1.

INVERSIONES (El truco favorito de Cambridge)

Cuando una frase empieza con un adverbio negativo o limitativo, el orden del
sujeto y el verbo se invierte (como en una pregunta).

 Hardly / Scarcely... when (Apenas... cuando)

o Directa: I had just arrived home when the phone rang.

o Transformación: Hardly had I arrived home when the phone rang.

 No sooner... than (Apenas... cuando)

o Directa: She graduated and immediately got a job.

o Transformación: No sooner had she graduated than she got a job.

 Seldom / Rarely / Little

o Directa: He didn't know that she was planning a party.

o Transformación: Little did he know that she was planning a party.

 Under no circumstances / On no account (Bajo ninguna circunstancia)

o Directa: You mustn't press this button.

o Transformación: Under no circumstances should you / must you

press this button.

 Not until

o Directa: I only realized the truth when I saw the video.

o Transformación: Not until I saw the video did I realize the truth.

2. CONDICIONALES AVANZADOS Y MIXTOS

Olvídate de los condicionales básicos; en el C1 te pedirán alternativas para "if" o

estructuras mixtas.

 But for + noun (Si no fuera por...)

o Directa: If it hadn't been for your help, I would have failed.

o Transformación: But for your help, I would have failed.

 Were it not for / Had it not been for

o Directa: If I didn't have a car, I'd walk. → Were it not for my car, I'd
walk.

o Directa: If you hadn't intervened... → Had it not been for your

intervention...
  Inversion en condicionales (Omisión de "if")

o First: If you need help → Should you need help...

o Second: If I were you → Were I to be in your shoes...

o Third: If I had known → Had I known...

 Provided / Providing / As long as / On condition that

o Directa: You can go if you come back early.

o Transformación: You can go on condition that you come back early.

3. PASIVAS AVANZADAS Y CAUSATIVAS

Cambridge odia las pasivas simples. Busca estructuras impersonales o causativas

(have/get something done).

 Pasiva Impersonal (It is said that... / Subject is said to...)

o Directa: People believe that the thief escaped.

o Transformación 1: It is believed that the thief escaped.

o Transformación 2: The thief is believed to have escaped. (Ojo al

infinitivo perfecto si es pasado).

 Have/Get something done (Sufrir un percance o encargar un servicio)

o Directa: Someone stole my bike yesterday.

o Transformación: I had my bike stolen yesterday.

 Prevent / Stop someone from doing something (Pasiva oculta)

o Directa: The rain made it impossible for us to play.

o Transformación: We were prevented from playing by the rain.

4. ESTRUCTURAS DE DESEO Y ARREPENTIMIENTO (Wish / Regret / Rather)

Cuidado con los tiempos verbales que van detrás de estas partículas.

 I'd rather / I'd sooner + Sujeto + Pasado Simple (Preferencia sobre otra
persona)

o Directa: I prefer you not to smoke here.

o Transformación: I'd rather you didn't smoke here.

 It's (high / about) time + Sujeto + Pasado Simple (Ya va siendo hora de...)

o Directa: You should start studying now.

 o Transformación: It's high time you started studying.

 Wish / If only + Past Perfect (Arrepentimiento del pasado)

o Directa: I regret not buying that house.

o Transformación: I wish I had bought that house.

 Regret + Gerundio vs. Regret + Infinitivo

o Gerundio (Pasado): I regret telling him → I wish I hadn't told him.

o Infinitivo (Presente/Formal): We regret to inform you → We are sorry

to tell you.

5. VERBOS CON PREPOSICIÓN Y PHRASAL VERBS DE CAJÓN

Estas parejas son indivisibles y caen constantemente.

 Accuse someone OF doing (Acusar de) ↔ Blame someone FOR doing

(Culpar por)

 Congratulate someone ON doing (Felicitar por)

 Apologize (to someone) FOR doing (Pedir disculpas por)

 Insist ON doing (Insistir en)

 Succeed IN doing ↔ Manage TO do (Lograr hacer algo)

 Object TO + (-ing) (Oponerse a)

o Directa: He said he wouldn't work overtime.

o Transformación: He objected to working overtime.

 Phrasal Verbs Clave:

o Put up with = Tolerate (Tolerar)

o Make up for = Compensate for (Compensar)

o Come up with = Think of an idea (Ocurrirse una idea)

o Run out of = Have none left (Quedarse sin)

o Face up to = Accept a di icult truth (Afrontar)

o Call o = Cancel (Cancelar)

o Take after = Resemble a parent (Parecerse a)

6. EXPEDIENTES "IDIOMS" Y COLLOCATIONS FIJAS

Muchas transformaciones te darán una palabra clave que forma parte de una frase
hecha o una collocation. Memoriza estas equivalencias exactas:

Expresiones de Capacidad / Éxito / Esfuerzo

 Be on the point of doing = Be about to do (Estar a punto de)

 Have every intention of doing = Fully intend to do (Tener toda la intención

de)

 Make a point of doing = Always do something deliberately (Asegurarse

de/hacer hincapié en)

 It goes without saying that = Needless to say (Ni que decir tiene)

 Take for granted = Assume something is true without checking (Dar por
sentado)

 Show a lack of / There is a lack of = Not enough (Falta de)

Expresiones de Impacto / Reacción

 Come as a surprise to someone = Surprise someone (Sorprender a

alguien)

o Directa: I was surprised by his decision.

o Transformación: His decision came as a surprise to me.

 Burst into tears / laughter = Suddenly start crying/laughing (Romper a

llorar/reír)

 Lose one's temper = Become very angry (Perder los papeles/enfadarse)

 Take no notice of = Ignore (Ignorar)

Expresiones de Opinión / Elección / Posibilidad

 Have a preference for = Prefer

 In all probability = It is highly likely (Con toda probabilidad)

 There is no point in doing / It's no use doing = It's a waste of time (No sirve
de nada)

 Have no alternative/choice but to do = Can only do (No tener más opción

que)

 Under the impression that = Thinking that (Tener la impresión de que)

 By no means = Not at all (De ninguna manera)

7. COMPARATIVAS AVANZADAS
  The + comparativo, the + comparativo (Cuanto más..., más...)

o Directa: If you study more, you learn more.

o Transformación: The more you study, the more you learn.

 As + adjetivo + as → Nothing like as + adjetivo + as

o Directa: This exam is much harder than the last one.

o Transformación: The last exam was nothing like as hard as this one.

 Nowhere near as + adjetivo + as (Ni de lejos tan... como)

8. ESTRUCTURAS ENFÁTICAS (CLEFT SENTENCES)

Sirven para recalcar una parte concreta de la frase. En el C1 se usan para

transformar frases lineales en oraciones con un tono mucho más formal o
dramático.

 It + be + [lo que queremos enfatizar] + that/who...

o Directa: John broke the window.

o Transformación: It was John who broke the window.

 What... is/was... (Frases enfáticas con What)

o Directa: I hate his attitude.

o Transformación: What I hate is his attitude.

o Directa: We just wanted to help.

o Transformación: What we wanted to do was help.

 All... is/was... (Sustituye a "The only thing...")

o Directa: I only need a co ee.

o Transformación: All I need is a co ee.

9. CAMBIOS DE ADJETIVO/VERBO A SUSTANTIVO (Noun Shifts)

A Cambridge le fascina que transformes un verbo o un adjetivo en su forma de

sustantivo acompañada de un verbo débil (give, make, take, have).

 Be disappointed ↔ Express/Venter disappointment

o Directa: He was disappointed with the results.

 o Transformación: He expressed his disappointment at/with the
results.

 Approve of ↔ Give approval to

o Directa: The board approved the project.

o Transformación: The board gave their approval to the project.

 Be responsible for ↔ Take/Accept responsibility for

o Directa: Who is responsible for this mess?

o Transformación: Who will take responsibility for this mess?

 Be aware of ↔ There is a widespread/general awareness of

 Object to ↔ Raise an objection to

o Directa: Local residents objected to the new highway.

o Transformación: Local residents raised an objection to the new

highway.

