Writing for gifted students

 WRITING FOR GIFTED STUDENTS
Exercise 1 (week 1): 
We couldn’t have managed without my father’s money. àIf it................
I had only just put the phone down when the boss rang back. à Hardly.........
It was Walter Raleigh who introduced potatoes and tobacco into England. à The English owe..........
“If my members agree to that, I’ll be very surprised,” said the union delegate. à The union delegate observed that...........
While I strongly disapprove of your behavior, I will help you this time. àDespite my...........
I’m sorry I missed Professor Baker’s lecture. à I’m sorry not............
We may not be able to give the condert. à The concert.......
I was not surprised to hear that Harry had failed his driving test. àIt came......
Exercise 2:
John inflated the tyres of his bicycle. (blew)
We’d better leave them a note, because it’s possible they’ll arrive later (case)
Before he came here he worked for Mr/ Smith. (previous)
He speaks German extremely well (command) 
His criticisms are quite unfair. (justification)
I can’t understand why they are reluctant to sign the contract (baffled)
I always find chess problems like that quite impossible. (defeat)
This must be kept secret. (know)
I can’t afford a new dress, that old blue one will have to do. (make)
Exercise 3 (week 2):
I only recognized him when he came into the light. à Not until.........
That rumor about the politician and the construction contract is absolutely false. à There is...........
One runner was too exhausted to complete the last lap of the race. à One runner was so.......
My mother was the most warm-hearted person I’ve ever known. à I’ve.........
They never made us do anything we didn’t want to do. à We.......
The only thing that prevented the passing of the bill was the death of the Prime Minister. àHad it not...
It is quite pointless to complain. àThere’s no............
Exercise 4:
You can’t possibly expect me to have supper ready by 8 o’clock. (question).
It is my opinion that there is no advantage in further discussion. (see)
Please excuse Jane’s poor typing. She’s only been learning for a month. (allowances)
There is no way that young man can achieve success in this test. (bound)
Although the dog appeared harmless, it was, in fact, quite dangerous. (contrary)
If Smith hadn’t broken his leg, he would have played football for England. (represented).
This hotel is inaccessible in winter. (possible)
As far as I know he is still working in Bristol. à (knowledge).
Exercise 5 (week 3):
The workers only called off the strike after a new pay offer. à Only after......
He was sentenced to six months in prison for his part in the robbery. àHe received a........
You can eat as much as you like for 5$ at the new lunch-bar. àThere is no.......
She wore a hearing-aid, even though she could hear the phone ring perfectly well. àShe wasn’t so.....
You will never meet anyone more generous than Mrs. Jones. àMrs. Jones is.......
My parents let me go abroad alone for the first time last year. à I was...............
It was his incompetence which led to their capture. à If.............
I’m certainly not going to give you any more money. à I have no........
Exercise 6:
I don’t think there will be any applicants for this post. (likelihood)
It was difficult for Susan to believe the good news (hardly)
You must make allowances for his inexperience. (account)
This contract is not binding until we both sign it. (bound)
He wasn’t to blame for the accident. (fault)
You shouldn’t take his help for granted. (assume)
Exercise 7 (week 4):
Our hotel booking hasn’t been confirmed. à We haven’t received...........
The sales man told me that my new car would be delivered next Wednesday. à According..........
The Yeti has very rarely been seen at this altitude. à There have.............
It’s not certain that Jones will get the job. à It is open.........
Everyone started complaining the moment the announcement was made. à No sooner.......
As I get older, I want to travel less. à The older.............
A house in that district will cost you at least 100,000$. à You won’t be able............
Alan worked too hard at the office, and this led to his illness. à Alan’s illness...........
Exercise 8:
Mr. Bill managed to repair the garage roof only because his neighbor helped him. (without)
Nobody is infallible. (mistakes)
The last Olympic Games were held in Seoul. (took)
He talked about nothing except the weather (sole)
In the end, I felt I had been right to leave the club. (regrets)
It is stuped of you to refuse Richard’s offer of a loan. (idiot)
The company has decided to replace this model. (intention)
In the next few years we’ll probably hear a lot more about environmental pollution (likely)
Exercise 9 (week 5):
Keeping calm is the secret of passing your driving test. à As long as...........
