Confirming the meeting
"Is the meeting still scheduled for 10 a.m.?"
"Yes, the meeting is confirmed."
"Has the location for the meeting been decided?"
"Yes, it will be held in the conference room."
Checking preparations
"Have all the documents been printed?"
"Yes, the handouts have been prepared."
"The agenda has been emailed to everyone."
"Has the presentation been finalized?"
"Not yet. It will be ready by the end of the day."
Handling unexpected changes
"The meeting was canceled due to unforeseen circumstances."
"The time has been rescheduled to 3 p.m."
"Who informed you about the change?"
"It was mentioned in the group email."
Assigning tasks before the meeting
"Can you prepare a summary of last week’s sales report?"
"Sure, I’ll have it ready by tomorrow morning."
"Who will handle the technical setup for the presentation?"
"John will take care of it."
Reviewing key details
"Have we confirmed who will attend the meeting?"
"Yes, all the key stakeholders will be there."
"Has the package with the samples been delivered?"
"Yes, it arrived this morning."
"Will the report be submitted before the meeting?"
"Yes, it will be submitted by the end of the day."
Practicing polite expressions for meetings
"Thank you for taking the time to join us."
"Let’s ensure we stay on schedule."
"If you have any questions, please let me know."
Tips for using these sentences:
Use polite and clear language when confirming details or assigning tasks.
Practice the sentences with a partner or in front of a mirror to build confidence.
Adjust the examples to match your specific meeting context.
Grammar
Understanding the passive voice
The passive voice is a grammatical structure in English where the focus is on the action and the receiver of the action, rather than the doer of the action. It is often used when the doer is unknown, unimportant, or implied.
Basic structure of the passive voice
The passive voice is formed with the verb to be + the past participle of the main verb.
Active voice: The cat chased the mouse.
Passive voice: The mouse was chased by the cat.
When to use the passive voice
- When the doer is unknown:
Active: Someone stole my wallet.
Passive: My wallet was stolen.
- When the doer is unimportant or obvious:
Active: People speak English worldwide.
Passive: English is spoken worldwide.
- To emphasize the action or receiver:
Active: A company announced the new product.
Passive: The new product was announced.
How to form the passive voice
- Identify the object in the active sentence.
Active: She cleaned the room.
(Object: the room)
- Move the object to the subject position.
Passive: The room...
- Use the correct form of the verb to be based on the tense of the active sentence.
Active: cleaned (past tense)
Passive: The room was...
- Add the past participle of the main verb.
Passive: The room was cleaned.
- Optionally, add the doer of the action (if needed) using by.
Passive: The room was cleaned by her.
Examples of passive voice in different tenses
- Present simple:
Active: They bake bread every day.
Passive: Bread is baked every day.
- Past simple:
Active: He wrote the report.
Passive: The report was written.
- Future simple:
Active: She will finish the project.
Passive: The project will be finished.
- Present continuous:
Active: They are building a house.
Passive: A house is being built.
- Past continuous:
Active: She was painting the wall.
Passive: The wall was being painted.
- Present perfect:
Active: They have repaired the car.
Passive: The car has been repaired.
- Modal verbs:
Active: You should close the door.
Passive: The door should be closed.
Common mistakes with the passive voice
- Using the wrong form of the verb "to be":
Incorrect: The cake baked by her.
Correct: The cake was baked by her.
- Forgetting the past participle:
Incorrect: The window was break.
Correct: The window was broken.
- Overusing the passive voice:
Overuse can make sentences wordy and less engaging. Use the passive voice only when necessary.
The passive voice is a useful tool in English, especially when the focus is on the action or the receiver of the action. By understanding its structure and knowing when to use it, you can add variety and clarity to your writing and speaking. Practice regularly to become confident with this form!
Refer to the podcast related to this lesson:
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