 Impress someone ↔ Make an impression on someone

o Directa: Her performance impressed the judges.

o Transformación: Her performance made a huge impression on the

judges.

10. CONECTORES AVANZADOS Y CONCESIÓN

Estructuras para decir "a pesar de", "por mucho que" o "debido a" utilizando
registros elevados.

 However + Adjetivo / Adverbio (Por muy... que sea)

o Directa: No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't open the door.

o Transformación: However hard he tried, he couldn't open the door.

 Adjetivo + as / though + Sujeto + Verbo (A pesar de ser...)

o Directa: Although he was experienced, he didn't get the job.

o Transformación: Experienced as he was, he didn't get the job.

 In spite of / Despite + the fact that (A pesar de que...)

o Directa: Although it rained heavily, the match went ahead.

o Transformación: Despite the fact that it rained heavily, the match

went ahead.
  Much as + Sujeto + Verbo (Por mucho que...)

o Directa: I would love to come, but I have to work.

o Transformación: Much as I would love to come, I have to work.

 On the grounds that = Because / Due to (Aducir que / Basándose en que)

o Directa: They fired him because he was always late.

o Transformación: They fired him on the grounds that he was always

late.

11. MODALES AVANZADOS (Deducciones y Pasado)

El C1 exige precisión absoluta con los verbos modales, especialmente en sus

formas perfectas (modal + have + past participle).

 It's impossible that she saw him ↔ She can't have seen him

 I'm certain he forgot ↔ He must have forgotten

 It was a mistake to tell him ↔ You shouldn't have told him / You ought
not to have told him

 It wasn't necessary to buy milk (but you did) ↔ You needn't have bought
milk

 It wasn't necessary to buy milk (so you didn't) ↔ You didn't need to buy
milk

 It is possible that they missed the train ↔ They might / may / could have
missed the train

12. MÁS COLLOCATIONS IDIOMÁTICAS Y FRASES HECHAS (Esenciales para el

C1)

Asegúrate de aprenderte estas combinaciones exactas:

 In the unlikely event of / that... = If by any chance (En el improbable caso

de que...)

o Directa: If it rains, the concert will be indoors.

o Transformación: In the unlikely event of rain, the concert will be

indoors.

 Take pride in = Be proud of (Estar orgulloso de)

o Directa: She is proud of her academic achievements.

o Transformación: She takes pride in her academic achievements.

  Have a memory like a sieve = Be very forgetful (Tener memoria de pez)

 Keep an eye on = Watch closely / Protect (Echar un ojo / Vigilar)

 Put the blame on someone = Blame someone (Echarle la culpa a alguien)

 By word of mouth = Through people talking (Por el boca a boca)

 Take into account / Take into consideration = Consider (Tener en cuenta)

 Be in the mood for / for doing = Feel like doing (Estar de humor para)

 Lose track of time = Forget what time it is (Perder la noción del tiempo)

 Bear in mind that = Remember that (Tener en mente / Considerar)

 Come to terms with = Accept a sad or di icult situation (Hacerse a la idea

/ Superar)

o Directa: She finally accepted the death of her cat.

o Transformación: She finally came to terms with the death of her

cat.

13. CAMBIOS CON "PROBABILITY" Y "LIKELIHOOD"

Cambridge juega constantemente con los porcentajes de probabilidad cambiando

adverbios por estructuras nominales o adjetivales.

 Bound to + Infinitivo = Certain to happen (Seguro que ocurrirá)

o Directa: It is certain that prices will rise next year.

o Transformación: Prices are bound to rise next year.

 There is little / no likelihood of + (-ing) = It's unlikely (Hay pocas

probabilidades de)

o Directa: He probably won't pass the exam.

o Transformación: There is little likelihood of him passing the exam.

 Stand a good/fair chance of doing = Is highly likely to succeed (Tener

muchas posibilidades de)

o Directa: She will probably win the race.

o Transformación: She stands a good chance of winning the race.

14. ESTRUCTURAS CON "SO", "SUCH", "TOO" Y "ENOUGH"

Parecen de nivel intermedio, pero en el C1 se combinan con inversiones, cambios
de orden o sustantivos abstractos para complicarlas.

 So + Adjetivo + be + Sujeto + that... (Inversión enfática)

o Directa: The weather was so beautiful that we stayed outside all day.

o Transformación: So beautiful was the weather that we stayed

outside all day.

 Such + be + Sujeto + that...

o Directa: His anger was so great that he slammed the door.

o Transformación: Such was his anger that he slammed the door.

 Too + Adjetivo + for someone + to do ↔ Not + Adjetivo + enough + for

someone + to do

o Directa: The water was too cold for us to swim.

o Transformación: The water was not warm enough for us to swim.

 Too... to... con sentido negativo implícito:

o Directa: He is so young that he can't drive.

o Transformación: He is too young to drive.

15. VERBOS DE ESTILO INDIRECTO AVANZADOS (Reporting Verbs)

En el C1, "he said that" o "she told me that" desaparecen. Se sustituyen por verbos
con patrones gramaticales muy específicos (verb + ing, verb + preposition + ing,
verb + to + infinitive).

 Deny + (-ing) / Deny + having + participio (Negar haber hecho algo)

o Directa: "I didn't steal the money," said Tom.

o Transformación: Tom denied having stolen the money / denied

stealing the money.

 Threaten + to + infinitivo (Amenazar con)

o Directa: "If you don't leave, I'll call the police," she said.

o Transformación: She threatened to call the police if I didn't leave.

 Urge + alguien + to + infinitivo (Instar o animar encarecidamente)

o Directa: "You really must try the local food," he told us.

o Transformación: He urged us to try the local food.

  Accuse + alguien + OF + (-ing) (Acusar a alguien de)

o Directa: "You broke my vase, Sarah!" said Mike.

o Transformación: Mike accused Sarah of breaking his vase.

 Remind + alguien + to + infinitivo (Recordar a alguien que haga algo)

o Directa: "Don't forget to lock the door, Jack," said Mary.

o Transformación: Mary reminded Jack to lock the door.

16. ESTRUCTURAS DE COMPARACIÓN COMPUESTAS Y EXCEPCIONES

Más allá del "than", Cambridge busca estructuras paralelas y modismos

comparativos.

 As if / As though + Pasado Subjuntivo (Como si...)

o Directa: He acts like he owns the place, but he doesn't.

o Transformación: He acts as if he owned the place.

 Like + (-ing) ↔ Similar to + (-ing)

 A great deal / A good deal + Adjetivo comparativo (Muchísimo más...)

o Directa: Renting a car is much more expensive than taking the train.

o Transformación: Renting a car costs a great deal more than taking

the train.

 By far the + superlativo (Con diferencia el más...)

o Directa: She is definitely the best swimmer in the team.

o Transformación: She is by far the best swimmer in the team.

17. EXPRESIONES IDIOMÁTICAS CON PARTES DEL CUERPO (Clásicas de

Cambridge)

A los examinadores les encantan los idioms anatómicos para sustituir verbos
comunes.

 Lose one's head = Lose control due to panic/anger (Perder la cabeza/el

control).

 Catch someone's eye = Attract someone's attention (Llamar la atención de

alguien).

o Directa: The red dress attracted my attention immediately.

o Transformación: The red dress caught my eye immediately.

  Keep one's fingers crossed = Hope for good luck (Cruzar los dedos).

 Give someone a hand = Help someone (Echar una mano).

 Turn a blind eye to = Ignore something intentionally (Hacer la vista gorda).

o Directa: The teacher ignored the student's cheating.

o Transformación: The teacher turned a blind eye to the student's

cheating.

 Set one's heart on (doing) something = Want something very much

(Antojarse, empeñarse en algo, desear con el corazón).

18. PATRONES CON "IT" COMODÍN (Dummy It)

Estructuras fijas donde "It" actúa como un sujeto vacío pero obligatorio.

