BUSINESS ENGLISH - 05/05/2015BUSINESS ENGLISH - 05/05/2015

LESSON 9LESSON 9

UNIT 12UNIT 12

PASSIVESPASSIVES

We use We use an active verb an active verb to say what the subject does:to say what the subject does:““It’s a big company. It employs two hundred people”;It’s a big company. It employs two hundred people”;““My grandfather was a builder. He built this house”.My grandfather was a builder. He built this house”. We use a passive verb to say We use a passive verb to say what happens what happens to the to the subject:subject:““Two hundred people are employed by the company”;Two hundred people are employed by the company”;““This house is quite old. It was built in 1930”.This house is quite old. It was built in 1930”.

How to form the passive.

Present simple: to be (am/is/are) + past participle (seen / told / invited, etc.)

Present continuous: to be (am/is/are) + being + past participle:“They are cleaning the room” (Active) :“The room is being cleaned” (Passive)

Past simple: to be (was/were) + past participle“Somebody cleaned this room” (Active) : “This room was cleaned yesterday” (Passive)

Past continuousPast continuous

““Somebody Somebody was cleaning was cleaning the room when I the room when I arrived” (Past continuous Active)arrived” (Past continuous Active)

““The room The room was being cleaned was being cleaned when I arrived” when I arrived” (Past continuous Passive)(Past continuous Passive)

WWas/were + as/were + beingbeing + past participle + past participle

Present perfect :

“The room looks nice. Somebody has cleaned it” (Present perfect Active) “ The room looks nice. It has been cleaned (Present perfect Passive)

Past perfect:

“The room looked nice. Somebody had cleaned it” (Past perfect Active)

“The room looked nice. It had been cleaned” (Past perfect Passive)

FIGURES OF SPEECHFIGURES OF SPEECH

THEY ARE PART OF OUR EVERYDAY LANGUAGETHEY ARE PART OF OUR EVERYDAY LANGUAGE

THE USE OF THE USE OF SIMILITUDESSIMILITUDES AND AND ANALOGIESANALOGIES BETWEEN OBJECTS, ANIMALS, PLANTS, COLORS BETWEEN OBJECTS, ANIMALS, PLANTS, COLORS AND THE HUMAN BODY TO NAME OTHER AND THE HUMAN BODY TO NAME OTHER OBJECTS OR ABSTRACT CONCEPTS DOMINATES OBJECTS OR ABSTRACT CONCEPTS DOMINATES ENTIRE WHOLE SECTIONS OF OUR ENTIRE WHOLE SECTIONS OF OUR VOCABULARY. VOCABULARY.

MANY COMMON AND SPECIALIZED MANY COMMON AND SPECIALIZED TERMS ARE VERY CREATIVE: TERMS ARE VERY CREATIVE: DRAGON DRAGON FLY FLY (LIBELLULA) - (LIBELLULA) - GRASSHOPPERGRASSHOPPER (CAVALLETTA) – (CAVALLETTA) – RAINBOWRAINBOW (ARCOBALENO) - (ARCOBALENO) - HOUR-GLASS HOUR-GLASS (CLESSIDRA) (CLESSIDRA) - CRANE - CRANE (GRU (GRU MECCANICA).MECCANICA).

IDIOMSIDIOMS, OR SET PHRASES, USE , OR SET PHRASES, USE SIMILITUDES, METAPHORS, SIMILITUDES, METAPHORS, METONIMIES, HYPERBOLES, AND SO ONMETONIMIES, HYPERBOLES, AND SO ON: : TO BREAK THE ICE TO BREAK THE ICE - - TO HAVE A GREEN TO HAVE A GREEN EYEEYE (TO BE JELOUS) - (TO BE JELOUS) - DEVIL’S BONES DEVIL’S BONES (DADI) - (DADI) - HONEST AS A MIRRORHONEST AS A MIRROR, ETC., ETC.

THE FIGURATIVE USE OF A WORD THE FIGURATIVE USE OF A WORD EXTENDS IT MEANING AND ITS EXTENDS IT MEANING AND ITS EXPRESSIVE POTENTIALS: EXPRESSIVE POTENTIALS:

BEAR MARKET BEAR MARKET - ‘- ‘FAT PROFITS FOR NO-FAT PROFITS FOR NO-FAT SNACKSFAT SNACKS’ - ’ - TO KILL A BILL TO KILL A BILL (BOCCIARE UN PROGETTO DI LEGGE) - (BOCCIARE UN PROGETTO DI LEGGE) - BOND BULLS BOND BULLS - - RED TAPE AROUND THE RED TAPE AROUND THE WORLD - THE IRON LADYWORLD - THE IRON LADY

A DEFINITION OF METAPHOR:A DEFINITION OF METAPHOR:

TWO DIFFERENT ELEMENTS ARE TWO DIFFERENT ELEMENTS ARE COMBINED VIA ANALOGY. THUS A COMBINED VIA ANALOGY. THUS A QUALITY, NORMALLY RECOGNISED AS QUALITY, NORMALLY RECOGNISED AS BELONGING TO A PARTICULAR AREA OF BELONGING TO A PARTICULAR AREA OF LEXIS, IS USED TO APPLY TO ANOTHER LEXIS, IS USED TO APPLY TO ANOTHER MORE UNUSUAL AREAMORE UNUSUAL AREA: TIME IS : TIME IS RUNNING OUTRUNNING OUT! SUGGESTS THAT TIME ! SUGGESTS THAT TIME IS NOT A RENEWABLE RESOURCE.IS NOT A RENEWABLE RESOURCE.

