Passive Voice
The passive voice is less usual than the active voice. The active voice is the "normal" voice. But sometimes we need the passive voice. In this lesson we look at how to construct the passive voice, when to use it and how to conjugate it.
Construction of the Passive Voice
The structure of the passive voice is very simple:
subject + auxiliary verb (be) + main verb (past participle)
The main verb is always in its past participle form.
Use of the Passive Voice
We use the passive when:
.we want to make the active object more important
.we do not know the active subject


Active or Passive Quiz
1 I ate a piece of chocolate cake. active passive
Click for answer active
2 The librarian read the book to the students. active passive
Click for answer active
3 The money was stolen. active passive
Click for answer passive
4 They are paid on Fridays. active passive
Click for answer passive
5 The movie is being made in Hollywood. active passive
Click for answer passive
6 I washed my car three weeks ago. active passive
Click for answer active
7 His hair was cut by a professional. active passive
Click for answer passive
8 I will introduce you to my boss this week. active passive
Click for answer active
9 It would have been fixed on the weekend. active passive
Click for answer passive
10 The national anthem is being sung by Jason this time. active passive
Click for answer passive

Listening. (http://www.5minuteenglish.com/jun11.htm)
The Birthday Party
Vocabulary
wait up- wait, wait for me
what's up- what is happening? what do you want to talk about?
hang out (slang)- be with friends doing nothing special
bring (someone) along- invite someone, have someone join you
come along- follow, join you


Sarah: Hey Lisa, wait up! I've wanted to have a chance to talk to you.
Lisa: Hi! What's up?
Sarah: This weekend I'm having a birthday party for Ted. I'd like you to come.
Lisa: I'd love to. When is it?
Sarah: We're having it this Saturday at 8:00 at my house. We're going to order a pizza and play some games. Then whoever wants to stay longer can hang out and watch a video.
Lisa: It sounds like a lot of fun. But now that I think about it, I promised I would do something with Nathan Saturday night.Sarah: Well why don't you bring him along? It would be fun. Ted would really like that. I'm sure.
Lisa: Really? That would be great. Okay, I'll ask Nathan to come along. *What can I bring?Sarah: Nothing. Just bring yourselves. No presents are necessary and everything else has been planned.
*It is polite to offer to bring something to a party.

Check Your Understanding
True or False. Check your answers below.
1. Sarah wants to invite Lisa to a beach party.
True False
2. Lisa asks Sarah what is up on top of the roof.
True False
3. It is Nathan's birthday this weekend.
True False
4. Lisa has plans to do something with Nathan on Saturday night.
True False
5. Sarah wants Nathan to come to the party, too.
True False
6. Everybody is going to watch a video at Sarah's house.
True False
7. Lisa needs to buy a present for Ted's birthday party.
True False

Reading. Levi's Blue Jeans
Vocabulary
emigrate- (v) to move permanently from one's country to another.
dry goods- (n) clothing, fabric, and other items to sell
miner- (n) a person who searches for gold, diamonds, etc.
durable- (adj) last a long time
fabric- (n) material for clothing, curtains, etc.
tailor- (n) a person who sews clothing
rivet- (n) (v) a metal piece that holds 2 thing together. (You can see the metal on Levi's jeans)
patent- (n) (v) an inventor's right to be the only one making or selling a product
think it over- (v) think about it, decide


Do you enjoy wearing Levi's blue jeans? Blue jeans have become popular all over the world, but do you know how they got started? Read on to find out...
Levi Strauss was born in Germany in the mid 1800's and emigrated to the United States as a young man. He lived in New York City and learned the dry-goods business for several years. In 1853 he took his knowledge and his dreams to San Francisco (California., USA.) His dream to succeed came true over the next 20 years as he became a very successful businessman.
Many of Levi Strauss' customers were cowboys and miners. They needed clothing that was strong and durable. Strauss found a special fabric from France that was comfortable and lasted a long time. It was called "serge de Nimes," which was later shortened to the word denim.
Another man named Jacob Davis bought large amounts of the denim fabric from Levi Strauss. He was a tailor who made pants for hard-working men. One of his customers was continually tearing the pockets off his pants. So Jacob Davis decided to put rivets on certain parts of the pants to make them stronger. The customer loved the new pants so much that he told all his friends, and soon Jacob Davis was busy making lots of pants with rivets.
Jacob Davis soon realized that using rivets was a great business idea, and he didn't want anybody to steal that idea. He decided that he would need to get a patent. But being a poor tailor, he didn't have enough money to pay for the patent. After thinking it over, he went to the businessman Levi Strauss and told him his idea. He said, "If you agree to pay for the patent, we will share the profits from the riveted pants." Levi Strauss did agree, and the new riveted pant business was called Levi Strauss and Company. Today Levi's jeans are more popular than ever, and Levi's name continues to live on.

Check Your Understanding
True or False. Check your answers below.
1. Levi Strauss was born in 1853.
True False
2. Levi Strauss wanted to become a great businessman.
True False
3. Levi Strauss sewed pants in his business.
True False
4. Jacob Davis sewed pants in his business.
True False
5. Jacob David used denim to make pants.
True False
6. Jacob Davis put rivets in pants because they looked good.
True False
7. Levi Strauss didn't want to pay for Jacob Davis' patent.
True False
8. Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis became business partners.
True False
Answer: 1F, 2T, 3F, 4T, 5T, 6F, 7F, 8 T

Dictionary.
headphones — анг., наушники.
aisle — анг., боковой неф храма, придел.
выступление — анг., statement, speech.
кашель — анг., cough.
crack — анг., треск, хруст, скрежет.
variety — анг., многообразие, разнообразие.
covered — анг., имеющий крышу, покрытый крышей.
pleasure — анг., желание, воля, склонность.
guess — анг., гипотеза, предположение.
settle — анг., место для сидения, сиденье.
stool — анг., табурет, табуретка, скамеечка.
довольно — анг., it is enough, that(s) enough!.
butcher — анг., мясник, киллер, палач, убийца.
greengrocer — анг., зеленщик, продавец фруктов.
barber — анг., парикмахер, цирюльник.

