Forgetting: Grammar

Grammar

We use the active form to say what the subject does.

For example— I speak English everyday.

We use the passive form to say what happens to people and things - to say what is done to them. For example—English is spoken by me everyday.

A. Identify the changes in these pairs of active and passive constructions.

1.        The pilot flew the airplane to Bengaluru. The airplane was flown to Bengaluru by the pilot.

The airplane was flown to Bengaluru by the pilot.

2.        The bananas were eaten by the monkey. The monkeys ate the bananas.

The monkeys ate the bananas.

B. Change the voice of the following sentences.

1.        Mohammed follows the rules.

The rules are followed by Mohammed.

2.        Mohan has completed the course.

The course has been completed by Mohan.

3.        Magdalene is singing the prayer.

The prayer is being sung by Magadalence.

4.        Who wrote this complaint?

By whom was this complaint written?

5.        May God bless you with happiness!

May you be blessed with happiness by God.

6.        A house is being constructed by them.

They are constructing a house.

7.        Let the door not be slammed.

Do not slam the door.

8.        The team was trained by the coach.

The coach trained the team.

C. Make sentences using the passive forms of the verbs.

1.        Tagore/ award/ Nobel prize/

Tagore was awarded the Nobel Prize.

2.        IIM Ahmedabad / establish /1961

IIM Ahemadabad was established in 1961.

3.        Chattisgarh/ form / 2000

Chattisgarh was formed in 2000.

4.        First passenger train /inaugurated / India /1853

The first passenger train was inaugurated in India in 1853.

5.        Indian Airlines /set up / 1953

The Indian airlines was set up in 1953.

D. Look at the newspaper items given below. Use the information in the headlines to complete the sentence.

1. HEAVY RAINS LASH CHENNAI

........................... threw normal life out of gear.

Heavy rains lashed Chennai last night. The normal life of people is heavily affected. The city is floating in the heavy rains now.

2. NEET CLASSES TO BEGIN ON SEPT. 20TH

The Centre co-ordinator informed the candidates ........................ Sept. 20th.

The Tamilnadu Education Minister announced that Entrance Test) coaching classes for Government School Students will begin on Sept. 20^th at all District Central Libraries.

3. 12 INJURED AS BUSES COLLIDE

About ........................at the Dindigul bus terminus here today.

Two buses collided with each other at Chennai to Trichy by-pass near Perambalur last night. About 12 persons were injured and they had been admitted to hospital.

E. Expand the following news headlines in a sentence.

1.        municipal elections in december

The State Election Commission announced that municipal elections would be held in the month of December.

2.        telephone customers to get video phone

Regional Director of Bharath Sanchar Nigam Limited announced that the customers of BSNL would get video phone facility soon.

3.        card license to replace paper driving license

The Tamil Nadu Transport Minister announced that hereafter paper driving licenses will be replaced with card license.

4.        atm without security guard to close

Reserve Bank of India instructed all the banks should close Automated Teller Machine centers without security guards.

F. Describing a process

Anu and her little brother want to refresh themselves with a hot cup of tea during study time. Help them prepare tea. Given below are the steps/instructions to make two cups of tea.

·           Boil two glasses of water in a vessel.

·           Add two tea spoons of tea leaves and ½ a cup of milk.

·           Cover the vessel with a lid.

·           Filter the tea and pour in cups.

·           Add 2 teaspoons of sugar and stir it.

·           Serve hot.

1. Complete the passage by filling the blanks with the passive forms of the verbs.

The water should be boiled in a vessel. Then tea leaves and milk should be added to the water. The vessel should be covered with a lid. The tea should be filtered and poured into the cups. Sugar should be added and stirred.The tea should be served hot.

2. Here is a recipe to make chocolate cake in a pressure cooker. Rewrite the instructions in passive voice. The first one has been done for you.

