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Fancy your chances?
Careful with that paint pot!

Fancy your chances?

Fancy your chances tests you on ellipsis, or omission of words.

As with many other languages, speakers of English quite often leave out words ~ most usually off the front or back of their sentences ~ where the circumstances are clear without those words, and/or perhaps urgent.

'Fancy your chances?' = '[Do you] think you are likely to do well?'

1 .
Choose the answer that provides the word/s that are missing.
... ... Microwave's on the blink again.
Have ...
This ...
We ...
Them ...
The word in front of the noun (microwave) would have had to be an adjective: possessive (e.g. 'our', 'your') or demonstrative ('this', 'that'); so only one of the Answers offered will work here.
'On the blink' is a slightly old-fashioned expression, though still heard at least occasionally, meaning that a ~ usually, electric ~ machine is either not functioning at all, or only intermittently (i.e. any lights on it may only be blinking on and off, rather than shining constantly).
2 .
Choose the answer that provides the word/s that are missing.
... ... Won't do any good just pressing that button, if the battery's totally flat.
It ...
You ...
They ...
She ...
'It' will be hopeless; though 'you' would also make sense here. We suspect that the 'it' version would be a bit more diplomatic; otherwise you are adding to the person's frustrations by emphasising that they are wasting their time. The indirect (or unspoken) version is probably preferable.
3 .
Choose the answer that provides the word/s that are missing.
... ... Nothing the matter with your thermostat; maybe the problem's inside the boiler somewhere.
I'm ...
It's ...
There's ...
We've ...
'There is ...' is such a 'throwaway' phrase (and like all true idioms, it makes very little sense whatever if you try to take it apart word-by-word) ~ that it is very often left off completely in situations like this, so as to move straight to the topic in hand.
4 .
Choose the answer that provides the word/s that are missing.
... ... Careful with that paint pot; we don't want any accidents!
You ...
The ...
Be ...
I ...
The full instruction would be 'be careful' (likewise 'be quiet', etc.).
5 .
Choose the answer that provides the word/s that are missing.
... ... Don't like the look of those big dark clouds.
Have ...
Which ...
She ...
I ...
The speaker is leaving out his/her personal pronoun, as it should be obvious (from the situation, and by elimination) that they are speaking on their own behalf.
6 .
Choose the answer that provides the word/s that are missing.
... ... Know where I can find a shoe-repairer during the lunch-hour?
Do you ...
Are there ...
Is she ...
Haven't they ...
In the likely circumstances of such a question, the speaker would be looking at the person spoken-to, so the 'you' would be almost superfluous.
7 .
Choose the answer that provides the word/s that are missing.
... ... Going anywhere nice for your holiday this year?
Is he ...
Are they ...
Are you ...
Were we ...
There is a clue in the 'you' within the original Question.
8 .
Choose the answer that provides the word/s that are missing.
... ... Thinks he owns the road, that driver there: just look at him!
She ...
He ...
I ...
You ...
'Thinks' is in the 3rd person singular, so its preceding subject must be 'he' / 'she' / 'it'. In the context, and from the later repetition, the missing word must be 'he'.
9 .
Choose the answer that provides the word/s that are missing.
... ... Couldn't make head nor tail of the plot in that film, I'm afraid.
They ...
My parents ...
I ...
You ...
Ellipsis like this would only work if the speaker is describing their own experience.
10 .
Choose the answer that provides the word/s that are missing.
... ... Can't find the key.
I ..
They ...
You ...
It's ...
The classic, laconic admission of failure!
Author:  Ian Miles

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