CAE Grammar Flashcards

Choose the sentence that correctly uses a cleft structure for emphasis.

Answer: It was the director who approved the budget.

A cleft sentence uses 'It was + noun phrase + who/that + rest of sentence' to emphasise a particular element; option A follows this pattern correctly.

Which sentence uses the subjunctive correctly?

Answer: The manager insisted that she be on time.

After verbs of insistence, suggestion, or recommendation, the subjunctive 'be' is used (not 'is', 'was', or 'will be') in formal English.

Identify the correct use of a relative clause: 'The scientist, _______ research was published last year, has won an award.'

Answer: whose

'Whose' is the possessive relative pronoun used for people (and sometimes things); 'whose research' correctly shows that the research belongs to the scientist.

What type of conditional is used in: 'Were she to apply, she would certainly be accepted'?

Answer: Second conditional with formal inversion

'Were she to apply' is a formal inverted alternative to 'If she were to apply', which is a second conditional referring to a hypothetical present/future situation.

Choose the grammatically correct sentence with 'wish'.

Answer: I wish I could speak French.

'Wish' for a present/future hypothetical situation is followed by the past simple or 'could'; 'I wish I could speak French' correctly expresses a present unfulfilled desire.

Which sentence correctly uses a mixed conditional?

Answer: If I had saved money, I would buy a car now.

A mixed conditional links a past condition ('if I had saved') with a present result ('I would buy now'), showing how a past action affects the current situation.