CPE Writing
Do you mind if I ask you a few questions for a customer satisfaction
survey?
OBJECTION
Do you ______________ you a few questions for a customer satisfaction
survey?
have any objection to my asking
The most skilled map reader was made responsible for navigating
through the fog.
CHARGE
The most skilled map reader _______________ navigating through the fog.
was placed/put/left in charge of
Coco said that her f
iends were surp
ised when she decided to resign.
CAME
Coco said that her _______________ to her f
iends.
decision to resign/resignation came as a surprise
He doesn't intend to
un for a second te
m as president.
NO
He has _______________ for a second te
m as president.
no intention of running
The P
ime Minister doesn't understand why parliament is opposing his
plan.
WHAT
The P
ime Minister doesn't understand _______________ his plan is.
what parliament's opposition to
Derek was too lazy to volunteer for a role on the committee.
BOTHERED
Derek _______________ fo
ward for a role on the committee.
could not/ couldn't be bothered to put himself/his name
Felicity changed courses only because she disliked her lecturer.
DISLIKE
But for her _______________ changed courses.
dislike of/for her lecturer, Felicity wouldn't have
,They think she was acting in self-defence.
THOUGHT
She _______________ acting in self-defence.
is thought to have been
I don't think you'll meet many people with Vala's since
ity.
FEW
I think _______________ as Vala.
you'll meet (very) few people as sincere
They met at a discrete location so that no one would recognise them.
AVOID
They met at a discrete location in _______________.
order/an attempt/an effort to avoid recognition/being/getting recognised/recognized
She promised me that she would investigate my complaint promptly.
ASSURANCE
She _______________ my complaint would be investigated promptly.
gave me her assurance (that)
When did you realise you had been pickpocketed?
POINT
_______________ you realise you had been pickpocketed?
At which point did
The coach said she was extremely confident that her team would win
the title.
EVERY
The coach said that she _______________ ability to win the title.
had every confidence in her team's
There is no way that I will agree to sell the house.
CIRCUMSTANCES
_______________ selling the house.
Under (absolutely) no circumstances/Not under any circumstances will I agree to
He says that he is most impressed by the author's command of descriptive language.
IMPRESSES
He says _______________ the author's command of descriptive language.
what impresses him (the) most is
The police chief said that he no longer thought there was any chance
that the missing person would be found alive.
HOPE
The police chief said that he _______________ finding the missing person
alive.
had no hope of/ had lost (all) hope of
, Most of her problems were the result of a poor upbringing.
STEMMED
Most of her problems _______________ upbringing had been poor.
stemmed from the fact (that) her
I am still trying to accept the idea that I won the lottery.
TERMS
I am still _______________ the idea that I won the lottery.
coming to terms with
Liam did not find it difficult to think of ideas for the brainstorming
meeting.
COMING
Liam had no _______________ ideas for the brainstorming meeting.
difficulty in coming up with/ difficulty/problem/problems coming up with
I don't think you can appreciate how difficult being a parent is until you
have children of your own.
INVOLVED
I don't think you can have any idea _______________ parenting until you
have children of your own.
what's/how much is involved in
Rex didn't seem happy, even though he had just won the race.
SIGNS
Rex _______________, even though he had just won the race.
showed no signs of happiness/ didn't show (any) signs of happiness
Once he'd made his closing statement, the only thing Jose's lawyer
could do was wait for the jury's verdict.
BUT
Once he'd made his closing statement, there _______________ wait for the
jury's verdict.
was nothing/ wasn't anything Jose's lawyer could do but
Twenty minutes on the treadmill is my limit, then my legs give out.
BEFORE
I can't do _______________ my legs give out.
more than twenty/20 minuted on the treadmill before
We had a slim chance of buying a house, but then Gerard was made
redundant.
PAID
Gerard's redundancy _______________ remaining hope we had of buying a
house.
put paid to any/all/what -> bring an end to
Do you mind if I ask you a few questions for a customer satisfaction
survey?
