2016-08-09 Core: 8 sinkholes, passive reporting

Greg Malivuk
[email protected]
http://www.pastebin.com/u/gmalivuk - notes from all classes
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This is a complete sentence: Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.
the form is like: 	Boston cats [(that) Boston cats bother] bother Boston cats.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_buffalo_Buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_Buffalo_buffalo
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This week: digital media
p. 93
part 2 - Discuss these questions with a partner.
part 3 - categorize the activities in the box and compare your answers with your partner’s
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Do you remember when you first used a computer or first had a computer at home? The Internet?
Do you read blogs? What kinds of blogs?
p. 94 part 2 - Which of these features encourage you to read blogs? Are there other reasons to read blogs (instead of other types of media)?

Look at the picture on p. 94. What questions would you like to have answered about this?
Read the blog post.
part 4 - Choose the correct option to complete each sentence.
1 see the hole
2 man-made
3 insecure foundations
4 an unexpected weather event caused it
5 not the first of its kind
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Grammar: Passive reporting verbs

It is believed that water leaked from the sewer system and hollowed out the ground.
	- “it” is a dummy subject, like in “it is raining” or “it is important to study”.
It is not expected to happen again. = The event is not expected to happen again.
Other sinkholes like this are known to exist.

A: It is believed that water caused the sinkhole. (“it” is a dummy subject, believed + that + clause)
B: Water is believed to have caused the sinkhole. (believed + infinitive)

- Usually some sort of expert is the agent of passive reporting verbs, but it’s maybe not so important to readers to know exactly who.
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p. 95 part 7 - Notice the tenses and forms used in passive reporting sentences.

Type B sentences - with infinitives:
The sewers are reported to have been leaking. - leaking first, then reported now
The sewers were reported to be leaking. - reported when they were leaking
The sewers were reported to have been leaking. - leaking first, then reported in the past

Type A sentences (same meanings) - with “that”:
It is reported that the sewers were leaking.
It was reported that the sewers were leaking.
It was reported that the sewers had been leaking.

Active reported speech - with “that”:
Newspapers report that the sewers were leaking.
Newspapers reported that the sewers were leaking.
Newspapers reported that the sewers had been leaking.
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Change these sentences (from the blog) from type B (with infinitives) to type A (with “that”):
Ex: The hole is estimated to be 300 feet deep.
	It is estimated that the hole is 300 feet deep.
1 A similar sinkhole was reported to have swallowed about a dozen homes.
	It was reported that a similar sinkhole had swallowed about a dozen homes.
2 What is believed to have happened is that water leaked from the sewer system.
	It is believed that (what happened is) water leaked from the sewer system.
3 It (the disaster) is not expected to happen again.
	It is not expected that the disaster will happen again.
	It is expected that the disaster won’t happen again.
4 Other sinkholes like this are known to exist.
	It is known that other sinkholes like this exist.
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part 9 - Change these active reporting sentences to passive.
1 The cenotes in Yucatan are said to be the most beautiful sinkholes in the world.
2 They (the cenotes) are thought to have been important to the Maya people.
3 The Maya were already known to have built important settlements near the cenotes.
	(“to have built” because building happened before knowing)
4 It was believed that the cenotes led to the next world after death.
5 These water holes are reported to be increasingly popular with tourists.
6 In the future, the more popular ones are expected to be closed to the public.
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Type B sentences use the same grammar and tense changes as normal reported speech.
Type A sentences:
	- If the action verb happens before the reporting verb: reported to have [verbed]
	- If the action verb happens at the same time: reported to [verb]

He was said to have won the war.
He is said to have won the war.
He will be said to have won the war.
- “win” is before “say”

Remember: look at the tense of “be” to know the time of a passive verb (because the main verb will always be the past participle form)

“Snakes have been known to bite their owners, but it isn’t as common as people think.”
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Note: passive voice in general is more impersonal and more formal than everyday conversation, so it is most common in writing, especially for reports and academic writing.
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Preview of tomorrow’s topic:
p. 96 - What is a “buzz” in the context of advertising?
p. 96 part 1 - Discuss the questions in your group.
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Homework: p. 167 practice 1