Tony who called this evening. He said he was going to phone.

He …………... speak several languages fluently.

4 Have you ever …………... to India? 5 I told you we …………... have booked the
tickets earlier.
You don't …………... to give me a lift. I can
The suspect …………... seen running towards the walk.
station.
You …………... to see a doctor about your
Excuse me. …………... I open the window? cough.

…………... you speak English? Maria …………... to do extra homework to

prepare for the exam.

5) Conjunctions Conjunctions (linking words) like 'but', 'and', 'yet' etc. will sometimes be the word
you are looking for.

……………………….. he felt quite ill he still went to work.

There was heavy traffic in the city today ……………………….. of an accident.

You could come round to our house ……………………….. we could meet at the cinema.

Candidates are not permitted to leave the room ……………………….. they are accompanied by a
member of staff.

You can have the job ……………………….. you agree to work on Saturdays.

There will be strong winds in the north. ……………………….. the south will remain warm and sunny.

He came top of his group ……………………….. starting the course late.

……………………….. you may be aware, I intend to retire at the end of the year.
 6) Prepositions/Phrasal Verbs Prepositions ('in', 'at', 'on' etc.) will very often be the missing word.

1 The surgeon is operating ............. the patient now.

A at B to C on D in

2 There's no possibility ............. us finishing the project by the

weekend.
A in B with C for D of

3 Have you got any advice ............. how to go about buying a new
car?
A at B on C in D for

4 How much have you saved ............. for your holiday?

A up B in C on D
about
5 The police are looking ............. the recent series of robberies in
the area.
A into B on C around D
throug
6 I sympathise ............. your problem but I'm afraid there's nothing h
I can do to help.
A in B for C with D to

7 Would you be kind enough to fill ............. this application form,

please.
A over B with C in D up

8 He really takes ............. his father. They're alike in so many ways.

A on B after C in D over

7) Sentence Level Practice Most of the categories covered in the previous exercises are tested
below along with words that do not fit into these groups.

We would have called you if we ......................... known you were in.

I can't put ......................... with this noise anymore. I'm going to complain.

Wait ......................... minute. I'll see if I've got his address.

He failed his exam, ......................... was a real surprise.

There have been many ......................... refugees crossing the border during the last two days.

Manchester United won the game in ......................... of the fact that they played with only 9 players.

This product should ......................... consumed within 3 days.

It was ......................... cold today we decided to stay at home.
 Part 3: Word Formation
Part 3 tests your knowledge of the way words are formed in English, including the use of prefixes
and suffixes, and spelling rules associated with these changes.

1) Forming nouns This exercise focuses on people and their jobs using the most common suffixes.

A person who acts for a living is called an .............................. .

A .............................. is someone who earns money from writing music.

She didn't become famous as a .............................. until her 17th novel was published.

In Part 5 of the FCE Exam your speaking ability will be assessed by the .............................. .

At the end of the interview the .............................. asked if he could be shown around the company.

The waiter asked the .............................. if she would help him deal with a difficult customer.

An .............................. is someone who will be able to go through your accounts and work out how
much money you have.

.............................. to the castle are expected to come during visiting times only.

2) Forming other nouns This exercise looks at forming nouns from verbs, nouns and adjectives by
using suffixes.

My teacher says there has been a big (IMPROVE) ................................. in my English lately.

The recipe says you only need to add two (SPOON) ................................. of salt.

Why did you do that? I thought you had more (INTELLIGENT) ................................. than that.

The singer gave a briliant (PERFORM) ................................. on stage yesterday.

Have you seen her magazine (COLLECT) ................................. She must have over 200 editions.

On hearing the news, everyone was overcome with a feeling of (SAD) ................................. .

When you take the FCE Speaking paper you will be given marks for your (ACCURATE)
................................. and also on how fluent you are.

She has the (ABLE) ................................. to pass the exam first time round providing she works hard.

Forming opposite meanings This exercise focuses on the common prefixes and suffixes used to form
opposite words.

Choose the correct prefix or suffix to form the opposite (find the adjective first) (in- im- il- un- -less
dis- ir- )
 1 When he became a teenager he wanted to be more DEPEND
................................. from his parents.
2 It was really ................................. of you to take that money without
HONESTY
asking.
3 If you hadn't been so ................................. with that book you'd still
CARE
have it now.
4 My broken leg means I'll be ................................. to go on holiday with
ABILITY
you.
5 In many countries it is ................................. to smoke cigarettes under
LEGAL
the age of 16.
6 He waited ................................. for the train to arrive at the station. PATIENT
7 The teacher told me it was ................................. of me to set off the RESPONS
fire alarm. E

Forming verbs This exercise looks at some common suffixes used in creating verbs. Pay attention to
tenses and spelling!