Ingredients

·           1 cup flour

·           1/4 cup cocoa powder

·           1 1/4 tsp baking powder

·           1/4 cup butter

·           3/4 cup castor sugar

·           1/4 cup water

·           2 eggs

·           1/2 tsp vanilla essence

·           1/8 tsp salt

Method

i.               First sift the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder in a mixing bowl.

ii.               Add butter, sugar, salt, water and vanilla and beat the ingredients using a whisk.

iii.               Add the eggs and beat the batter until it is smooth.

iv.               Transfer the batter into the baking tin.

v.               Heat the pressure cooker, covered with the lid but without the pressure, for 3-4 minutes on high heat. Then place the cake tin in the empty cooker (Do not add water in the cooker).

vi.               Close the lid (without the pressure), lower the flame and let it cook for about 30 minutes.

The flour, cocoa powder and baking powder are first sifted in a mixing bowl.

i.               The flour, cocoa powder and baking powder are first sifted in a mixing bowl.

ii.               Then the butter, sugar, salt, water and vanilla are added and beaten using a whisk.

iii.               The eggs are then added and beaten until the batter is smooth.

iv.               The batter is transferred into the baking tin.

v.               The pressure cooker is covered with the lid and is heated without pressure for about 3-4 minutes on high heat. Then the cake tin is placed in the empty cooker without adding water.

vi.               The lid is closed and it is cooked for about 30 minutes with lower flame.

3. Write the process of wrapping a Christmas gift in a paragraph in passive form, with the help of the pictures given below.

1.         The gift is placed in a rectangular box. This makes it easier to wrap than oddly shaped boxes.

2.         Then the amount of paper needed is measured and cut. The gift is placed on the paper and the loose end is wrapped up and over after which a cut is made.

3.         The gift is placed down and centered on the paper. The first edge is brought up and taped in place onto the box and then the other side is also brought up and taped in place.

4.         Then the sides are folded in against the edges of the box and the diagonal flaps are creased.

5.         The top edge is folded down. It is taped to the box after which the bottom edge is folded up and taped.

6.         At last a gift tag, bow and a ribbon are added to make it look classy and impress the recipients.

Subject and Verb Agreement (Concord)

When you write a sentence you must make sure that the subject and the verb agree.

Subject—verb agreement is the correspondence of a verb with its subject in person and number. The basic rule states that a singular subject takes a singular verb, while a plural subject takes a plural verb.

Always Plural

·           after people, police, cattle, a number of, a group of

·           when subject has two nouns joined by ‘and’

·           few, many, several, both, all, some

·           scissors, tweezers, trousers, shorts, jeans, glasses

Always Singular

·           after ‘one of, a kind of, a type of

·           ’units of measurement and mathematical expressions

·           when the subject has two singular nouns joined by ‘or’

·           nouns connected with each of, each one, either of, neither of, someone, something, anybody, anything, no one, nothing, everybody, everything

·           names of subjects: mathematics, politics, civics, economics, physics etc.

A.      Underline the correct verb in these sentences.

1.        The girl and her sisters watch (watch, watches) television everyday.

2.        Ravi doesn’t (doesn’t, don’t) like sports.

3.        My classmates study (study, studies) before a test.

4.        One of the cookies is (is, are) missing.

5.        A lady with ten cats lives (live, lives) in that big house.

6.        Measles is (is, are) very serious.

7.        The committee decides (decide, decides) when to adjourn.

8.        Our team is (is, are) the best.

9.        Everybody enjoys (enjoy, enjoys) a good song.

10.   Either of these is (is, are) suitable.

B. Correct the following passage.

Where do does the deer and the antelope play? One place is Yellowstone National Park. It was were created in 1872. Parts of the park is in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. The park are a safe place for many animals. Bears, mice, buffaloes imoose, buffalo, buffalo, deer and antelope live lives there. Beavers, otters, fish and eagles also enjoy enjoys the park. For them, Yellowstone is be ‘home sweet home.’