Use of english in FCE test

Question

Hi there,I'm not sure about few questions in FCE tests:1. On...The door open I became suspicious.A. having foundB. being foundC. finding2. It's a/an ... Rembrant.A. trueB. realC. authenticD. genuine3.When... a vehicle, you have to pay a deposit.A. orderedB. orderC. having orderedD. ordering4. On.... the door we saw a tiny room full of strange bits and pieces.A. openingB. being openedC. opened5. It's not far from here. It's only a ...A. 30-yardsB. 30-yards'C. 30-yardD. 30-yard's6. This edifice.... the National MuseumA. holdsB. keepsC. embracesD. houses7. In.. to open the can, I cut my hand.A. triedB. trialC. tryingD. having tried8. He's as proud as if he ... this castle himself. But he wouldn't have been able to do anytnig whiout our help.A. builtB. buildsC. had built9. Two years ago Fred... to Berlin three or four timesA. cameB. would comeC. used to come10. This is my backpack. I have no idea ...A. whom it belongsB. who it belongs toPlease just give me the correct answers. Thx for help.

Everlastinghope · Accepted Answer

What are your guesses ? Try to answer and we'll correct and explain more.

Wojtek · Answer

You're right, I should have written this before.
Here are my answers:

1A; 2D; 3D; 4A; 5A; 6A; 7C; 8A; 9A; 10B;

To be honest, I still don't understand differences between authentic and genuine although I've been searching for it in several dictionaries and even here (maybe I've read to many examples).

I have also never seen these structures: 1,3,4,7. For example sentence nr 7 - I was taught to use "while" instead of a structure starting with "in..."

Thx in advance.

Anonymous · Answer

1. On finding the door open I became suspicious.

2. It's a genuine Rembrandt. (On multiple-choice tests you have to pick the one best answer out of those given. Several answers might be possible, but you have to pick the one best answer. Here, all four answers are possible, but D. seems to be the best out of the four.)

3. When ordering a vehicle, you have to pay a deposit.

4. On opening the door we saw a tiny room full of strange bits and pieces.

5. It's not far from here. It's only a 30-yards. (This one is very difficult - and I'm a native speaker and this should be pretty much a snap for me! - and I'm not sure about the answer. This seems similar to the sentence, "It's only a hundred feet.", so that's what I'm basing my choice on.)

6. This edifice houses the National Museum.

7. In trying to open the can, I cut my hand.

8. He's as proud as if he built this castle himself. But he wouldn't have been able to do anything without our help.

9. Two years ago Fred came to Berlin three or four times. (All three answers are possible, but A. depicts the most commonly occurring situation, so it appears to be the best choice out of the three.)

10. This is my backpack. I have no idea who it belongs to. (Both answers are ungrammatical, but B. is the least wrong of the two choices, so it appears to be the best choice.)

Wojtek · Answer

Thank you for your help.

In sentence nr 10 I didn't write one more answer, because I was pretty sure it was wrong:
C. who does it belong to

Am I still right?

Everlastinghope · Answer

Anonymous5. It's not far from here. It's only a 30-yards. (This one is very difficult - and I'm a native speaker and this should be pretty much a snap for me! - and I'm not sure about the answer. This seems similar to the sentence, "It's only a hundred feet.", so that's what I'm basing my choice on.)

I do agree because it's also correct to say " It's a hundred yards away".

Anonymous8. He's as proud as if he built this castle himself. But he wouldn't have been able to do anything without our help.

Why not C "had built" ?though I believe that A is correct.

Anonymous Two years ago Fred came to Berlin three or four times. (All three answers are possible, but A. depicts the most commonly occurring situation, so it appears to be the best choice out of the three.)

I've learnt that whenever there's "ago",past tense is used.But what you said is (All three answers are possible)
How come ?

Wojtek · Answer

Would you have a look? Correct answers are in bold.

