UNIT 5

The business community

READING

The business community represents one of the target groups of the travel agents services. This
situation results from the need to export goods and services abroad, which, in fact, is essential to
any country's economy. In order to answer this need, business companies have to get in touch with
customers and suppliers abroad, therefore, they need to send their representatives to worldwide
destinations. This is where the travel agent's services come in, as the representatives need travel
advice, tickets, reservations and other informative services. Hence, the business community benefits
from the services of the travel agent in a number of ways, including:
personal service
accuracy and expertise
savings in time and money
extended credit facilities.

Personal service represents an equally important and attractive factor to the business traveller as
for the individual traveller. Often business organisations employ travel agents, with whom they
establish a good rapport, and who are expected to provide specialist sales advice, appropriate for
specific business needs.

The services of an agent are also assessed according to their accuracy and degree of expertise.
Business representatives have high standards and they expect accurate and expert advice and
information from the agents. Mistakes are not accepted, as they consume the customers time and
money unnecessarily. A travel agent should prove more time and cost effective than the alternative
of booking directly. Dealing directly with the principals involves contacting, for instance, various
airlines, hotels, thus spending a lot of money and time. The agent will handle all these on behalf of
his customer.

If business travel agents did not exist then companies would have to deal with suppliers dircetly,
which would be time and money consuming, as well. Therefore, from this point of view travel
agents contribute to savings in time and money.
Some business organizations employ their own travel manager to deal directly with the supplier,
leaving out the agent. Yet, these travel managers, if not provided with adequate updated technology,
are no longer capable to keep up with the efficiency and speed of the services provided by the
agents, since agents have invested a lot lately in improved technology.

Another benefit for the organizations is that travel agents offer as incentives, extended credit
facilities. This is a marketing strategy used by agencies with established customers, which allows
the customer to postpone the payment for 7 days, a month or even longer. Thus it is not compulsory
for the well-established customer to pay on invoice, except for the case when he deals with the
agency for the first time.
In these situations, agents must pay great attention to how they make sure that the client will pay in
due time, without placing too much pressure on the customer, and risking to lose the business
rapport.

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All in all, society itself benefits from the existence of travel agents on the local, regional and
national economy level as well. Travel agents represent a major category of employers generating
jobs and thus intensifying the commercial activity. Their input is essential also from the local and
national taxes point of view. Agents contribute to the gross domestic product by paying various
overheads such as local rents, rates and taxes.

GRAMMAR
The Passive Voice

Active voice and passive voice

The active and passive voice refer to the form of a verb. In the active, the subject of the verb is the
person or thing doing the action: John cooked the food last night.

Other typical active verb forms are: eats, made, will take.

In the passive, the action is done to the subject: The food was cooked last night.
Other typical passive verb forms are: is eaten, was made, will be taken.
The passive occurs very commonly in English. It is not merely an alternative to the active, but has
its own distinctive uses.

Forms

Passives can be formed in the following ways:

1. A tense of be + past participle
Active: He cooks/has cooked/ will cook the food
He is/ was cooking the food
Passive: The food is/ has been/ will be + cooked
The food is/ was being + cooked

2. Modal + be/ have been/ +past participle

Active: He may cook/may have cooked the food
Passive: The food may be/ have been+cooked

3. Infinitive: to be/ to have been + past participle

Active: He is/ was to cook the food
Passive: The food is to be/ was to have been + cooked

4. ing form: being/having been + past participle

Active: Cooking / having cooked
Passive: Being/ having been + cooked

Notes on the form and uses of the passive

1. Regular and irregular past participle

The passive is formed with a form of be and the past participle.
The past participle does not necessarily refer to the past time. The past participle is used to form
perfect active tenses (eg: He has left), as well as all passives.

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 Rules applying to the use of tenses in the active apply in the passive too. For example, an action
in progress now requires the present progressive in: e.g.
Your steak is being grilled and will be ready in a minute.

