IMO Practice Test — Sentence Synthesis
8 Questions • 15 min • Olympiad level
15:00
Question 1 of 8
Combine into one sentence: 'The thief saw the police. He dropped the bag. He ran away.'
Seeing the police, the thief dropped the bag and ran away.
The thief saw the police dropped the bag and ran.
The police seeing, the thief ran the bag dropped.
Dropping the bag the thief ran the police saw.
Explanation: Participle for the first action, then two coordinated verbs.
Question 2 of 8
Choose the best synthesis: 'He is very intelligent. No one can defeat him in chess.'
He is so intelligent that no one can defeat him in chess.
He is too intelligent to defeat in chess.
He is very intelligent no one defeat him.
His intelligence no one defeats.
Explanation: 'so … that …' fits the result.
Question 3 of 8
Synthesise with an abstract noun: 'He was punctual. It impressed his boss.'
His punctuality impressed his boss.
He punctual impressed.
Impressing his boss he punctual.
Punctual his boss impressed.
Explanation: 'punctual' → 'punctuality'.
Question 4 of 8
Choose the correct participle synthesis: 'She had lost her keys. She could not enter.'
Having lost her keys, she could not enter.
Losing her keys, she could not enter then.
She lost keys could not enter.
Lost her keys, she enter could not.
Explanation: Perfect participle 'Having lost …' for the earlier action.
Question 5 of 8
Combine using apposition: 'Tagore wrote the national anthem. He was a great poet.'
Tagore, a great poet, wrote the national anthem.
Tagore a great poet wrote the anthem.
A great poet Tagore the anthem wrote.
Tagore who a great poet wrote anthem.
Explanation: Appositive 'a great poet' set off by commas.
Question 6 of 8
Synthesise with an infinitive: 'The box was very heavy. She could not lift it.'
The box was too heavy for her to lift.
The box was so heavy to lift.
The box was very heavy to lift it.
The box too heavy that she lift.
Explanation: 'too heavy for her to lift'.
Question 7 of 8
Choose the smoothest synthesis: 'It was raining. The match was stopped.'
The match was stopped because it was raining.
It raining the match stopped.
The match it raining stopped.
Raining it, stopped the match.
Explanation: A reason clause joins the cause and effect.
Question 8 of 8
Combine with a relative clause and apposition: 'Mr Sen is our principal. He started this school. It is famous.'
Mr Sen, our principal, started this school, which is famous.
Mr Sen our principal started this famous school which.
Started by Mr Sen our principal the school famous.
This famous school Mr Sen principal started.
Explanation: Apposition ('our principal') + relative clause ('which is famous').