 It takes someone [tiempo/esfuerzo] to do something

o Directa: I spent three hours fixing the computer.

o Transformación: It took me three hours to fix the computer.

 It occurs to someone that / to do (Venírsele a alguien a la cabeza /

Ocurrirsele).

o Directa: I suddenly thought that I might have left the oven on.

o Transformación: It occurred to me that I might have left the oven

on.

 It makes no di erence to me whether... = I don't mind (Me da

exactamente igual).

o Directa: I don't care if we go to the beach or the cinema.

o Transformación: It makes no di erence to me whether we go to the

beach or the cinema.

19. REPASO DE PHRASAL VERBS AVANZADOS (Nivel C1/C2)

Apunta estos verbos compuestos porque reemplazan a verbos formales en las

transformaciones:

 Bring about = Cause to happen (Provocar, causar).

o Directa: The new law caused massive changes. → The new law
brought about massive changes.

 Get round to = Finally find time to do something (Encontrar tiempo para

hacer algo pendiente).
 o Directa: I haven't had time to reply to your email yet. → I haven't got
round to replying to your email yet.

 Go down with = Become ill with (Caer enfermo de).

o Directa: Half the class caught the flu. → Half the class went down
with the flu.

 Look down on ↔ Look up to (Despreciar ↔ Admirar).

 Count on = Rely on (Contar con alguien / Confiar en).

 Fall out with = Have an argument and stop being friends (Discutir /
Enfadarse con alguien).

 Do away with = Abolish / Get rid of (Abolir, eliminar).

o Directa: The school decided to get rid of uniforms. → The school

decided to do away with uniforms.

20. MISCELÁNEA DE EXPRESIONES DE EXAMEN (Alta frecuencia)

Guarda estas equivalencias directas:

 On the point of + (-ing) ↔ About to + infinitivo (A punto de).

 Under the impression that ↔ Believing that (Tener la impresión de que).

 Much to my surprise/delight/regret = I was very surprised/delighted/sorry

(Para mi gran sorpresa/alegría/pesar).

o Directa: I was very surprised when he passed the test.

o Transformación: Much to my surprise, he passed the test.

 Take no notice of = Ignore (No hacer caso).

 Keep in touch with ↔ Lose touch with (Mantener el contacto ↔ Perder el

contacto).

 Be in short supply = Be scarce / Not enough (Estar escaso / Haber poco de

algo).

o Directa: Fresh water was scarce during the expedition.

o Transformación: Fresh water was in short supply during the

expedition.

21. ESTRUCTURAS DE CONCESIÓN Y CONTRASTE EXTREMAS

Más allá de although y despite, el C1 juega con dobles relativos y adverbios
compuestos.

 No matter + (who/what/where/how) = Regardless of (Sin importar...)

o Directa: It doesn't matter what he says, I don't believe him.

o Transformación: No matter what he says, I don't believe him.

 Whichever / Whatever / Wherever (Al inicio de la frase con valor

concesivo)

o Directa: You can take any path, but they all lead to the river.

o Transformación: Whichever path you take, it will lead to the river.

 Even so = Nevertheless / Nonetheless (Aun así / Sin embargo)

o Directa: He was exhausted, but he kept running.

o Transformación: He was exhausted; even so, he kept on running.

22. PREPOSICIONES DEPENDIENTES DE ADJETIVOS "TRAMPA"

Cambridge sabe perfectamente qué preposiciones traducimos mal desde el

español. Aprende estas parejas exactas:

 Capable OF + (-ing) (Capaz de) ↔ Incapable OF + (-ing)

 Intent ON + (-ing) (Empeñado en / Decidido a)

o Directa: He was determined to destroy the evidence.

o Transformación: He was intent on destroying the evidence.

 Deficient IN [something] (Escaso o deficiente en algo)

 Famous FOR ↔ Notorious FOR (Famoso por algo bueno ↔ Famoso por
algo malo)

 Compatible WITH (Compatible con)

 Resigned TO + (-ing/noun) (Resignado a)

o Directa: She accepted that she would never get promoted.

o Transformación: She was resigned to never getting promoted.

23. ESTRUCTURAS CON "LITTLE", "FEW", "SELDOM" (Sin inversión)

No siempre van en inversión; a veces cambian el cuantificador de la frase por

completo para alterar el orden del adjetivo.
  Little did I realize/know... (Ya vista en bloque 1), pero ojo a su versión no-
invertida: Have little/no realization of

o Directa: I didn't realize how dangerous it was.

o Transformación: I had little realization of how dangerous it was.

 Few and far between = Rare / Infrequent (Escasos / Contados con los
dedos de una mano)

o Directa: Good opportunities don't happen very often these days.

o Transformación: Good opportunities are few and far between these

days.

24. GIROS DE LENGUAJE FORMAL Y LEGAL (Business / Formal English)

En el C1, el contexto de la frase puede volverse muy corporativo o formal de

repente.

 On behalf of someone / On someone's behalf (En nombre de / De parte

de)

o Directa: The manager spoke for the whole team.

o Transformación: The manager spoke on behalf of the whole team.

 In accordance with = Following the rules of (De acuerdo con / En

conformidad con)

o Directa: We did everything according to the law.

o Transformación: We acted in accordance with the law.

 In the light of [something] = Considering (A la luz de / Teniendo en cuenta)

o Directa: Because of recent events, we must change the plan.

o Transformación: In the light of recent events, we must change the

plan.

 With a view to + (-ing) = With the intention of (Con vistas a / Con la

intención de)

o Directa: He bought the land because he wanted to build a house.

o Transformación: He bought the land with a view to building a

house.

25. VERBOS CON DOBLE ESTRUCTURA (Cambio radical de significado)

Si te cambian el verbo en la transformación, tienes que saber si lleva infinitivo o
gerundio, porque cambia el sentido.

 Mean + to + infinitive (Tener la intención de) ↔ Mean + (-ing) (Implicar /

Significar)

o Directa: If you take this job, you will have to travel.

o Transformación: Taking this job means travelling abroad.

 Go on + to + infinitive (Pasar a hacer una acción distinta) ↔ Go on + (-ing)

(Continuar haciendo lo mismo)

o Directa: After finishing his speech, he started answering questions.

o Transformación: After his speech, he went on to answer questions.

 Try + to + infinitive (Esforzarse) ↔ Try + (-ing) (Experimentar/Probar a ver

qué pasa)

26. NUEVA TANDA DE COLLOCATIONS E IDIOMS DE ALTO VOLTAJE

 At a loss for words = Not knowing what to say (Quedarse sin palabras).

o Directa: She was so shocked she couldn't say anything.

o Transformación: She was so shocked she was at a loss for words.

 Take exception to = Object to / Be o ended by (Ofenderse por algo / Estar

en desacuerdo).

o Directa: He didn't like the way they spoke to him.

o Transformación: He took exception to the way they spoke to him.

 Put an end to / Bring an end to = Stop permanently (Poner fin a).

 By leaps and bounds = Progressing very quickly (A pasos agigantados).

 In the long run = Eventually / Over a long period of time (A la larga).

 On the verge of + (-ing/noun) = Brinking on (Al borde de / A punto de).

o Directa: The company is about to go bankrupt.

o Transformación: The company is on the verge of going bankrupt.

 Give rise to = Cause / Provoke (Dar lugar a / Provocar).

27. ESTRUCTURAS DE PASIVA CON RESTRICCIÓN (Supposed to / Meant to)

Expresan obligación, expectativas o rumores no confirmados.

 Be supposed to + infinitive (Se supone que / Debería)

 o Directa: You shouldn't park here; it's for sta only.

o Transformación: You are not supposed to park here.

 Be bound to (Ya vista, pero ojo a su opuesto): Be under no obligation to

(No tener ninguna obligación de).

o Directa: You don't have to sign the contract right now.

o Transformación: You are under no obligation to sign the contract

right now.