2. Transitive and intransitive verbs:

The passive occurs only with verbs used transitively, that is, verbs that can be followed by an
object:
Active: Someone found this wallet in the restaurant.
Passive: This wallet was found in the restaurant.
Many verbs can be used transitively or intransitively:
The door opened(perhaps by itself)/ The door was opened (perhaps by someone).

3. Personal and impersonal subjects:

The passive can refer to things (a letter was written) or people.
Active: The company has sent Mr. Smith to California for a year.
Passive: Mr. Smith has been sent to California for a year.

4. Direct and indirect object:

Verbs like bring and give which can have two objects, e. g. James gave me(indirect) a
ticket(direct), can have two passive forms:
I was given a ticket by James(indirect object becomes subject)/A ticket was given to me by
James(direct object becomes subject).

5. Stative verbs:
Many stative verbs can not be used in the passive, even when they are transitive:
I love beans on toast(active voice only).
Verbs like measure which can be stative or dynamic, can only be passive in their dynamic sense:
Stative: This desk measures 125 /60 cms.
Dynamic: This desk has been measured.

6. Progressive forms:
Only present and past progressive forms are common:
Hes been interviewed now. He was being interviewed at ten.
However, modals with progressive passives sometimes occur:
I know Mark was going to have an interview sometime this afternoon. He may be being
interviewed at this very moment.

7. Phrasal verbs:
Transitive constructions with the pattern verb + adverb particle: (A gust of wind blew our tent
down) can be used in the passive:
Our tent was blown down by a gust of wind.
For possible passives with verb+preposition: E. g.
The newsagents has been broken into.
Only a few verbs of the type verb + particle + preposition can be used in the passive:
We have done away with the old rules
The old rules have been done away with.

8. The- ing form and the to- infinitive:

Passive constructions are common after verbs followed by the - ing form such as enjoy, like and
remember:

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 Most people dont like being criticized/ he hates to be criticized .

We can use the passive ( ing form only) after conjunctions such as on and after:
On/After being informed that her mother was seriously ill, she hurried back to England .

9. Active verbs with the passive meaning:

A few active verbs sometimes have a passive meaning:
The surface cleans easily really means: It can be/ It is cleaned easily.
These clothes wash well. This wine is selling quickly.

10. Verbs generally used in the passive:

A small number of verbs are used more frequently in the passive than in the active: be born/ be
married/ be obliged.
Im not obliged to work overtime if I dont want to.

11. Adverbs of manner in passive sentences

They can occur before or after the participle:
This room has been badly painted/painted badly.

12. English often uses the passive when other European Languages use reflexive verbs: burn
myself/hurt myself.

13. We often use abbreviated passive constructions when expressing:

- wishes: Id like it (to be) cleaned/fried.
- preferences: I like it (when it is) fried/boiled.

The use of by, etc. + agent after a passive

An agent is a doer, i. e. the person or thing that performs the action indicated by the verb. The by
+ agent in passive constructions tells us who or what did something:
The window was broken by the boy who lives opposite/ The window was broken by a
stone.
With is often used with an agent, especially after a past participle such as: crammed, crowded, filled,
packed:
During the World Cup our streets were filled with football fans.

Get + past participle

Get is often used instead of be, before certain past participles in colloquial English. Be can
sometimes be replaced by become.
I tried to find my way round London without a map and got lost.

Get combines with past participles like: arrested, caught, confused, delayed, divorced, dressed,
drowned, drunk, elected, engaged, hit, killed, lost, married, stuck.
Get is used when: we do something to ourselves:
I got dressed as quickly as a I could.
Something happens beyond our control:

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 We got delayed because of the holiday traffic.
A few combinations with get +past participle are used as commands: Get dressed! / Get washed!

The passive with verbs of saying and believing

Whenever we make statements we need to be sure of the facts, like:

Jane pays less income tax than she should.
It is often better to say:
Jane is said to pay less income taxes then she should.

