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  • Passive Voice with Modal Verbs: Can I Cut That Tree Down? (Review)

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    • Inachevé
    • Débutant élevé
    • Passive voice
    • Modal verb
    • Environment
    • Tree

    Passive voice Modal verb Environment Tree

  • Qu'est-ce qu'il y a à l'intérieur?

    Review the conversation "Can I Cut That Tree Down?". Do a speaking exercise, then do multiple choice questions to review the passive voice with modal verbs.

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Can I Cut That Tree Down?

(1) Janna: Listen
Hey, Sean. I heard some noise. May I ask what you are doing?

"May I ask ..." is a good way to start a very police question. "What are you doing?" is too blunt and not too polite.

(2) Sean: Listen
Hi, neighbor. I'm just cutting down a tree. I'm sorry if I'm making too much noise.

"I'm sorry if I am doing something" is a good way to apologize for something that you are doing.

(3) Janna: Listen
Don't worry about the noise. But, do you have the [vocab word=permit]permit[/vocab] to cut that tree down?

"Cut down" is a phrasal verb. You can say "cut down a tree" or "cut a tree down".

(4) Sean: Listen
No, I don't think I need a permit. The tree is in my [vocab word=property]property[/vocab]. I should be allowed to cut it down.

"I should be allowed" has a modal verb and is in passive voice.

(5) Janna: Listen
Well ... not necessarily. Is the tree posing any danger to you?

To "pose danger" means to be dangerous to someone.

(6) Sean: Listen
What do you mean?
(7) Janna: Listen
Is the tree [vocab word=disease]diseased[/vocab]? Or, are the [vocab word=root]roots[/vocab] too close to your home?
(8) Sean: Listen
No, the tree is fine.
(9) Janna: Listen
Then, the tree cannot be cut down without a permit in Toronto. A permit must be [vocab word=issue]issued[/vocab] by the city in order for you to cut it down.

You need a permit to cut down a tree.

(10) Sean: Listen
I don't think that's necessary. I just want to cut it down to make room for my deck. My deck is too small!

To "make room" for something means you want to have enough space / area for something. Here, he wants to cut down the tree because then, he will have more space for his deck.

(11) Janna: Listen
It's serious. Without a permit, you may be [vocab word=fine]fined[/vocab] up to 100,000 dollars.

"Fine" is a verb. It's not the same thing as "I'm fine, thank you". To "fine" someone means a government asks you to pay some penalty money because you did something wrong.

(12) Sean: Listen
Are you serious?
(13) Janna: Listen
Of course. Every tree is a part of our [vocab word=ecosystem]ecosystem[/vocab]. Cutting down even one tree can [vocab word=damage]damage[/vocab] the ecosystem. So, every tree has to be [vocab word=protect]protected[/vocab] to maintain a healthy ecosystem.

"Every tree has to be protected" has a semi-modal verb ("has to") and is in passive voice.

(14) Sean: Listen
Okay. I guess I'll have to live with a small deck ...

"I have to live with something" means I don't like something but I have no other choice. I'm not happy, but I just have to keep on using / having something.

  • RECORDING
    HOLD DOWN AND SPEAK
    PRESS
    HIT
  • Your answer: A Suggestion
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Let's Practice!

Instruction: Please wait...

Result:

  • Total:

Can I Cut That Tree Down?

(1) Janna: Listen
Hey, Sean. I heard some noise. May I ask what you are doing?

"May I ask ..." is a good way to start a very police question. "What are you doing?" is too blunt and not too polite.

(2) Sean: Listen
Hi, neighbor. I'm just cutting down a tree. I'm sorry if I'm making too much noise.

"I'm sorry if I am doing something" is a good way to apologize for something that you are doing.

(3) Janna: Listen
Don't worry about the noise. But, do you have the [vocab word=permit]permit[/vocab] to cut that tree down?

"Cut down" is a phrasal verb. You can say "cut down a tree" or "cut a tree down".

(4) Sean: Listen
No, I don't think I need a permit. The tree is in my [vocab word=property]property[/vocab]. I should be allowed to cut it down.

"I should be allowed" has a modal verb and is in passive voice.

(5) Janna: Listen
Well ... not necessarily. Is the tree posing any danger to you?

To "pose danger" means to be dangerous to someone.

(6) Sean: Listen
What do you mean?
(7) Janna: Listen
Is the tree [vocab word=disease]diseased[/vocab]? Or, are the [vocab word=root]roots[/vocab] too close to your home?
(8) Sean: Listen
No, the tree is fine.
(9) Janna: Listen
Then, the tree cannot be cut down without a permit in Toronto. A permit must be [vocab word=issue]issued[/vocab] by the city in order for you to cut it down.

You need a permit to cut down a tree.

(10) Sean: Listen
I don't think that's necessary. I just want to cut it down to make room for my deck. My deck is too small!

To "make room" for something means you want to have enough space / area for something. Here, he wants to cut down the tree because then, he will have more space for his deck.

(11) Janna: Listen
It's serious. Without a permit, you may be [vocab word=fine]fined[/vocab] up to 100,000 dollars.

"Fine" is a verb. It's not the same thing as "I'm fine, thank you". To "fine" someone means a government asks you to pay some penalty money because you did something wrong.

(12) Sean: Listen
Are you serious?
(13) Janna: Listen
Of course. Every tree is a part of our [vocab word=ecosystem]ecosystem[/vocab]. Cutting down even one tree can [vocab word=damage]damage[/vocab] the ecosystem. So, every tree has to be [vocab word=protect]protected[/vocab] to maintain a healthy ecosystem.

"Every tree has to be protected" has a semi-modal verb ("has to") and is in passive voice.

(14) Sean: Listen
Okay. I guess I'll have to live with a small deck ...

"I have to live with something" means I don't like something but I have no other choice. I'm not happy, but I just have to keep on using / having something.

  • RECORDING
    HOLD DOWN AND SPEAK
    PRESS
    HIT
  • Your answer: A Suggestion

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