28. "FALSOS AMIGOS" SINTÁCTICOS (Estructuras que rompen la lógica)

Estas son las que fallas si traduces literalmente en tu cabeza antes de escribir.

 Sugerencias: Suggest + (-ing) O Suggest + that + sujeto + (should) +

infinitivo sin "to".

o ¡NUNCA "suggest someone to do"!

o Directa: "Why don't we go to the cinema?" said Paul.

o Transformación: Paul suggested that we should go to the cinema /

Paul suggested going to the cinema.

 Prevenir: Prevent someone FROM doing.

o ¡NUNCA "prevent someone to do"!

 Agradecer: Appreciate + (-ing) o Would appreciate it if you + pasado.

o Directa: Please don't smoke here.

o Transformación: I would appreciate it if you didn't smoke here.

Patrón 1: El "Happen to be / Happen to do" (Dar la casualidad)

Se usa cuando algo ocurre por azar o coincidencia. Transforma un "by chance" o
un "accidentally" en un verbo directo.

Estructura: Sujeto + happen(ed) + TO + infinitivo

 Frase original: I was in London by chance when the strike started.

 Palabra clave: HAPPENED

 Transformación: I happened to be in London when the strike started.

 Frase original: It was a coincidence that they wore the same dress.

 Palabra clave: HAPPENED

  Transformación: They happened to wear the same dress.

Patrón 2: El impersonal con "It so happened that..."

Es exactamente lo mismo, pero usando el sujeto impersonal It. Es una estructura

fija y súper formal.

Estructura: It so happened that + sujeto + verbo

 Frase original: By chance, there was a doctor on the plane.

 Palabra clave: HAPPENED

 Transformación: It so happened that there was a doctor on the plane.

El truco para el examen:

Cuando veas la frase original con palabras como "by chance", "coincidence",
"accidentally" o "coincidentally", y abajo te den la palabra HAPPENED, tu
cerebro tiene que conectar el cable automáticamente:

"By chance" / "Coincidence" ⟶ HAPPENED TO

¿Ves cómo cambia el chip? Al final es solo un sinónimo avanzado de "por

casualidad".

29. EL RECURSO DEL "PASADO NO REAL" (Unreal Past / Subjunctive)

Hay estructuras que exigen el uso del Past Simple o Past Perfect aunque estemos
hablando del presente o del futuro, simplemente porque expresan hipótesis o
deseos.

 Would rather / Would sooner + Sujeto + Pasado (Preferencia sobre

acciones de otros)

o Directa: I want you to leave now.

o Transformación: I would rather you left now.

 Suppose / Supposing + Sujeto + Pasado (Equivale a un "What if...?")

o Directa: What would you do if you lost your job?

o Transformación: Supposing you lost your job, what would you do?

 As though / As if + Pasado (Para situaciones que no son reales)

o Directa: He talks like he is a millionaire, but he's broke.

 o Transformación: He talks as though he were a millionaire. (Se
puede usar "were" para todas las personas).

30. PREPOSICIONES DEPENDIENTES DE VERBOS (Las más letales)

Si fallas la preposición, la frase entera cuenta como cero puntos. Memoriza estas
combinaciones obligatorias:

 Attribute something TO someone/something (Atribuir algo a)

o Directa: They said the success was due to his hard work.

o Transformación: They attributed the success to his hard work.

 Confide IN someone (Confiar en alguien / Contarle un secreto)

 Comply WITH [rules/laws] (Cumplir con las normas)

o Directa: You must follow the safety regulations.

o Transformación: You must comply with the safety regulations.

 Provide someone WITH something (Proporcionar algo a alguien)

o ¡Ojo! En español decimos "proveer algo a alguien", pero en inglés es

"proveer a alguien CON algo".

 Blame something ON someone (Echar la culpa de algo a alguien)

o Diferencia: Blame someone FOR something ↔ Blame something

ON someone.

31. PATRONES AVANZADOS CON GERUNDIOS Y PARTICIPIOS

Cambridge sustituye frases temporales o causales largas por cláusulas de

participio (ing o ed) para elevar el registro.

 On + (-ing) = As soon as (Tan pronto como / Al hacer algo)

o Directa: As soon as he arrived at the hotel, he called his wife.

o Transformación: On arriving at the hotel, he called his wife.

 Having + Participio (Para enfatizar que una acción terminó antes que otra)

o Directa: Because she had lost her keys, she couldn't get in.

o Transformación: Having lost her keys, she was unable to get in.

 With a view to + (-ing) (Ya vista por encima, pero grábate que exige -ing
obligatoriamente porque esa "to" es preposición, no infinitivo).

32. CAMBIOS DE DETERMINANTES Y CUANTIFICADORES (Quantifiers)

El C1 adora complicar la existencia sustituyendo palabras sencillas como all,
none, both por sus versiones formales o con doble negación.

 Neither of them... ↔ Both of them... not...

o Directa: John and Paul didn't pass the exam.

o Transformación: Neither of them passed the exam.

 All... except... ↔ Apart from / With the exception of

o Directa: Every student came to the party except Leo.

o Transformación: With the exception of Leo, every student came.

 No matter how much/many... ↔ However much/many...

33. EXPRESIONES FIJAS CON EL VERBO "MAKE"

Make es uno de los verbos más productivos en las collocations de examen.

 Make ends meet = Have enough money to survive (Llegar a fin de mes).

o Directa: They barely have enough money for food and rent.

o Transformación: They struggle to make ends meet these days.

 Make light of [something] = Treat something serious as if it were

unimportant (Quitarle hierro al asunto / No tomar en serio).

 Make a recovery = Recover / Get better (Recuperarse).

o Directa: The doctor thinks he will get better soon.

o Transformación: The doctor thinks he will make a quick recovery.

 Make a go of [something] = Try to make something successful (Intentar

que algo funcione / Tener éxito en un proyecto).

34. EXPRESIONES FIJAS CON EL VERBO "GIVE"

Al igual que make, las locuciones con give sustituyen verbos estándar.

 Give someone the impression that... = Seem to be (Dar la impresión de).

 Give rise to [something] = Cause / Result in (Provocar / Dar pie a).

o Directa: The heavy rain caused serious flooding.

o Transformación: The heavy rain give rise to serious flooding.

 Give credit to someone = Praise someone for an achievement (Reconocer

el mérito de alguien).
  Give a account of = Describe / Explain (Dar cuenta de / Describir).

35. "FALSOS EQUIVALENTES" TEMPORALES (Gramática pura)

Estructuras donde el orden temporal de los verbos cambia por completo el uso de
los tiempos.

 The last time I saw him was... ↔ I haven't seen him since...

o Directa: The last time I went to Paris was in 2020.

o Transformación: I haven't been to Paris since 2020.

 It is [periodo de tiempo] since... + Pasado

o Directa: I haven't played tennis for three years.

o Transformación: It is three years since I last played tennis.

 First time + Present Perfect

o Directa: I have never flown in a helicopter before.

o Transformación: This is the first time I have flown in a helicopter.

36. PASIVAS CON "CONSTITUIR" Y "COMPONER" (Passive Shifts)

Cambridge suele pedir que transformes verbos activos que indican composición o
causa en sus equivalentes pasivos formales.

 Make up ↔ Be composed of / Be made up of (Estar compuesto por)

o Directa: Hydrogen and oxygen form water.

o Transformación: Water is made up of hydrogen and oxygen.

 Account for = Constitute / Explains (Representar un porcentaje / Explicar)

o Directa: Tourism represents 40% of the island's income.

o Transformación: Tourism accounts for 40% of the island's income.

 Be swallowed up by = Disappear inside something larger (Ser

absorbido/engullido por)

37. ESTRUCTURAS DE EXCEPCIÓN AVANZADAS (Apart from / But)

El uso de but como preposición con el significado de "excepto" es un clásico para

pillar a los alumnos desprevenidos.

 Next to nothing = Almost nothing (Casi nada)

 o Directa: The old car is worth almost nothing.

o Transformación: The old car is worth next to nothing.

