Ex. 1. Find the passive verbs in this text. What tenses are they?

STUDY THE PATTERN

is

smb            was

will be

 

 

told

offered

given

promised

 

 

 

smth

8. Some verbs can be used only in the following type of constructions:

 

is

smth           was

will be

 

explained

announced

described

repeated

dictated

pointed out

 

 

 

to smb

 

· The news was announced to everybody.

· Everything will be explained to you later.

9. Passive constructions with the verb to advise, to allow, to award, to deny, to forbid, to forgive, to grant, to offer, to order, to pay, to promise, to refuse, to show, to teach, to envypresent some difficulties. In English the subject of such constructions corresponds to the Russian indirect object. The center of passive construction in English is not changed. Pay attention to the following difference.

Active

Passive

Russian

 

 

English

 

Я просил...

Я сказал ему...

 

I asked...

I told him...

Меня попросили...

Мне сказали...

 

I was asked...

I was told

· He was given a ten days’ leave.

· Have you been shown the documents?

· They were told to wait.

 

10. The verbs which take personal object can form passive construction of the following pattern: ( the list of such verbs is given below).

is

smb            was

smth           will be

 

 

sentfor

spokenabout

laughedat

 

· The film was much spoken about.

· The doctor was sent for.

Mind the place of the preposition in Russian and English

 

Russian

English

Над ним часто смеются.

О нём много говорили.

 

He is often laugh at

He was much spoken about

 

The verbs taking prepositional objects. It should be remembered that not all of them retain this preposition in Russian.

 

A. to agree to/with                       - соглашаться с чем-то

to agree on/upon           - прийти к соглашению

to arrive at an agreement - прийти к соглашению

to arrive at a compromise - прийти к компромиссу

to arrive at a conclusion - прийти к заключению

to arrive at a decision             - прийти к решению

to call for, on                - зайти за

to count on                   - надеяться, рассчитывать на кого-то

to deal with                   - иметь дело с

to hear of                      - слышать о

to insist on/upon           - настаивать на

to interfere with            - вмешиваться в, мешать

to laugh at                     - смеяться над

to look after                  - ухаживать за

to look at                      - смотреть на

to put up with               - примириться с

to refer to                      - ссылаться на

to rely on/upon                       - полагаться на

to send for                    - посылать за

to speak about/of, to              - говорить о/с

to talk about                 - говорить о

to think of                     - думать о

to write about           - писать о

to find fault with           - придираться к

to make fun of                        - насмехаться над

to pay attention to        - обращать внимание на

to take care of               - заботиться о

B. to account for                     - объяснять

to comment on                   - комментировать

to listen to                          - слушать

to look for                          - искать

to operate on                      - оперировать

to provide for                     - снабжать

to lose sight of                    - потерять из виду

to make fool of                   - дурачить

to make use of                    - использовать

to put an end to                  - положить конец

to take (no) notice of          - (не) замечать

 

· The boat was soon lost sight of.

· The child should be taken care of

· He remark was taken notice of.

11. The passive is frequently used to describe scientific or mechanical processes, or in formal explanations:

· The passive is frequently used

12. The passive is often used in news reports:

· A number of political prisoners have been released.

· Talks will be held in London next week.

It is not essential to repeat the auxiliary verb to bein a list of processes:

The cars are washed, cleaned checked, and then given to the ports.

SECTION II.

1. RECOGNISE THE PASSIVE

In Denmark, 24 people were left hanging upside down when a roller coaster car made an unscheduled stop.

The passengers were stranded 60 feet in the air for 20 minutes before firemen arrived with ladders.

An official for the fairground, at Alborg in Western Denmark, said the riders had been firmly locked in and not been in danger.

“They were given their money back”, the official said.