Listening Part A : Listen For Who and What in Passives (Skill 5)

Previous Skill: Draw conclusion about What, Who and Where (Skill 4)

It is sometimes difficult to understand who and what is doing the action in a passive sentence. This problem is often tested in Listening Part A.

Example:

On the recording you hear:

    (man)      : Did Sally go to the bank this morning?

    (woman) : Yes, she did. She got a new checking account.

(Narrator)  : What does the woman imply?

In your test book, you read:

(A) Sally wrote several checks

(B) Sally wanted to check up on the bank.

(C) A new checking account was opened

(D) Sally checked on the balance in her account

Analysis:

• In the conversation, the woman uses an active sentence that means that Sally opened a checing account. 
• Because the woman uses active sentence, so the answer is in passive sentence that is a checking account was opened to express the same idea.
• So, the best answer is (C).

Exercise 5

1. (Woman)  : Alice needs to pay her tuition today.

        (Man)   : But her tuition has already been  paid.

    (Narrator) : What does the man imply?

    (A) Alice's education has been paid 

    (B) Alice's tuition needs to be paid

    (C) Alice has already paid her fees.

    (D) Alice has already received the money

    Analysis:

• The man uses passive sentence "....has already been paid.". It means that the answer is in active sentence.
• The best answer is (C): Alice has already paid her fees. It expresses the same idea.

2.     (Man)   :  Have you been talking good care of the lawn?

    (Woman)  :  I watered it only this morning.

    (Narrator) : What does the woman mean?

    (A) She drank some water on the lawn this morning

    (B) She waited for him on the lawn this morning.

    (C) The lawn has already been watered today.

    (D) She wanted a new lawn this morning  

     Analysis:

• In the conversation, the woman uses active sentences, "....watered it...". It means that the answer must be in passive sentence.
• The best answer is (C),"The lawn has already been watered today". It expresses the same idea.

3.      (man)  : Did you hear the news about the child who was lost in the park?
     (woman) : Yes, and I heard that she was just found.

     (A) Someone located the girl

     (B) She heard about the new park from the child

     (C) The child found her loss pet

     (D) The child was the last one in the park

     Analysis:

• In the conversation, the woman uses passive sentence," she was just found.". It means that the answer must be in active sentence
• The best answer is (A)." Someone located the girl. It expresses the same idea