Using Some and Any

In English the words some and any are used before plural nouns: some money, some dollars, any change, etc.

However, it is often possible to leave out the word some in declarative sentences:

--We have (some) checks.

--Mr. Roberts gives them (some) money.

The word any is usually used in questions and negations to replace some:

--Do you have any change?

--Do you have some change?

--They don"t have any friends.

Placement of Adjectives and Adverbs

Adjectives and adverbs are invariable in English. Adjectives always come in front of the noun they modify. Adverbs usually come after the verb they modify.

ADJECTIVES:

a good book
an excellent dinner
a fine wine
a charming person
a hot day
an unreasonable person

ADVERBS:

--This newspaper is published frequently.
--The Immigration Agent is speaking quickly

The Passive Voice

In other sections, you have seen verbs used in the active voice. The passive voice is sometimes used in English as well. With the active voice, the agent or subject comes before the verb. With the passive, the subject (either stated or implied) follows the verb and is usually preceded with the word by:

ACTIVE:

--The doctor wrote a prescription.

PASSIVE

--The prescription was written by the doctor.

NOTE: In the passive, the object of the active verb becomes the subject.

To make the passive, use the appropriate form of the verb to be + past participle. Only transitive verbs are used in the passive:

ACTIVE: Fred helps Jane.

PASSIVE: Jane is helped by Fred.

ACTIVE: He is helping her.

PASSIVE: She is being helped by him.

ACTIVE: He has helped her.

PASSIVE: She has been helped by him.

ACTIVE: He helped her.

PASSIVE: She was helped by him.

ACTIVE: He was helping her.

PASSIVE: She was being helped by him.

ACTIVE: He had helped her.

PASSIVE: She had been helped by him.

ACTIVE: He will help her.

PASSIVE: She will be helped by him.

ACTIVE: He is going to help her.

PASSIVE: She is going to be helped by him.

Usually the by phrase is omitted in a passive sentence. The passive is used mainly when it is not known or not important to know who was responsible for the action:

--The house was built in 1960.

(The by phrase is left out because it is understood that builders

built the house).