ACHIEVING GOOD ENGLISH

Activity 8 Writing Telegrams

Read the following notes and condense each one into a telegram of as a few words as possible. 1. We have discovered three eggs to the monkey eating eagle. Will you please send a trustworthy messenger to get the eggs and take them back to bureau in manila? 2. Our house was destroyed by the typhoon, and all of your books were ruined. Come home for a week, if you can, to help us start rebuilding. We are all safe. 3. I arrived safety after a very rough trip. Aunt and uncle and cousins are all well and eager for you to come too before I return. Lovingly, Luz Activity 9 Playing the Telegram Game A game called telegram is often at the players are given ten letters. Each letter must stand for a word. The telegram must make a sense. See if you can play it. These letters T S D C Q B H D O L were give haphazardly at a party of high school students. Every person made a telegram using these initials. One was Teresa So Daring Cant Quit Buying Herself Dresses of Lace. Another was: Tomas Sick. Doctor Come Quick Before He Dies of Laziness. An other began Tragic Suicide Discovered. You can possibilities of the game. The amusing part of it is to use names of your classmates and put them in funny situations. But be careful not to be vulgar and do not make fun of physical defects. When the joke is on you, learn to take it without rancor. Learn to laugh with the people who laugh at you, and they will learn to laugh with you instead. Take the following letters and make telegram as amusing as you can out of them. You can may close either the first or second group of letters of your telegram. 1. P R A F I L W A R and one letter of your own choosing wherever you wish to put it. 2. S T W A P N I A C L

Chapter V
VOICE

Lesson 1. UNDERSTANDING VOICE AND WHEN WE USE EACH FORM Active Voice In the sentence below, note the form of the verb when the subject is the doer of the action. Subject Alicia My Mother Martin Passive Voice Sometimes, instead of being the doer, the subject of the sentence is the receiver of the action. Note the form of the verb when the subject is the receiver, not doer of the action. Subject This story I They Predicate was written by Alicia am told to go on an errand. were given money Predicate wrote this story tells me to go on an errand gave them money.

The subject story, I, and they do not do the action of writing and telling, or giving. They receive the action. In this case, we say that the verb is in the passive voice. Note that the verb is the passive voice, the doer of the action is named in a byphrase (by Alicia). Note also that sometimes the by phrase that expresses the doer of the action is omitted. When to use the Active and Passive Voices Whether to use the active or the passive voice depends on what one wishes to emphasize. The active voice emphasizes the act. Exercise 1. Knowing When the Subject is the Doer or Receiver of the Action In which sentences does the subject perform the action indicated by the verb? In which sentence does the subject receive the action of the verb? Prepared By: Kierlle V. Bachiller

ACHIEVING GOOD ENGLISH

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Jose was given the first prize. Mr. Cruz gave me two mangoes. Juan carried water to the ducks. My brother was invited to a party. The dog was tied to a post.

Uses of the Passive Voice Because the active voice is stronger, it is better to use it than the passive. The passive voice, however, has its own uses. 1. It is sometimes used because the doer is unknown, or because it is better not to mention the doer. The ink was spilled on the floor. (The doer is unknown.) The suspected men were followed to their homes. (The doer is kept secret.) 2. The passive voice is used when the doer of the action is of less importance than the act. Sugar is produced in Negros Occidental. Prize was awarded for scholarship. 3. The passive voice is sometimes used from the sake of courtesy. Blunt: Your parents gave you wrong information. Better: You were given wrong information. 4. The passive voice is used to avoid the awkward, indefinite they used with the active voice. Awkward: in this school, they do not admit tardy students. Better: In this school, tardy students are not admitted. Changing the Voice from Active to Passive I. The Subject of Sentence in the Passive Voice

Study the following sentence to see how voice is usually change from active to passive. Look at the direct objects in the active voice and subjects in the passive voice. Active Voice (The direct objects are italicized.) 1. Maria helped Jose. 2. Emma will report the robbery. Passive Voice (The subjects are italicized.) Jose was helped by Maria The robbery will be reported by Emma.

What happened to the objects of the active verbs helped and will report? Note also that the subject in the active voice becomes the agent or doer in the byphrase in the passive voice. Maria becomes by Maria and Emma.

VOICE

Exercice 5. Changing from Active to Passive Change the following Sentence from active to passive voice: 1. Mrs. Luna was starting rehearsal when I came. 2. Lola Genia was scolding Jose when I arrived. 3. The senate was considering the question when the president called up. 4. They were discussing the problem a while ago.5. Jose was finishing the work when his wife left. Simple Future Tense Passive Active Maria will clean the house. Mother will bake cakes. Passive The house will be cleaned by Maria. Cakes will be baked by Mother.

The passive voice of a verb in the simple future tense is made by using will be or shall be as the helper verb and adding to it the past participle of the main verb. Exercise 6. Changing from Active to Passive Change the following sentences from active to passive voice: 1. Aurora will deliver that tomorrow. 2. Everyone will enjoy that picture. 3. The townsfolk will welcome the distinguished explorer. 4. Salesmen will attend to customers courteously. 5. Mr. and Mrs. Jose will adopt this baby. Another way of expressing the future passive is by using is going to be or are going to be plus the past participle. Do exercise 6 again using this method. Exercise7. Changing from Active to Passive Change the following sentence from the active to the passive voice. Be sure to keep the tense. 1. Martha bought three new books. 2. The boys will help me. 3. Rain helps the farmers. 4. They awaited the news early. 5. The girls entertained the veterans with folk dancing. Make sentences using the following verbs in the active voice. You may use any of the simple tenses.

1. Accompany 3. Notice 5. protect 7.appoint 2. Catch 4. Began 6. Find 8. permit Change the sentences you have written from active to passive voice. Lesson 2. CORRECT USAGE OF THE PASSIVE VOICE A. Two ways of putting a sentence into a passive Some verbs have two objects : a direct object and an indirect object. Note the two ways in which this kind of sentence is changed from active to passive voice. Prepared By: Anthony S. Piad