THERE ARE DIFFERENT KINDS OF METAPHORS:THERE ARE DIFFERENT KINDS OF METAPHORS:

1.1.ANTHROPOMORPHIC METAPHORS OR ANTHROPOMORPHIC METAPHORS OR PERSONIFICATIONPERSONIFICATION: : WHITE KNIGHT WHITE KNIGHT (AN (AN ORGANIZATION THAT RESCUES A COMPANY ORGANIZATION THAT RESCUES A COMPANY FROM BEING BOUGHT AT TOO LOW A PRICE), FROM BEING BOUGHT AT TOO LOW A PRICE), PREDATORPREDATOR (AN ORGANIZATION THAT EPLOITS (AN ORGANIZATION THAT EPLOITS OTHER ORGANIZATIONS), OTHER ORGANIZATIONS), LEADERLEADER (EDITORIAL). (EDITORIAL).

2.2.ANIMAL METAPHORSANIMAL METAPHORS:, :, GALOPPING INFLATIONGALOPPING INFLATION, , LEGAL EAGLELEGAL EAGLE (AVVOCATO), (AVVOCATO), LAME DUCK LAME DUCK (POLITICO CHE HA PERSO CREDIBILITA’)(POLITICO CHE HA PERSO CREDIBILITA’), DARK , DARK HORSE HORSE (CANDIDATO POCO NOTO MA CON (CANDIDATO POCO NOTO MA CON BUONE POSSIBILITA’), BUONE POSSIBILITA’), BUGBUG (MICROSPIA), (MICROSPIA), CATS CATS AND DOGSAND DOGS (AZIONI DI SCARSO VALORE), (AZIONI DI SCARSO VALORE), WATCHDOG COMMITTEE WATCHDOG COMMITTEE (COMMISSIONE DI (COMMISSIONE DI SORVEGLIANZA), SORVEGLIANZA), CASH COW CASH COW (SETTORE AD ALTO (SETTORE AD ALTO RENDIMENTO DI UN’AZIENDA), RENDIMENTO DI UN’AZIENDA), SHARKSHARK (USURAIO).(USURAIO).

3. CONCRETIVE METAPHORS: PLATFORM (PIATTAFORMA ELETTORALE), IRON CURTAIN, RAINBOW COALITION (COALIZIONE DI INTERESSI DIVERSIFICATI), POLITICAL TSUNAMI, TO INUNDATE THE MARKET, PIE CHART, EMIGRATION OF CAPITAL.

4. EUPHEMISTIC METAPHORS: FRIENDLY MERGER (FUSIONE), FRIENDLY FIRE.

SIMILITUDE OR SIMILESIMILITUDE OR SIMILE

IT IS LIKE A METAPHOR, BECAUSE IS A IT IS LIKE A METAPHOR, BECAUSE IS A COMPARISON BETWEEN TO DIFFERENT COMPARISON BETWEEN TO DIFFERENT ENTITIES, BUT IS MORE EXPLICIT AS IT ENTITIES, BUT IS MORE EXPLICIT AS IT USES: -LIKE, AS, RESEMBLE, LOOK LIKE:USES: -LIKE, AS, RESEMBLE, LOOK LIKE:

BENT AS A BOOMERANGBENT AS A BOOMERANG, , TO STING TO STING LIKE A BEELIKE A BEE, , ALMOND-SHAPED EYESALMOND-SHAPED EYES, , CLEAR AS CRYSTALCLEAR AS CRYSTAL, , NATIVE-LIKE NATIVE-LIKE COMPETENCECOMPETENCE. .

METONYMY AND SYNECDOCHEMETONYMY AND SYNECDOCHE

ENTAILS THE SUBSTITUTION THE NAME ENTAILS THE SUBSTITUTION THE NAME OF A THING WITH THE NAME OF AN OF A THING WITH THE NAME OF AN ATTRIBUTE OF IT OR OF SOMETHING ATTRIBUTE OF IT OR OF SOMETHING CLOSELY RELATED. THUS IT DOES NOT CLOSELY RELATED. THUS IT DOES NOT SUGGEST NEW ANALOGIES (LIKE SUGGEST NEW ANALOGIES (LIKE METAPHOR), BUT ARISES WITH TERMS METAPHOR), BUT ARISES WITH TERMS THAT ARE IN A RAPPORT OF CONTIGUITY. THAT ARE IN A RAPPORT OF CONTIGUITY. IT HAS EFFECTIVE OUCOMES. IT HAS EFFECTIVE OUCOMES.

