USE OF ENGLISH – PASSIVES: complex sentences

Before we focus on more complex sentences let’s refresh our memories by completing this text.I’ll never forget my first day at that office. I had been told to arrive at 8:30, but when I got there the whole place seemed to be empty. I didn’t know what to do because I had been given no information about the building or where I was going to work, so I just waited around until some of the secretaries began to turn up. Finally I was shown a dirty little office on the fifth floor, where I was given a desk in a corner. Nothing happened for an hour, then I was given some letters to type on a computer by one of the senior secretaries. This wasn’t very successful because I had never been taught how to use a computer. (In the letter I was sent when I was offered the job, I was promised computer training, but they’d obviously forgotten about this.) By lunchtime things hadn’t got any better, and I decided that wasn’t being paid to put up with this nonsense, so I walked out and didn’t go back.

Write a single sentence to explain each headline. Don’t use and or but. Use the passive voice.

a. FACTORY CLOSES – 500 lose jobs. 500 workers have lost their jobs because factory has been closed down.b. LINER SINKS – ALL SURVIVE Although the liner sank all passengers and crew were rescued and there were no

casualtiesc. HEAVY RAIN IN MOUNTAINS – LANDSLIDE THREATENS VILLAGES After heavy rain in the mountains

villages are being threatened by a landside d. PRESIDENT PROMISES TAX CUTS – LANDSLIDE VISTORY PREDICTES IN ELECTION

A huge victory for the ruling party in the forthcoming general election is predicted because a reduction in taxes has been promised by the President.

e. NEW FACTORY OPENS – 500 new jobs created 500 jobs have been created now that a new factory has opened

f. TRANSPORT WORKERS TO GET PAY RISE – STRIKE CALLED OFF Transport workers have called off their threatened strike because a pay rise has been agreed

New progress to First Certificate

Make these sentences passive, using one of the above structures.1. The Minister of Finance is to resign It is said/reported that the Minister of Finance is to resign. 2. We agreed to postpone the meeting. It was agreed to postpone the meeting.3. There was a fall in the value of the euro. Exports will rise. Due to the fall in the value of the

euro, exports are expected to rise.4. People believed that fresh air was bad for sick people. It was believed that fresh air was

bad…5. Some people say that there are wolves in the mountains. There are said to be wolves…6. Police think the man holding the hostages is heavily armed. The man holding … is thought to be..7. They say prices are going to rise sharply. Prices are said to rise sharply. 8. Everybody considered her very intelligent. She was considered (to be) very intelligent.9. We expect that the rate of inflation will rise. The rate of inflation is expected to rise10. They say he is somewhere in Germany. He is said to be somewhere in Germany11. Somebody saw Harris leave the plane in London. Harry was seen to leave the plane in London12. People think that she died in a plane crash. She is thought to have died in a plane crash13. People believed that the earth was the centre of the universe. The earth was believed to be…14. They think that there is oil off Portugal. There is thought to be oil off the coast…

15. They made me give them details of the country’s financial situation. I was made to give them details of ….