Immediately after his appointment to the post, the new editor fell ill. àNo sooner.........
The protest has been so vociferous that the committee has had to reconsider. à There has been.....
You think that fat people are always jolly but you are wrong. à Contrary.............
My boss works better when he’s pressed for time. à The less..........
The patient recovered more rapidly than expected. à The patient made.......
There isn’t a pair of thermal socks left in the shop, Madam. à We are completely..............
Their chances of success are small. à It is not...........
Exercise 10:
Their problems are all self-inflicted. (making)
The travel agent was able to offer a 50% reductionon holidays to the Costa Brava. (half)
If you take that job, you’ll have to get up at 6 a.m every morning. (mean)
The only thing they could do was to look for a new flat. (alternative)
His last letter to me was written three years ago. (heard)
If only one could rely on what she says. (pity)
An open fire can’t be compared to central heating. (comparison)
I remember very few things about my childhood. (scarcely)
Exercise 11 (week 6):
The rail workers do not intend to call off their strike. à The rail workers have no................
Mrs. Scott is proud of her cooking. àMrs. Scott prides................
It was the goalkeeper who saved the match for us. à If it hadn’t .............
It wasn’t a bit surprised to hear that Karen had changed her job. àIt came........
You can try to get Tim to lend you his car but you won’t succeed. à There’s no point..........
John didn’t celebrate until he received the offer of promotion in writing. à Not until........
I don’t really like her, even though I admire her achevements. àMuch.......
It’s thought that the accident was caused by human error. à The accident..............
Exercise 12:
Some people say that Tsiolkovsky invented the space rocket. (credited)
I daren’t turn on the TV because the baby might wake up. (fear)
Some people will do anything to lose weight. (lengths)
The two theories appear to be completely different. (common)
Several members of the committee said they were worried abot the chairman’s proposals. (concern)
The river Volta overflowed last year. (burst)
He doesn’t appreciate his wife. (granted)
The number of people out of work has been going down little by little. (gradual)
Exercise 13 (week 7):
House prices have risen dramatically this year. à There has......
This affair does not concern you. à This affair is no...........
You must submit articles for the magazine by June 18th. àThe final date............
Although Jimmy was the stronger of the two, his attacker soon overpowered him. àDespite his..........
What a surprise to see you here! àFancy..........
I don’t intend to apologise to either of them. à I have ...........
It was only when I left home that I realized how much my father meant to me. àNot until............
The only reason the party was a success was that a famous film star attended. àHad it not.........
Exercise 14:
Gerald never had enough to live on until he married that rich businesswoman. (short)
William decided that an actor’s life was not for him. (cut)
The President arranged for me to use his chauffeur-driven car whenever I liked. (disposal)
My cat has lost its appetite. (off)
The children made every effort to please their father (best)
His behavior was rather a shock to me (aback)
They decided not to go by boat because they thought they would be seasick. (fear)
The bank robbers escaped in a stolen car. (getaway)
Exercise 15 (week 8):
Alice and Charles did not decide to move to a bigger house until after the birth of their second child. àOnly when............
You’re under no obligation to accept their offer. à Your can please.......
Martin may not be very well but he still manages to enjoy life. àMartin’s poor............
The company presents a gold watch to each of its retiring employees. àEach.......
The only thing that kept us out of prison was the way he spoke the local dialect. 
à But for his command......
The Pacific Ocean is on average deeper than the Atlantic. àThe average.........
My father finds maps hard to follow. à My father has............
Under no circumstances should you phone the police. à The last............
Exercise 16:
People don’t want to buy cars with large engines any more. (call)
Twenty years ago this region produced twice as much coal as it does now. (halved)
The prime Minister is unlikely to call an early general election (likelihood)
Nobody could possibly believe the story he told us (beyond)
The project received the unanimous approval of the committee. (favour)
Scientists say forests are being destroyed by air pollution. (blame).
His reactions are quite unpredictable (knows)
There are several categories of people who do not have to pay the new tax. (exempt)
Exercise 17 (week 9)
The film star wore dark glasses so that no one would recognize him. àThe film star avoided...
I am amazed by the mistakes he makes. àWhat....
We weren’t surprised by his success. à It came......
“That’s a lovely new dress, Jean” said her mother. à Jean’s mother complimented......
