GRAMMAR ACTIVE OR PASSIVE? active When we use an active verb, we say what the subject does: My grandmother My grandmother was a dressmaker. She made She made this jacket. The Royal Bournemouth The Royal Bournemouth is a big hospital. It has It has all the important specialities. We are interested in the action and the person or object that does the action ACTIVE OR PASSIVE? passive When we uses a passive verb,we say what happens to the subject: Somebody built this house in This house was built in 1935 in 1935 Using the passive shifts the focus of attention onto the object of the active sentence We use the passive when we are more interested in the person or the affected by an action thing affected by an action, and not the person or the thing responsible for the action responsible for the action. ACTIVE Fiona cleans her car every week. (we are interested in the action and the person who does it) PASSIVE The managers car is cleaned every week. (We are interested only in the action. Do we know who does the action? Are we interested who does the action?) PASSIVE without the agent We do not know who the agent is. E.g. -The wheel was invented about 3,500 years ago. -About 2,000 car radios are stolen every week in Britain. -A bomb was left in the centre last night We do not need to identify the agent We do not need to identify the agent. E.g. The robbers were arrested for stealing the money - She was diagnosed with cancer. We do not want to identify the agent. E.g. The director admitted that mistakes had been made. - I was told not to mention it. We are not interested in the agent. E.g. The acid is then heated to 100 degrees by If we want to say who or what does the action we use by (the agent). extra Often the agent is not used in the passive but when it is we gain extra information information and it is in a strong position in the sentence. ACTIVE A truck hit Fionas car. (We are interested in the subject and what happened) PASSIVE Fionas car was hit by a truck. (We are more interested in the thing that hit her car) PASSIVE - FORMATION IHeSHEITWEYOUTHEY Am/was/will be/have been Is/ was/will be/ has been Are/were/ will be/ have been Past participle Subject Verb-to be Main verb PASSIVE - FORMATION MODAL VERBS IHeSHEITWEYOUTHEY Must be/ must have been Can be / could have been Must be/ must have been Can be / could have been Must be/ must have been Can be / could have been Past participle Subject Modal + Verb-to be Main verb Passive - FORMATION CONTINUOUS FORMS. active In the active there is a difference between: Simple Present & Present Continuous every day Somebody cleans the windows every day. now Somebody is cleaning the windows now. The same difference must be made in the passive The construction of the Passive continuous forms is the same as the simple forms. being past participle Subject + is/are being + past participle/main verb Somebody cleans the windows every day arecleaned The windows are cleaned every day Somebody is cleaning the windows now are beingcleaned The windows are being cleaned now Passive - FORMATION CONTINUOUS FORMS. active In the active there is a difference between: Simple Past & Past Continuous yesterday Somebody cleaned the windows yesterday. Somebody was cleaning the windows when the accident happened when the accident happened. The same difference must be made in the Passive. beingpast participle Subject + was/were being + past participle/main verb Somebody cleaned the windows yesterday Somebody cleaned the windows yesterday werecleaned The windows were cleaned yesterday Somebody was cleaning the windows Somebody was cleaning the windows . were beingcleaned The windows were being cleaned .. This form does not exist in Italian, but at times it corresponds to the use of venire in the Italian passive: Le finestre vengono pulite: Le finestre venivano pulite Le finestre vengono pulite: Le finestre venivano pulite EXERCISE Somebody is serving dinner now. Somebody serves dinner at 8.p.m. Somebody was cleaning the vegetables. Somebody cleaned the vegetables yesterday. They are building a new school. They were searching the port. EXERCISES Write a new sentence in the passive: Somebody has taken my keys Somebody does the cleaning every day. Somebody stole my car last week. Somebody wants you on the phone. Somebody will repair the machine. Somebody must tell him. Somebody has to buy the food. Somebody had taken the book. Somebody can do it. Somebody would buy them if they were cheap. Simple Present Umbrellas are made in this factory Rice is grown in China China This jacket is made in France France SimplePast(time defined) PresentPerfect(time undefined) THE PAST Simple Future Next year 10,000 cars will be produced It is certain that Coca- Cola will be drunk far into the 21st century Why PASSIVE? passive A passive construction is often used in English when Italian uses theactive. The impersonal form The impersonal form ITALIAN Qui si parla linglese I biglietti si possono comprare allingresso. Non si mangiavano gli hamburgers 500 anni fa, ma La Coca si berr per sempre.ENGLISH English is spoken here. Tickets can be bought at The entrance Hamburgers were not eaten 500 years ago, but Coke will be drunk for ever. Passive report structures ItalianSi dice, si pensa, si crede The Italian impersonal forms Si dice, si pensa, si crede are English usually transformed into a passive form in English in formal contexts e.g Scientific writing, news reports. There are two constructions: is issaid is It is believed that (she is rich) was wasthought ( She was rich ) is/was S/he is/wassaid are/were They are/werebelieved to (+infinitive) thought (to be rich) Si considera che questo farmaco sia utile.. It is considered that this drug is useful This drug is considered to be useful Si considerava che il farmaco fosse utile The drug was considered to be useful It was considered that the drug was useful DATIVE The DATIVE construction Some verbs can have two objects. E.g. To give: Somebody gave the information to the police Direct Indirect Somebody gave the police the information Indirect Direct So it is possible to make TWO passive sentences The information was given to the police. The police were given the information. Other verbs which can have two objects are: ASK OFFER SHOW TEACH TELL SEND GIVE Examples: I was offered the job but I refused it. You will be given plenty of time to decide. Have you been shown the new machine? I was told to come at midday. He has been sent manys today. They must be taught by an expert. COMPARE NO. 1 WITH NO. 2 The bedthe windowthe T.V.the glasses the drawers the bin the papers EXERCISES Exercises 1.Theres somebody behind us. I think we.(follow) 2.A mystery is something that .(cant/explain) 3.We didnt play football yesterday.The match .(cancel). 4.The television(repair). Its working again. 5.In the middle of the village theres a church which(restore) at the moment. The work is almost finished. 1.The tower is the oldest part of the church. It ..(believe) to be over 600 years old. 1.If I didnt do my job properly, I ..(sack). 2.I left a newspaper on the desk last night and it isnt there now. It (might/throw) away. 9. I learnt to swim at an early age. I .(teach) by my mother. 10. After.(arrest), I was taken to the police station. 11. ..(you/ever/arrest)? No never. 12. Two people .(report) to ..(injure) in the explosion at the factory in Birmingham early this morning. Exercise Active or Passive. 1.This house is quite old. It.(build) over 200 years ago. 2.My grandfather was a builder.He (build) our house. 3.Is this car still for sale? No, I ..(sell) it. 4.Is that house still for sale? No, it ..(sell). 5.Sometimes mistakes (make). It happens. 6.I wouldnt leave the car unlocked. It .(might/steal). 7.My bag has disappeared. It ..(must/steal). 8.I cant find my hat. Somebody .(must/take) by mistake 9.Its a serious problem. I dont know how it .(can/solve) 10.Mary (say) to be very rich. 11.Nearly every time I travel, my flight (delay). 12.A new bridge (build) across the river. Work started last year and the bridge .(expect) to open next year. Exercise. Think of a suitable answer to these questions. Whats happened to the money? Whats happening to those old buildings? What happens to the theatre tickets the agencies cant sell? What will happen to those old newspapers? What happens to patients when they first arrive at hospital? What happens to letters delivered to the wrong address? Whats happened to the rivers in this area? Whats happened to that little dog?