If it seems necessary to be cautious, we can use passive constructions like the following:
1. It + passive + that clause with verbs like: agree, allege, arrange, assume, believe, consider,
decide, declare, discover, expect, fear, feel, find, hope, imagine, know, observe, presume, prove,
report, say, show, suggest, suppose, think, understand:
It is said that there is plenty of oil off that coast.
It is feared that many lives have been lost in the train crash.
2. There + passive + to be + complement with a limited selection of verbs: acknowledge, allege,
believe, consider, fear, feel, know, presume, report, say, suppose, think, understand:
There is said to be plenty of oil off that coast.
There are known to be thousands of different species of beetles.
3. Subject other than it + passive + to infinitive with a few verbs: acknowledge, allege, believe,
consider, declare, know, report, say, recognize, suppose, think, understand:
Mandy is said to be some kind of psychic.
Homeopathic remedies are believed to be very effective.

Typical contexts for the passive

Formal notices and announcements:

English Spoken, Loans Arranged, Shoes Repaired

Headlines, advertisements, notices, etc:

Trade Agreements broken! Prices slashed! All goods greatly reduced! Petrol coupons accepted!
President assassinated!

Scientific writings (to describe process):

The mixture is placed in a crucible and is heated to a temperature of 300 degrees Celsius. It is then
allowed to cool before it can be analyzed.

Exercises:

1. Use the passive forms requested. Transform the sentences into the active:
1. Much of London(destroy)by fire in the 17th century. (past)
2. The man who(bite)by a snake during the safari was given a serum. (past perfect)
3. Many slums(demolish) in the big cities to make way for new buildings. (present continuous)
4. The police(instruct)the tourists to take firm action against hooligans. (present perfect)
5. The drivers licence(not suspended)if he hadnt been drunk. (perfect conditional)
6. (Threaten)by a thief, the lady immediately gave away her wallet. (perfect participle)
7. Would you go to this exotic place if you were to (invite)? (infinitive)

2. Transform the following sentences into the passive!

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 1. Someone had lent him the camera just for a day.
2. They showed their foreign friends all the sights of the city.
3. He promised his wife a nice holiday to Greece for Easter.
4. We shall offer a high salary to a really suitable applicant.
5. The shop assistant gave me some good advice concerning this voucher.
6. They will bring him a very nice present on their arrival.
7. Someone must look after our luggage!

3. Transform the sentences into the passive where possible!

1. All the ministers will see him off at the airport.
2. Everyone looked up to him on his arrival.
3. Nobody slept in her bed while she was away.
4. Burglars broke into their house during their holiday.
5. The babysitter didnt look after the children properly while they were gone.
6. The tourists bus arrived too late at the stadium.
7. Can anyone unlock my seatbelt, please?
8. John has been waiting for her for hours!
9. We ought to have kept little Sam home!
10. No one could possibly have known the secret of this castle!

4. Use the appropriate passive forms:

1. Rome(to build)not in a day!
2. This issue regarding your flight(to deal with)as soon as possible.
3. Thousands of books(to publish)every year and very few of them(to notice).
4. After my interview, I(to ask)to explain a point I had made.
5. The agreement has(to sign)in the presence of a witness.
6. Candidates(to require)to present themselves fifteen minutes before the examination.
7. Passengers(to request)to remain seated until the aircraft comes to a complete stop.
8. My car(to scratch)on the motorway during our trip to Italy.
9. Thousands of beaches(to pollute)and this may concern tourists on board.
10. Our luxurious yacht(to damage)during the last nights storm on the sea!

WRITING
Leaflets and Brochures

General points. Characteristics.

Components/Main parts. Style. Language.
Promoting a Destination: Brochure
Language

Leaflets and brochures represent formal promotional writing, and means of selling out
various products. In order to persuade the potential customer to buy the product or service, the
leaflet or the brochure has to attract the reader, to inform him, and, finally, entice him. In order to
achieve all these aims the writer or producer has to pay particular attention to the following aspects:
overall design of the leaflet or brochure
the text used for the promotion of the product or service

