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← Level C lessonsMOUNT ETNA · LEVEL C · UNIT 16

Had Been Affected: Perfect Passive and Completion Nuances

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Words from the text: disrupted by, complete suspension, initially, unavailable, scheduled for, carrier, sector, itinerary, pose a hazard to, ground transportation, prevailing wind conditions, Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation (VONA)

A Use has/have been + past participle (Present Perfect Passive) to report an action whose effect is still true at the moment of speaking or writing. This form is typical of live operational summaries, where the situation described is not yet finished (compare the active Present Perfect of Unit 7).

Air travel in Sicily has been disrupted by renewed volcanic activity at Mount Etna, and the situation is still developing.

Sectors C1 and B3 have been closed as part of the restrictions, so carriers are still rerouting traffic around the area.

A red Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation (VONA) has been issued in response to the ongoing ash emission, and it remains in force.

Present Perfect Passive подчёркивает, что действие и его результат ещё актуальны в момент сводки.

B Compare has/have been + past participle (result still relevant now) with was/were + past participle, the Past Simple Passive (Units 3, 8): a single, dated event reported simply as a completed fact, with no claim that it is still ongoing. Operational reports often combine both: dated background facts in the Past Simple Passive, current status in the Present Perfect Passive.

Past Simple PassivePresent Perfect Passive
was/were + past participle — a single, dated event, reported as a finished facthas/have been + past participle — an event whose result still matters now
KM642 was canceled Flight operations have been suspended since yesterday.

KM642 and KM643 were canceled on September 26, according to KM Malta Airlines.

Catania Airport has been affected by a complete suspension of arrivals and departures, and the situation has not yet been resolved.

Brussels Airlines' service scheduled for September 26 was canceled, affecting around 140 passengers.

C Use had been + past participle (Past Perfect Passive) to show that something was already completed before another past moment in the story — typical for giving background information in news narratives, similar in function to the participle clauses of Unit 15.

The airport initially operated with reduced capacity, but by the time SAC announced the complete suspension, several sectors had already been closed.

Passengers' itinerary had been changed before they reached Palermo, and ground transportation was arranged for the final leg to Catania.

Catania had been unavailable for several hours before Aeroitalia moved its services to Comiso.

The reopening will depend on prevailing wind conditions and associated airspace limitations, which had already been assessed before the suspension was extended.

Exercises

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16.1 Complete the sentences with the Present Perfect Passive (has/have been + past participle) of the verb in brackets.

Example: Catania Airport ______ (disrupt) by renewed volcanic activity. → has been disrupted

  1. Sectors C1 and B3 (close) as part of the restrictions.
  2. A red VONA (issue) in response to the ongoing ash emission.
  3. At least ten flights (divert) to other Italian airports, according to Italian media.
  4. Several services (cancel) instead of being diverted.
  5. The reopening of flight operations (not / confirm) yet.
  6. Additional ground transportation (arrange) for affected passengers.
  7. The airspace restriction (tighten) since yesterday.
Answers

For open questions, these are model answers. Other answers may also be correct.

  1. have been closed
  2. has been issued
  3. have been diverted
  4. have been canceled
  5. has not been confirmed
  6. has been arranged
  7. has been tightened

16.2 Choose the correct form — Past Simple Passive or Present Perfect Passive — according to the context.

Example: KM642 was canceled / has been canceled on September 26. → was canceled (a dated, finished fact)

  1. Brussels Airlines' Catania-Brussels service scheduled for September 26 was canceled / has been canceled, and passengers are not expected back until September 27 or 28.
  2. Flight operations at Catania was suspended / have been suspended, and no reopening time has been confirmed yet.
  3. Five flights were sent / have been sent to Palermo, according to Italian media reports.
  4. The airport's capacity was reduced / has been reduced initially, before restrictions were tightened to a complete suspension.
  5. Sector C1 was closed / has been closed, and it remains closed at the time of writing.
  6. A red VONA was issued / has been issued yesterday evening.
  7. The situation at Catania was affected / has been affected by prevailing wind conditions, and the forecast remains uncertain.
  8. Catania was unavailable / has been unavailable throughout the morning, and airlines are still rerouting flights.
Answers

For open questions, these are model answers. Other answers may also be correct.

  1. was canceled
  2. have been suspended
  3. were sent
  4. was reduced
  5. has been closed
  6. was issued
  7. has been affected
  8. has been unavailable

16.3 Explain in English the difference in meaning between each pair of sentences.

Example: a) The flight was canceled. b) The flight has been canceled. → (a) states a past fact, possibly already resolved or no longer relevant; (b) emphasizes that the cancellation is still in effect now.

  1. a) Catania Airport was closed on September 26. b) Catania Airport has been closed since September 26.
  2. a) The ash cloud was reported moving south. b) The ash cloud has been reported moving south and continues to pose a hazard to aircraft in the area.
  3. a) Passengers' itinerary were changed. b) Passengers' itineraries have been changed, and they are still waiting for new travel arrangements.
  4. a) The airport was operated with reduced capacity. b) The airport had initially been operated with reduced capacity before the complete suspension was announced.
  5. a) Carriers diverted flights to Palermo. b) Carriers have diverted flights to Palermo, and some passengers are still waiting for onward ground transportation.
Answers

For open questions, these are model answers. Other answers may also be correct.

  1. (a) reports a dated, closed event (September 26 only); (b) shows the closure began then and is still true now, with no stated end.
  2. (a) simply reports what was said in the past, as a finished observation; (b) stresses that the report is current and the danger is ongoing.
  3. (a) just states a finished past change; (b) stresses that the change is recent and its consequences (waiting for arrangements) are still affecting passengers now.
  4. (a) describes one past stage with no sequence implied; (b) uses the Past Perfect Passive to mark this as the earlier of two past stages, completed before the later suspension.
  5. (a) simply reports a past action; (b) shows the diversions are recent and their effects (passengers still waiting) continue now.