Passive Voice

PASSIVE VOICE

I bought a present for your sister.

Subject

Verb

Direct Object

Indirect Object

Sometimes we don’t want to use the “established” word order in the sentence.

There are some cases in which you can put the object first or, just, we don’t want to say who did something. This can happen for lots of reasons.

In these cases we use Passive Voice.

I bought a present for your sister.

A present was bought for your sister (by me)

HOW TO MAKE THE PASSIVE

We make the passive by putting the verb 'to be' into whatever tense we need and then adding the past participle.

HOW TO MAKE THE PASSIVE

Present simple I make a cake. A cake is made.

Present Continuous I am making a cake. A cake is being made.

Past Simple I made a cake. A cake was made.

Past Continuous I was making a cake. A cake was being made.

Present Perfect I have made a cake. A cake has been made.

Future I will make a cake. A cake will be made.

WHEN SHOULD WE USE THE PASSIVE?

When we want to change the focus of the sentence: !

The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo Da Vinci. (We are more interested in the painting than the artist in this

sentence)


When the subject in the active sentence is unknown or unimportant or obvious or 'people in general’:

!He was arrested (by the police). (obvious agent)

My bike has been stolen (by someone). (unknown agent) The road is being repaired (by some workers). (unimportant agent) The form can be obtained from the post office (by anyone). (people

in general)


In formal writing and headlines instead of using someone/ people/ they (these can be used in

speaking or informal writing): !

The brochure will be finished next month. The application has to be sent by email.

The president has been attacked.


When the subject is very long: !

I was surprised by how well the students did in the test. (More natural than: 'how well the students did in the test surprised

me’)

VERBS WITH TWO OBJECTS

He gave me the book. !

The book was given to me. I was given a book.

PASSIVE VOICEQUIZ TIME

Adapted from busyteacher.org

COMPLETE THE SENTENCE USING A PASSIVE

The phone calls ... (usually /answer) by the receptionist.

!



Questions should ... (ask) to the teacher.

!




Shushi ... (eat) in Japan.

!




Exams ... (do) last Monday.

!




Books can ... (borrow) from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

!




Presents ... (give) at Christmas.

!




Dinner ... (serve) at 7 p.m every day.

!




He ... (operate on) next month.

!




Pulp Fiction

Quentin Tarantino

MAKE A PASSIVE SENTENCE WITH THE INFORMATION PROVIDED



Hamlet

Shakespeare




the light bulb

Edison




The Lord of The Rings

New Zealand




2001: A Space Odyssey

Kubrick




The Guernica

Picasso




the telephone

Bell




the radio

Marconi




Troy

The Greek


PASSIVE VOICEONLINE EXERCISES

British Council

My English Pages

To learn English

http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/grammar-exercises/passives

http://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/grammar-exercise-passive.php

http://www.tolearnenglish.com/exercises/exercise-english-2/exercise-english-1681.php

Passive Voice

Education

Transcript of Passive Voice