Conservation charity present perfect active/passive class + conservation vocabulary
In this class we're going to look at World Parks, an organization trying to preserve nature. We'll look at some vocabulary and some grammar. Notice how the present perfect active and passive verbs are bold. We use the present perfect active to say that the subject has done something. The present perfect passive shows that something has been done to the subject. In both cases the action is a past action but no definite time is given. In addition, the action is important now.
Read this description of "World Parks" from http://www.worldparks.org/pages/donate.php
World Parks provides local conservation organizations around
the world with the financial resources they need to purchase
and protect critical lands for biodiversity conservation.
Their projects target lands that conserve rare or endangered
species, and are low in price, so that a minimum amount of
funds protect high priority areas.
Since its founding in 1989, World Parks has raised over
$2 million, of which less than 1% has been used for
administrative and fundraising overhead. It has played a
central role in the creation of new protected areas in
several countries, including Peru, Mexico, Ecuador, Guatemala,
Argentina, Chile and others, working with local organizations
to purchase and conserve lands that are extremely high in
biodiversity.
Grammar: "World Parks has raised over $2 million." This uses an active verb because the subject did the work. "Less than 1% has been used for administrative and fundraising overhead." This gets a passive verb; the subject, "less than 1% (of the money)" has not performed an action.
Knowing when to use the active and when to use the passive is very difficult. Here's a difficult Passive voice quiz that will test your ability to use active and passive verbs.
Here's a vocabulary test based on the reading. Try to type the letter of the correct definition into the box on the left of each word.
Practice talking about conservation on the nature message board.
Tell us about your favorite charity on the charity message board.
Or visit any practice English message board.
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While this class is about a charity that prtects nature, there are many charities and voluntary organizations to get involved with. For example, my wife and I are in several animal rescue organizations and donate food to hungry children in our effort to be charitable.
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