🧠 Part 6 of the PET (Preliminary English Test) Writing Paper is designed to test your ability to use alternative expressions that have the same meaning. In this section, you will be given sentences that you need to rewrite so that they mean the same as the original sentences, but using no more than three words.

💡For example, if you have a sentence like “The bus station is near the new shopping centre,” you might need to rewrite it as “The bus station isn’t far from the new shopping centre.”

🎯 The purpose of this activity is to ensure that you can express ideas in different ways while maintaining the same meaning. This is a key skill in English as it shows your flexibility and understanding of the language. Practicing this part of the test helps you get better at using similar words and different grammar rules. This is important for good communication in English.

🏋️‍♂️ PRACTICE TIME: Prepositional Phrases, Infinitive of Purpose, Relative Clauses, Modifying Comparatives, Present Habits, Past Habits

Instructions: Rewrite each sentence using no more than three words so that both sentences have the same meaning. Fill in the blanks with your answers.

1. Prepositional Phrases:

1. During the movie, the sofa was used by the cat.
   The cat slept _______________ during the movie.
2. The upcoming trip excited the students.
   The students were excited ________________ trip.
3. Before the meeting started, she had arrived at the office.
   She arrived at the office __________________ started.
4. After school, the garden was full of children playing.
   The kids played ___________ after school.
5. This morning, the park was quiet with few people.
   Few people were _________ this morning.

2. Infinitive of Purpose:

6. She was praised for winning the competition.
   She was praised ___________ the competition.
7. They bought new equipment for improving their work efficiency.
   They bought new equipment ___________ their work efficiency.
8. He took a class for learning advanced programming skills.
   He took a class ___________ advanced programming skills.
9. The company invested in training for developing employee skills.
   The company invested in training ___________ employee skills.
10. She wore a jacket for keeping warm during the hike.
    She wore a jacket ___________ warm during the hike.

3. Relative Clauses:

11. The house is very old. We bought it last year.
    The house _________ we bought last year is very old.
12. The conference was very informative. It took place last week.
    The conference _________ took place last week was very informative.
13. The teacher is very supportive. I talked to her yesterday.
    The teacher _________ I talked to yesterday is very supportive.
14. The park is very large. We like to go there on weekends.
    The park _________ we like to go to on weekends is very large.
15. The novel is a bestseller. I am reading it right now.
    The novel _________ I am reading right now is a bestseller.

4. Modifying Comparisons:

16. The new car is smaller than the old one. (small difference)
    The new car is ___________ smaller than the old one.
17. The conference room is larger than the office. (big difference)
    The conference room is ___________ larger than the office.
18. The luxury hotel is more expensive than the regular one. (surprising difference)
    The luxury hotel is ___________ more expensive than the regular one.
19. The movie was more entertaining than I expected. (slight difference)
    The movie was ___________ more entertaining than I expected.
20. The exam was less difficult than I thought. (big difference)
    The exam was ___________ less difficult than I thought.

5. Present Habits:

21. I often eat breakfast around 8 am.
    I ___________ breakfast around 8 am.
22. I usually go to bed at 10 pm, but sometimes I stay up later.
    ___________, I go to bed at 10 pm, but sometimes I stay up later.
23. I generally enjoy studying English.
    ___________ enjoy studying English.
24. I go to the gym on Mondays and Thursdays.
    I ___________ going to the gym on Mondays and Thursdays.
25. I sometimes check my email throughout the day.
    ________________ time, I check my email throughout the day.

6. Past Habits:

26. Every winter, they went skiing in the mountains.
    They ____________________ skiing in the mountains every winter.
27. I usually saw my cousins every summer when I was a child.
    I ____________________ my cousins every summer when I was a child.
28. She often read books before bed when she was younger.
    She ____________________ books before bed when she was younger.
29. We would eat dinner together every evening when we were kids.
    We ____________________ dinner together every evening when we were kids.
30. When I was a child I used to live in an apartment.
    When I was a child____________________ in an apartment.

Answer Key:

1. Prepositional Phrases:

1. on the sofa, 2. about the upcoming, 3. before the meeting, 4. in the garden 5. in the park

2. Infinitive of Purpose:
6. for winning, 7. to improve, 8. to learn, 9. to develop, 10. to keep

3. Relative Clauses:
11. that, 12. that, 13. whom, 14. where, 15. that

4. Modifying Comparisons:
16. a bit/slightly, 17. much/far/a lot, 18. surprisingly/ even, 19. slightly/ a bit, 20. much/far/ a lot

5. Present Habits:
21. regularly eat, 22. On the whole/ Generally, 23. I tend to, 24. have a habit of, 25. from time to

6. Past Habits:
26. used to go/ would go/ usually went, 27. used to see/ would see, 28. used to read/ would read, 29. used to eat, 30. lived