Archive for the ‘Structure’ Category
Advice about improving your Aviation English and passing an ICAO English test from Aviation English Asia.
Article written by Michael Egerton
Using English grammatical structures accurately is an important skill needed by pilots and controllers in their ICAO English test but also for other airline employees in their everyday duties, particularly if you need to say something in a subtle way or obscure information. When learning English you should also learn the function of a structure rather than just memorising the structure itself. When you know what a structure is for, and why it is used your Aviation English will improve rapidly.
In this article we are going to look at passive and active voice, and why they are used in English. We will then look at an example of how they can be used in an aviation context, followed by some Aviation English exercises.
Reading comprehension
Six passengers on-board a flight from Turkey to Russia on 24th September were made to stand because there were not enough seats. The adult travellers stood for the entire five-hour flight, except for when the plane hit turbulence, during which time the passengers were forced to sit in the aisle without seatbelts.
The passengers were subjected to ‘standing room only’ after the Tatarstan Airlines flight from Antalya to Ekaterinburg was replaced by another aircraft with fewer seats just before take-off. The standing passengers were without oxygen masks or life vests on the overcrowded jet.
One passenger told the UK’s Daily Mail newspaper “The adults had no choice but to fly standing for five hours. When the plane flew through turbulence, they went from standing to sitting in the aisle where they had no safety belts.”
The cabin crew told passengers to put children on their lap – but the children were too big. The angry passengers have each demanded $4,900 in compensation but were only offered $212 by the tour company which had booked many passengers on the flight.
A spokesperson from the tour company defended the airline, saying the passengers could have waited for a later flight. “People had a choice to fly on that plane standing up, or wait seven hours for another plane,” said Evgenia Fedorova “All the tourists decided to fly back despite uncomfortable conditions.”
The incident has not been denied by the airline and aviation regulators are said to be probing the incident.
Comprehension questions
Before answering the questions, read the article again and identify which sentences use passive voice and which sentences use active voice.
- Why was passive/active voice used?
- Why do you think the airline made the decision to make passengers stand?
- Was it a good decision?
- What were the dangers of having passengers standing during a flight?
- Would you have liked to have been one of the cabin crew working on that flight?
- If you were a member of the airline how would you explain to a passenger that they had to stand?
Structure
The structure of passive voice is:
Subject + finite form of to be + Past Participle
Passive voice is used for the following purposes:
- To emphasise an object, eg six passengers were made to stand
- To de-emphasise the subject/agent, eg the airline told passengers to sit in the aisle (not good for the airline)
- If you don’t know who is responsible for an action
When rewriting active sentences in passive voice:
- the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence
- the finite form of the verb is changed (to be + past participle)
- the subject of the active sentence becomes the object of the passive sentence (or is omitted)
Aviation English Exercise
How do you say the following sentences in passive voice?
- Cabin crew made passengers stand because there were not enough seats.
- Cabin crew forced passengers to sit in the aisle without seatbelts.
- Another aircraft with fewer seats replaced the Tatarstan Airlines flight from Antalya to Ekaterinburg.
- One passenger told the UK’s Daily Mail newspaper …
- The cabin crew told passengers to put children on their lap.
- The passengers have each demanded $4900 in compensation.
- The airline has not denied the incident.
- Aviation regulators are probing the incident.
What to do next
For feedback and more information about Aviation English Asia’s courses please visit http://aviationenglish.com. We can help you improve your English whether you are an experienced pilot, a cadet entry pilot, a controller, aerospace engineer or flight attendant, with custom courses designed specifically for your needs. If you haven’t already please join the Aviation English mailing list for instant access to free demonstration units of the ICAO Aviation English Online course, special offers and details of courses in your area.
Of course, feel free to leave a comment or even a suggestion for a future article. We value all of your feedback.
Advice for learning English from Aviation English Asia.
Article written by Michael Egerton
One of the most complicated areas of English is the correct use of articles. In English there are two articles – a/an and the. In this article you can learn some simple rules that will help you use articles correctly. But first of all, look at the sentences below. Can you explain how and why the articles are used?
- 1. I had a baguette and a cup of coffee for lunch.
- 2. The baguette was good but the coffee was awful.
- 1. My brother is a pilot.
- 2. He is the captain of a Boeing 737.
- 1. I saw a security officer holding a machine gun.
- 2. Airport security officers are allowed to carry guns.
- 1. I feel cold. Can you pass me a blanket.
- 2. I feel cold. Can you pass me the blanket
The Airbus A380 is the biggest passenger aircraft
The definite article – the
Here are four rules to explain the use the definite article the. After reading match each rule with one of the examples below.
Rule 1: the – used where there is only one. For example, “I saw the nice lady from HR.” Here, we’re talking about a specific noun. There is probably only one nice lady from the HR department.
