English Practice exercises: passive in instructional text - P5-01(2)G

 

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Advanced english practice: using passive voice in an instructional text

The following recipe has been written in the active voice.

 

 

 

 

1. Change all the verbs in bold type into the passive.

Spaghetti with extra vegetable sauce

 

This a recipe for spaghetti with tomato sauce, but it has been changed it so that it becomes not just a pasta, but a pasta-vegetable dish.

Ingredients (serves 2)

A. For the sauce	Herbs de Provence
Approx 4 table spoonfuls of extra-virgin olive oil	Basil
1 medium carrot, cut into sections, then thinly sliced	2 bay leaves [all herbs dried]
½ onion, sliced	B for the spaghetti
¾ mushrooms, quartered	½ packet of whole-wheat pasta (250gms)
½ pepper, cut into squares	Boiling salted water
½ stick celery, cut into small pieces	Olive oil (optional)
1 small head of broccoli
1 small courgette
½ tin chopped tomatoes

 

Preparation and cooking time = 30-45 minutes

Method

(Rewrite the text below as needed)

You should heat water in a large saucepan.   Make sure that you have added salt and a little olive oil to the water before putting in the pasta. When the water boils, you add the spaghetti. You turn the heat down, take the lid of the saucepan partly off, and simmer the spaghetti. You will cook it in about 15 minutes. You must cook it ‘al dente’ as the Italians say – until it tastes just firm between the teeth – neither hard nor soft. When it is cooked, you tip it into a colander. The water drains off and you replace the spaghetti in the saucepan, with the lid on, to keep warm. You add a little olive oil or butter at this moment, to keep the pasta from getting too sticky.

 

2. Correct any mistakes that have been made in the passive constructions in bold:

 

As soon as the water have been put to heat for the spaghetti, the preparation of the sauce should be began. First, the olive oil is warmed in a thick-bottomed frying pan with a well-fitting lid. While it is warming, the onion should peeled and sliced. Once the onions is added, the heat must be reduce. The carrot is then chopped finely and add, followed by the celery and pepper. Next, wash and cut the mushrooms, cut the broccoli and courgette into quite small pieces, The herbs can add at any time during the frying of the vegetables. While the mushrooms, broccoli and courgettes being prepared, the other vegetables will be cooking. Once they have cooked for about five minutes, the other vegetables can be mixed in. If the herbs have not yet added, this must do now. At some time during the preparation of the sauce, the spaghetti will be cook and will need to being drained. As soon as the last vegetables have cooked a little, the half tin of chopped tomatoes may added. The whole sauce is then leave to simmer for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.

Finally, the spaghetti and sauce may be eating together with nothing else, or some grated parmesan cheese can be sprinkled on top. Salt and pepper should be add if required.