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Form 1 English-- Passive voice

Name: _____________ Class: ______ ( ) Date: ________________After studying these worksheets, you will… know the form of passive voice construction convert a sentence from active voice to passive voice and vice versa write sentences in the passive voice in simple present and simple past tenses explain the use of the correct voice in the appropriate situations

Verbs “to be”Fill in the blanks with the correct versions of the verb to ‘be’.

Past participleFill in the table with past participles (p.p.)Infinitive Simple past Past participle (p.p.)ask asked askedbegin began begunbreak brokeclean cleanedcook cookeddo dideat atefind foundgo wenthold heldprepare preparedwrite wrote

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Active and passive voicesActive voice: Jeremy eats hamburgers.Passive voice: Hamburgers are eaten by Jeremy/ Hamburgers are eaten.

When the doer of the action is the subject, the verb is active. When the doer is not the subject, the verb is passive. In the passive voice, the doer

is usually at the end of the sentence, put after “by”, or is not shown in the sentence.

Passive voice is used when the action is the focus, not the subject. In the passive voice, the doer of the action is not important or not known .

Fill in the words ‘active’ or ‘passive’ in the right place.(a) The tea is served by the waiter. _________ voice(b) The waiter serves the tea. _________ voice

(c) Peter broke the window. _________ voice(d) A window was broken by Peter. _________ voice

Choose a sentence from above to talk about the pictures below.

The tea is served by the waiter.

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FormThe form of passive voice construction is verb ‘to be’ + p.p.Fill in the following table.Active voice Passive voice

Sam eats a cake.Sam eats two cakes.Sam ate a cake yesterday.Sam ate two cakes yesterday.

verb ‘to be’ + p.pA cake is eaten (by Sam).Two cakes are eaten (by Sam).

Some sentences in this passage are written in the passive voice. Underline the verb to ‘be’ + p.p. construction. Some has been done for you:

 2000-year-old kitchens were found

in Sha Tin-Central MTR site by Raoul Tam, SCMP

During the construction of the new MTR Shatin to Central Link, more old buildings from the past were discovered. Some old houses were found. A plan is developed to find all the houses. The public is asked to be patient. Some experts are asked to help by the MTR Company.

The houses were built about 2000 years ago. Later, the houses were extended and

kitchens were added. According to historians, bread was baked in the kitchens. Some kitchens were decorated with stones. It is known that many houses were destroyed by fire.

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The SCMP is told that some more ancient kitchens are underground. More time is needed to determine the exact amount of these underground kitchens.

Changing the voice

1. Subject at the back of the sentence, behind ‘by’/ omit the subject

2. Object becomes the subject in the new sentence3. Verb: verb ‘to be’ + past participle (e.g. gone, seen, sent, written, built)

Convert these sentences into passive voice.

Jeremy eats hamburgers.

Hamburgers are eaten by Jeremy. verb ‘to be’ + p.p

Hamburgers are eaten.

Kelly does homework.

Kelly did homework yesterday.

Eric writes stories.

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Eric wrote some ghost stories last year.

The place was a teahouse from 2005 to 2007.

(a) The waiters brewed the tea. (b) In 2008, the owner built two new kitchens.

The teahouse became a Chinese restaurant.

(c) Now, the chef prepares some small dishes. (d) Some singers perform traditional music.

You can enjoy the multisensory enjoyment here!

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Convert these sentences into the passive voice.

(a) Th

e waiters brewed the tea.

_______________________________________.

(b) The owner built two new kitchens._______________________________________.

(c) In the recent years, the chef prepares some small dishes.In the recent years, _____________________.

(d) Some singers perform traditional music._______________________________________.

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Convert these sentences into the active voice.

(e) The coffee and tea are freshly brewed. (subject: the waiters)The waiters brew the coffee and tea fresh.

(f) The cookies were eaten by Ashley. ____________________________________

(g) The dishes are carefully prepared by the chef.The chef carefully ____________________

(h) We were attacked. (subject: somebody)___________________________________

(g) His neck was broken (subject: somebody)___________________________________

(i) Terrible mistakes were made. (subject: the government)___________________________________

(j) Fork was invented in Germany. (subject: somebody)_________________________________

(k) Pizzas were eaten by poor people in the 19th century. _________________________________

(l) Ramen is originally produced in Japan. (subject: somebody)_________________________________

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Choose a dish that you can cook using the following ingredients. Write 3-5 sentences to talk about the ingredient.

