Passive
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THE PASSIVE Mónica Redondo Arias
Examples
Stonehenge was built in prehistoric times
It was probably constructed as a place of worship •
Many of its stones have been stolen over the years
•
It is visited by a lot of tourists every year
FORM to be + past participle PRESENT SIMPLE
am/is/are + pp
She writes the reports
The reports are written twice a year
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
am/is/are being+ pp
She is writing the reports
The reports are being written now
PAST SIMPLE
was/were +pp
She wrote the reports
The reports were written last month
She was writing the reports
The reports were being written when I went to the office
She has written the reports
The reports have already been written
PAST was/were being+pp CONTINUOUS PRESENT PERFECT
have/has been + pp
MODALS
modal + be+ pp
She must write The reports must be the reports today written today
USES: •
when the person who carries out the action is unknown, unimportant, or obvious from the context
•
Mrs. smith’s ring was stolen from her house last night (unknown)
•
Rolls Royce are made in England (not important)
•
The cows are milked once a day (Obvious: farmers)
1.
When the action itself is more important than the subject (news headlines, newspaper articles, etc) Two teenagers were arrested in a robbery last night.
teenagers
•
When we want to make statements more polite. •
My new blouse is ruined!
•
(more polite than: YOU ruined my blouse!)
From active to passive •
The OBJECT of the active sentence becomes the SUBJECT of the passive sentence
•
My father built this house in 1935.
•
This house was built in 1935 by my father.
From active to passive •
The active verb remains in the same tense, but changes into a passive form.
✴ My father built this house in 1935 ✴ This house WAS BUILT by my father
From active to passive •
The SUBJECT of the active sentence becomes the AGENT (introduced by the preposition BY or omitted)
•
My father built this house in 1935
•
This house was built by my father
•
Somebody cleaned this room yesterday
•
This room was cleaned (XXXX) yesterday
•
NOTE: only transitive verbs (followed by an object) can be changed into passive. (They leave very early= no passive)
From active to passive •
Some verbs can have 2 objects:
• Jessica showed Ted some photos
1
2
• Ted was shown some photos by Jessica
• Some photos were shown to Ted by Jessica
Passive “GET” •
You can use GET instead of BE in the passive (More informal use)
There was a fight at the party, but nobody got hurt = nobody was hurt •
I don’t often get invited to parties (I’m not often invited)
Let’s practice!!! •
Exercise 1
•
Exercise 2
Correct the mistakes •
lada cars made in Russia
•
lada cars are made in Russia
•
A new motorway is being build at the moment
•
A new motorway is being built at the moment
•
This programme were watched by millions of people
•
This programme was watched by millions of people
•
I couldn’t send you an email because my computer was repairing
•
I couldn’t send you and email because my computer was being repaired
•
Seat belts must wear at all times
•
Seat belts must be worn at all times
Write the passive form mistakes They sell Cold drinks here. • •
Cold drinks are sold here
•
They subtitle a lot of foreign films
•
A lot of foreign films are subtitled. Some people are painting my house My house is being painted
•
Somebody must pay this bill tomorrow This bill must be paid tomorrow
•
Someone threw the letters by mistake
•
The letters were thrown by mistake
Examples
Stonehenge was built in prehistoric times
It was probably constructed as a place of worship •
Many of its stones have been stolen over the years
•
It is visited by a lot of tourists every year
FORM to be + past participle PRESENT SIMPLE
am/is/are + pp
She writes the reports
The reports are written twice a year
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
am/is/are being+ pp
She is writing the reports
The reports are being written now
PAST SIMPLE
was/were +pp
She wrote the reports
The reports were written last month
She was writing the reports
The reports were being written when I went to the office
She has written the reports
The reports have already been written
PAST was/were being+pp CONTINUOUS PRESENT PERFECT
have/has been + pp
MODALS
modal + be+ pp
She must write The reports must be the reports today written today
USES: •
when the person who carries out the action is unknown, unimportant, or obvious from the context
•
Mrs. smith’s ring was stolen from her house last night (unknown)
•
Rolls Royce are made in England (not important)
•
The cows are milked once a day (Obvious: farmers)
1.
When the action itself is more important than the subject (news headlines, newspaper articles, etc) Two teenagers were arrested in a robbery last night.
teenagers
•
When we want to make statements more polite. •
My new blouse is ruined!
•
(more polite than: YOU ruined my blouse!)
From active to passive •
The OBJECT of the active sentence becomes the SUBJECT of the passive sentence
•
My father built this house in 1935.
•
This house was built in 1935 by my father.
From active to passive •
The active verb remains in the same tense, but changes into a passive form.
✴ My father built this house in 1935 ✴ This house WAS BUILT by my father
From active to passive •
The SUBJECT of the active sentence becomes the AGENT (introduced by the preposition BY or omitted)
•
My father built this house in 1935
•
This house was built by my father
•
Somebody cleaned this room yesterday
•
This room was cleaned (XXXX) yesterday
•
NOTE: only transitive verbs (followed by an object) can be changed into passive. (They leave very early= no passive)
From active to passive •
Some verbs can have 2 objects:
• Jessica showed Ted some photos
1
2
• Ted was shown some photos by Jessica
• Some photos were shown to Ted by Jessica
Passive “GET” •
You can use GET instead of BE in the passive (More informal use)
There was a fight at the party, but nobody got hurt = nobody was hurt •
I don’t often get invited to parties (I’m not often invited)
Let’s practice!!! •
Exercise 1
•
Exercise 2
Correct the mistakes •
lada cars made in Russia
•
lada cars are made in Russia
•
A new motorway is being build at the moment
•
A new motorway is being built at the moment
•
This programme were watched by millions of people
•
This programme was watched by millions of people
•
I couldn’t send you an email because my computer was repairing
•
I couldn’t send you and email because my computer was being repaired
•
Seat belts must wear at all times
•
Seat belts must be worn at all times
Write the passive form mistakes They sell Cold drinks here. • •
Cold drinks are sold here
•
They subtitle a lot of foreign films
•
A lot of foreign films are subtitled. Some people are painting my house My house is being painted
•
Somebody must pay this bill tomorrow This bill must be paid tomorrow
•
Someone threw the letters by mistake
•
The letters were thrown by mistake
