Survival English: Level-1 (Beginner)

19. Garden Maintenance Discussion (Passive voice)

Passive voice is used when we want to talk about something without saying who did it. We use it when we want to focus on what happened rather than who did it.

Here’s how we use passive voice in different tenses:

Past Passive Voice: We use “was/were + past participle” to talk about things that happened in the past without mentioning who did them.
- Example: “The cake was baked by Mom.” (We’re talking about the cake being baked without saying who baked it.)
Present Passive Voice: We use “am/is/are + past participle” to talk about things that are happening now or regularly without mentioning who is doing them.
- Example: “The ball is kicked by the players.” (We’re talking about the ball being kicked without saying who is kicking it.)
Future Passive Voice: We use “will be + past participle” to talk about things that will happen in the future without mentioning who will do them.
- Example: “The house will be cleaned by the maid tomorrow.” (We’re talking about the house being cleaned without saying who will clean it.)

Here are more examples to help you understand:

Past: The picture was drawn by Emily. (We’re talking about the picture being drawn without saying who drew it.)
Present: The book is read by the teacher. (We’re talking about the book being read without saying who is reading it.)
Future: The cookies will be baked by Grandma. (We’re talking about the cookies being baked without saying who will bake them.)

So, we use passive voice when we want to focus on the action rather than the person doing the action. It helps us talk about things in a different way, especially when we don’t know or don’t want to say who did something.

Conversation sample:

This conversation revolves around Siya and Advik discussing the progress of their gardening tasks, including what has already been done and what still needs to be completed. They also discuss tasks that are done regularly and those planned for the future, emphasizing the importance of maintaining their garden.

Siya: “Advik, have the seeds been planted already?”

Advik: “Yes, Siya, the seeds were planted yesterday.”

Siya: “That’s great news! Have the weeds been pulled out yet?”

Advik: “No, Siya, the weeds haven’t been pulled out yet. They will be taken care of tomorrow.”

Siya: “Okay. What about the flower beds? Have they been watered?”

Advik: “Yes, Siya, the flower beds were watered this morning.”

Siya: “Good to know! And have the plants been pruned?”

Advik: “Not yet, Siya. The plants will be pruned next week.”

Siya: “Alright. What about the garden paths? Have they been swept?”

Advik: “Not yet, Siya. The garden paths will be swept later today.”

Siya: “Okay, let’s make sure everything is done before the garden club meeting.”

Advik: “Of course, Siya. Everything will be taken care of by then.”

Difficult Words/Phrasal Verbs/Idioms:

Planted (verb): To put seeds or plants in the ground to grow. Example: “The seeds were planted in the garden yesterday.”
Pulled out (phrasal verb): To remove something by pulling it away from its place. Example: “The gardener pulled out the weeds from the flower bed.”
Watered (verb): To give water to plants or soil to help them grow. Example: “The flowers were watered every morning to keep them healthy.”
Pruned (verb): To cut off branches or parts of a plant to help it grow better. Example: “The bushes will be pruned next week to keep them neat and tidy.”
Swept (verb): To clean an area by brushing away dirt or debris. Example: “The garden paths will be swept to remove leaves and debris.”

Are you ready for the assignment?

Assignment Title: Gardening Tasks

Brief: Imagine you are Siya and Advik’s gardening assistant, and they have assigned you some tasks to complete in the garden. Your task is to create a checklist of gardening tasks based on the conversation between Siya and Advik.

Instructions:

Review the conversation between Siya and Advik, paying attention to the gardening tasks mentioned.
Create a checklist of tasks that have already been done and tasks that are left to complete in the garden.
Include details such as when each task was/will be completed and who will be responsible for it.
Use passive voice to describe the tasks (e.g., “The seeds were planted yesterday”).
Think about any additional tasks that need to be done regularly (e.g., watering plants) and tasks that will be done in the future (e.g., pruning plants).
Once you’ve created the checklist, record yourself presenting it as if you were reporting back to Siya and Advik.
Listen to your recording to ensure clarity and accuracy in your checklist.

Difficult Words/Phrasal Verbs/Idioms:

Are you ready for the assignment?

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