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B2 FIRST · GRAMMAR · PART 4

Useful expressions

Expressions with take, make, keep and have, words with prepositions, and small words like still, hardly ever and neither.

Finn the puffin with glasses and a book, your grammar teacher
Finn says

Lots of Part 4 answers are fixed expressions: take part in, be in charge of, have no idea… Grammar won't help you here – you just need to know them. Here are the ones that come up most!

Take, make, keep and have

take
take part in, take care of, take pride in, take (no) notice of
Twenty teams took part in the competition.
make
make no difference to, make sure (that), make up your mind
It makes no difference to me.
keep
keep something a secret, keep something to yourself, keep someone awake
Please keep the party a secret.
have
have no idea, have no doubt (that), have a reputation for, have no interest in
I had no idea you could sing.

Words with prepositions

Adjectives
fond of, keen on, responsible for, to blame for, proud of
Ollie isn't very keen on football.
Nouns
in charge of, in contact with, out of date, a lack of, on your own
Mr Evans is in charge of the project.
Verbs
depend on, deal with, count on, hear from, vote against, work for / as
You can always count on Jo.

Everyday phrases

It's a shame / I'm afraid
= it's a pity / polite bad news
I'm afraid I can't come.
It doesn't matter / It's my fault
= it isn't important / I am responsible
It doesn't matter – it was my fault.
come as a surprise / occur to someone
= surprise someone / come into your mind
It never occurred to me to ask.
be about to / can't wait for
= be going to very soon / be very excited about
I'm about to leave. I can't wait for the holidays.

Small words that matter

still / no longer
still + negative auxiliary; no longer before the main verb
He still hasn't finished. I no longer live there.
hardly ever
= almost never
I hardly ever go to the cinema.
either / neither … nor
negative agreement
Sam doesn't either. Neither Tom nor Anna came.

How it comes up in Part 4

In Part 4 you complete the second sentence with the key word, so that it means the same as the first one (2–5 words).

Who is responsible for the new project?
CHARGE
Who is in charge of the new project?

Be in charge of = be responsible for.

I didn't know that you had a sister.
IDEA
I had no idea that you had a sister.

Have no idea = not know.

She doesn't like horror films very much.
KEEN
She isn't very keen on horror films.

Not be (very) keen on = not like (much).

Common mistakes

  • ✗ Twenty teams took part at the competition.✓ Twenty teams took part in the competition.Take part in – learn the preposition with the expression.
  • ✗ I have no idea where is he.✓ I have no idea where he is.After 'no idea', use statement word order.
  • ✗ He doesn't still live here.✓ He still doesn't live here. / He no longer lives here.'Still' goes before a negative auxiliary.
Finn the puffin, smiling kindly
Finn's exam tip

Write down new expressions with their preposition and an example sentence. In Part 4, if the key word is a noun (IDEA, CHARGE, PART, NOTICE), it is almost certainly part of a fixed expression.

Quick check

Complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first. Use the key word and write 2–5 words.

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