Complex Hypotheses and Counterfactuals
About this practice test
Practise C2 Use of English through constrained sentence rewrites. Build accuracy with complex hypotheticals and modality and time preserved.
What you’ll practice
Grammar and vocabulary
Choose forms and words that work together.
Meaning in context
Follow meaning across sentences and texts.
Accurate expression
Use natural phrases and sentence patterns.
What to expect:
10 questions with explanations to review after submission.
Study the questions and tasks
Work through the material below, or start the interactive practice above to complete an attempt. Try the exercises before opening any answer or transcript sections, then use them to review your work.
- Practice level
- C2. Try this level if you can follow the instructions and understand most of the language; choose an earlier level if you need more support.
- Question formats
- Sentence transformation
How to approach this practice
Read the complete context. Check both the meaning and the grammar, including word forms, collocations and links between sentences.
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Question 1 · Sentence transformation
Rewrite or complete the second sentence as instructed, keeping the same meaning unless the task asks you to change it.
Complete the second sentence so that it has the same meaning as the first. Use the word for without changing it. Without the inspection, the fault would have remained hidden. But ___, the fault would have remained hidden.
Check answers and explanations
- Accepted answers
- for the inspection
But for identifies the intervention preventing the counterfactual result.
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Question 2 · Sentence transformation
Rewrite or complete the second sentence as instructed, keeping the same meaning unless the task asks you to change it.
Complete the second sentence so that it has the same meaning as the first. Use the word could without changing it. If the warning had been heeded, prevention would have been possible. Had the warning been heeded, the loss ___ prevented.
Check answers and explanations
- Accepted answers
- could have been
Could have been preserves possibility, without promising certainty.
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Question 3 · Sentence transformation
Rewrite or complete the second sentence as instructed, keeping the same meaning unless the task asks you to change it.
Complete the second sentence so that it has the same meaning as the first. Use the word to without changing it. If the circumstances were to change, we might reconsider. Were ___, we might reconsider.
Check answers and explanations
- Accepted answers
- the circumstances to change
Were...to is the inverted hypothetical future form.
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Question 4 · Sentence transformation
Rewrite or complete the second sentence as instructed, keeping the same meaning unless the task asks you to change it.
Complete the second sentence so that it has the same meaning as the first. Use the word now without changing it. Your intervention prevented a worse situation now. Had you not intervened, the situation ___ worse.
Check answers and explanations
- Accepted answers
- would now be
The mixed conditional links an unreal past to an unreal present.
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Question 5 · Sentence transformation
Rewrite or complete the second sentence as instructed, keeping the same meaning unless the task asks you to change it.
Complete the second sentence so that it has the same meaning as the first. Use the word evidence without changing it. If further evidence should emerge, notify us. Should ___, notify us.
Check answers and explanations
- Accepted answers
- further evidence emerge
Inverted should takes a base verb for a contingent future event.
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Question 6 · Sentence transformation
Rewrite or complete the second sentence as instructed, keeping the same meaning unless the task asks you to change it.
Complete the second sentence so that it has the same meaning as the first. Use the word been without changing it. A delay to the review would not have altered the outcome. Even if the review had been delayed, the outcome ___ same.
Check answers and explanations
- Accepted answers
- would have been the
Even if preserves the irrelevance of the hypothetical delay.
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Question 7 · Sentence transformation
Rewrite or complete the second sentence as instructed, keeping the same meaning unless the task asks you to change it.
Complete the second sentence so that it has the same meaning as the first. Use the word have without changing it. I consented because I did not know that fact. Had I known that fact, I ___ .
Check answers and explanations
- Accepted answers
- would not have consented / wouldn't have consented
The past counterfactual preserves uninformed actual consent.
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Question 8 · Sentence transformation
Rewrite or complete the second sentence as instructed, keeping the same meaning unless the task asks you to change it.
Complete the second sentence so that it has the same meaning as the first. Use the word might without changing it. If the records had survived, settlement might have been possible. Had the records survived, the dispute ___ settled.
Check answers and explanations
- Accepted answers
- might have been
Might have been preserves the uncertain counterfactual possibility.
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Question 9 · Sentence transformation
Rewrite or complete the second sentence as instructed, keeping the same meaning unless the task asks you to change it.
Complete the second sentence so that it has the same meaning as the first. Use the word place without changing it. Without the safeguard, serious consequences would have followed. Had the safeguard ___, serious consequences would have followed.
Check answers and explanations
- Accepted answers
- not been in place
The inverted negative condition preserves the missing safeguard scenario.
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Question 10 · Sentence transformation
Rewrite or complete the second sentence as instructed, keeping the same meaning unless the task asks you to change it.
Complete the second sentence so that it has the same meaning as the first. Use the word need without changing it. If the first test had sufficed, a second would have been unnecessary. Had the first test sufficed, there ___ a second.
Check answers and explanations
- Accepted answers
- would have been no need for
No need preserves absence of necessity without prohibiting a second test.
What to review next
Explain why each answer fits the meaning and structure. Record useful phrases and write a new example using each pattern you found difficult.
A focused practice result shows how you did on these tasks. Use several activities across skills to decide what to study next; one practice score does not certify an overall CEFR level.