He told her that he (SYMPATHY) ................................. with her problem but couldn't do anything to
help.

My belt feels a bit tight after that huge lunch. I think I'll have to (LOOSE) ................................. it a
little.

She was severely (WEAK) ................................. by the long illness she had.

There are many different ways to (CLASS) ................................. areas of English Grammar.

If you're really sorry for what you said you won't mind (APOLOGY.................................

There's no need to (CRITIC) ................................. my work. I'm trying as hard as I can.

The pain in his back (LESS) ................................. as soon as he took the medication.

Everybody was (HORROR) ................................. by the news of the earthquake.

5) Forming adjectives and adverbs This exercise looks at the most common adjective and adverb
endings.

Be sure to contact him if you need advice. He's a very (HELP) ................................. person.

It was a really (ENJOY) ................................. party. Thanks for inviting me.

He has just taken out a (MONTH) ................................. subscription to the magazine.

She smiled (HAPPY) ................................. when they offered her the new job.
 (HOPE) ................................. we'll have enough money saved to get married next year. (2 changes
required)

In order for the medicine to work (EFFECT) ................................. you must take the correct amount.
(2 changes required)

Although our teacher is very strict in class, she is (FRIEND) ................................. than you would
expect. (2 changes required)

What a beautiful vase! That's the (LOVE) ................................. present I've ever had. (2 changes
required)

6) Difficult spellings
He tried to fix his machine but it was (POSSIBLE) .................................

You don't need to wear a suit to the party. You can look (FORMAL) ................................. if you wish.

She won the bicycle race (EASY) ................................. .

The weather forecast says it's going to be (RAIN) ................................. today.

The body was discovered (LIE) ................................. on the floor.

He told her that he was (TRUE) ................................. in love with her.

She was filled with (HAPPY) ................................. when she heard the good news.

He was the (BIG) ................................. in the class.

Part 4: Key Word Transformation

1) Comparative/Superlative Structures like so/such .., er/as ... as or too/enough often appear in
this exercise.

The food was so good we had to leave a tip.

SUCH It ................................................................... we had to leave a tip.

The computer was too expensive for me to buy.

ENOUGH I ................................................................... money to buy the computer.

It's the most beautiful painting I've ever seen.

SEEN I ................................................................... beautiful painting.

This summer has been much cooler than last year.

 COOL Last summer ................................................................... this year.

I'm not as good at maths as you.

BETTER You ................................................................... me.

The course wasn't as easy as I'd expected.

MORE The course ................................................................... I'd expected.

This car isn't safe enough to drive.

DANGEROUS This car ................................................................... drive.

This exercise is easier than the last one.

HARD This exercise ................................................................... the last one.

2) Passive/Active
The examiner tells candidates the regulations at the beginning of the exam.

TOLD At the beginning of the exam candidates ................................................................... the

regulations.

Did we send that letter to Mr Thomas?

WAS Do you know if ................................................................... to Mr Thomas?

We haven't arranged a date for the wedding yet.

BEEN A date for the wedding ................................................................... yet.

They will have given him the news by now.

TOLD He ................................................................... the news by now.

Experts estimate that most people now have access to the Internet.

IS ................................................................... most people now have access to the Internet.

The garage on the corner usually repairs my car.

HAVE I ................................................................... by the garage on the corner.

Steve definitely didn't write that essay.

WRITTEN That essay ................................................................... by Steve.

The police have cancelled the demonstration.

HAS The demonstration ................................................................... by the police.

 3) Direct and Indirect Speech
'What do you think of the college?'

ASKED She ................................................................... of the college.

'I'll call you later tonight,' Keith promised.

WOULD Keith promised that ................................................................... night.

'I didn't break the window,' said the boy.

DENIED The boy ................................................................... the window

'Why don't you come this evening?'

SUGGESTED She ................................................................... that evening.

'You look really tired,' he told her.

SAID He ................................................................... really tired.

'You must do your homework tonight.' the teacher said.

TOLD The teacher ................................................................... my homework.

'What's your name?' he asked.

KNOW He ................................................................... what my name was.

'I might be late for.' he told me.

