EXERCISES
1 Rewrite these sentences beginning It....
Rewrite them only if the It... sentence would be appropriate in written English; otherwise write X and consider why they would be inappropriate.
1 To drive a car without a licence is illegal. It is illegal to drive, a. car without a Licence.
2 That she wasn't hurt in the fall was a miracle.
3 Their decision was a serious setback.
4 Where the light was coming from was far from clear.
5 The announcement is to be made this evening.
6 That you already know my secret is obvious.
7 If the two countries don't reach an agreement soon will be surprising.
8 The parcel I was expecting has arrived.
2 Match the sentences and write ones beginning with It...that..., as in 1. Anumber of alternative answers are possible.
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1 The President will be re-elected.
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a This transpired during the trial. |
Example: 1 + Co) It appears likely that the President will be re-elected.
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3 Expand one of the sets of notes to continue these newspaper extracts. Use a sentence with It, a present passive verb form,
and a to-infinitive, that-, or wh-clause. |
believe / men escaped through / broken window plan / hold / competition again next year not yet understand / accident happened hope - / -the - work- / - completed - by - next - month- expect / around 100, 000 people / attend the rally not know / the robbery was not reported earlier
1 Major repair work is continuing on the Channel Tunnel. It is Hoped that the woik will be completed by next month.
2 The organisers have hailed the first world skateboarding championships as a great success.
3 Police have confirmed that the painting was taken last week.
4 An anti-fox hunting protest will be held in London today.
5 More than 20 inmates escaped from Leyton top security jail last night.
6 Two light aircraft collided on the runway at Orly Airport yesterday.
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4 What personal or physical characteristics are needed to...? (Use It takes... in your answers.) climb a mountain teach small children go bungee jumping learn a foreign language |
Example: It takes a lot of stamina, to climb a. mountain.
KEYS
2 It was a miracle that she wasn't hurt in the fall.
3 X
4 It was far from clear where the light was coming from.
5 X
6 It is obvious that you already know my secret.
7 It will be surprising if the two countries don't reach an agreement soon.
8 X
(In spoken English we might say:
3 It was a serious drawback, their decision.; 5 It's to be made this evening, the announcement.; 8 It's arrived, the parcel I was
expecting. However, these are unlikely in written English.)
2
Most likely answers:
2 + d It seemed to be the case that Beckman had a wrist injury for most of the match.
3 + e It emerged after the concert that this was to be the band's last world tour.
4 + a It transpired during the trial that Jacobs possessed three handguns.
5 + b It follows from the results of the survey that people are happy with the quality of
supermarket food. (These sentences would be more likely in written than in spoken
English.)
3
2 It is planned to hold the competition again next year.
3 It is not known why the robbery was not reported earlier.
4 It is expected that around 100,000 will attend the rally.
5 It is believed that the men escaped through a broken window.
6 It is not yet understood how the accident happened.
4
Example answers:
2 It takes considerable patience to teach small children.
3 It takes courage to go bungee jumping.
4 It takes a lot of application to learn a foreign language.