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← Level B lessonsMOUNT ETNA · LEVEL B · UNIT 8

Flights Would Be Suspended: Passive in Different Tenses

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Words from the text: tighten, issue, expect, operate, reduced capacity, disrupt, suspend, operator, capacity, hazard, schedule, reposition

A We use would be + past participle to talk about a future action as it was planned or expected at an earlier moment in the past. This form is common after reporting verbs like said or announced, when we explain what was going to happen next.

SAC, the airport operator, said that flight operations would be suspended**** until 12:00 local time.

The airline announced that passengers would not be expected**** back until September 28.

Officials said that airlines would need extra time to reposition aircraft and crews.

После said/announced по-русски часто хочется сказать 'will be', но после глагола в прошедшем времени нужно 'would be + причастие'.

B We use has/have been + past participle (the passive of the Present Perfect from Unit 7) to show that a past action still has a result or importance now. We often use it in news reports to describe current effects of a decision.

More than 140 passengers have been affected**** by the suspension.

A red VONA notice has been issued**** because of the ongoing ash emission.

The airport operator says that capacity has been reduced**** since the eruption began.

The airport has continued to operate with reduced capacity all morning.

C We use had been + past participle (the passive of the Past Perfect) to show that something happened, and was completed, before another past action or before a past moment in the story.

Brussels Airlines canceled the flight, which had been scheduled**** for September 26.

KM Malta Airlines confirmed that flight KM642 had been canceled** because of the hazard**.

By the time the full ban started, several flights had already been diverted**** to other airports.

'Had been + V3' обычно появляется в предложении, где есть ещё одно действие в прошедшем времени (как had been scheduled... was canceled) — одно событие раньше другого.

Exercises

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8.1 Look at these sentences based on the news report. Write the tense and voice of the verb in bold (например: Past Simple Passive).

Example: SAC said that all flights would be suspended until 12:00. → Future-in-the-past Passive

  1. An ash plume had reached approximately 4 kilometers above sea level.
  2. Around 140 passengers had been affected by the cancellation.
  3. A red VONA notice was issued because of the ash emission.
  4. The airport has operated with reduced capacity since this morning.
  5. Flight KM642 had been canceled because of volcanic activity.
  6. Restrictions were tightened later that day.
  7. Passengers were not expected to return until September 28.
Answers

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

  1. Past Perfect Active
  2. Past Perfect Passive
  3. Past Simple Passive
  4. Present Perfect Active
  5. Past Perfect Passive
  6. Past Simple Passive
  7. Past Simple Passive

8.2 Rewrite the active sentences in the passive, keeping the same tense.

Example: SAC said that officials would reposition the aircraft. → SAC said that the aircraft would be repositioned.

  1. The airline said that officials would tighten the restrictions.
  2. INGV reported that the ash cloud had affected several airspace sectors.
  3. Controllers have issued a new warning this morning.
  4. The operator said that they would suspend all flights.
  5. Airlines have canceled more than ten flights.
  6. The airport had already reduced capacity before the full suspension.
Answers

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

  1. The airline said that the restrictions would be tightened.
  2. INGV reported that several airspace sectors had been affected.
  3. A new warning has been issued this morning.
  4. The operator said that all flights would be suspended.
  5. More than ten flights have been canceled.
  6. Capacity had already been reduced before the full suspension.

8.3 Complete the news summary with the correct passive form of the verb in brackets (Past Simple, future-in-past, Present Perfect, or Past Perfect).

Example: SAC said that flight operations ______ (suspend) until 12:00 local time. → would be suspended

  1. The operator said that capacity (reduce) because of the ash cloud.
  2. At first, the airport continued to operate with reduced capacity, but later the restrictions (tighten).
  3. Controllers confirmed that a new notice (issue) that morning.
  4. By midday, more than twenty flights (affect) by the restrictions.
  5. Several departures (cancel) already by the time the airport reopened.
  6. The airline said that passengers (expect) to continue their journey by bus.
Answers

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

  1. would be reduced
  2. were tightened
  3. had been issued
  4. had been affected
  5. had been canceled
  6. would be expected