SYNECDOCHESYNECDOCHE: A LESS COMPREHENSIVE : A LESS COMPREHENSIVE TERM IS USED FOR A MORE TERM IS USED FOR A MORE COMPREHENSIVE ONE, AND VICEVERSA: COMPREHENSIVE ONE, AND VICEVERSA: ‘‘A SAIL A SAIL IN THE SEA’ (I REALLY MEAN A IN THE SEA’ (I REALLY MEAN A SAILBOAT: I’M MENTIONING A PART OF SAILBOAT: I’M MENTIONING A PART OF THE OBJECT).THE OBJECT).

METONYMY IS ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS METONYMY IS ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF LEXICON. FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF LEXICON. VERY EXPRESSIVE.VERY EXPRESSIVE.

THERE ARE MANY KINDS OF THERE ARE MANY KINDS OF METONIMIES:METONIMIES:

1.1.PLACE FOR THE EVENTPLACE FOR THE EVENT: PEARL : PEARL HARBOR, KYOTO, BOLOGNA.HARBOR, KYOTO, BOLOGNA.

2.2.BUILIDNG/PLACE FOR THE BUILIDNG/PLACE FOR THE INSTITUTIONINSTITUTION: THE WHITE HOUSE, IL : THE WHITE HOUSE, IL COLLE, DOWNING STREET, FLEET COLLE, DOWNING STREET, FLEET STREET (UK PRESS), PENTAGON.STREET (UK PRESS), PENTAGON.

3. 3. THE OBJECT FOR THE PERSONTHE OBJECT FOR THE PERSON: : AA SUITSUIT, , BLUE BLUE COLLARCOLLAR (OPERAIO), (OPERAIO), WHITE COLLARWHITE COLLAR (IMPIEGATO), (IMPIEGATO), PINK COLLAR PINK COLLAR (LAVORATRICE), (LAVORATRICE), THE BENCH THE BENCH (MAGISTRATURA), (MAGISTRATURA), THE CROWN THE CROWN (MONARCHIA UK), (MONARCHIA UK), RED COAT RED COAT (BRITISH (BRITISH SOLDIER).SOLDIER).

4. 4. THE INSTITUTION/INSTRUMENT FOR THE THE INSTITUTION/INSTRUMENT FOR THE PEOPLE:PEOPLE: THE TIMES THE TIMES (JOURANLISTS), (JOURANLISTS), THE SAX THE SAX (SAXOPHONE PLAYER)(SAXOPHONE PLAYER)

5. 5. THE DATE FOR THE EVENTTHE DATE FOR THE EVENT: : SEPTEMBER 11SEPTEMBER 11, , DECEMBER 25DECEMBER 25

CAN YOU IDENTIFY THE METONYMY?CAN YOU IDENTIFY THE METONYMY?

1. SOME NEW FACES WERE SEEN AT THE 1. SOME NEW FACES WERE SEEN AT THE PARTY MEETING.PARTY MEETING.

2. WASHINGTON ATTACKED BEIJING2. WASHINGTON ATTACKED BEIJING

3. THE FILM WAS ONE OF HOLLIWOOD’S 3. THE FILM WAS ONE OF HOLLIWOOD’S BESTBEST

4. SHARES ROSE SHARPLY AT WALL 4. SHARES ROSE SHARPLY AT WALL STREET YESTERDAYSTREET YESTERDAY

5. OSAMA BIN LADEN ATTACKED THE 5. OSAMA BIN LADEN ATTACKED THE WORLD TRADE CENTERWORLD TRADE CENTER

CAN YOU IDENTIFY THE METAPHOR?CAN YOU IDENTIFY THE METAPHOR?

1. THE WEATHER TURNED SCHIZOPHRENIC 1. THE WEATHER TURNED SCHIZOPHRENIC AT THE WEEKEND.AT THE WEEKEND.

2. MALTA FEARS IT WILL SINK UNDER A 2. MALTA FEARS IT WILL SINK UNDER A GROWING TIDE OF MIGRANTSGROWING TIDE OF MIGRANTS

3. WE ARE BEING BOMBARDED WITH 3. WE ARE BEING BOMBARDED WITH INQUIRIES.INQUIRIES.

4. THE EPISODE EFFECTIVELY DIED A 4. THE EPISODE EFFECTIVELY DIED A NATURAL DEATH.NATURAL DEATH.

5. I WILL NOT BE HELD TO RANSOM BY SUCH 5. I WILL NOT BE HELD TO RANSOM BY SUCH A QUESTION.A QUESTION.

HOMEWORK: Do the exercises on the ‘Dispense’ (they have an answer key) + FINISH UNIT 12.