Activity 5.2.

2: While-reading

1. Complete the following table with the main ideas of the paragraphs in the text.

Paragraph Main Idea

Paragraph 1 The importance of a country's age structure for its population and resources.
Paragraph 2 Explanation of the population pyramid and its historical context.
Paragraph 3 How to read and interpret a population pyramid graph.
Paragraph 4 Changes in population pyramids over time and their implications.
Different types of population pyramids and their corresponding demographic
Paragraph 5
transitions.

2. ‘made up of’ (paragraph 1, line 2) means

b. consists of

3. In the 1800s many countries had large numbers of young people and small numbers of
older people.
a. True

4. ‘stands for’ (paragraph 3, line 2) means

a. represents

7. ‘This shape’ (paragraph 5, line 6) refers to

The traditional pyramid shape with a wide base and narrow top, characteristic of countries with
high birth and death rates.

8. ‘These countries’ (paragraph 5, line 11) refers to

European countries such as England and Wales, which have population pyramids shaped like a
beehive due to low birthrates, low death rates, and a high average age.

9. According to the last paragraph, there are ____________ categories of population

pyramid. To which category do you think Ethiopia belongs?
Answer: There are four categories of population pyramid. Ethiopia likely belongs to the second
category, with a narrow top, a wide base, and sides that curve inward, representing a high
birthrate and falling death rates.
10. Summarize the fifth paragraph in 3-5 sentences.
The fifth paragraph describes four types of population pyramids, which correspond to different
stages of demographic transition. The first type has a wide base and narrow top, indicating high
birth and death rates. The second type has a wide base but a narrower middle and top,
representing falling death rates but continued high birthrates. The third type, shaped like a
beehive, shows low birth and death rates and a high average age. The fourth type, with a tapered
base, reflects rapidly decreasing birthrates.

Activity 5.2.3: Post-reading

Topic Sentence:
Africa's urban population has been rapidly increasing in recent years.

Paragraph:
Africa's five most populous cities highlight the growing trend of urbanization on the continent.
Lagos, Nigeria, is the largest city with a population of 21 million, followed closely by Cairo,
Egypt, with 20.4 million. Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo ranks third, with 13.5
million people, while Luanda, Angola, and Nairobi, Kenya, have populations of 6.5 million and
3.5 million, respectively. These figures indicate the concentration of people in urban areas,
driven by factors such as economic opportunities, migration, and industrialization. As a result,
African cities face challenges like housing shortages, infrastructure demands, and environmental
concerns, alongside opportunities for growth and development.

Detailed Notes on Active and Passive Voice

1. Understanding Voice in Grammar

 Voice refers to the form of a verb that shows whether the subject of a sentence performs
the action (Active Voice) or receives the action (Passive Voice).

2. Active Voice

 In active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action of the verb.
 The structure is typically:
Subject + Verb + Object
 Examples:
o The chef cooked a delicious meal.
o The dog chased the cat.
 o She is writing a book.

3. Passive Voice

 In passive voice, the subject of the sentence receives the action of the verb.
 The structure is typically:
Object (of the active sentence) + Form of "to be" + Past Participle + (by + Subject)
 Examples:
o A delicious meal was cooked by the chef.
o The cat was chased by the dog.
o A book is being written by her.

4. Why Use Passive Voice?

Passive voice is used when:

1. The doer of the action is unknown or unimportant.

o Example: The window was broken (we don’t know who broke it).
2. The focus is on the action or the receiver of the action rather than the doer.
o Example: The cake was eaten (the cake is more important here).
3. To create a formal tone.
o Example: Mistakes were made.

5. Key Rules for Changing from Active to Passive Voice

1. Identify the Subject, Verb, and Object in the active sentence.

o Example: The teacher (subject) taught (verb) the students (object).
2. Make the object of the active sentence the subject of the passive sentence.
o Example: The students (subject) were taught by the teacher.
3. Use the correct form of the verb "to be" followed by the past participle of the main
verb.
o Example: taught → were taught
4. Add "by" + agent (optional) if the doer is important or needs to be specified.
o Example: The students were taught by the teacher.

6. Verb Forms and "To Be" in Passive Voice

 Tense Active Passive
Simple Present She writes a letter. A letter is written by her.
Present Continuous She is writing a letter. A letter is being written by her.
Simple Past She wrote a letter. A letter was written by her.
Past Continuous She was writing a letter. A letter was being written by her.
Present Perfect She has written a letter. A letter has been written by her.
Past Perfect She had written a letter. A letter had been written by her.
Future Simple She will write a letter. A letter will be written by her.
Future Perfect She will have written a letter. A letter will have been written by her.
Modal Verbs She can write a letter. A letter can be written by her.