 Anything but = Not at all / Far from (Cualquier cosa menos / De ninguna
manera)

o Directa: The exam was not easy at all.

o Transformación: The exam was anything but easy.

 All but = Almost / Nearly (Casi por completo)

o Directa: The project was almost finished when the power went out.

o Transformación: The project was all but finished when the power
went out.

 But for (Ya vista en condicionales, pero recuerda su uso puro de

excepción): Have no choice but to... (No tener más remedio que).

38. ADVERBIOS CON FUNCIÓN ORACIONAL (Sentence Adverbs)

Son adverbios que modifican a toda la frase y que en las transformaciones se

convierten en estructuras del tipo "It is + adjetivo + that".

 Regrettably ↔ It is a matter of regret that... (Es de lamentar que)

o Directa: Regrettably, we cannot refund your ticket.

o Transformación: It is a matter of regret that we cannot refund your

ticket.

 Understandably ↔ It comes as no surprise that... / It is understandable

that...

 Coincidentally ↔ By a strange coincidence...

39. COLLOCATIONS EXCLUSIVAS CON "KEEP" Y "PUT"

 Keep a straight face = Manage not to laugh (Mantener la seriedad /

Aguantarse la risa).

o Directa: It was impossible not to laugh during his speech.

o Transformación: I couldn't keep a straight face during his speech.

 Keep someone posted = Keep someone informed (Mantener a alguien

informado).

 Put someone at (their) ease = Make someone feel relaxed (Hacer que
alguien se sienta cómodo/relajado).
 o Directa: The interviewer made me feel very relaxed.

o Transformación: The interviewer put me at my ease.

 Put a strain on = Cause pressure or worry (Someter a una gran

presión/tensión).

o Directa: The financial crisis pressured their marriage.

o Transformación: The financial crisis put a strain on their marriage.

40. COLLOCATIONS EXCLUSIVAS CON "RUN" Y "FALL"

 Run the risk of + (-ing) = Incur danger (Correr el riesgo de).

o Directa: If you don't wear a coat, you might get sick.

o Transformación: You run the risk of getting sick if you don't wear a
coat.

 Run short of = Have almost none left (Estar quedándose sin algo, ej.
suministros).

o Directa: We are losing our food supplies quickly.

o Transformación: We are running short of food.

 Fall short of [expectations] = Not be as good as hoped (No cumplir con las
expectativas / Quedarse corto).

o Directa: The hotel wasn't as good as we expected.

o Transformación: The hotel fell short of our expectations.

 Fall into place = Produce a good or clear result (Encajar las piezas / Cobrar
sentido).

41. ESTRUCTURAS DE HÁBITO Y COSTUMBRE AVANZADAS

Cambridge asume que te sabes used to y be used to, así que mete alternativas
léxicas.

 Be in the habit of doing = Regularly do something (Tener el hábito/la

costumbre de hacer algo).

o Directa: He usually wakes up at 5 a.m.

o Transformación: He is in the habit of waking up at 5 a.m.

 Wont to do / Wont to be = Accustomed to (Acostumbrado a - muy formal).

 Rule of thumb = A broadly accurate guide based on practice (Como regla

general).
42. TRANSFORMACIONES CON ADJETIVOS GRADUABLES Y ABSOLUTOS

A veces el truco consiste en cambiar un intensificador (very, completely)

dependiendo de si el adjetivo es graduable o extremo.

 Very angry ↔ Absolutely furious

 Completely di erent ↔ Worlds apart

o Directa: Their personalities are completely di erent.

o Transformación: Their personalities are worlds apart.

 Very clear ↔ Crystal clear

43. ESTRUCTURAS DE FINALIDAD AVANZADAS (Purpose)

Para decir "para" o "con el fin de", el C1 huye del to simple y busca estructuras que
a menudo exigen el uso de modales o de la palabra LST (para evitar que).

 So that + sujeto + can/could/would + verbo

o Directa: I gave him the map because I wanted him to find the way.

o Transformación: I gave him the map so that he could find the way.

 For fear of + (-ing) / For fear that + sujeto + should (Por miedo a / Para
evitar que)

o Directa: She walked quietly because she didn't want to wake the
baby.

o Transformación: She walked quietly for fear of waking the baby.

 Lest + sujeto + (should) + verbo (Para que no / Por temor a que - Ultra
formal)

o Directa: He memorized the codes so he wouldn't forget them.

o Transformación: He memorized the codes lest he should forget

them.

44. ESTRUCTURAS DE PERCEPCIÓN CON "SIGHT"

La palabra sight (vista/visión) es una de las fijas en transformaciones para sustituir

al verbo see o look.

 Catch sight of someone/something = See suddenly for a moment

(Alcanzar a ver / Divisar).

o Directa: I suddenly saw a deer in the forest.

 o Transformación: I caught sight of a deer in the forest.

 Lose sight of = Stop seeing / Forget to consider (Perder de vista).

o Directa: We mustn't forget our main goal.

o Transformación: We mustn't lose sight of our main goal.

 At first sight = When first seen (A primera vista).

45. INVERSIONES CON ADVERBIOS DE LUGAR Y DIRECCIÓN

Este tipo de inversión no lleva auxiliar (do/does/did). Simplemente se intercambia

el bloque del verbo con el sujeto completo. Solo ocurre si el sujeto es un
sustantivo (no un pronombre).

 Estructura: Adverbio de lugar + Verbo de movimiento + Sujeto

o Directa: The runner ran up the hill.

o Transformación: Up the hill ran the runner.

o Directa: The rain came down.

o Transformación: Down came the rain.

46. COLLOCATIONS AVANZADAS CON "TAKE"

 Take something in your stride = Deal with a problem calmly (Tomarse las
cosas con filosofía / Superar un contratiempo sin inmutarse).

o Directa: She wasn't upset by the criticism and continued working.

o Transformación: She took the criticism in her stride and continued

working.

 Take a heavy toll on / Take its toll = Have a bad e ect over time (Pasar
factura / Causar un gran desgaste).

o Directa: Working night shifts has badly a ected his health.

o Transformación: Working night shifts has taken a heavy toll on his

health.

 Take account of = Consider (Tener en cuenta - Variante de "take into

account").

47. COLLOCATIONS AVANZADAS CON "BRING"

 Bring something to light = Reveal new information (Sacar a la luz).

o Directa: The investigation revealed new evidence.

 o Transformación: The investigation brought new evidence to light.

 Bring someone round = Persuade someone / Make someone conscious

again (Convencer a alguien / Hacer que alguien vuelva en sí).

o Directa: It took hours to persuade him to agree with us.

o Transformación: It took hours to bring him round to our way of

thinking.

48. EXPRESIONES DE VALOR, DINERO Y COSTE

El dinero da mucho juego en los exámenes para cambiar adjetivos por modismos.

 Cost an arm and a leg / Cost a fortune = Be extremely expensive (Costar

un ojo de la cara).

 A rip-o = Overpriced (Una estafa / Un timo).

 Value for money = Worth its price (Buena relación calidad-precio).

o Directa: The menu is cheap for how good it is.

o Transformación: The menu o ers excellent value for money.

49. ESTRUCTURAS CON "AS" CON FUNCIÓN CAUSAL O PROGRESIVA

 As time goes by / went by = Over time (A medida que pasa/pasaba el

tiempo).

 As far as I am concerned = In my opinion (Por lo que a mí respecta / En mi

opinión).

o Directa: I don't care what they do with the old building.

o Transformación: As far as I am concerned, they can do what they

want with the old building.

50. ESTRUCTURAS DE "A PUNTO DE" O "POR POCO" (Near Misses)

Cambridge utiliza adverbios y adjetivos específicos para indicar que algo estuvo a
milímetros de suceder.

 Clean forgot = Completely forgot (Olvidar por completo - muy informal pero
sale).

