Passive Voice

Imperative

1. Use the Past Simple Active or the Past Simple passive instead of the infinitives in brackets.

1.      They (to go) into the storeroom where some of the goods (to keep).

2.      He (to make fun of)? But he never (to answer) back.

3.      The book (to put) on the shelf. No one (to take notice of) it.

4.      The matter (to forget) by everyone. But Lenny (to remember).

5.      He (to know) that the thief (to hide) by the darkness.

2. Fill each of the gaps in the following sentences with an appropriate verb from the list. The verbs should be used in the passive.

Haunted     deemed      inundated       dwarfed      dubbed      shrouded      scheduled       baffled   strewn       short-listed

1.      The ex-champion……..by heat exhaustion in the final and was unable to finish the match.

2.      How the intelligence services work………in secrecy.

3.      Since the film came out, I………with requests for my autograph.

4.      His house in the foothills……….by the surrounding mountains.

5.      Their new CD………for release next January.

6.      All the doctors we saw……….by the reason for her illness.

7.      I’m afraid her recent work…………totally inadequate for the task.

8.      Believe it or not, last month a news-reader……….the nicest man on television.

9.      Many people think a nineteen-year-old’s first novel should……….for last year’s National Literature prize.

10.  When the police arrived, the victim’s clothes…….. all over the room.

3. Rewrite the following sentences using two passive forms, making the underlined words the subject. Omit the agent if it is not necessary.

1. They’ve just sent me a whole lot of junk mail.
2. The Credit Bank lent me two thousand pounds in 1999.
3. They gave each of  the children a bottle of milk every day.
4. They showed us the sights of the city.
5. Someone had promised the children more food.
6. The magician told them the secret.
7. They offered her the job.

4. Supply the appropriate form for the following imperative sentences.

1.      …a newspaper on the way home.

2.      …anyone my secret. Do you promise?

3.      …for me, please. I’ll be ready in just a few minutes.

4.      …out! A car is coming!

5.      …this passage aloud. It’s so funny, I’d like everyone to listen to it.

6.      …your words! Think first, don’t be rude.

5. Read the text. Make the literary translation of the text in writing.

International English

     Though there are almost three thousand languages in the world, English is the most universal. It is the official language in over forty countries. One billion people speak English. That’s 20% of the world’s population. 400 mln people speak English as their first language. For other 600 mln it’s either a second language or a foreign language.

    In other countries it is used as a second language: it is a way in which people who have different languages communicate with each other.    

The export of English began in the Elizabethan Age’ (1558 – 1603) due to Sir Francais Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh who brought England a lot of land, money and power and who spread English to the new world and the West Indies.

     Between 1800 and 1900 Britain became the richest country in the world and the most powerful. The British Empire included many foreign countries like New Zealand, Nigeria, India, Canada, South Africa; English was an important language on every continent. At the same time the USA and its language – both grew very quickly in the 19^th century. Finally by the 1950s America was the English-speaking superpower.

     In fact American English is growing faster now that ever before. The new words come from people of South-east Asia and Central America, from scientists and teenagers. Over 70% of the world’s scientists read English. And 90% of all information is stored in English. English is used for many purposes. Vocabularies, grammatical forms and ways of speaking and writing have emerged influenced by technological and scientific developments, economics and management, literature and entertainment genres.

     English is the language of summit meetings and the UNO. English is also becoming increasingly the language of international trade: nearly 50% of all the companies in

 Europe communicate with each other in English.

     So, English is slowly becoming more than one language. English is changing in many countries of the Third World – which were once a part of the British Empire – now they’re independent. For example in Jamaica. There are two kinds of English in this West Indian island. One is standard – the language of the government and newspapers and the other is Creole – the day-to-day language of the people.

     People will still need standard English for international communication in the 21^st century.

     English has been an international language for only 50 years. It may become one tool that opens windows to the world, unlocks doors to opportunities and expands our minds to new ideas.

6. Make up questions to each paragraph of the text.

7. Give the Russian equivalents for the following: to communicate with each other; former British colonies; an official language; ancient languages; the most powerful; to be used for many purposes; technological and scientific developments; economics and management; literature and entertainment genres; summit meetings; the UNO; the language of international trade; countries of the Third World; the British Empire; the day-to-day language; standard English; local dialects; to communicate across linguistic boundaries.

8.  Use the right word from below.

     Bearing in mind the increasing___for English in___all over the world, it has been___that the company start to implement more organized English language___programmes than has been the policy up to now.

     At present, there are two___speakers of English___by the company o a part-time basis, to provide courses for those members of___who are nterested.

     It has now been proposed that___English language courses be introduced. Top executives should___intensive two-week courses in special schools in England; lower grades should receive regular___(two hours weekly) from more___English language teachers in the company.

        ____________________________________________________________________

suggested, highly-qualified, compulsory, business, staff, employed, tuition, native,                attend, training, need

9. Which of the following words are originally English and which come from other languages?

          Alcohol, judo, restaurant, telephone, rhyme, poetry, Professor, car, piano, lecturer.

10. In the following sentences the is missing in one or more cases. Write in the where necessary.

1.      There are countless varieties of English in use in English-speaking world.

2.      Concepts of language vary from country to country and from generation to generation; English you hear spoken nowadays is in no way recognizable as language used by last generation, let alone in time of Shakespeare.

3.      People living inside Arctic Circle have a very different view of year from those living in, say, Belgium.