7. Passive Voice Without a Known Agent

 When the doer is unknown or irrelevant, the agent ("by + subject") is omitted.
 Examples:
o Active: Someone stole my bag.
o Passive: My bag was stolen.

8. Common Mistakes

1. Omitting the correct "to be" form:

o Incorrect: The letter written by her.
o Correct: The letter was written by her.
2. Using the wrong verb tense:
o Incorrect: A letter is being write by her.
o Correct: A letter is being written by her.
3. Misplacing the subject and object:
o Incorrect: By her was the letter written.
o Correct: The letter was written by her.

9. When Not to Use Passive Voice

 Avoid overusing passive voice in informal writing or when clarity is important.

 Active voice is preferred for concise and direct communication.

Example:

 Passive: The cake was eaten by the children.

 Active: The children ate the cake.
10. Exercises

Change the sentences from active to passive:

1. She completed the project.

2. The team is building a new bridge.
3. They will deliver the packages tomorrow.

Change the sentences from passive to active:

1. The book was read by John.

2. A new law was passed by the government.
3. The homework is being done by the stud

Ah, I see! You're asking whether there are exceptional rules or special cases in active and
passive voice. Here’s a detailed explanation of exceptions or unusual situations in active and
passive voice:

1. Verbs Without Objects Cannot Form Passive Voice

 Only transitive verbs (verbs that take an object) can be converted to passive voice.
 Intransitive verbs (verbs that do not take an object) cannot form a passive voice.

Examples:

 Active (transitive): She writes a letter.

Passive: A letter is written by her.
 Active (intransitive): He sleeps.
Passive: (Not possible — no object to turn into the subject.)

2. Verbs with Two Objects

 Verbs that take two objects (direct and indirect) have two possible passive voice
constructions.

Example:

 Active: She gave me a gift.

 Passive 1: I was given a gift by her.
 Passive 2: A gift was given to me by her.
3. Imperative Sentences

 Imperative sentences (commands, requests) can also be converted into passive voice, but
the structure changes.

Examples:

 Active: Close the door.

Passive: Let the door be closed.
 Active: Please help me.
Passive: You are requested to help me.

4. Stative Verbs in Passive Voice

 Stative verbs (e.g., know, belong, resemble) are rarely used in the passive voice because
they describe states, not actions.

Examples:

 Active: She knows the answer.

Passive: The answer is known by her. (possible but uncommon)
 Active: This house belongs to them.
Passive: (Not commonly used in passive form.)

5. Changing Meaning in Passive Voice

 For some verbs, converting from active to passive can slightly alter the meaning or focus.

Examples:

 Active: People say she is talented.

Passive: It is said that she is talented.
(Focus changes to the general belief rather than the people.)
 Active: They made her cry.
Passive: She was made to cry by them.
(Focus changes to her experience.)

6. Prepositions in Passive Voice

  When a verb is followed by a preposition in active voice, the preposition remains in the
passive voice.

Examples:

 Active: They laughed at her.

Passive: She was laughed at by them.
 Active: The teacher spoke to the students.
Passive: The students were spoken to by the teacher.

7. Passive Voice with Modal Verbs

 Modal verbs (can, should, must, etc.) in active voice require a specific structure in the
passive voice:
Modal + be + past participle

Examples:

 Active: She must complete the work.

Passive: The work must be completed by her.
 Active: They can solve the problem.
Passive: The problem can be solved by them.

8. Passive Voice in Complex Sentences

 In sentences with multiple clauses, only the clause with the transitive verb is converted
into passive voice.

Examples:

 Active: The manager said that he would approve the proposal.

Passive: It was said by the manager that the proposal would be approved by him.

9. Gerunds and Infinitives

 Gerunds and infinitives can also appear in passive constructions:

Examples:
  Active: They enjoy watching movies.
Passive: Watching movies is enjoyed by them.
 Active: She wants to complete the project.
Passive: She wants the project to be completed.

10. Sentences with "Get" Instead of "Be"

 In informal English, "get" is sometimes used instead of "be" in the passive voice.

Examples:

 Standard Passive: The window was broken.

Informal Passive: The window got broken.
 Standard Passive: He was fired from his job.
Informal Passive: He got fired from his job.

Active and Passive Voice Exercises with Answers

Exercises

1. Simple Sentences

1. The cat chased the mouse.

2. She writes poems.
3. They watch movies every weekend.
4. He painted the house yesterday.
5. The teacher explains the lesson clearly.

2. Sentences with Two Objects

6. She gave me a book.

7. They sent us a letter.
8. The company offered him a promotion.
9. The chef cooked us a delicious meal.
10. She taught the students English.