 Narrowly escaped / Avoided = Just managed to avoid (Escapar por los

pelos / Evitar por poco).

o Directa: The car almost hit the pedestrian.

 o Transformación: The pedestrian narrowly escaped being hit by the
car.

 Come within an inch of doing = Very nearly do something (Estar a un

milímetro de / Estar a punto de).

o Directa: He almost resigned during the crisis.

o Transformación: He came within an inch of resigning during the

crisis.

51. ESTRUCTURAS AVANZADAS CON "CHANCE"

Chance no solo es "oportunidad"; combinado con distintas prepositions cambia

su significado por completo.

 By any chance = Coincidentally / Used to ask politely (Por casualidad).

 Stand a chance of + (-ing) = Have a probability of success (Tener

posibilidades de).

o Directa: It's impossible for him to win.

o Transformación: He doesn't stand a chance of winning.

 Leave nothing to chance = Plan everything perfectly (No dejar nada al

azar).

o Directa: They planned the wedding perfectly so nothing would go

wrong.

o Transformación: They left nothing to chance when planning the

wedding.

52. LOCUCIONES IDIOMÁTICAS CON "MIND"

La palabra mind da pie a giros abstractos muy del gusto del C1.

 Make up your mind = Decide (Decidirse).

 Slip your mind = Forget something minor (Pasarse por alto / Olvidarse).

o Directa: I forgot to buy the milk.

o Transformación: Buying the milk slipped my mind.

 Speak your mind = Say exactly what you think (Decir lo que uno piensa
francamente).

 Change your mind = Alter your opinion/decision (Cambiar de opinión).

53. PASIVAS CON "EXPECT", "REPORT", "RUMOUR" CON INFINITIVO PERFECTO

Ojo a este cambio de tiempos cuando la opinión o el rumor ocurrió en el presente
pero sobre un hecho del pasado.

 Estructura: Sujeto + be + verbo de opinión + TO HAVE + Participio

o Directa: People say that the ancient Romans built this wall.

o Transformación: The ancient Romans are said to have built this

wall.

o Directa: Journalists report that the politician lied.

o Transformación: The politician is reported to have lied.

54. COLLOCATIONS EXCLUSIVAS CON "GET" Y "GIVE" (Nuevas)

 Get the hang of [something] = Learn how to do something (Cogerle el

truco a algo).

o Directa: It takes time to learn how to drive.

o Transformación: It takes time to get the hang of driving.

 Get on someone's nerves = Annoy someone (Poner de los nervios a

alguien).

 Give someone a piece of your mind = Express your anger to someone

(Cantarle las cuarenta a alguien / Echar una bronca).

55. GIROS CON ADJETIVOS NEGATIVOS COMPUESTOS (Prefix Shifts)

A veces la transformación exige cambiar una frase afirmativa con "not" por una
sola palabra con prefijo negativo (un-, in-, dis-, im-).

 Not possible ↔ Out of the question (Descartado / Imposible).

o Directa: Traveling this summer is not possible.

o Transformación: Traveling this summer is out of the question.

 Not legible ↔ Illegible

 Not satisfied ↔ Dissatisfied

56. EXPRESIONES DE DISTANCIA TEMPORAL O GENERACIONAL

 From time immemorial = For a very long time (Desde tiempos

inmemoriales).

 From scratch = From the very beginning (Desde cero).

o Directa: We had to bin the project and start again.

 o Transformación: We had to start the project from scratch.

57. ESTRUCTURAS DE RESULTADO E INEVITABILIDAD

Cambridge suele evaluar cómo expresas que un acontecimiento lleva

directamente a otro de forma inevitable.

 Incur / Lead to / Result in ↔ Bring in its wake (Traer consigo / Traer en su

estela)

o Directa: The economic crisis caused widespread unemployment.

o Transformación: The economic crisis brought widespread

unemployment in its wake.

 It is only a matter of time before... (Es solo cuestión de tiempo que...)

o Directa: He will definitely discover the truth soon.

o Transformación: It is only a matter of time before he discovers the

truth.

 Be doomed to + infinitivo = Be certain to fail or su er (Estar condenado a).

58. COLLOCATIONS AVANZADAS CON "SET" Y "LAY"

 Set your sights on [something] = Decide to achieve something (Fijarse

como meta / Poner la mira en).

o Directa: She decided she wanted to become the CEO.

o Transformación: She set her sights on becoming the CEO.

 Set the world on fire = Be very successful or exciting (Comerse el mundo /

Hacer algo extraordinario - suele usarse en negativo).

o Directa: His first novel wasn't particularly exciting.

o Transformación: His first novel didn't set the world on fire.

 Lay the blame on someone = Accuse someone (Echar la culpa a alguien -

Variante de "put the blame").

 Lay foundations for = Create the basic preparation (Sentar las bases de).

59. COLLOCATIONS AVANZADAS CON "DRAW" Y "FALL" (Nuevas)

 Draw the line at [something] = Set a limit on what you will allow or do
(Pintar la línea en / No estar dispuesto a pasar por ahí).

o Directa: I don't mind extra work, but I refuse to work on Sundays.

 o Transformación: I draw the line at working on Sundays.

 Draw someone's attention to = Make someone notice (Llamar la atención

de alguien hacia algo).

 Fall prey to = Become a victim of (Caer presa de / Ser víctima de).

o Directa: Many elderly people are deceived by internet scams.

o Transformación: Many elderly people fall prey to internet scams.

60. ESTRUCTURAS CON COMPLEMENTOS DE INTENSIDAD (Adverbial

Modifiers)

Adverbios específicos que modifican verbos de cambio o adjetivos de forma muy

precisa.

 Slightly di erent ↔ A shade di erent / A fraction di erent

 Increase dramatically / sharply ↔ Shoot up / Soar (Dispararse / Subir

como la espuma)

o Directa: Sales increased sharply last month.

o Transformación: Sales shot up last month.

 Completely reject ↔ Turn down flat (Rechazar de plano).

o Directa: They completely rejected his proposal.

o Transformación: They turned down his proposal flat.

61. MODISMOS DE PREDICAMENTO O DIFICULTAD (Trouble Idioms)

Estructuras fijas para decir que alguien está en apuros o bajo presión.

 In a tight spot / corner = In a di icult situation (En un aprieto).

o Directa: He is in a very di icult situation financially right now.

o Transformación: He is in a tight spot financially right now.

 Weather the storm = Survive a di icult period (Capear el temporal).

 Be at the end of your tether = Have no patience or energy left (Estar al

límite de tus fuerzas / No poder más).

62. FRASES HECHAS COMPUESTAS DE DOS PALABRAS (Binomials)

A Cambridge le encantan estas parejas fijas unidas por "and" o "by".

 By and large = Generally speaking (Por lo general / En líneas generales).

o Directa: Generally speaking, the project was a success.

 o Transformación: By and large, the project was a success.

 Ins and outs = The detailed advantages and disadvantages / mechanics

(Los entresijos / Los pros y contras).

o Directa: He knows how the computer system works in detail.

o Transformación: He knows the ins and outs of the computer

system.

 Safe and sound = Alive and uninjured (Sano y salvo).

63. EL PATRÓN CON "CHANCE" (No como sustantivo, sino como verbo)

Antes vimos stand a chance o by chance, pero a veces te dan la palabra

CHANCED para que la uses como verbo directo. Funciona exactamente igual que
la que vimos de happen.

Estructura: Sujeto + chance + TO + infinitivo (Coincidir / Dar la casualidad de).

 Frase original: By coincidence, I met her at the station.

 Palabra clave: CHANCED

 Transformación: I chanced to meet her at the station.

64. LA ESTRUCTURA "DOESN'T MATTER" TRANSFORMARLA A "MAKES NO..."

Esta cae muchísimo en la sección corporativa o de quejas del examen.

 Frase original: It doesn't matter to me which restaurant we choose.

 Palabra clave: DIFFERENCE

 Transformación: It makes no di erence to me which restaurant we

choose.

 Palabra clave alternativa: MATTER → It is a matter of indi erence to me

which... (Nivel Dios).

