1 Work with a partner. Match the texts to the sources. Then share your answers with another pair. Discuss how you were able to figure out the answers

1 Work with a partner. Match the texts to the sources. Then share your answers with another pair. Discuss how you were able to figure out the answers.

a. Lady Gaga turns the fashion world upside down with her new 'meat dress' at the Oscars®.	1. Mainstream newspaper
b. I understand company policy, sir, but I think that my request for the afternoon off to attend my mother's funeral is not entirely unreasonable.	2. Scholarly paper
c. We must all remember that any order for new shipments from Southeast Asia will require a review from the Acquisitions Team.	3. Sports magazine
d. Long time no see, Joey! How have you been? When are you finally gonna come down to Brixton for a visit?	4. Facebook update
e. Farnsworth is getting ready to light up the barbeque or tonight's blowout with his crazy neighbors.	5. Work memo
f. The leaders of the Caspian Sea Alliance concluded a week-long summit to determine which nations would assume the lion's share of funding for the proposed pipeline.	6. Email to a friend
g. Beckham's head injury proves to be a massive headache for England's World Cup bid.	7. Email to a superior
h. A qualitative approach to data analysis was used as a means of dealing with responses that did not fit into the neat categories of right and wrong.	8. Tabloid newspaper

Work with a partner. Evaluate the paraphrases of popular English sayings below.

Which are weak? Why? Which are strong? (Note that we have included the 'source' only in the first example, so that you can concentrate on the paraphrasing of the language itself.)

a. Original: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. (English saying)

1. An English saying stresses that it is better to be satisfied with something small that you have than to crave something large that you don't.

2. A bird that you are holding is more valuable than two birds sitting in a tree, according to an English proverb.

3. As English speakers say, a bird in captivity is better than many birds that are free.

b. Original: An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

1. Doctors are afraid of fruit.

2. Eating good food keeps you healthy.

3. One of the best ways to stay out of the hospital is simply to eat nutritious food.

c. Original: Don't judge a man until you've walked in his boots.

1. It's impossible to judge whether people are good or bad without knowing abouttheir life, because you don't understand their motivations.

2. Until you have walked in their boots, you shouldn't judge people.

3. Don't evaluate a person until you have worn his or her footwear.

d. Original: You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.

1. It's very difficult to force someone to do something he or she doesn't want to do.

2. Horses don't mind being near water, but they won't drink it.

3. Even if you explain something to a person, there's no way you can make him or her accept it.

e. Original: When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

1. Rome has very strange laws, so if you go there, just copy what the locals are doing.

2. When you go to Rome, do what the Roman people there do.

3. It's important to respect local customs when you travel.

Work with a partner. Paraphrase the popular sayings. Then compare your paraphrases with another pair or the whole class.

a. Don't put the cart before the horse.

b. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

c. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

d. Don't judge a book by its cover.

e. Don't put off till tomorrow what you can do today.
The passive voice

Active:

Researchers at the University of California discovered a new genetic link to diabetes. Here, the emphasis is on the researchers.

Passive:

A new genetic link to diabetes was discovered by researchers at the University of California.

Here, the emphasis is on "the new genetic link" with the actor (researchers) in a "by phrase."

It is even possible to ignore the actor altogether:

A new genetic link to diabetes has been discovered.

Key point: If you want to emphasize the actor, use the active voice. If you want to emphasize the receiver of an action, use the passive.

Some textbooks say the passive voice is too weak or wordy. Some popular grammar websites say the passive creates awkward or vague constructions. Some word-processing software underlines passive sentences, as if to imply that they are incorrect.They are not. In general, active sentences are thought to be "stronger," but the passive is sometimes the most

appropriate construction.

Sometimes including an actor in the sentence isn't important. Sometimes an actor isn't even known; a passive sentence such as Diabetes is considered a serious problem is more effective than Some people consider diabetes a serious problem.

The second sentence, though active, leaves us wondering who "some people are, when actually the writer wants the reader to focus on "diabetes." Overusing the passive is not good, but neither is avoiding it.You must determine when and where to place the emphasis.

Work with a partner. Read the following sentences. Revise any sentences that would be more effective in the passive voice. Rewrite those using the passive.

Decide whether to include the subject with a "by phrase."

a. A lot of people are eating more fast food today than ever before.

b. The book Fast Food Nation exposed the effects of the fast food industry on people
in the U.S. and abroad.

c. Journalist Eric Schlosser wrote Fast Food Nation.

d. Schlosser described how unsafe and unhealthy fast food really is.

e. A publisher published a version for children called Chew On This in 2006.

f. In 2006, a bunch of people made a film version of the book, also called Fast Food Nation.