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 structure and layout
visual elements that underline and detail the message, including pictures, graphs,
figures and any other material that can be usefully exploited for the future benefit
of the customer and seller.
In general, a leaflet is made up of three-four relevant sections, which are the highlights of the
product. The section of the leaflet must clearly and logically display all the information that the
reader might expect.
The first page or section, ie the front page, usually gives out extremely general information.
The inside part, the part that bears the message, can be further broken down into sections,
depending on the number and relevance of the highlights that need to be promoted. So for example,
the first section will give essential and condensed data about the product, while in the next sections
the product or products will be detailed, illustrated and explained. Finally, the back cover will
further detail or describe, give further information about the product, including items like: how to et
to the site or attraction, contact address, further helpful pictures and maps.
The text used for a leaflet must be neither too long nor too short. It must clearly express the
message and point out the highlights or advantages which will determine the potential customer to
wish to buy the product. The language used must be clear and suggestive. A too simplistic language
will downrate the product, while a too elaborate one might confuse or bore the reader.
The visual elements used in leaflets must be attractive, suggestive and expressive. They
must give out more information about the site or product and impress the reader so much as to move
him to action. Visual effects must not be overused. A visually overcrowded leaflet will confuse the
customer and will leave too little space for text messages.

Brochures are the most important documents used in the promotion of a destination. Their
function is twofold:
to inform and
attract buyer.
In order to sound attractive, brochures require a descriptive and suggestive language with
emphasis placed on adjectives. The choice of words, especially of adjectives, is therefore, of
primary importance.

Exercises

1. Read the text below and highlight the words which accompany nouns.

WELCOME TO WEST SUSSEX

Welcome to West Sussex, an unspoiled corner of the British Isles where you have the freedom to please yourself. Visit
magnificent gardens and fine country houses or towns and villages rich in character and history. Marvel at the beautiful
scenery along tranquil coastal stretches or spectacular downland. See top stars in theatre, cabaret, open air or cathedral
settings. Explore the world of art or thrill at the sight of classic cars and fine racehorses. Indulge a treasured hobby
collecting antiques or rare books, or use the time to learn something new.
The list of possibilities is endless.
Its all here. And so is classic British hospitality at its best, from the charm of B & Bs And the sleepy calm of country pubs,
to gracious living in country house hotels.
All serving the very best food and wine.
The guide is just a beginning. For more information, do contact one of our Tourist
Information Centres (listed on the opposite page) where staff with a wealth of local
Knowledge is waiting to help you.

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2. Now read the information about Bath, Stonehenge and Salisbury. Try to replace the
adjectives used in the text with other suitable adjectives. Preserve the meaning conveyed by
the text.

BATH, STONEHENGE & SALISBURY

This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England

This tour is steeped in history and contrasts. Our visits include the Roman City of Bath, the mysteries of
Stonehenge and the awe-inspiring spire of Salisbury.
Stonehenge- The oldest monument in Europe- parts of it dating back more than 5000 years. Its still not
known whether it was used as a temple or an astronomical calendar- will anyone ever know?
Salisbury- A lovely market town in our countryside. We shall enjoy a panoramic drive, seeing this rural old
town and visiting the famous Gothic Cathedral, with the tallest spire in England.
The City of Bath- Built in a natural amphitheatre of steep hills, with its magnificent Georgian architecture,
crescents, terraces and squares, Bath is certainly one of the most distinguished of British cities. Well visit
the ancient Roman hot and cold baths constructed over 1900 years ago and the Pump Room- which gave
access to the citys hot springs. There is time to explore the Abbey and Pulteney Bridge before driving on
to the beautiful Avon Valley.

3. Use the following text as a prompt to describe the pedestrianised shopping area in your
town.

SHOPPING
To browse around the shops is an important part of any holiday and Cardiffs shopping centre is
among the finest in the country. Our new shopping precinct, St. Davids Centre, combines with our
department stores, covered market and network of Edwardian arcades to offer a remarkable range of shopping
in a compact area. Compact is the word. One of the great assets of Cardiffs shopping is that despite the fact
that we have so much on offer so many big stores, small shops, market stalls it is never more than an easy
stroll from one part to another. With the new St. Davids Centre and the delightful longer-established arcades
much is under cover. In the pedestrianised areas, a youth orchestra, a Morris dance group or a brass band
frequently adds gaiety to the scen