65. ESTRUCTURAS CON "ACCOUNT" (No condicionales)

En el primer bloque vimos On no account (inversión), pero hay otra estructura con
account muy común que significa "justificar" o "explicar el motivo de algo".

 Estructura: Take something into account (Tener en cuenta) o There is no

accounting for... (No hay explicación para / Sobre gustos no hay nada
escrito).

 Frase original: You can't explain why people like that music.
  Palabra clave: ACCOUNTING

 Transformación: There is no accounting for people's taste in music.

66. EL GIRO DE "PREVENIR / CONSEGUIR" CON "MANAGE" vs "SUCCEED" vs

"BRING"

Ojo a cómo se transforma la idea de "lograr hacer algo difícil". Cambridge juega a
cambiarte la preposición.

 Manage + TO + infinitivo

 Succeed + IN + (-ing)

 Bring oneself + TO + infinitivo (Normalmente en negativo: "no ser capaz de /

no tener el valor de").

o Frase original: I couldn't say the truth because I was scared.

o Palabra clave: BRING

o Transformación: I couldn't bring myself to tell the truth.

67. LA COMPARACIÓN CON "THE MORE..." EN VERSIÓN INVERTIDA

Ya vimos la estructura estándar (The more you study, the more you learn), pero a
veces meten el verbo to be y hacen una inversión dentro de la propia comparativa.

 Frase original: As the town grows, it becomes more polluted.

 Palabra clave: MORE

 Transformación: The larger the town grows, the more polluted it

becomes. (Ojo a mantener el adjetivo correcto detrás de "the more").

68. COLLOCATIONS CON "WAY" PARA REEMPLAZAR ADVERBIOS

Cambridge odia los adverbios sencillos como unexpectedly o e iciently. Le gusta

que uses in a... way/manner.

 Unexpectedly ↔ In an unforeseen way / manner

 No way ↔ By no means / Under no circumstances

 Frase original: He did the job very e iciently.

 Palabra clave: WAY

 Transformación: He did the job in a highly e icient way.

69. LAS FRASES HECHAS CON "TIME" QUE INDICAN LÍMITE O DURACIÓN
  In the nick of time = At the last possible moment (En el último segundo / En
el momento justo).

o Frase original: The ambulance arrived just before it was too late.

o Transformación: The ambulance arrived in the nick of time.

 For the time being = Temporarily (Por el momento / De momento).

69b. Estructura con "For the time being"

 Frase original: We are using this old computer at the moment until the
new one arrives.

 Palabra clave: BEING

 Transformación: For the time being, we are using this old computer until
the new one arrives.

 Frase original: The shop is temporarily closed for renovations.

 Palabra clave: TIME

 Transformación: For the time being, the shop is closed for renovations.

70. EL RECURSO DE "CONTRARIO A LAS EXPECTATIVAS" (Contrary to...)

Para transformar frases que empiezan por "Aunque todo el mundo pensaba que..."

 Frase original: Although everyone expected the movie to be bad, it was a

hit.

 Palabra clave: CONTRARY

 Transformación: Contrary to popular expectation, the movie was a hit.

Son de esas estructuras que, por ser "tan obvias" o basarse en gramática pura de
niveles anteriores, a veces se nos olvidan, y Cambridge las mete precisamente
para ver si patinas en la base.

Vamos a añadirlas para que tu blindaje sea del 100%.

71. El patrón "AS SOON AS" → "NO SOONER" (Pasado Perfecto)

Vimos No sooner con inversión en el Bloque 1, pero Cambridge a menudo te pide

hacer el salto temporal directo desde un As soon as en pasado simple. Ojo al
cambio de tiempos verbales.

 Frase original: As soon as I sat down, the bell rang.

 Palabra clave: SOONER

  Transformación: I had no sooner sat down than the bell rang.

(Nota: Si no te obligan a empezar la frase con No Sooner, esta es la estructura

intermedia sin inversión que cae muchísimo).

72. La transformación "DESPITE" → "ALTHOUGH" (Y viceversa)

Es un clásico básico, pero ultra-frecuente. El truco aquí es recordar la categoría

gramatical que exige cada conector:

 Despite / In spite of → Llevan Sustantivo o Verbo en -ING.

 Although / Even though → Llevan una frase completa (Sujeto + Verbo).

 Frase original: Although he was injured, he played the match.

 Palabra clave: SPITE

 Transformación: In spite of being injured, he played the match.

 Palabra clave alternativa: DESPITE → Despite his injury, he played the

match.

73. El juego de "UNLESS" → "IF... NOT"

Este es el abc de los condicionales, pero aparece constantemente en el C1

combinado con phrasal verbs. Recuerda que Unless ya significa "a menos que"
(lleva la negación implícita).

 Frase original: If you don't study harder, you won't pass.

 Palabra clave: UNLESS

 Transformación: You will fail unless you study harder.

 Frase original 2: You can stay here only if you don't make noise.

 Palabra clave: LONG → You can stay as long as you do not make noise.

74. Cambios de voz con "ALLOW" / "LET" / "PERMIT" → "FORBIDDEN"

Cambridge juega con los sinónimos de permiso y prohibición en pasiva. Ojo con
LET, porque never se usa en pasiva (se transforma en be allowed to).

 Frase original: My parents didn't let me go to the party.

 Palabra clave: ALLOWED

 Transformación: I was not allowed to go to the party.

 Frase original 2: Smoking is not permitted in this area.

 Palabra clave: FORBIDDEN → It is forbidden to smoke in this area.

75. La pasiva con "NEED" + Gerundio (Valor Pasivo)

Esta estructura es sutil. En inglés, decir "something needs doing" equivale a decir
"something needs to be done" (necesita ser hecho). Cambridge la usa para acortar
palabras.

 Frase original: It is necessary for someone to clean the windows.

 Palabra clave: CLEANING

 Transformación: The windows are in need of cleaning / The windows need

cleaning urgently.

76. EL DOBLE NEGATIVO CON "SELDOM" / "RARELY" → "EVER"

A veces Cambridge no te pide una inversión al principio de la frase con Seldom,

sino que te da la palabra EVER para que la metas detrás de un "hardly" o
"scarcely", creando un efecto limitativo.

 Frase original: He rarely goes to the cinema nowadays.

 Palabra clave: EVER

 Transformación: He hardly ever goes to the cinema nowadays.

 Frase original 2: It is very unusual for it to rain here in July.

 Palabra clave: SELDOM → It seldom ever rains here in July.

77. LA ESTRUCTURA "DO YOU MIND IF..." → "OBJECT"

Esta es una transformación de cortesía/conversación muy típica. La clave es

recordar que object exige la preposición TO seguida de un gerundio (-ing).

 Frase original: Do you mind if I open the window?

 Palabra clave: OBJECT

 Transformación: Do you object to my opening the window?

(Nota: "to me opening" también se acepta, pero "to my opening" es la opción ultra-
formal preferida por Cambridge).

78. EL PATRÓN "CATCH / KEEP SOMEONE UNAWARES"

Significa "pillar a alguien desprevenido" o "por sorpresa". Reemplaza a estructuras

comunes como take by surprise o happen unexpectedly.

 Frase original: The sudden storm took the hikers completely by surprise.

 Palabra clave: UNAWARES

  Transformación: The sudden storm caught the hikers unawares.

79. LA TRANSFORMACIÓN "TOO MUCH / SO MUCH" → "EXCESS"

Cambridge suele cambiar cuantificadores comunes por sustantivos abstractos

formales. In excess of significa "más de" o "en exceso de".

 Frase original: He drives at speeds that are much higher than the limit.

 Palabra clave: EXCESS

 Transformación: He drives at speeds in excess of the limit.

 Frase original 2: The project cost way more than the original budget.

 Palabra clave: EXCESS → The project cost in excess of the original

budget.

