We all know that transformation question types are bound to appear in almost every major examination once P5 begins. With so many various question types that may require a verb to be changed to a noun or vice versa, do you feel overwhelmed and unsure of where to begin? Well, today we are going to look at 6 common structures that require a noun to be used.
These questions need children to change a verb or an adjective to a noun e.g. disappointed –> disappointment. Hence, it is essential to
1. recognise the structure and following that,
2. know the noun form of each verb/ adjective.
It is always useful to keep a table of the different forms of a word. This will not only be helpful in these section but also for the editing section. You may wish to take a look at an example of how to record the different forms of a words in our previous post on common errors in editing.
Structures which are marked * are structures that seemed to have appeared more often than others and hence, take extra care in learning them!
1. *Much (to her noun)…
Ans: Much to my annoyance, I could not complete my A-Star creative writing project.
Tip/ Common Errors: using “annoyed” without changing to the noun or missing out on “to” after much.
2. *Due to (noun)…
Ans: The parcel was sent to the wrong address due to the postman’s negligence.
Alt Ans: The parcel was sent to the wrong address due to the fact that the postman was negligent.
Tip/ Common Errors: Due to = because of
Remember to state the possessive noun (e.g. the postman’s) or the possessive pronoun (her, his etc.)
Due to ^ carelessness, Siti left her wallet behind.
–> Due to Siti’s carelessness, she left her wallet behind.
However, if the answer stem does not contain the possessive noun or pronoun, take note that you can always go for the most straightforward way of answering by adding “the fact that”.
3. *The magician’s/ Susan’s/ child’s… (noun)…
SCGS 2015 Prelims
Rosyth 2015 SA1
Ans: Josh helped us out of kindness.
Tip/ Common Errors: Out of = because of
5. It was with (noun)… that…
HPPS 2015 SA2
Ans: It was with reluctance that she attended the ceremony.
Tip/ Common Errors: missing out “that” in the answer.
6. With/ Without (noun)…
Rosyth 2014 Prelims
Ans: Without your teacher’s permission, you cannot take part in that competition.
Tip/ Common Errors: Some questions are trickier when a verb form of the word (e.g. permit) is used instead of the noun as shown in the example able.
Are you clearer about the structures which require you to use a noun form of a word now? I hope you are and do add on to the list if you come across other structures which you tend to make a mistake in!
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