3. Imperative Sentences

11. Open the door.

12. Please help me.
13. Complete the project by Friday.
14. Do not waste time.
 15. Prepare the room for the guests.

4. Present Continuous Tense

16. The kids are playing football.

17. She is preparing dinner.
18. They are watching a movie.
19. The team is building a new bridge.
20. Someone is repairing the car.

5. Past Continuous Tense

21. He was writing a book.

22. They were building a house.
23. The dog was chasing the cat.
24. She was baking a cake.
25. We were discussing the project.

6. Present Perfect Tense

26. She has completed her homework.

27. They have built a new library.
28. He has written a novel.
29. The students have solved the problem.
30. She has cleaned the house.

7. Past Perfect Tense

31. They had completed the task.

32. She had written the report.
33. He had repaired the bike.
34. The team had won the match.
35. The artist had painted the portrait.

8. Future Simple Tense

36. She will finish the project.

37. They will build a new school.
38. He will solve the issue.
39. We will paint the house.
40. The team will win the championship.

9. Sentences with Modal Verbs

41. She can solve the problem.

42. They should complete the task.
 43. He might help you.
44. We must follow the rules.
45. She could bake a cake.

10. Sentences with Prepositions

46. They laughed at him.

47. The teacher spoke to the students.
48. She is looking after the children.
49. He is proud of his achievements.
50. They will look into the matter.

11. Questions

51. Did he complete the task?

52. Has she finished her homework?
53. Will they build the bridge?
54. Who wrote this book?
55. Why did they close the shop?

12. Gerunds and Infinitives

56. She enjoys writing poems.

57. They decided to build a new house.
58. He started cleaning the room.
59. She wants to learn French.
60. He likes playing football.

13. Passive Voice Without a Known Agent

61. Someone broke the window.

62. They discovered a new species.
63. People speak English worldwide.
64. Someone stole my bag.
65. They closed the shop early.

14. Sentences with "Get"

66. He got promoted.

67. The window got broken.
68. She got invited to the party.
69. They got punished for their behavior.
70. The car got repaired.

15. Passive Voice in Complex Sentences

 71. The manager said that he would approve the proposal.
72. They believed that she had solved the mystery.
73. It is expected that the event will be successful.
74. People think that he is a genius.
75. They know that the project was completed.

16. Stative Verbs

76. She knows the answer.

77. They believe in hard work.
78. This house belongs to me.
79. The cake tastes delicious.
80. He resembles his father.

17. Mixed Tenses

81. She is singing a song.

82. They were watching the match.
83. He has written a poem.
84. The work had been completed.
85. The team will celebrate their victory.

18. Unusual Passive Voice Constructions

86. Someone needs to clean this room.

87. People should respect the elderly.
88. Everyone expects them to win.
89. We need to finish this task.
90. They had better prepare for the exam.

19. Passive with Idioms

91. They took care of the issue.

92. She paid attention to the details.
93. He made fun of the mistake.
94. We put up with the noise.
95. They set up the equipment.

20. Passive with Continuous Infinitives

96. They want to be treated fairly.

97. She likes to be appreciated.
98. He hopes to be invited to the party.
99. They expect to be given a chance.
100. She deserves to be praised for her efforts.
Answers

1. Simple Sentences

1. The mouse was chased by the cat.

2. Poems are written by her.
3. Movies are watched by them every weekend.
4. The house was painted by him yesterday.
5. The lesson is explained clearly by the teacher.

2. Sentences with Two Objects

6. I was given a book by her. / A book was given to me by her.

7. We were sent a letter by them. / A letter was sent to us by them.
8. He was offered a promotion by the company. / A promotion was offered to him by the
company.
9. We were cooked a delicious meal by the chef. / A delicious meal was cooked for us by
the chef.
10. The students were taught English by her. / English was taught to the students by her.

3. Imperative Sentences

11. Let the door be opened.

12. You are requested to help me.
13. Let the project be completed by Friday.
14. Let time not be wasted.
15. Let the room be prepared for the guests.

4. Present Continuous Tense

16. Football is being played by the kids.

17. Dinner is being prepared by her.
18. A movie is being watched by them.
19. A new bridge is being built by the team.
20. The car is being repaired by someone.

5. Past Continuous Tense

21. A book was being written by him.

22. A house was being built by them.
23. The cat was being chased by the dog.
24. A cake was being baked by her.
25. The project was being discussed by us.
6. Present Perfect Tense

26. Her homework has been completed by her.

27. A new library has been built by them.
28. A novel has been written by him.
29. The problem has been solved by the students.
30. The house has been cleaned by her.

7. Past Perfect Tense

31. The task had been completed by them.

32. The report had been written by her.
33. The bike had been repaired by him.
34. The match had been won by the team.
35. The portrait had been painted by the artist.

8. Future Simple Tense

36. The project will be finished by her.

37. A new school will be built by them.
38. The issue will be solved by him.
39. The house will be painted by us.
40. The championship will be won by the team.