OBJECTION
Do you ______________ you a few questions for a customer satisfaction
survey?
have any objection to my asking
The most skilled map reader was made responsible for navigating
through the fog.
CHARGE
The most skilled map reader _______________ navigating through the fog.
was placed/put/left in charge of
Coco said that her f
iends were surp
ised when she decided to resign.
CAME
Coco said that her _______________ to her f
iends.
decision to resign/resignation came as a surprise
He doesn't intend to
un for a second te
m as president.
NO
He has _______________ for a second te
m as president.
no intention of running
The P
ime Minister doesn't understand why parliament is opposing his
plan.
WHAT
The P
ime Minister doesn't understand _______________ his plan is.
what parliament's opposition to
Derek was too lazy to volunteer for a role on the committee.
BOTHERED
Derek _______________ fo
ward for a role on the committee.
could not/ couldn't be bothered to put himself/his name
Felicity changed courses only because she disliked her lecturer.
DISLIKE
But for her _______________ changed courses.
dislike of/for her lecturer, Felicity wouldn't have
,They think she was acting in self-defence.
THOUGHT
She _______________ acting in self-defence.
is thought to have been
I don't think you'll meet many people with Vala's since
ity.
FEW
I think _______________ as Vala.
you'll meet (very) few people as sincere
They met at a discrete location so that no one would recognise them.
AVOID
They met at a discrete location in _______________.
order/an attempt/an effort to avoid recognition/being/getting recognised/recognized
She promised me that she would investigate my complaint promptly.
ASSURANCE
She _______________ my complaint would be investigated promptly.
gave me her assurance (that)
When did you realise you had been pickpocketed?
POINT
_______________ you realise you had been pickpocketed?
At which point did
The coach said she was extremely confident that her team would win
the title.
EVERY
The coach said that she _______________ ability to win the title.
had every confidence in her team's
There is no way that I will agree to sell the house.
CIRCUMSTANCES
_______________ selling the house.
Under (absolutely) no circumstances/Not under any circumstances will I agree to
He says that he is most impressed by the author's command of descriptive language.
IMPRESSES
He says _______________ the author's command of descriptive language.
what impresses him (the) most is
The police chief said that he no longer thought there was any chance
that the missing person would be found alive.
HOPE
The police chief said that he _______________ finding the missing person
alive.
had no hope of/ had lost (all) hope of
, Most of her problems were the result of a poor upbringing.
STEMMED
Most of her problems _______________ upbringing had been poor.
stemmed from the fact (that) her
I am still trying to accept the idea that I won the lottery.
TERMS
I am still _______________ the idea that I won the lottery.
coming to terms with
Liam did not find it difficult to think of ideas for the brainstorming
meeting.
COMING
Liam had no _______________ ideas for the brainstorming meeting.
difficulty in coming up with/ difficulty/problem/problems coming up with
I don't think you can appreciate how difficult being a parent is until you
have children of your own.
INVOLVED
I don't think you can have any idea _______________ parenting until you
have children of your own.
what's/how much is involved in
Rex didn't seem happy, even though he had just won the race.
SIGNS
Rex _______________, even though he had just won the race.
showed no signs of happiness/ didn't show (any) signs of happiness
Once he'd made his closing statement, the only thing Jose's lawyer
could do was wait for the jury's verdict.
BUT
Once he'd made his closing statement, there _______________ wait for the
jury's verdict.
was nothing/ wasn't anything Jose's lawyer could do but
Twenty minutes on the treadmill is my limit, then my legs give out.
BEFORE
I can't do _______________ my legs give out.
more than twenty/20 minuted on the treadmill before
We had a slim chance of buying a house, but then Gerard was made
redundant.
PAID
Gerard's redundancy _______________ remaining hope we had of buying a
house.
put paid to any/all/what -> bring an end to