Rule 2: the – used before geographical nouns eg seas, rivers, hotels, pubs, museums and newspapers.
- names of rivers, oceans and seas: the Nile, the Pacific, the Atlantic, the Black Sea
- points on the globe: the Equator, the North Pole
- geographical areas: the Middle East, the Northern Hemisphere
- deserts, forests, gulfs, and peninsulas: the Sahara, the Persian Gulf, the Forest of Dean,
Rule 3: the – used with superlative adjectives. For example, the Cadet Pilot Programme is the easiest way for local people to start an aviation career.
Rule 4: the – used when both the speaker and listener already know the thing, design or idea being talked about. For example, “The car was blue.” Here, we’re talking about a specific car, the car that hit my Cessna. The definitive article is also used to talk about aircraft when describing or comparing their features, eg the Airbus A380, the Boeing 747.
Examples – which of the above rules do they demonstrate?
- We have a cat and a dog. The cat is white and the dog is black.
- The Atlantic Ocean, the Sun, the River Nile, the Black Swan
- The WOMBAT test was really easy
- Have you checked the fuel?
- The Airbus A380 is the largest passenger airliner. Concorde was the fastest passenger aircraft.
- The Air Traffic Controller’s daughter is really pretty.
- I passed the ICAO English test
The indefinite article – a/an
Here are four rules explaining the use of the indefinite article a/an
Rule 1: a/an – used with professions. For example, “I’m a lawyer“.
Rule 2: a/an – used with some expressions of quantity. For example, “I need a bottle of water”.
Rule 3: a/an used in expressions with “what + countable noun”. For example, “What a beautiful day for flying!”
Rule 4: a/an used to refer to a thing or idea for the first time. For example, “I met a nice girl last night.”
Examples – which of the above rules do they demonstrate?
- I’m an accountant. My brother is a pilot.
- What an incredible landing!
- The passengers will board in a few minutes.
- A couple of landing cards please.
- I practice English 3 times a week.
- I’m reading a good book. The author is Peter Nock.
No article required
There are four rules explaining the use of no article.
Rule 1: no article used before some forms of transport.
Rule 2: no article used with exclamations with “what + uncountable noun”
Rule 3: no article used before some geographical nouns, languages, meals, airports, mountains and stations. For example,
- names of most countries/territories: Australia, China, Canada; however you do need to use the before countries that are a collection of states eg, the Netherlands, the Dominican Republic, the Philippines, the United States
- names of cities, towns, or states:London, Singapore, Vancouver
- names of streets: Scenic View Road, Oxford St.
- names of lakes and bays: Lake Michigan, except with a group of lakes like the Great Lakes
- names of mountains: Mount Everest, Mount Fuji except with ranges of mountains like the Andes or the Himalayas
- names of continents (Asia, Europe)
- names of islands (Hong Kong Island, Lantau, Lamma) except groups of islands like the Philippines, or the Canary Islands
Rule 4: no article used before plural and uncountable nouns to refer to things in general.
Examples – which of the above rules do they demonstrate?
- What amazing weather!
- I had dinner with the captain.
- I bought “Pronunciation for Pilots” online.
- Mt Fuji is in Japan.
- I go to work by train.
- What noisy passengers!
- She can speak Portuguese.
- I like girls.
- Police officers in Hong Kong carry guns.
- Peanuts can be dangerous during flight.
Activity – Newspaper headlines
Newspaper headlines rarely use complete sentences. Look at the list of headlines below and see if you can write them as a complete sentence using verbs in the correct tense and articles as appropriate. You can find the answers on our Facebook Discussion forum.
Example:
- Headline – FAA to announce new taxi instructions
- Full sentence – The FAA is going to announce some new taxi instructions.
Global Airline Traffic Surpasses Pre Recession Level
Heroic Flight Attendant Lands Plane
FAA Slow to Require Action On Cockpit Fires
Passengers Stranded On Desert Island
Pilot Loses Certificate For Buzzing Beach
Fuel Dump By FedEx Plane Most Likely Cause of Mysterious Crop Damage
Early 787 Simulation Raises Concerns
Magnificent Man and His Homebuilt Flying Machine Go For Record at Age of 94
6 Year Old OHIO Girl Placed on FAA Watch List
Tiny Turtle Returns Plane to Gate
What to do next
For feedback and more information about Aviation English Asia’s courses please visit http://aviationenglish.com. We can help you improve your English whether you are an experienced pilot, a cadet entry pilot, a controller, aerospace engineer or flight attendant, with custom courses designed specifically for your needs. If you haven’t already please join the Aviation English mailing list for instant access to free demonstration units of the ICAO Aviation English Online course, special offers and details of courses in your area.
Of course, feel free to leave a comment or even a suggestion for a future article. We value all of your feedback.
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Conan She
Michael Egerton
Michael McBride
Aviation English Asia Blog 