Lesson 18: passive practice

National and Local Products in Spain

Change the active sentences into the passive form:
Active Passive
1) Spanish people eat Paella. Paella is eaten in Spain.
2) Spanish people drink Sangria.
3) Spanish people grow oranges.
4) Spanish people use fans.
5) Spanish people make Seat cars.
6) People in Madrid speak castellano.

Which Spanish foods or dishes are described in the following paragraphs?

Chorizo Iberian ham Manchego cheese Fabada
Bizcochos Borrachos Pisto Manchego La Alcarria honey Trigueros
1) This is a traditional Spanish dish which originally came from Castilla la Mancha. Nowadays it is
cooked and served all over Spain. It is made with tomatoes, courgettes, onions, peppers and garlic. It
is similar to ratatouille. It is served warm to accompany a main dish or cold as a starter. It is also used
as a filling for sandwiches, savoury crepes, and even as a pasta sauce.

2) This is a spicy sausage, which is either sliced thinly and served cold in a bread roll or cut into chunks
and cooked in wine (al vino) or cider (a la sidra).

3) A hard cheese from the Castilla-La Mancha region which is made from sheep milk. It is slightly salty
and often served with jamon ibérico.

4) This is Spain's second religion (a little behind football but probably slightly ahead of Catholicism). It
is cherished as much as champagne is in France. The process for curing it is a long process that takes a
couple of years. There are various grades of quality, the best being 'pata negra' (black hoof) or 'de
bellota', which is made from pigs that are reared on acorns.

5) This is a bean stew which is originally from Asturias. A canned version is sold in most supermarkets
across the country. It is a heavy dish. Due to this it is most commonly eaten during the largest meal of
the day, lunch (normally as a starter before the 'main' course of meat). It is usually served with crusty
bread, and with Asturian cider or a red wine.

6) It is produced in the Alcarria district from rosemary and lavender and has been famous since the 17th
century. It is a traditional product which is guaranteed by a protected designation: PDO Miel de La
Alcarria.

7) It is collected from the edges of wheatfields in spring and is named after trigo, the Spanish word for
'wheat'. It is a vegetable that has a sweet flavour. It is often served in Spanish omelette or with
scrambled eggs.

8) These are light spongy cakes which are covered with a sweet sauce of brandy, lemon and cinnamon.
They are usually served as a dessert with a hot cup of Spanish coffee or hot chocolate.

Now circle the passive sentences in each paragraph.

Rewrite these sentences using the passive:
1. Many people in Spain eat Chorizo. 6. We often eat it with pasta.
2. Beekeepers collect honey. 7. We usually eat it as a starter.
3. Everyone in Spain loves them. 8. They say that the King eats it.
4. Lots of people collect trigueros in April. 9. It grows all over Spain.
5. They cook it in wine or cider. 10. A factory in Guadalajara produces it.