Fundraising Events Contest

TASK 1
Choose a social issue of your interest and research it (how the situation is in your city/country
and other places, why it has become a social issue, what social group is affected by this
situation, etc.). Give an engaging mini-presentation to the rest of the class with as much
information as you can fit into two minutes.

TASK 2
Plan a charity event to raise funds to help that social issue and write a proposal to Nebrija
Students’ Vice-rector: explain what event you want to celebrate, describe it (dates, length…),
talk about the people involved and their roles, donors and donations, promotion strategies
(social media, posters…), etc. Remember the aim is to persuade the readers to get their votes!

TASK 3
Present your fundraising event proposal to the Nebrija Management Board and be ready to
answer their questions.
 Project Timeline
Project intro TASK 1 TASK 2 TASK 3

Mini-presentation Fundraising event Defense of

proposal in the
of social issue proposal contest
Project 2: Social Issues 
B. Phrasal verbs, passives and mini-
presentation
 Phrasal Verbs. Exercise 1
Match the phrasal verbs to their definitions.

Bring about dole out end up fall off figure out

Give up look down on reach out reason with

a) ____________ distribute or give to the needy

b) ____________ cause to happen
c) ____________ perceive as lower or less important than yourself
d) ____________ show that you need help or seek help
e) ____________ try to change somebody’s mind or show them a better path
f) ____________ eventually become or turn out to be
g) ____________ discover how to do something or solve a problem
h) ____________ stop doing or performing
i) ____________ decrease in numbers
1. Dole out distribute or give to the needy
2. Bring about cause to happen
3. Look down on perceive as lower or less important than yourself
4. Reach out show that you need help or seek help
5. Reason with try to change somebody’s mind or show them a better path
6. End up eventually become or turn out to be
7. Figure out discover how to do something or solve a problem
8. Give up stop doing or performing
9. Fall off decrease in numbers
 Phrasal Verbs. Exercise 2
Complete the article with the correct form of the phrasal verbs in the previous activity.

For the first time in history, the number of overweight people has surpassed the number of those who are hungry.
Although the numbers of underfed in the world has (1)___________ since 1980, the number of people suffering
from obesity has increased dramatically. The health dangers of obesity far outweigh those of low weight, and
many countries need to (2) _________effective ways to (3) ___________ a change in eating habits. Portion sizes
that parents are (4) _________ to their children have doubled in the last forty years, meaning their energy intake
has greatly increased, whilst the World Health Organization has revealed a marked decrease in physical activity.
Without a solution, health systems are likely to (5) _________ massively overburdened with health issues related
to obesity. And the young will suffer the psychological trauma of being (6)_________ by their fitter and slimmer
peers. Governments should not (7) ___________ what they are doing. However, they need to create a culture
where it is possible to educate and (8) ___________ overeaters. Likewise, they need to make it possible for
young people to (9) __________ for help.

Bring about - dole out - end up - fall off - figure out -

Give up - look down on – reach out – reason with
For the first time in history, the number of overweight people has surpassed the number of those
who are hungry. Although the numbers of underfed in the world has (1) fallen off since 1980, the
number of people suffering from obesity has increased dramatically. The health dangers of
obesity far outweigh those of low weight, and many countries need to (2) figure out effective
ways to (3) bring about a change in eating habits. Portion sizes that parents are (4) doling out  to
their children have doubled in the last forty years, meaning their energy intake has greatly
increased, whilst the World Health Organization has revealed a marked decrease in physical
activity. Without a solution, health systems are likely to (5) end up massively overburdened with
health issues related to obesity. And the young will suffer the psychological trauma of being (6)
looked down on by their fitter and slimmer peers. Governments should not (7) give up what they
are doing. However, they need to create a culture where it is possible to educate and (8) reason
with overeaters. Likewise, they need to make it possible for young people to (9) reach out for
help. 
 Passive Voice
• £20,000,000 was spent on defense last year while only £1,500,000 went on social
housing.
• Before the end of the decade, 25 million children will be born into poverty.
• Many families have been helped by the new welfare-to-work scheme.
• The plight of homeless people is being highlighted in a new government report.
• 2,000 new jobs are created every month thanks to the new policy.
• Millions of dollars had been wasted before they realized the scheme did not work.
• I recommend that a larger survey should be conducted before a final decision is
reached…
• The following actions ought to be performed with a view to (improving the quality of…)
1. When we form a sentence in the passive voice, _______
a. the subject of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence
b. the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence
2. To form a passive sentence, we use __.
a. a form of to be + the main verb in the past participle form
b. the infinitive form of to be + the main verb in the correct tense
3. We use the passive voice when __.
ve V oi ce
a. the action is of greatest importance
b. the person is of greatest importance Passi
R e vi ew
4. The passive voice is useful __.
rswer.
e ct an
a. for adding emphasis to the action the c o r
b. if we want to appear more polite Choose
5. Often, when we use the passive voice, __.
a. we don’t know who has completed the action
b. we know who has completed the action
EXERCISE 1. Rewrite the sentences using the passive voice.

1. We’re planning to award funding to those schools with the highest number of pupils from low-
income families.
2. Non-profit organizations have undertaken the majority of the reconstruction work in the
Philippines.
3. The government is organizing an in-depth analysis of behavioural trends within certain
communities.
4. Five different teenagers have reported independent incidences of abuse at the school.
5. They’re going to knock down five buildings in the old industrial estate that are now derelict.
6. The school might award scholarships to students who show exceptional talent in at least two
subjects.
7. Every year, the state builds two new prisons with a capacity of 500 inmates.
8. Several people in the county died before the government realized the neighbouring chemical
factory had polluted the water supply.
 Impersonal Passives
Reporting what is said by people or by an unspecified group of people

It is said that…. It + passive verb (be + past participle) + that clause

They report the defense minister is to resign
It is reported that the defense minister is to resign
Nominalised: There is a report that the defense minister is to resign
Nominalised: One report is that the defense minister is to resign

To infinitive impersonal passives The subject + passive verb (be+past participle) +

to infinitive
They claim the terrorist is living abroad
It is claimed that the terrorist is living abroad
The terrorist is claimed to be living abroad
Nominalised: There is a claim that the terrorist is living abroad
Nominalised: One / a claim is that the terrorist is living abroad

https://academic-englishuk.com/impersonal-passive/
EXERCISE 2. Impersonal passives

1.People believe the company stole over a million pounds

It _____________________________________________ Common verbs used in
impersonal passive forms:
The company ___________________________________
There _________________________________________ agree / allege / announce /
assume / believe / calculate /
One___________________________________________ claim / consider / declare /
discover / estimate / expect /
2. We expect the train strike will begin tomorrow find / known / mention /
It _____________________________________________ propose / recommend /
rumour / show / suppose /
The Train Strike__________________________________ suggest / understand
There _________________________________________
One ___________________________________________

https://academic-englishuk.com/impersonal-passive/
Choose, research and present your social issue TASK 1

Choose a social issue that interests you and research it (how the situation
is in your city/country and other places, why it has become a social issue,
what social group is affected by this situation, etc.).

Give an engaging mini-presentation to the rest of the class with as much

information as you can fit into two minutes.

Use phrasal verbs and passives in your presentation.