Rewrite the sentences in passive voice. (http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar)
She sang a song. - A song was sung by her. ('a song' becomes the subject. As it is third person singular, we use was + past participle.irregular verb: sing - sang - sung )
Somebody hit me. - I was hit by somebody. ('I' becomes the subject. As it is first person singular, we use was + past participle.irregular verb: hit - hit - hit )
We stopped the bus. - The bus was stopped by us. ('the bus' becomes the subject. As it is third person singular, we use was + past participle.Note: 'p' must be doubled when adding '-ed' as 'o' before 'p' is a short, stressed vowel. )
A thief stole my car. - My car was stolen by a thief. ('my car' becomes the subject. As it is third person singular, we use was + past participle.irregular verb: steal - stole - stolen )
They didn't let him go. - He was not let go by them. ('he' becomes the subject. As it is third person singular and a negative sentence, we use was + not + past participle.irregular verb: let - let - let )
She didn't win the prize. - The prize was not won by her. ('the prize' becomes the subject. As it is third person singular and a negative sentence, we use was + not + past participle.irregular verb: win - won - wonDon't use 'did' with a form of 'to be' )
They didn't make their beds. - Their beds were not made by them. ('their beds' becomes the subject. As it is plural and a negative sentence, we use were + not + past participle.irregular verb: make - made - madeDon't use 'did' with a form of 'to be'. )
I did not tell them. - They were not told by me. ('them' becomes the subject. As it is plural and a negative sentence, we use were + not + past participle.irregular verb: tell - told - toldDon't use 'did' with a form of 'to be'. )
Did you tell them? - Were they told by you? ('they' becomes the subject. As it is plural and a questin, we use Were + subject + past participle.irregular verb: tell - told - toldDon't use 'did' with a form of 'to be'. )
Did he send the letter? - Was the letter sent by him? ('the letter' becomes the subject. As it is third person singular and a question, we use Was + subject + past participle.irregular verb: send - sent - sentDon't use 'did' with a form of 'to be'. )

Reading.
History of Halloween
Halloween falls on October 31st each year in North America and other parts of the world. What do you know about Halloween? Do you celebrate it in your country? Here is a little history about it.

Vocabulary
to evolve (v)- to change little by little
spirit (n)- ghost, some people believe the spirit and body separate when a person dies
holy (adj)- sacred, very good, related to religion. Hallow comes from the word holy.
saint (n)- an honored, holy person
evil (adj)- very, very bad
lantern (n)- lamp or enclosed light that can be carried around
turnip (n)- a purple and white vegetable that grows in the ground


Like many other holidays, Halloween has evolved and changed throughout history. Over 2,000 years ago people called the Celts lived in what is now Ireland, the UK, and parts of Northern France. November 1 was their New Year's Day. They believed that the night before the New Year (October 31) was a time when the living and the dead came together.
More than a thousand years ago the Christian church named November 1 All Saints Day (also called All Hallows.) This was a special holy day to honor the saints and other people who died for their religion. The night before All Hallows was called Hallows Eve. Later the name was changed to Halloween.
Like the Celts, the Europeans of that time also believed that the spirits of the dead would visit the earth on Halloween. They worried that evil spirits would cause problems or hurt them. So on that night people wore costumes that looked like ghosts or other evil creatures. They thought if they dressed like that, the spirits would think they were also dead and not harm them.
The tradition of Halloween was carried to America by the immigrating Europeans. Some of the traditions changed a little, though. For example, on Halloween in Europe some people would carry lanterns made from turnips. In America, pumpkins were more common. So people began putting candles inside them and using them as lanterns. That is why you see Jack 'o lanterns today.
These days Halloween is not usually considered a religious holiday. It is primarily a fun day for children. Children dress up in costumes like people did a thousand years ago. But instead of worrying about evil spirits, they go from house to house. They knock on doors and say "trick or treat." The owner of each house gives candy or something special to each trick or treater.
Happy Halloween!

Check Your Understanding
True or False. Check your answers below.
1. The Celts thought the spirits of dead people returned to the earth on October 31st.
True False
2. The Celts created All Hallows.
True False
3. All Hallows is on October 31st.
True False
4. The word Halloween comes from the word Hallows eve.
True False
5. A thousand years ago Europeans wore costumes to get candy.
True False
6. Americans still carve turnips to use as lanterns.
True False
7. Today Halloween is especially for children.
True False
8. Children get candy by saying "trick or treat."
True False
answer: 1T, 2F, 3F, 4T, 5F, 6F, 7T, 8T

Topic. In the air.
put each of the following words or phases in its correct place in the passage below.

Flying is fun. I like being in a big airliner with the cabin crew (steawards and stewardesses) loking after me. They walk up and down the aisle bringing meas and drinks; and if the flight is going though some turbulence, they warn everybody that it might be bit bumpy and ask us to fasten our seat belts. On a long flight I like listening to music though the headphones avaible to all passengers, but sometmes I have a sleep. I enjoy it all so much that I never want the plane to land.