9. Modal Verbs

41. The problem can be solved by her.

42. The task should be completed by them.
43. You might be helped by him.
44. The rules must be followed by us.
45. A cake could be baked by her.

10. Sentences with Prepositions

1. Active: They laughed at him.

Passive: He was laughed at by them.
2. Active: The teacher spoke to the students.
Passive: The students were spoken to by the teacher.
3. Active: She is looking after the children.
Passive: The children are being looked after by her.
4. Active: He is proud of his achievements.
Passive: His achievements are something he is proud of.
5. Active: They will look into the matter.
Passive: The matter will be looked into by them.
11. Questions

1. Active: Did he complete the task?

Passive: Was the task completed by him?
2. Active: Has she finished her homework?
Passive: Has her homework been finished by her?
3. Active: Will they build the bridge?
Passive: Will the bridge be built by them?
4. Active: Who wrote this book?
Passive: By whom was this book written?
5. Active: Why did they close the shop?
Passive: Why was the shop closed by them?

12. Gerunds and Infinitives

1. Active: She enjoys writing poems.

Passive: Writing poems is enjoyed by her.
2. Active: They decided to build a new house.
Passive: It was decided by them to build a new house.
3. Active: He started cleaning the room.
Passive: Cleaning the room was started by him.
4. Active: She wants to learn French.
Passive: She wants French to be learned.
5. Active: He likes playing football.
Passive: Playing football is liked by him.

13. Passive Voice Without a Known Agent

1. Active: Someone broke the window.

Passive: The window was broken.
2. Active: They discovered a new species.
Passive: A new species was discovered.
3. Active: People speak English worldwide.
Passive: English is spoken worldwide.
4. Active: Someone stole my bag.
Passive: My bag was stolen.
5. Active: They closed the shop early.
Passive: The shop was closed early.

14. Sentences with "Get"

 1. Active: He got promoted.
Passive: He was promoted.
2. Active: The window got broken.
Passive: The window was broken.
3. Active: She got invited to the party.
Passive: She was invited to the party.
4. Active: They got punished for their behavior.
Passive: They were punished for their behavior.
5. Active: The car got repaired.
Passive: The car was repaired.

15. Passive Voice in Complex Sentences

1. Active: The manager said that he would approve the proposal.

Passive: It was said by the manager that the proposal would be approved.
2. Active: They believed that she had solved the mystery.
Passive: It was believed that the mystery had been solved by her.
3. Active: It is expected that the event will be successful.
Passive: The event is expected to be successful.
4. Active: People think that he is a genius.
Passive: It is thought that he is a genius.
5. Active: They know that the project was completed.
Passive: It is known that the project was completed.

16. Stative Verbs

1. Active: She knows the answer.

Passive: The answer is known by her.
2. Active: They believe in hard work.
Passive: Hard work is believed in by them.
3. Active: This house belongs to me.
Passive: The house is owned by me.
4. Active: The cake tastes delicious.
Passive: The delicious taste of the cake is perceived.
5. Active: He resembles his father.
Passive: (No passive form for "resemble").

17. Mixed Tenses

 1. Active: She is singing a song.
Passive: A song is being sung by her.
2. Active: They were watching the match.
Passive: The match was being watched by them.
3. Active: He has written a poem.
Passive: A poem has been written by him.
4. Active: The work had been completed.
Passive: (Already in passive form).
5. Active: The team will celebrate their victory.
Passive: Their victory will be celebrated by the team.

18. Unusual Passive Voice Constructions

1. Active: Someone needs to clean this room.

Passive: This room needs to be cleaned.
2. Active: People should respect the elderly.
Passive: The elderly should be respected.
3. Active: Everyone expects them to win.
Passive: They are expected to win.
4. Active: We need to finish this task.
Passive: This task needs to be finished.
5. Active: They had better prepare for the exam.
Passive: The exam had better be prepared for.

19. Passive with Idioms

1. Active: They took care of the issue.

Passive: The issue was taken care of.
2. Active: She paid attention to the details.
Passive: Attention was paid to the details by her.
3. Active: He made fun of the mistake.
Passive: The mistake was made fun of by him.
4. Active: We put up with the noise.
Passive: The noise was put up with by us.
5. Active: They set up the equipment.
Passive: The equipment was set up by them.

20. Passive with Continuous Infinitives

1. Active: They want to be treated fairly.
Passive: (Already in passive form).
2. Active: She likes to be appreciated.
Passive: (Already in passive form).
3. Active: He hopes to be invited to the party.
Passive: (Already in passive form).
4. Active: They expect to be given a chance.
Passive: (Already in passive form).
5. Active: She deserves to be praised for her efforts.
Passive: (Already in passive form)