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Question
Complete the following sentences appropriately by using the passive form of the given verbs.
1. There's somebody behind us. I think we _____________(follow)
2. A mystery is something that_____________(cannot/ explain}
3. We didn't play volleyball yesterday.The match _________(cancel)
4. The minaret ____________ (restore). The work is almost
finished.
5. Every time I travel by plane, my plane_____________--
(delay)
6. I left some papers on the desk last night and I can't find them now.
They_______________-(might/ throw) away.
7. Two people ______________report) to _____________(injure) in an explosion at a factory in Bengaluru early this morning.
Solution
1. There's somebody behind us. I think we are being fo wed
2. A mystery is something that cannot be explained
3. We didn't play volleyball yesterday.The match was cancelled
4. The minaret has been restored. The work is almost
finished.
5. Every time I travel by plane, my plane gets delayed/is delayed.
6. I left some papers on the desk last night and I can't find them now.
They might have been thrown away.
7. Two people have been reported to have been injured/have got injured in an explosion at a factory in Bengaluru early this morning.
APPEARS IN
RELATED QUESTIONS
Complete the following sentences using the correct form or the verbs
given in brackets.
- It is a big college. More than a hundred teachers ________ (employ)
there. - __________ (somebody/ clean) the office yesterday?
- How much of our country's land area __________ (cover) by forest?
- The hostel gates ______ (lock} at 8.00 pm everyday.
- The parcel (send) a month ago and it ______ _(arrive) onlyyesterday.
- Where (these photographs/take}? In Mumbai? ____________ (you/ take} them, or somebody else?
• Did you use the same type of construction in your answers?
What are the two types of construction called?
- ____________________________________
- ____________________________________
When do we use the passive voice?
Example: Look at the following sentences:
a) My grandfather established this steel factory in 1940.
b) This steel factory was established in 1940 by my grandfather.
We use the passive voice when we are more interested in the action than the
person who does it or when we do not know the active subject .
Read the following sentences and, using the given clues, find out the reason for
the use of the passive construction as in the Example above.
1. He was killed in the World War II.
Clue: Who must have killed him? Is it obvious?
______________________________
2. The Bank was looted last night.
Clue: Have the police caught the culprits?
_______________________________
3. Sachin Tendulkar is looked upon as a sport icon.
Clue: Bywhom?
_______________________________
4. This sort of road-side restaurants can be seen everywhere in this city.
Clue: How will you write it in active voice?
________________________________
5. When he arrived at the airport, he was arrested.
Clue: Rewrite the sentence in active voice. Is it a little awkward?
_________________________________
6. Employer: On account of tight financial condition, bonus will not be paid this
year.
Clue: If it is some good news, what voice will the employer use?
_________________________________
7. I got my hair cut.
Clue: Look at the construction using 1got1
_________________________________
|
We must remember that all active constructions cannot/ should not be transformed Example: a) He is drinking water. Though sentence (b) is grammatically correct, we do not write or speak such a Hence it is necessary to keep in mind that the passive voice has certain legitimate |
Match the excerpts below with the text types given in the box.
Excerpts
1. The tea leaves are picked and left to dry in the sun.
2. 20 ml of the salt is taken in a test tube and heated over the flame of a Bunsen
burner.
3. Many villagers were adversely affected by the flash flood. It is estimated that
nearly half of the standing crop has been submerged in water.
|
Text Types a) Newspaper (and formal) report _______________ b) Description of processes __________________ c) Academic writings including reporting of scientific experiments ______________ |
What are the text types in which we can expect to find frequent use of the
passive?
Read the following excerpt from a news story and answer the questions
given below the excerpt.
74 killed in Myanmar quake.
MAESAI (THAILAND). At least 7 4 people were killed in a strong earthquake that struck Myanmar, state media said on Friday, while a series of aftershocks have caused panic but only limited damage in Thailand and Laos. The death toll from Thursday's 6.8 magnitude tremor was expected to rise slightly in Myanmar after 225 homes and nine government buildings were destroyed. Over 100 people were injured, according to state television.
The quake sparked panic, but no major damage in other countries across southeast Asia has been reported. An aftershock of an estimated magnitude of 5.5 rattled Thailand on Friday but caused limited damage, although residents living in properties close to the epicentre were advised to leave their homes.
- Hindustan Times - March 26, 2011
1. Are all the verbs in the passage in passive voice? What do you infer from this?
____________________________
____________________________
2. Underline the passive constructions in the passage and comment on why the
passive is more appropriate than the active in these.
____________________________
____________________________
3. Rewrite the second paragraph, keeping all the verbs in active voice. Begin like
this ...... .