1. I wish it … all the time. I’m so bored with… silly quizzes on TV
a. didn’t rain, watching
b. hadn’t been raining

2. The market… in Cracow is simply charming
a. place
b. space
c. square
d. area

3. He… of buying a house
a. ‘s thinking
b. thinks
c. has thought

4. Why hasn't she come yet? - She ... the way.
a. might have lost
b. might lost
c. may have lost
d. d. may lost

5. If you... follow me, I'll show you the way.
a. do
b. shall
c. would
d. don't

6. I've told everyone. - I'd rather you…
a. haven't
b. hadn't
c. didn't
d. musn't

7. This isn’t my backpack. I have no idea….
a. who does it belong to
b. whom it belongs
c. who it belongs to

8. If I am as clever as you think, I… rich by now.
a. should have been
b. should be
c. was
d. were

9. Shall I hold the door open for you? – Yes, if you…
a. do
b. shall
c. will
d. don’t

10. I go to know the…
a. wife of boss
b. boss’s wife
c. boss’ wife
d. boss wife

11. I wish you… me know earlier
a. let
b. would let
c. had let
d. have let

12. There was a … debate in the Parliament.
a. heated
b. hot
c. heat
d. hots

13. He often …. to the trouble to help others.
a. gets
b. comes
c. goes
d. arrives

14. We’re late. The film…. by the time we get to the cinema.
a. will already start
b. will be already started
c. will have already started

15. It’s absolutely…. outside, so wear your gloves.
a. cold
b. chilly
c. freezing
d. pour

16. The Hollies came back home… broken into.
a. found it
b. to find it had been
c. to have found it to have been
d. to have found it had being

17. You could recognize the men…. by the way they behaved.
a. have drunk
b. had been drinking
c. have been drinking
d. drank

Anonymous · Answer

Everlastinghope,

On multiple-choice-type tests you have to pick the one best answer out of the choices given. Several of the choices might be possible, and choices not listed might be better, but you have to pick the one best out of those given.

For no. 8, B. is ruled out. This leaves either A. or C. Both seem possible, but which one is the best answer for this question? The past perfect denotes completed action in the past, so it would typically be used in the past: "He was as proud as if he had built this castle himself." The contraction "he's" means either "he is" or "he has," so it cannot be "he was," past tense. So you have the present tense in "he's" which would not match with the past perf., so A., past tense seems like the best choice.

For no. 9, I believe that all three are possible: "Two years ago, Fred would come to Berlin three or four times." - this is a conditional that implies conditions: he would come to Berlin, depending on circumstances, 3 or 4 times two yrs. ago; "Two yrs. ago, Fred used to come to Berlin 3 or 4 times." - and now he doesn't come to Berlin. A. depicts the most usual of circumstances: he came to Berlin 3 or 4 times two years ago - no conditions are at work here and he may still come to Berlin.

Anonymous · Answer

1. a. is correct because the past perf. would be used in the past: "I wished it hadn't been raining all the time."

2. a. is ruled out because "marketplace" is a single word. The word "charming" does not match up with the ordinary-sounding words "space" and "area." "Squares" are charming.

3. All three choices are possible, in theory, but a. is by far the one you hear most often in everyday speech.

4. b. and d. are ungrammatical, which leaves either a. or c. Both are possible, but "might" implies greater doubt or uncertainty than "may." They seem really concerned and upset here, so there is great uncertainty as to why she's late, so a. seems like the best choice.

5. d. is ruled out, which leaves a., b., and c., all of which are possible. b. is archaic-sounding. c. is a conditional, which implies tentativeness, which doesn't match with the strong statement "I'll show you the way." So a., the most positive of the three, is the best choice.

Anonymous · Answer

6. a. and d. are ruled out, which leaves b. and c., both of which seem possible. The situation being discussed here seems to be a completed action: he's already told people about it. "Didn't" would indicate an action not already completed. "Hadn't" indicates an action completed in the past, so it seems like the best choice.

7. b. and c. are ungrammatical. a., although slightly ungrammatical (it should be "whom"), is nearly correct, and this construction is accepted in casual speech, so it's the best choice.

8. c. and d. are ungrammatical, which leaves a. and b., both of which seem possible. The situation depicted is a hypothetical action already completed. a. denotes this type of completion of action, so it is more grammatically correct than b. and is the best choice.

9. d. is ruled out. c. is the only remaining choice that is grammatically and syntactically correct.

10. a. and d. are ungrammatical. Boss' is the preferred spelling, so c. is the best choice.

Anonymous · Answer

11. b. and d. are ungrammatical. This situation describes an action completed in the past, so the past perf. should be used, so c. is the best choice.

12. c. and d. are ungrammatical. "Hot" is slang-like usage, so a. is the best choice.

13. a., b., and d. are ungrammatical. So it has to be c.

14. b. is awkward. The situation described in action completed in the future, so the future perf. should be used, which is c.

15. d. is ungrammatical. a. and b. are possible, in theory, but c. is the expression you hear used all the time.

Use of english in FCE test

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