Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE) — All Questions

Not only ___ the deadline, but he also exceeded every target.

• a.he met
• b.he did meet
• c.met he
• d.did he meet✓

After the fronted negative 'Not only', subject-auxiliary inversion is obligatory: 'did he meet'. The plain word order 'he met' is incorrect here.

___ harder last year, she would be running the department now.

• a.Were she to work
• b.Should she work
• c.If she worked
• d.Had she worked✓

This is a mixed conditional: a past condition ('Had she worked' = if she had worked) with a present result ('would be running now'). The inverted 'Had she worked' correctly omits 'if'.

___ impressed the panel was her ability to stay calm under pressure.

• a.Which
• b.That
• c.What✓
• d.It that

This is a cleft sentence with a nominal relative: 'What impressed the panel was...'. 'What' introduces the clause acting as subject; 'that' and 'which' cannot begin it here.

___ all the evidence, the jury reached a swift verdict.

• a.Being considered
• b.Considered
• c.Having considered✓
• d.To consider

A perfect participle clause ('Having considered') shows the action was completed before the main clause. The passive 'Being considered' would wrongly make the jury the thing considered.

Rarely ___ such a compelling argument in a first draft.

• a.I have read
• b.have I read it
• c.I read
• d.have I read✓

The fronted restrictive adverb 'Rarely' triggers inversion: 'have I read'. Adding 'it' is redundant because 'argument' is the object already stated.