We couldn’t relax until all the guests had gone home. à Only......
We couldn’t find Geoge anywhere. àGeorge was.........
Customs officials are stopping more travellers than usual this week. àAn increased........
She listens more sympathetically than anyone else I know. à She is a........
Exercise 18:
The minister’s popularity suffered as a result of the scandal. (effect)
The teachers agreed to introduce the new methods. (agreement)
Jenny didn’t feel like going to the party. (mood)
The councilor answered every question frankly. (frank)
It is said that he has been to prison several times (reputed).
Most stores will accept a credit card instead of cash. (alternative).
Our opinions on the subject are identical. (difference)
Local residents said they were against the new traffic scheme. (disapproval)
Exercise 19 (week 10):
No one has challenged his authority before. àThis is the first time...........
“If Brian doesn’t train harder, I won’t select him for the team,” said the manager. à The manager threatened....
The hurricane blew the roof off the house. à The house....
You’ll certainly meet lots of people in your new job. à You are....
I left without saying goodbye as I didn’t want to disturb the meeting. à Rather.....
There aren’t many other books which explain this problem so well. à In few other books......
I dislike it when people criticize me unfairly. à I object.....
Robert is sorry now that he didn’t accept the job. à Robert now wishes.................
Exercise 20:
If interst rates are cut, the economic situation may improve. (reduction)
The architect’s new design was heavily criticized. (criticism)
Very little money was raised by the charity appeal. (response)
Ours is the only company allowed to import these chemicals. (monopoly)
The coach’s tactics were directly responsible for the team’s defeat. (consequence)
We have no idea where he is. (whereabouts)
The policeman acted quickly and averted an accident. (prompt)
This new record is certain to sell a lot of copies. (doubt)
Exercise 21 (week 11):
I am having a lot of trouble now because I host my passport last week. à If I.....
When the police caught him, he was climbing over the garden wall. àThe police caught........
It’s sad, but unemployment is unlikely to go down this year. àSad.......
It is believed that the man escaped in a stolen car. àThe man is.........
Since we had nothing else to do, we decided to go for a walk. à Having......
“Nothing will persuade me to sleep in that haunted house,” she said. àShe flatly........
It wasn’t necessary for them to call for help after all. àThey.........
You won’t find a more dedicated worker anywhere than Mrs Jones. à Nowhere.........
Exercise 22:
I want to be left alone (disturbed)
He took the company to court on the grounds of unfair dismissal. (unfairly)
We’re likely to be a little late, I’m afraid. (every)
The Committee said they liked the first proposal best. (preference)
I really must answer all these letters. (get down)
It’s not your fault. (blame)
People seem to be criticizing the police quite a lot nowadays. (criticism)
In a nutshell, the man’s an idiot. (bluntly.
Exercise 23 (week 12)
She had hardly begun to speak before people started interrupting her. à Hardly........
It was a bit difficult to get into work this morning. àGetting.........
We regret to inform you that your application has not been successful. à Much to ......
He knows really everything there is to know about whales. à There’s .......
If we can solve the problem soon, it will be better for an concerned. àThe sooner.........
The demand was so great that they had to reprint the book immediately. à So........
I’m absolutely sure that they weren’t playing in this weather. àThey can’t.........
“I didn’t steal the car,” he said, “I just borrowed it”. He denied.........but admitted.........
Exercise 24:
I’m dying to meet them (wait)
They lay on the beach the whole week sunbathing. (spent)
I seriously doubt whether this will work. (doubts)
He’s always found it very difficult to learn English. (difficulties)
I have no intention of giving up now. (intend)
They’ve always been allowed to do what they want. (freedom)
This is quite a common occurrence. (frequently)
Something told me to say exactly what I thought, but I didn’t. (sorely)
Exercise 25 (week 13):
I only made that terrible mistake because I wasn’t thinking. àIf I............
We had planned to visit grandmother, so we left early in the morning. à We were........
Someone rang the alarm as soon as the burglars left the building. àNo sooner.........
As television programmes become more popular, they seem to get worse. àThe more.........
“I think the whole idea’s ridiculous,” he said. à He dismissed.........
The authorities will prosecute anyone they find trespassing on this land. à Anyone found.......
