Passive and spring

People think spring is the most beautiful season. Water fills the rivers, you may hear bees in the fields, and flowers give you their sweetest smell. Life is everywhere, and you will feel it wherever you go. Beautiful, isn't it? Now try saying it this way:
Spring is thought to be the most beautiful season. Rivers are filled with water, bees can be heard in the fields and you are given by flowers their sweetest smell. Life is everywhere and it will be felt wherever you go.
This is the passive voice. It's just another way to express the same thing, but focusing your attention on a different aspect. Try watching this video and see how the passive voice is used on TV series. 
Here you are a few exercises on the passive voice. Try them and think of spring, flowers, bees, and think of the upcoming summer. It isn't that far away!

• Exercise 1
• Exercise 2 (direct/indirect objects)
• Exercise 3 (one more with direct/indirect objects)
• Exercise 4 (this is like a test and you have to fill in gaps with active or passive tenses)

Now a couple of witty quotes from intelligent people:

Nothing ever is done in this world until men are prepared to kill one another if it is not done.

George Bernard Shaw, Irish dramatist & socialist (1856 - 1950)

 

Personally I'm always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught.

Sir Winston Churchill, British politician (1874 - 1965)  

Here is a link to Dylan's Union Sundown. Hope it works! And do you remember These Days by Foo Fighters? There are a few examples of passive sentences. Try changing them into the active voice.

some-, any- and no- compounds

Can anybody find me somebody to love? This is what Freddy Mercury sang a few years ago. He was using any- and some- compounds. He could also have said "Can anyone find me someone to love?"
Here is a link to the song and the lyrics

Do you know Jeremy? He's a not-so-special guy your age who has a not-so-special relationship with his mom. Click on the picture and you'll see more of his comic strips


Let's have a go with some exercises on some-, any- and no- compounds:

• Nice and easy explanation!
• Exercise 1
• Exercise 2
• Exercise 3
• A short clear video

And also on -ing/-ed adjectives:

• Exercise 1
• Exercise 2
• Exercise 3

Do you know Mark Twain? He said things so interesting and witty as this:

A classic is something that everybody wants to have read and nobody wants to read.

Mark Twain, Speech in New York, Nov. 20, 1900
US humorist, novelist, short story author, & wit (1835 - 1910)

Have a good week!