Grammar in Speech

27. Supply the correct form of the verbs given in brackets and perform the role play given below. Radio Station Fined for Game That Left Three with Frostbite

A Birmingham radio station yesterday (1) _______________ (to fine) £15,000 after three listeners (2) _______________ (to leave) permanently (3) _______________ (to scar) by frostbite during a competition that required them (4) _______________ (to sit) on blocks of dry ice for as long as they could.

The radio station challenged listeners in its Coolest Seats in Town promotion (5) _______________ (to sit) on solid carbon dioxide at minus 78ºC in order to win tickets for a music festival.

Three contestants spent between eight to ten weeks in hospital (6) _______________ (to recover) from skin grafts after losing skin, fat and muscle as a result of burns.

The radio station, (7) ________ (to own) by London-based Capital Radio, admitted (8) _____________ (to breach) the Health and Safety at Work Act when it appeared before Birmingham magistrate’s court.

The court heard how four contestants Eddie Witherington, 31, Lindsey Dugmore, 20, Emma Atkins ,16, and Helen Terry, 27, (9) _______________ (to sit) on the dry ice for 45 minutes before the first gave in. Soon afterwards the rest of the contestants complained of (10) _______________ (to feel) ill, and (11) _______________ (to take) to a burns unit.

The blocks were so cold they (12) _______________ (to freeze) the nerves in the upper thighs and buttocks so the contestants (13) _______________ (to feel) no pain. Miss Atkins escaped serious injury because she (14) _______________ (to wear) padding.

David Egan, defending, said the competition (15) ______________ (to mean) (16) _______________ (to be) a ‘bit of fun’. More than £30,000 (17) _______________ (to pay) to the victims as interim payments while civil claims were pursued.

Miss Terry said she (18) _______________ (to find) (19) _______________ (to sit) on hard chairs too painful now and such activities as horse riding and (20) _______________ (to play) football (21) _______________ (to be) out of the question.

(From ‘The Guardian’, abridged)

Role play. The hearing at Birmingham magistrate’s court has just come to an end.

Role 1. You are Linda Spangle, a TV reporter. Interview the people who are leaving the courtroom (see roles 2, 3, 4). Find out if they are satisfied (dissatisfied) with the court ruling, how they feel at the moment, if they are going to bring further charges against the radio station.

Role 2. You are Eddie Witherington. You were the first to give in, so you escaped injury. Now you find the situation funny.

Role 3. You are Helen Terry. You think the court was too soft on the radio station. You are going to bring new charges against them.

Role 4. You are Mrs Atkins. Your daughter Emma escaped serious injury but still you are concerned about her health.

NB. While getting ready to play your roles, revise the infinitive structures given in this Unit and see how you could use them during the role play.

E.g. Smb is likely (sure / obliged) to do smth.

Smb is believed (known / reported ...) to ...

Smb did smth for smb to do smth.

It is difficult for smb to do smth.