Manchester united: just a game of football?

Manchester United is (1) __is supposed to have__ (suppose/have) between 15 million and 35 million supporters throughout the world. In Belgium, for example, one in every 130 people (2) _____________ (to say/to be) a registered supporter. Tickets sales and merchandising make a contribution of over half of the club's revenue, with television contributing a further 23%. But senior executives (3) _____________ (to know/to look at) other ways to generate income at the moment. For example, the club (4) _____________ (to believe/to develop) e-commerce initiatives through a series of alliances. Costs at the club continue to increase. A few years ago the club (5) ______________ (to report/to spend) £32m on a plan to expand the capacity of the stadium from 54,000 seats to 66,800 seats. But this (6) ______________ (to think/to be) a good investment as it will generate nearly £7.6 million in additional turnover annually. The main costs at the club are the salaries of the players. Last year the team's captain (7) _____________ (to understand/to negotiate) a four-year contract worth over eight figures.

Task 17. Rewrite the newspaper headlines as complete sentences.

e.g. 1. Rare birds have recently been found in the countryside.

1. Rare bird recently found in remote countryside

2. Five people injured in plane crash

3. Queen welcomed to australia yesterday

4. Los angeles to be hit by bad weather tomorrow

5. Election postponed yesterday because of economic crisis

6. Foreign investors welcomed to the uk at the last press conference

7. ALL-WEEK STRIKE TO BE HELD BY LONDON TAXI DRIVERS

8. $5,000,000 BEING RAISED FOR HOMELESS IN WASHINGTON.

(Active Voice and Passive Voice. Transformation of the Active Voice into Passive Voice. Transformation of the Passive Voice into the Active Voice.)

Task 1. In the Passive Voice the agent is usually unimportant or unknown. But sometimes it is necessary to specify the doer of the action or the instrument the action is performed with. It is often introduced with the prepositions by or with. We use by + agent to say who or what did the action. We use with + instrument or material to say what the agent uses to perform the action.

Complete the sentences with the prepositions by and with.

1. Most trainees are strongly influenced ______ their parents.

2. The window was broken _______ a hammer.

3. His was interrupted _______a call.

4. The supermarket trolley was filled _____ food.

5. That novel was written _______ T. Dreiser.

5. The city was attacked _______ the enemy.

6. The device was designed _______ the Production managers.

7. The beds were made up _______ clean sheets.

8. This awful mess was made _______ Carol's dog. "-

9. The parcels were tied _______ string

10. Jillian was dismissed _______ her boss.

Task 2. Complete the sentences with an appropriate preposition after the Passive Voice constructions.

1. Many people are usually very excited _______ voting by ballot.

2. I'm not acquainted ______ that man. Do you know him?

3. Mark Twain is known ______ his stories about life on the Mississippi.

4. Could I please see the final draft of the contract when you are finished ______ it?

5. Aren't you ready yet? We have to be at the headquarters at 8:30. - I'll never make it. I'm still dressed ______ my pajamas.

6. My car is equipped ______ air conditioning and a sun roof.

7. Barbara turned off the TV because she was tired _____listening to the news.

8. The choices in that restaurant are limited pizza and sandwiches.

9. Are you in favour of a worldwide ban on nuclear weapons, or are you opposed _____ it?

10. The department store was filled ______ things to be sold ______ a discount.

11. The store was crowded ______ last-minute shoppers on the eve of the holiday.

12. I think you're involved ______ too many activities. You don't have enough time to spend with your family.

13. An interior decorator makes certain that the colour of the walls in the office is coordinated ______ the colour of the carpets and window coverings.

14. I was very disappointed ______ the presentation of the advertising campaign. The bigger part of it was devoted ______ unimportant information. I was bored ______ it before the idea took shape.

Task 3. When the Active Voice is changed into the Passive Voice, the object of the active verb becomes the subject in the new sentence. The active verb changes into the passive form. The passive can be formed only with transitive verbs.

Mark those sentences that can be changed into the Passive Voice.

1. Someone will drive you to the airport. _____

2. People of this company are working in bad conditions. _____

3. The Marketing Department has recently conducted a market research.

4. We walked for miles yesterday. _____

5. They arrived at 8 a.m. yesterday. _____

6. My supervisor informed me about this. _____

7. Jim slept till 11. _____

8. It is snowing now. _____

9. You must obey all the rules of the company. _____

10. Rita is speaking on the telephone again. _____

Task 4. Complete each sentence with a passive verb. You may need a negative form.

1. Somebody damaged the goods in transit.

The goods ______________ in transit.

2. Thousands of people see this advert every day.

This advert ______________ by thousands of people every day.

3. They will not finish the project by the end of the year.

The project ______________ by the end of the year.

4. They have closed forty-six retail outlets over the last eighteen months.

Forty-six retail outlets _______________ over the last eighteen months

5. We are reviewing all of our IT systems at the moment.

All of our IT systems _______________ at the moment.

6. We cannot ship your order until we receive payment.

Your order _______________ until we receive payment.

Task 5. The two e-mails below are very similar, but the one on the right is more impersonal. Complete it by using verbs from the first e-mail in the correct form of the Passive Voice.

From: Timothy Brown

To: Linda Banson

Subject: Receipt of the order

Thank you for your order for PC SuperPlus software which we have received today. Our fulfillment team is dealing with your order, and we expect that we will deliver the package to you within 7 working days. I have included our current price list as an attachment. Please note we only guarantee these prices until November,15th. Thank you for choosing soft.com.

From: ________________________________________________________________

To: __________________________________________________________________

Subject: ______________________________________________________________

Thank you for your order for PC SuperPlus software which (1) __________________ today. Your order (2) ___________________ by our fulfillment team and we expect that the package (3) ___________________ to you within 7 working days. Our current price list (4) ____________________ as an attachment. Please note that these prices (5) __________________ until November, 15th. Thank you for choosing soft.com

Task 6. Complete the second sentence so that it is as similar in meaning as possible to the first sentence, using the word given. This word must not be changed. You must use between two and five words, including the word given.

Example: There was bitter opposition to the proposal.

opposed

The proposal was bitterly opposed.