I prefer going out for a meal to staying at home. àI’d rather........
It would have been a super weekend if it hadn’t been for the weather. à But............
Exercise 26: 
I was told the film would be very good. (led)
She apologized for having to go so early, and left. (apologies)
You have to register by 1st April at the latest. (deadline)
The refugees are in serious need of warm clothes. (badly)
I was mystified by the whole thing. (baffling)
You don’t have to buy one if you don’t like it. (obligation)
If you promise not to laugh, I’ll show you our holiday snaps. (long)
How do you think the present negotiations will turn out? (outcome)
Exercise 27 (week 14):
“You should have waited for us,” the team leader said to John. àThe team leader criticised.........
It’s possible that he didn’t get my letter. à He might......
The last time it snowed here was six years ago. à It.............
I only realized what I had missed when they told me about it later. àOnly when.........
There weren’t nearly as many people there as I had expected. à There were far........
When the Minister was asked about the strike, he declined to comment. à On..........
There was no need for you to have gone to all that trouble. à You................
Please don’t say things like that. à I wish.........
Exercise 28:
I’d like you to waid until they bring out a new model. (rather)
We couldn’t find the cat anywhere. (nowhere)
What finally ended the dispute was the fact that the union agreed to go to arbitration. (agreement)
He won’t let anyone else touch his records (objects)
The fact that nobody said anything at the time surprised me. (what)
The referee first blew the whistle 30 minutes into the game. (playing)
I admitted it was my fault for burning the toast. (blame)
It’s becoming extremely expensive to maintain the museum. (unkeep)
Exercise 29 (week 15):
This is the best essay I have ever written. à Never......
I assumed that she would learn how to take shorthand after this course. à I took it........
I am terribly sorry; I thought you were a friend of Anna’s. à I took............
Although she was busy, she managed to find the time to proofread for me. àBusy.........
I would prefer you to do computer science. à I’d rather..........
He didn’t get his visa until last Monday. à It was............
They continued to say that I was to blame. à They persisted............
Vietnamese coffee is considered to be one of the best in the world. à Vietnamese coffee.......
If you ask me well in advance I’ll be willing to work over time. à Provided you............... 
“I never used bad language,” she said. à She denied..............
Exercise 30:
He failed his exam because he missed classes so often. (consequence)
Send me a postcard as soon as you arrive. (minute)
You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to. (obligation)
I tried as hard as I could but I still failed my driving tests. (however)
I felt that it had been a big mistake to give up that job. (regretted)
Strangers are not to be let in. (account)
He joined the army as soon as he had finished school. (sooner)
If it weren’t for the weather, I would enjoy working here so much (but)
It rained torrentially all day yesterday, which really depressed me. (got)
I wrote this book because I want to help students with their writing. (view)
KEY
Key to exercise 1: 
If it hadn’d been for my father’s money, we couldn’t have managed.
Hardly had I put the phone down when the boss rang back.
The Englis
h owe the introduction of potatoes and tobacco to WR
The union delegate observed that he would be very surprised if his members agreed.
Despite my strong disapproval of your behavior, I will help you this time.
I’m sorry not to have heard/attended Pro Baker’s lecture.
The concert may have to be cancelled.
It came as no surprise to me that Harry had failed his driving test.
Key to exercise 2:
John blew up the tyres of his bicycle.
We’d better leave them a note in case they arrive later.
Before the came here, his previous boss/employer was Mr. Smith.
He has an excellent command of German.
There is no justification for his criticisms.
I am baffled by their reluctance to sign the contract.
Chess problens like that (always) defeat me!
You mustn’t let anyone (else) know (this).
I can’t afford a new dress. I’ll (have) to make do with that old blue one.
Key to exercise 3:
Not until he came into the light did I recognize him.
There is (absolutely) no truth in that rumour about the politician and the construction contract.
One runner was so exhausted (that) he couldn’t/was unable to complete the last lap of the race.
I’ve never known a more warm-hearted person than my mother (was).
We were never made to do anything we didn’t want to.
Had it not been for the death of the PM the bill would have been passed/got through.
There’s no point in complaining.
Key to exercise 4:
There is no question of supper being ready by 8 o’clock.
As far as I can see, there is no advantage in further discussion.
Ple