Then, read the sentences to your neighbor and ask your neighbor to guess your dish.

Let’s cook!Starch Vegetables Meat Seasoning

FlourRiceNoodlesSobaBreadPasta

PeppersCucumberCabbageLettuceOnionTomatoCarrot

BeefPorkChickenFish

Soy sauceSugarSaltPepperWasabi

1. ________________________________is used.

2. _______________________________________.

3. _______________________________________.

4. _______________________________________.

5. _______________________________________.

I made ___________________________!

Your neighbor’s guess: ___________________________

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Answer the following questions using complete sentences in passive voice.

Are some dim sum dishes prepared by frying?____________________________________________

Were pizzas eaten by rich people in the 19th century? ____________________________________________

Where is ramen originally produced?____________________________________________

Was the fork invented in Germany?____________________________________________

Create some more questions about food in the passive voice, and ask your neighbor.

Your question: ____________________________________________Correct answer: ___________________________________________Your neighbour’s answer: ___________________________________

Your question: ____________________________________________Correct answer: ___________________________________________Your neighbour’s answer: ___________________________________

Your question: ____________________________________________Correct answer: ___________________________________________Your neighbour’s answer: ___________________________________

Your question: ____________________________________________Correct answer: ___________________________________________Your neighbour’s answer: ___________________________________

Your question: ____________________________________________Correct answer: ___________________________________________Your neighbour’s answer: ___________________________________

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Usage

Watch the video clips from some TV shows and fill in the blanks. Circle the correct choice.

1st clipMan 1: Hey! What happened?Man 2: We ________________. _________ voiceMan 1: By whom?Man 2: I don’t know

Man 2 used this voice…(a) to sound more formal (b) because the speaker did not know the doer

2nd clipMan 1: His neck has been broken. __passive__ voiceMan 2: That’s because I ________ it. __________ voice

Man 2 used this voice because it sounded…(a) direct (b) polite (c) unsure

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3rd clip

Male lawyer:(Talking about Tom)

Well, how ___ he ____ Wagner? _______ voiceFemale lawyer: Objection.Male lawyer: Withdrawn! How ___ Wagner ____? _______ voice

The female lawyer thinks the question is unfair to Tom because… (a) it suggests Tom killed Wagner (b) it suggests Wagner killed Tom

4th clip

Obama:(Talking about torture in American prisons)So, there were a lot of people who did a lot of things right, and _______ very hard to keep us safe, but I think that any fair-minded person looking at this would say that some terrible mistakes __________.

_______ voice

_______ voice

By using these voices, Obama… (a) sounded more negative (b) avoided saying who made the mistakes

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Active and passive voices--which one do you prefer and why?

(a) “What did Ashley eat for dinner?”

“The cookies were eaten (by Ashley).”

(b) “Where are the cookies?” “Ashley ate the cookies.”

Explanation: The focus of Question (b) is on the cookies. It is not important to know who ate them.

Draw lines to match the questions on the left with the correct answers on the right. Explain your choice to your neighbour.

(c) “I am a new chef to this restaurant? What is my duty?”

“The dishes are carefully prepared by the chef and the coffee and tea are freshly brewed.”

(d) “I am a new customer of this restaurant? How do you prepare your food?”

“The chef carefully prepares the dishes, and the waiters brew the coffee and tea fresh.”

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Draw lines to match the sentences on the left with the correct intention or effect on the right. Explain your choice to your neighbour.

(e) “A window was broken.” The speaker spoke with a responsible tone.

(f) “I broke the window.” The speaker did not want to tell who broke the window.

Draw lines to match the sentences on the left with the correct intention or effect on the right. Explain your choice to your neighbour.(g) “My parents buy me the new

iPhone 6S.” The speaker sounded like a

spoilt child.

(h) “A new iPhone 6S is bought.” The speaker did not want to tell who buys the new phone.

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Choose the passage which is more suitable in the situation. Explain your reason. You may use the following words to help you.

direct polite formal focus tone avoid doer optional action

(1) Live commentary of a football match on TV:A B

Ashley Young gets the ball. He is kicking it. He passes the ball to Anthony Martial, and then to Juan Mata. He is steering the ball forward. He is leading the way. James Wilson is aiming for the goalpost… He has scored a point!