80. LA PASIVA DE PERCEPCIÓN CON "HEARD / SEEN" + INFINITIVO CON "TO"

Ojo a esta regla gramatical oculta: En activa, los verbos de percepción van con
infinitivo sin "to" (I saw him fall). Pero en pasiva, obligatoriamente recuperan el TO
(He was seen to fall).

 Frase original: Someone saw the suspect leave the building at midnight.

 Palabra clave: SEEN

 Transformación: The suspect was seen to leave the building at midnight.

81. LA ESTRUCTURA "IT IS WORTH" → "POINT"

Ya vimos there is no point in doing, pero este giro es diferente: combina el valor de
algo con la acción deliberada de hacerlo mediante la expresión make a point of
(asegurarse de / considerar importante hacer algo).

 Frase original: It is definitely worth visiting the museum while you are in
Paris.

 Palabra clave: POINT

 Transformación: You should make a point of visiting the museum while

you are in Paris.

82. EL GIRO "BE RETICENT / RELUCTANT" → "WILLINGNESS"

Cambridge adora cambiar adjetivos que indican que a alguien no le apetece hacer
algo por sustantivos abstractos de actitud con el prefijo negativo correspondiente.

 Frase original: She didn't want to tell the police what she had seen.
  Palabra clave: UNWILLINGNESS

 Transformación: She showed an unwillingness to tell the police what she

had seen.

83. EL PATRÓN "BE UNWARE" → "DARK"

Una expresión idiomática fija que significa "mantener a alguien en la ignorancia" o

"no informar a alguien de algo".

 Frase original: They didn't tell me anything about the changes to the plan.

 Palabra clave: DARK

 Transformación: I was kept in the dark about the changes to the plan.

84. LA EXPRESIÓN DE APROXIMACIÓN "OR SO"

Sirve para sustituir adverbios de aproximación como approximately o about

colocándose detrás de la cantidad de tiempo o número, nunca delante.

 Frase original: The lecture lasted about an hour.

 Palabra clave: SO

 Transformación: The lecture lasted an hour or so.

85. EL RECURSO DE INTENSIDAD CON "NO MEANS" → "BY NO MEANS"

Para enfatizar una negación absoluta en adjetivos. Sustituye por completo a

estructuras sencillas con not at all.

 Frase original: The decision they made was not at all easy.

 Palabra clave: MEANS

 Transformación: The decision they made was by no means an easy one.

Para completar tu enciclopedia de estudio y que no dependas de la suerte con el

vocabulario, aquí tienes la lista definitiva de los phrasal verbs que Cambridge
utiliza específicamente para las transformaciones del C1.

En esta parte del examen, el truco es que siempre te darán un verbo formal o una
frase común en la oración original, y tendrás que transformarla usando el phrasal
verb exacto (o al revés).

1. PHRASAL VERBS DE TRES PALABRAS (Los favoritos del C1)

Estos son letales porque, al tener tres palabras, te consumen gran parte del límite
de 3 a 6 palabras de la respuesta.
 Come up with = Inventar / Ocurrirse (una idea, un plan, una solución).

o Formal: He managed to think of a brilliant solution.

o C1: He came up with a brilliant solution.

 Get round to = Encontrar tiempo para hacer algo que tenías pendiente.

o Formal: I haven't had time to fix the door yet.

o C1: I haven't got round to fixing the door yet. (Ojo: exige -ing).

 Put up with = Tolerar / Soportar.

o Formal: I will not tolerate this behavior anymore.

o C1: I will not put up with this behavior anymore.

 Make up for = Compensar.

o Formal: The great service compensated for the bad food.

o C1: The great service made up for the bad food.

 Face up to = Afrontar / Aceptar una realidad difícil.

o Formal: You need to accept the fact that you failed.

o C1: You need to face up to the fact that you failed.

 Run out of = Quedarse sin algo.

o Formal: There is no sugar left.

o C1: We have run out of sugar.

 Look down on / Look up to = Despreciar / Admirar.

o Formal: He despises people who don't work hard.

o C1: He looks down on people who don't work hard.

 Do away with = Abolir / Deshacerse de.

o Formal: The school decided to abolish the old rules.

o C1: The school decided to do away with the old rules.

 Come down with = Caer enfermo de algo (gripe, resfriado).

o Formal: She caught the flu yesterday.

o C1: She came down with the flu yesterday.

 Cut down on = Reducir el consumo de algo.

 o Formal: You must reduce the amount of co ee you drink.

o C1: You must cut down on the co ee you drink.

2. PHRASAL VERBS DE CAMBIO DE ESTADO, PLANES O DECISIONES

 Call o = Cancelar.

o Formal: The match was cancelled due to rain.

o C1: They called o the match due to rain.

 Put o = Posponer.

o Formal: The meeting has been postponed until next week.

o C1: They have put o the meeting until next week.

 Bring about = Provocar / Causar.

o Formal: The new law caused massive social changes.

o C1: The new law brought about massive social changes.

 Back down = Echarse atrás / Ceder en una discusión.

o Formal: Neither politician was willing to admit defeat.

o C1: Neither politician was willing to back down.

 Turn down = Rechazar (una oferta, una invitación).

o Formal: She rejected the job o er.

o C1: She turned down the job o er.

3. PHRASAL VERBS DE RELACIONES Y COMPORTAMIENTO

 Take after = Parecerse a un familiar (en físico o carácter).

o Formal: He resembles his father completely.

o C1: He takes after his father completely.

 Fall out (with) = Discutir y dejar de hablarse con alguien.

o Formal: They stopped being friends after a big argument.

o C1: They fell out after a big argument.

 Grow apart = Distanciarse (emocionalmente) con el tiempo.

o Formal: Over the years, their friendship gradually dissolved.

o C1: Over the years, they grew apart.

  Look back on = Recordar / Mirar al pasado.

o Formal: When I remember my childhood, I feel happy.

o C1: When I look back on my childhood, I feel happy.

 Tell someone o = Regañar / Echar la bronca.

o Formal: The teacher scolded the student for talking.

o C1: The teacher told the student o for talking.

4. PHRASAL VERBS DE ÉXITO, TRABAJO Y RENDIMIENTO

 Pull o = Lograr algo difícil con éxito.

o Formal: It was a di icult trick, but he managed to do it.

o C1: It was a di icult trick, but he pulled it o .

 Take over = Asumir el control / Hacerse cargo de un puesto o empresa.

o Formal: The new manager assumed control of the department.

o C1: The new manager took over the department.

 Keep up with = Seguir el ritmo de algo o alguien.

o Formal: I found it hard to maintain the same pace as the other

runners.

o C1: I found it hard to keep up with the other runners.

 Catch up (with) = Alcanzar a alguien que va por delante.

o Formal: If you walk fast, you will reach them soon.

o C1: If you walk fast, you will catch up with them soon.

 Give up = Rendirse / Abandonar un hábito.

o Formal: He stopped smoking last year.

o C1: He gave up smoking last year.

5. PHRASAL VERBS DE APARIENCIA, DESCUBRIMIENTO Y REVELACIÓN

 Turn out = Resultar ser (un final inesperado).

o Formal: In the end, the exam was much easier than expected.

o C1: The exam turned out to be much easier than expected.

 Make out = Distinguir / Lograr ver o entender algo con dificultad.

 o Formal: I could barely see the ship through the fog.

o C1: I could barely make out the ship through the fog.

 Find out = Descubrir información.

o Formal: I need to discover the truth.

o C1: I need to find out the truth.

 Come across = Encontrarse con algo/alguien por casualidad.

o Formal: I accidentally found this old photo in the attic.

o C1: I came across this old photo in the attic.

 Bring up = Mencionar un tema en una conversación.

o Formal: Please don't mention the budget during the meeting.

o C1: Please don't bring up the budget during the meeting.

Regla de oro para los Phrasal Verbs en las Transformations:

Presta muchísima atención al tiempo verbal de la frase original. Si la frase original

dice "He rejected the o er" (pasado), tu transformación tiene que usar "He turned
down the o er" (en pasado).