1. My trousers now (to clean). 2. Do you know what the news (to be)?
3. The ashes (to be) still hot.
4. The job is unpaid, but a number of persons (to be) willing to under-
take it.
5. The number of foreign students at the University (to be) small.
6. The clergy (to be) generally dressed in black.
7. The Government (to discuss) the matter for a long time but they have
shown no signs of reaching agreement.
8. The Government (to decide) to pass the bill.
9. He was reserved concerning himself but a fluent talker when politics
(to be) under discussion.
10. Politics always (to interest) me.
11. Ethics (to be) a difficult study.
12. The company (to find) shelter from the rain in the village inn. They
are going to have lunch there.
13. A couple of my friends (to set up) a new business.
14. That day the committee (to be) to meet at her friend's house.
15. I had to find out whether the committee (to be) competent enough
to consider the project.
​

1. My trousers now are to be cleaned.
To clean the trousers means to remove dirt or stains from them and make them clean. The action of cleaning the trousers is happening at the present moment.

2. Do you know what the news is to be?
The sentence is asking if the listener knows what the news will be. The use of "is to be" suggests that the news hasn't been revealed yet, but there is an expectation that it will be communicated in the future.

3. The ashes are still hot.
The sentence states that the ashes are currently hot. This implies that they were recently burned or extinguished, and have not yet cooled down.

4. The job is unpaid, but a number of persons are willing to undertake it.
The job is not paid, but there are several people who are willing to take on the job. This suggests that the job might offer other benefits or opportunities besides financial compensation, which motivates people to do it.

5. The number of foreign students at the University is small.
The sentence states that there is a small amount of foreign students attending the university. This indicates that there are not many international students studying there.

6. The clergy is generally dressed in black.
The sentence explains that members of the clergy, such as priests or ministers, commonly wear black clothing. This is a traditional practice in many religious institutions.

7. The Government has been discussing the matter for a long time but they have shown no signs of reaching agreement.
The sentence suggests that the government has been having prolonged discussions about a specific issue, but they have not made any progress towards reaching a consensus or agreement. There might be disagreements or different opinions among the government officials.

8. The Government has decided to pass the bill.
The sentence states that the government has made a decision to approve or accept a specific bill. This means that the bill will now become a law or regulation.

9. He was reserved concerning himself but a fluent talker when politics were under discussion.
The sentence describes a person who is quiet and reserved when it comes to talking about themselves, but becomes a fluent and articulate speaker when the topic of politics is being discussed.

10. Politics always interests me.
The sentence expresses that the speaker has a continuous or ongoing interest in politics. This means that politics is a subject that consistently captivates or engages the speaker's attention.

11. Ethics is a difficult study.
The sentence states that the subject of ethics is challenging or hard to understand. It implies that studying ethics requires a lot of critical thinking and analysis.

12. The company found shelter from the rain in the village inn. They are going to have lunch there.
The sentence explains that the company sought protection from the rain by taking shelter in the village inn. Additionally, the company plans to have their lunch in the inn.

13. A couple of my friends have set up a new business.
The sentence states that two of the speaker's friends have started a new business. This implies that they have established and are now operating their own company.

14. That day the committee was supposed to meet at her friend's house.
The sentence indicates that on that specific day, the committee had planned or scheduled a meeting at her friend's house. The meeting was expected to take place.

15. I had to find out whether the committee was competent enough to consider the project.
The sentence suggests that the speaker had the responsibility to determine or assess the capability or expertise of the committee in order to decide if they were suitable for evaluating or discussing the project.