CLASE_DIEZ: septiembre 2008

sábado, 13 de septiembre de 2008

Active and Passive Voice

Brought to you by the Purdue University Online Writing Lab.
Graphics for this handout were produced by Michelle Hansard.

Active Voice

In sentences written in active voice, the subject performs the action expressed in the verb; the subject acts.

The dog bit the boy.

Pooja will present her research at the conference.

Scientists have conducted experiments to test the hypothesis.

Watching a framed, mobile world through a car's windshield reminds me of watching a movie or TV.

In each example above, the subject of the sentence performs the action expressed in the verb.You can see examples of all the verb tenses in active voice at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_tenses2.html.

Passive Voice

In sentences written in passive voice, the subject receives the action expressed in the verb; the subject is acted upon. The agent performing the action may appear in a "by the . . ." phrase or may be omitted.

The boy was bitten by the dog.

Research will be presented by Pooja at the conference.

Experiments have been conducted to test the hypothesis.
(agent performing action has been omitted.)

I am reminded of watching a movie or TV by watching a framed, mobile world through a car's windshield.

Sometimes the use of passive voice can create awkward sentences, as in the last example above. Also, overuse of passive voice throughout an essay can cause your prose to seem flat and uninteresting. In scientific writing, however, passive voice is more readily accepted since using it allows one to write without using personal pronouns or the names of particular researchers as the subjects of sentences (see the third example above).

Active and Passive voice exercises

1)They make shoes in that factory.

Shoes in that factory.

2)People must not leave bicycles in the driveway.

Bicycles in the driveway.

3)They built that skyscraper in 1934.

That skyscraper in 1934.

4)The students will finish the course by July.

The course by July.

5)They are repairing the streets this month.

The streets this month.

6)They make these tools of plastic.

These tools of plastic.

7)They have finished the new product design.

The new product design .

8)They were cooking dinner when I arrived.

Dinner when I arrived.

9)Smithers painted 'Red Sunset' in 1986.

'Red Sunset' in 1986 by Smithers.

10)They had finished the preparations by the time the guests arrived.

The preparations by the time the guests arrived.

11)You should take care when working on electrical equipment.

Care when working on electrical equipment.

12)They are going to perform Beethoven's Fifth Symphony next weekend.

Beethoven's Fifth Symphony next weekend.

13)Someone will speak Japanese at the meeting.

Japanese at the meeting.

14)Karen is going to prepare the refreshments.

The refreshments by Karen.

Send your answers to mgruiz@cantv.net

Passive to Active

1)The instructions have been changed.

Someone the instructions.

2)She will have to be taught.

Someone her.

3)This car was manufactured in Japan by Toyota.

Toyota this car in Japan.

4)Why aren't the exercises being finished on time?

Why the exercises on time?

5)Last year 2,000 new units had been produced by the time we introduced the new design.

We 2,000 new units by the time we introduced the new design last year.

6)Casual clothes must not be worn.

You casual clothes.

7)$400,000 in profit has been reported this year.

The company $400,000 in profit this year.

8)The test will be given at five o'clock this afternoon.

The school the test at five o'clock this afternoon.

9)Students are required to wear uniforms at all times.

The school students to wear uniforms at all times.

10)This rumor must have been started by our competitors.

Our competitors this rumor.

11)All work will have been completed by five o'clock this evening.

You all work by five o'clock this evening.

12)We were told to wait here.

Someone us to wait here.

13)Lunch was being served when we arrived.

They lunch when we arrived.

14)Lectures are recorded and posted on the Internet.

They lectures on the Internet.

15)Portuguese has always been spoken in this village.

People in this village Portuguese.

Reported Speech

1) Tom said, 'I want to visit my friends this weekend.'

Tom said he wants to visit his friends that weekend.
Tom said he wanted to visit his friends that weekend.
Tom said he wanted to visit his friends this weekend.

2) Jerry said, 'I'm studying English a lot at the moment.'

Jerry said he was studying English a lot at that moment.
Jerry said he was studying English a lot at the moment.
Jerry said I was studying English a lot at that moment.

3) They said, 'We've lived here for a long time.'

They said they have lived there for a long time.
They said they lived here for a long time.
They said they had lived there for a long time.

4) He asked me, 'Have you finished reading the newspaper?'

He asked me if had I finished reading the newspaper.
He asked me if I had finished reading the newspaper.
He asked me if I finished reading the newspaper.

5) 'I get up every morning at seven o'clock.', Peter said.

Peter said he got up every morning at seven o'clock.
Peter said I got up every morning at seven o'clock.
Peter said he had got up every morning at seven o'clock.

6) Susan reassured me, 'I can come tonight.'

Susan told me I could come that night.
Susan told me she could come that night.
Susan told me she could come tomorrow evening.

Send your answers to mgruiz@cantv.net

Vocabulary/Quiz

1)_____ his illness, John continued to play rugby.

Despite
Although
Even though.

2) After many peace corps teachers return to the States, ___________ professional English teachers.

often they become
they often become
and often become.

3) _______ that the American Indian crossed a land bridge into North America from what is now Russia.

It is considered
It is thought
It was thought.

4) None of the students _____ a car.

has
have
have got

5) _______ the Depression, individual stock ownership was common in the United States.

It was during
By the time of
Because

6) Never before _____ as rapidly, as during the last three decades.

communications have developed
have communications developed
have developed communications

7) Never before _____ as rapidly, as during the last three decades.

communications have developed
have communications developed
have developed communications.

8) It is not yet clearly understood _________ cause obesity.

why eating too many hamburgers can
why can eating too many hamburgers
eating too many hamburgers can

9) The Eiffel Tower is ________ the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

as popular a tourist attraction than
as popular a tourist attraction as
as more popular a tourist attraction as.

10) While most New Yorkers belive in ghosts, ______ do not.

are a few who
there are a few which
there are a few that.

11) With his first painting 'Le Temple du Mordu', George Lesereaux _______ to establish himself as a master of pointilism.

could
with ability
was able

12) ______ Chinese is more difficult to learn than English.

It is certain that
Certain it is that
Certainly is

Use your dictionary if you need any help and send the answers to mgruiz@cantv.net

EXERCISES

UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT

SECOND INCIDENT

On 29 November, in the evening, Maria Lusi was on her home across some fields in Milford, Ohio.

Suddenly something moved in front of her. She stopped and saw a round object which was floating about three feet above the ground.

“Anybody there? Maria shouted, when she heard footsteps. She shone her torch, and saw some human-looking features in dark, tight clothes.

Suddenly, her torch exploded into tiny pieces.

“Don’t be afraid. We won’t harm you.” A human’s voice said in metallic English.

Though really she was terrified, Maria said that she wasn’t afraid, and asked the creatures who they were. There was no answer, however. The creatures entered the round object, which suddenly flew off without a sound.

THIRD INCIDENT

The next evening, in southern England, John and Sue Bartley were on their way home by car.

Suddenly, John swerved to avoid a blue light that appeared in front of them, out of nowhere. The car radio crackled and the car was covered in a fine, green mist, which soon disappeared.

When they got home, John looked at his watch. It was past midnight! They had lost two whole hours! How?.

John and Sue slept for fifteen hours. Both of them have nightmares. John dreamt about creatures whose ears were pointed and who wore dark clothes while Sue flew through the Milky Way and other galaxies.

They later told a doctor who has hypnotized them that they had been on board a UFO with aliens.

CLASE_DIEZ