Authorities expect the death toll_____________
_____________________________
_____________________________
4. Does the re-written paragraph read well or is it a little awkward? Give reasons
for your answer.
_______________________________
_______________________________
Now practise writing a few headlines based on the following cues.
a. e.g. Police - received anonymous tip/ complaint - managed to catch culprits -
produced in court
| CULPRITS CAUGHT AND PRODUCED IN COURT |
Expansion : The culprits were caught and prosecuted by the police.
b. Young Sikkimese - succeeds - scales steepest face - Mt. Kanchenjunga
Expansion : __________________________________________
a : Government- passed legislation - ban smoking in state ofTamil Nadu - people
not received it well.
Expansion : ________________________________________
b ; The ruling party - excessive election spending - no proper accounts kept - no
convincing answer to opposition questioning.
Expansion :
c ; SIEMENS, Germany has appointed new Managing Director - J. Shubert after
convening General Bnody meeting - last week
Expansion_________________________________________
d : Rice shortage - increase production, says Government
Expansion _________________________________________
e : Archaeological Survey of India - has excavated Buddhist Stu pa - in village in
Haryana
Expansion ___________________________________________
f : Cricket team - prepares - tour to England - July 2011- selectors announce
team
Expansion ___________________________________________
In two places in the incomplete sentence there has been some reduction,
in order to avoid repetition.
1. What are the two words missing between if and found?
| 'If ( l found guilty', she will be given a life sentence. |
And what are the three words missing between 'if and 'innocent'
| 'If ( _____ ) innocent', she will use the police for wrongful arrest. |
Read the following paragraph, which contains some repetition. Edit and
rewrite the sentences so that you have one improved sentence.
a. The policeman, having been injured by the angry crowd, was lifted up by two
Arun College students. He was carried to a nearby ambulance. Then he was
taken to the city hospital.
______________________________________
Now give the sentence you have written a headline. Some of it has been done for you.
| Policeman _________ students |
b. Suppose you wish to focus attention on the kindness or bravery of the students
who helped the policeman, rather than on the policeman himself. Rewrite
passage a. above so that the focus is on the students, and give your passage a
headline.
What is the difference between the verb forms you used in 'a' above and
those you used in 'b'?
____________________________________
____________________________________
Read the set of instructions below and underline the main verb in each
sentence.
|
HOW TO MAGNETISE A SCREWDRIVER USING A COIL 1. Place a screwdriver inside a coil carrying a direct current. |
When we write a description of this experiment, which tense do we use?
Complete the description of the experiment using the information in B 1, by writing the verbs in the correct form. One example has been done for you
A screwdriver (place) is placed inside a coil carrying a direct current. The
screwdriver (become)____________ magnetised. It (removed) _____________carefully and
(place)_______________- in iron filings. It (attract) _____________the fillings.
Now read these instructions.
HOW TO DEMAGNETISE A SCREWDRIVER USING A COIL
1. Place the magnetised screwdriver blade inside the coil.
2. Pass an alternating current through it.
3. Slowly withdraw the screwdriver from the coil to a distance of about one metre
while the current is flowing.
4. It becomes demagnetised.
5. Switch off the current.
6. Place the screwdriver in iron filings.
7. It does not attract the filings.
Write your own description of this experiment, using the Present Passive where
appropriate.
A magnetised screwdriver is placed inside the coil .....__________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
Rewrite the paragraph below by changing these sentences into the passive; include the agent only if necessary.
Last year Mckiney Company built two new apartment buildings in the city centre. Recently one of the buildings was damaged by an earthquake. The earthquake also destroyed the company offices in the other building. The owners of the apartments of the buildings will receive the insurance money to fix the damages. Nobody will lose the money paid for the apartments.
Two new apartment ___________Recently one of the buildings was damaged by an earthquake. The company offices in__________The insurance_______Money.
Look at the following newspaper article. It has two versions. Version 'A' is written in the active and version 'B' is written in the passive voice. For each piece of information, decide whether Version 'A' or Version 'B' is more appropriate. Then rewrite the passage using a combination of the two versions.
Version A
Thieves stole the famous NorY Koh emerald from the City Museum last night.
Police believe the thieves must have forced the locks on the windows and
disabled the alarms before the museum attendants had closed the museum for
the night. Police have arrested a man whom someone saw acting suspiciously
outside the museum.
Version B
The Famous Nor Y Koh emerald was stolen from the museum last night. It is
believed that the window-locks had been forced and the alarms disabled before
the museum was closed for the night. A man who was seen acting suspiciously
outside the museum has been arrested.
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
