Grammar - Active and Passive

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

Damjan - 08 Jan 2004 22:12 GMT

Hey!

I am learning English and I have some problems with the following:

INSERT THE CORRECT TENSES!

Q: I have to check if anything ______ happen yet. (Is there ED missing –
happened)
A: I have to check if anything has happened yet.

Q: This shop _______ (not open) on Saturdays.
A: This shop is not open on Saturdays.

Q: As soon as I ______ (give) him money, I’ll get a new car.
A: As soon as I give him money, I’ll get a new car.
A: As soon as I have given him money, I’ll get a new car.
(I think both answers are correct)

Q: Sheila admitted that she _____ (never do) that work before.
A: Sheila admitted that she HAD never done that work before.
(I saw one solution: "HAS never done", but I think it was wrong)

PUT INTO THE PASSIVE AND ACTIVE VOICE

A: Somebody had cleaned my shoes and brushed my suit.
P: My shoes had been cleaned and my suit had been brushed. OR
P: My shoes had been cleaned and my suit was brushed.

A: Why didn’t they mend the roof before it fell in?
P: Why the roof wasn’t mended before it fell in?

A: No one can do anything unless someone gives us more information.
P: Anything can be done unless we are given more information.
P: Nothing can be done unless we are given more information. (I think
this one is correct)

A: The judge gave him two weeks in which to pay the fine.
P: He was given two weeks in which the fine is to be paid. (???)

(Please check if my answers are correct)
I would appreciate if you could correct the wrong ones.

Thanks,
Damjan

Reply to this Message

Damjan - 10 Jan 2004 11:49 GMT

Come on!

It shouldn't be too hard for you, huh.

I really need this.

Thanks.

> Hey!
>
[quoted text clipped - 40 lines]
> Thanks,
> Damjan

Reply to this Message

CyberCypher - 10 Jan 2004 12:10 GMT

Damjan <no@spam.net> wrote on 10 Jan 2004:

> Come on!
>
> It shouldn't be too hard for you, huh.
>
> I really need this.

You must understand this lack of response to your request as an
unwillingness by anyone here to do your homework for you. If you don't
make your own mistakes, you will never learn what you're supposed to be
learning.

> Thanks.

Anytime.

Signature

Franke: EFL teacher & medical editor.

Reply to this Message

Damjan - 10 Jan 2004 18:38 GMT

Well this is NOT my homework. I am studying for my exam.
I have a paper test from previous exam. But it seems to me that there
are some errors in questions (made by professor). It is very hard to
study from examples you don't know exactly if they are correct or not.
Don't you agree!

There are three kind of persons:
1. They learn on their own mistakes
2. They don't want to make a mistake (learn on mistakes made by others)
3. They never learn.

This time, I don't want to make a mistake. Otherwise I belong to the 1st
group as most of us.

However, I didn't just ask for solution. I asked you to check my
answers, which means that I did make my "homework". I believe this is a
BIG difference.

Bye

> Damjan <no@spam.net> wrote on 10 Jan 2004:
>
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
>
> Anytime.

Reply to this Message

CyberCypher - 11 Jan 2004 04:09 GMT

Damjan <no@spam.net> wrote on 11 Jan 2004:

>> Damjan <no@spam.net> wrote on 10 Jan 2004:
>>
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>> don't make your own mistakes, you will never learn what you're
>> supposed to be learning.

> Well this is NOT my homework. I am studying for my exam.
> I have a paper test from previous exam. But it seems to me that
> there are some errors in questions (made by professor). It is very
> hard to study from examples you don't know exactly if they are
> correct or not. Don't you agree!

Yes, I do agree, and if you had explained yourself as clearly as this
the first time you posted, you would have had a flood of answers,
believe me.

We in this NG are no more mindreaders than anyone else in the world.

> There are three kind of persons:
> 1. They learn on their own mistakes
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> answers, which means that I did make my "homework". I believe this
> is a BIG difference.

Yes, now that I look at the entire post, I see that you did provide
your answers, but that was down the line from the sentences with the
blanks and the initial request:

"Hey! I am learning English and I have some problems with the
following: INSERT THE CORRECT TENSES!"

Once I saw that, I didn't bother read the rest of the post. One of
the main prinicples of good writing in English is to interest your
reader with the first sentence or at least the first paragraph. I'm
afraid you didn't do that.

If you are a type-1 person, according to your claddification above,
then you will not make the same mistake next time.

Better luck next time. You will have better luck, by the way, if you
write a better intro to your problem.

Signature

Franke: EFL teacher & medical editor.

Reply to this Message

Damjan - 11 Jan 2004 12:02 GMT

I understand what you are saying and I am gratefull.

Well I'll try better next time - if I fail the exam :))

Thanks for your time

Bye

Reply to this Message

Skitt - 11 Jan 2004 21:43 GMT

> I understand what you are saying and I am gratefull.

Grateful.

> Well I'll try better next time - if I fail the exam :))

... try to do better ...

Signature

Skitt (in Hayward, California)
www.geocities.com/opus731/

Reply to this Message

Donna Richoux - 10 Jan 2004 12:30 GMT

> Come on!
>
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
> Thanks.

[snipped ones that were good enough]

> > A: Why didn't they mend the roof before it fell in?
> > P: Why the roof wasn't mended before it fell in?

Wrong word order for a question.

> > A: No one can do anything unless someone gives us more information.
> > P: Anything can be done unless we are given more information.
> > P: Nothing can be done unless we are given more information. (I think
> > this one is correct)

Yes, the first P is wrong.

> > A: The judge gave him two weeks in which to pay the fine.
> > P: He was given two weeks in which the fine is to be paid. (???)

Better to leave the last as "in which to pay the fine."

> > (Please check if my answers are correct)
> > I would appreciate if you could correct the wrong ones.

You really should have put that at the top of the message.

> > Thanks,
> > Damjan

You're welcome.

Signature

Best -- Donna Richoux

Reply to this Message

Damjan - 10 Jan 2004 18:24 GMT

Thanks Donna.

> [snipped ones that were good enough]

Huh. I guess "good enough" will not satisfy my professor.
Are you willing to look at those questions as well.

I hope I will pass this exam.

Thanks Again.

>>Come on!
>>
[quoted text clipped - 33 lines]
>
> You're welcome.

Reply to this Message

Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2004

Grammar - Active and Passive