INFORMED He ................................................................... might be late.

4) Auxiliary Verbs
I went to the office, then remembered it was my day off.

HAVE I ................................................................... to the office as it was my day off.

Perhaps we missed the correct turning.

MIGHT We ................................................................... the correct turning.

I'm afraid you can't smoke in here.

ALLOWED You ................................................................... in here.

They will expect you to wear a suit for the interview.

HAVE You ................................................................... a suit for the interview.

I'd see a doctor if I were you.

OUGHT You ................................................................... a doctor.

He couldn't swim until he was in his twenties.

ABLE He ................................................................... until he was in his twenties.

We got a table at the restaurant without a reservation.

NEED We ................................................................... book a table at the restaurant.

You were expected to answer all the questions on the exam paper.

ANSWERED You ................................................................... all the questions on the examination

paper. 5) Conditionals

I only told you because I thought you would be interested.

TOLD I ................................................................... you if I thought you weren't interested.

I won't organise the party unless you arrange the food.

LONG I'll organise the party ................................................................... arrange the food.

I think it would be a good idea to speak to the manager first.

WERE If ................................................................... speak to the manager first.

If you do the washing up I'll make the coffee.

PROVIDED I'll make the coffee ................................................................... the washing up.

Your tired because you keep staying up late.

WERE If ................................................................... to bed earlier, you wouldn't be so tired.

You never enter competitions so you'll never win anything.

MIGHT If you entered competions ................................................................... something.

The reason I haven't got much money is because they didn't give me promotion.

POOR If they had given me promotion I ................................................................... now.

I've been so happy since I met you.

MIGHT I ................................................................... so happy if I hadn't met you.

6) 'Unreal' Pasts
I'd love to know how John is getting on.

KNEW I ................................................................... how John was getting on.

You should take an umbrella with you.

BETTER You ................................................................... an umbrella with you.

I think taxes should be increased.

TIME It ................................................................... increased

He behaves like the President of the company.

THOUGH He acts ................................................................... the President of the company.

I regret not inviting Cathy to the party.

ONLY If ................................................................... Cathy

I'd prefer you to get home early tonight.

RATHER I ................................................................... home early tonight.

It's a pity the car is so expensive.

WISH I ................................................................... so expensive.

It will be better for you to come alone.

SOONER I would ................................................................... on your own.

7) Verb Patterns
It's really important that you pay the bill today.

REMEMBER You must ................................................................... the bill today.

I think it would be a good idea if you joined the beginner's class.

SUGGEST I ................................................................... the beginners class.

Meeting John in town was really surprising.

EXPECT I ................................................................... John in town.

In the future she became a successful business woman.

WENT She ................................................................... a successful business woman.

I'll help you with your homework.

MIND I ................................................................... you with your homework.

I hated driving on the left at first but now it's OK.

USED I ................................................................... on the left now.

Don't bother to apply for the job.

POINT There ................................................................... for the job.

 Were you successful in passing the exam?

MANAGE Did ................................................................... the exam?

8 Phrasal Verbs
I'm really excited about the holiday.

LOOKING I ................................................................... the holiday.

The bomb exploded early this morning

OFF The bomb ................................................................... early this morning.

Why don't you start doing a sport?

TAKE Have you thought about ................................................................... a sport?

His parents raised him very strictly.

UP His parents ................................................................... very strictly.

They've cancelled the wedding.

OFF They have ................................................................... the wedding.

I don't think they should abolish military service.

AWAY They shouldn't ................................................................... military service.

I've got to reduce the amount of sweets I eat.

DOWN I must ................................................................... the number of sweets I eat.

My host family will let you stay with us.

UP My host family will ....................................................................

9) Practice In the exam you may have to make TWO changes to the sentence, for example changing
active to passive AND using a phrasal verb.

Thieves have burgled our house.

INTO Our house ...................................................................

Businesses are said to be worried about interest rates.

CONCERN There ................................................................... amongst businesses about interest rates.

'I don't share your views on capital punishment' he said.

AGREE He told me ................................................................... my views on capital punishment.

Loans must be repayed in full.

BACK You ................................................................... all the money.

There have been more redundancies this year than before.

NUMBER There has been a rise ................................................................... redundancies this year.

I'm sorry but you must not smoke here.

FORBIDDEN I'm afraid ..... here.

I don't think it's a good idea to get married too early.

IN I don't ................................................................... too early.

Did you manage to convince him?

IN Did you ................................................................... him?