Fall is often associated with pumpkins and apples, but there is another fruit and flavor that Americans love during this time of year: cranberries! Cranberries are the staple of any Thanksgiving dinner. But how do Americans eat them? Read on to find out . . . and look for how many times the Simple Passive Voice is used.
Remember, the Passive Voice uses the following construction:
[am/is/are + past participle]
We use this construction when we do not know who/what does the action in the sentence, or when the person/thing who does the action is not important.
Example: The fall season is beloved by many.Ā
Example: Pumpkin lattes are revered by a large number of Americans.Ā
For more on the passive voice, click here.
Can you spot the many uses of the Simple Passive in the passage below?
How cranberries are eaten
Cranberries are sold fresh, frozen, or canned (it is more common to find them frozen or canned). If they are frozen, they are cooked with sugar. If they are canned, the can is simply opened. The sauce is served with the rest of the Thanksgiving meal, and is typically eaten as a sauce on many dishes.
Cranberry sauce is often eaten on rolls (soft bread). It is also served with turkey, since turkey meat is very mild and often needs to be eaten with a sauce or gravy.
Many people also enjoy eating cranberries with leftovers, especially on turkey sandwiches.
Did you see how often the passiveĀ is used? In the text below, the passive voice is in bold.
How cranberries are eatenĀ
Cranberries are sold fresh, frozen, or canned (it is more common to find them frozen or canned). If they are frozen, they are cooked with sugar. If they are canned, the can is simply opened. The sauce is served with the rest of the Thanksgiving meal, and is typically eaten as a sauce on many dishes.
Cranberry sauce is often eaten on rolls (soft bread). It is also served with turkey, since turkey meat is very mild and often needs to be eaten with a sauce or gravy.
Many people also enjoy eating cranberries with leftovers, especially on turkey sandwiches. It is a healthy food: learn more about the health benefits of cranberries and cranberry juice.
Idioms with “sauce”
Because cranberries are so often associated with sauces, we are looking at some idioms with “sauce!” The word SAUCE is used for many foods, but as an idiom, it is typically linked to drinking alcohol. Here are a few sauce idioms related to drinking. We hope they give you a laugh!
To be on the sauce
- Definition: To be drunk.
- Example: It looks like he is on the sauce. He can stand up straight!
Sauce parlor
- Definition: a tavern (where drinks are sold).
- Example: We spent a few hours in the sauce parlor last night.
Sauced
- Definition: drunk
- Example: She was sauced last night.
- Note: this is also spelled soused, although “soused” is also used for things that are pickled.Ā
Photo sourcesĀ here.