The missing word
My father wouldn’t have got where he is today __________ he not been committed to his work.
had
If I __________ (not / spend) a fortune going shopping last month, I would have more spending money today.
hadn't spent
They make these sweeping/patently statements about how everything’s going to change, but trust me, nothing will.
sweeping
Rachel had a sudden ________ of inspiration while cooking and added a new ingredient which completely changed the dish.
a) fly
b) flash
c) force
b) flash
I apologise – I didn’t mean to interrupt you there, I just wanted to say that I completely agree.
to cut you off there
__________ for the badly cooked dessert, it would have been a perfect meal.
But
__________(who) the panel chooses for the job will need to be flexible about their working hours.
Whoever
The policy on housing will strike a spot/chord with a large number of people in the area.
chord
If you can ______________ mutual respect between team members, they will collaborate well.
a) organize
b) trot
c) establish
c) establish
Welcome to the meeting and to begin with, Eva will give us an update on the situation.
to get the ball rolling
__________ you get the chance, I’d recommend visiting the Arts centre.
Should
If you checked your emails more regularly, you __________ (realise) that the meeting was at 1.30 p.m.
'd have realised
The school has won several awards for fostering / maintaining rigorous standards.
maintaining
The politician came out with something yesterday that was __________ not true.
a) patiently
b) parently
c) patently
c) patently
That’s all very well, but returning to what I was saying earlier, we might want to take some time to consider all the options.
going back to
__________ of the routes we take will be busy today.
whichever
Would you agree to sell the house __________(be) they to come back with a higher offer?
were
It’s important to continue to strive / compete for excellence even when the chances of achieving something appear limited.
strive
I’d been thinking about the problem for hours when the answer suddenly hit me out of the ___________.
a) blue
b) nowhere
c) sudden
a) blue
Let me continue with my thoughts about what you mentioned before – how can you justify those actions?
pick up on
The result will be the same __________ you look at it.
however
He __________ (communicate) easily with the locals today if he’d worked harder in his Italian class.
'd communicate / 'd be communicating
To be an artist involved in anything creative you need to have a raw/fertile imagination.
fertile
One of the most important qualities in a leader is to ___________ the initiative.
a) bring
b) take
c) go
b) take
That’s a good point. If I can just ask Keeva to join the conversation again, she might be able to shed some light on that decision.
bring Keeva back in here