The ball is gotten. It is being kicked. The ball is passed. The ball is being steered forward. The way is being led. The goalpost is being aimed at... A point has been scored!

Passage ____ (A/B) is more suitable because _______________________ ____________________________________________________________

(2) An article titled The Legislative Council Building written by the Antiques and Monuments Office taken from p. 8, History textbook

A BSomeone built The Old Supreme

Court on reclaimed land. The governor opened the building. Some stone columns support the building.

The Old Supreme Court was built on reclaimed land. The building was opened by the governor. The two-story granite building is supported by some stone columns.

Passage ____ (A/B) is more suitable because _______________________ ____________________________________________________________

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(3) An article titled Life in Stone Age from p. 36-37, History textbookA B

Old Stone Age people built simple huts. They hunted animals. They used spears and axes. New Stone Age people made pottery. They kept livestock, such as chickens and pigs. They also used ploughs to farm.

Simple huts were built. Animals were hunted. Spears and axes were used. Pottery was made. Livestock, such as chickens and pigs were kept. Ploughs were used to farm.

Passage ____ (A/B) is more suitable because _______________________ ____________________________________________________________

(4) An article titled The Bunsen Burner from p. 38, IS textbookA B

The Bunsen burner was invented in 1855 by a German chemist Robert Bunsen. It was used for heating. Later, the design was modified into a stove. A stove is used for cooking in the kitchen.

A German chemist Robert Bunsen invented the Bunsen burner in 1855. People in 1800s used it for heating. Later, Latia Schroff modified the design into a stove. People use stove for cooking in the kitchen.

Passage ____ (A/B) is more suitable because _______________________ ____________________________________________________________

(5) An article titled How We Study History from p. 17, History textbookA B

Historians divides history into different historic periods. Historians collect

History is divided into different historic periods. Different kinds of sources are

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different kinds of sources. Historians mainly use primary sources when studying history.

collected. Primary sources are mainly used when studying history.

Passage ____ (A/B) is more suitable because _______________________ ____________________________________________________________

This is a draft welcoming speech for the school Food Week. It contains sentences written in the passive voice. You think that using the active voice is more appropriate in speeches.Good morning Ms Lo, Mr Yee, teachers, and fellow schoolmates,

The Food Week is coming!

First of all, I am excited to announce some good news. Ms Lo Mik Suet is

invited by us . Ms Lo is a famous Taipei food specialist. Some interesting ideas

about food are shared by her .

There are a lot of food-related activities during the Food Week. Some

games can be played by you. You can come to the covered playground during

recess time to play games about food. Also, TV shows about food can be watched

by you . For any enquiries, please contact Chairman of the Food Club. Thank you.

Rewrite the underlined sentences in active voice.(a) _________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

(b) _________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

(c) _________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

(d) _________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

Why is the active voice more appropriate in this

passage?

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

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_________________________________________

_________________________________________

_________________________________________

_________________________________________

These sentences are from a tray liner from the KFC fast food restaurant. Convert the sentences from active voice to passive voice, or vice versa.

Our chickens are purchased from quality suppliers. (Use subject ‘we’) _____________________________________________

We use computerized fryers in all KFC restaurants. _____________________________________________

KFC staff will discard those products which are not up to standard. _____________________________________________

The Hygiene Manager trains staff to follow food safety procedures. _____________________________________________

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Do you think the active and passive voices are used appropriately on the tray liner? Explain.

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Fill in the blanks in the newspaper.

Local news

A new piece of voice recording of top Hong Kong University meeting is _____________ (upload) online!

Education news

Eddie Ng said TSA will not be _____________ (cancel)

Sports news

All tickets to the China vs Hong Kong football match are _____________ (sell)

International new

More than 2500 people are _____________ (kill) in an earthquake in Iran.

Gossip column

A Batman movie was _____________ (film) in Hong Kong

Science

A new kind of animal is _____________ (discover) in the Pacific Ocean

Choose one piece of new item from above, write 3-5 sentences about it in the passive voice. Then, discuss the news item with your neighbor.

(1) ________________________________________________(2) ________________________________________________(3) ________________________________________________(4) ________________________________________________(5) ________________________________________________

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Challenging Questions

Fill in the blanks with the correct verbs to complete the proverbs. Search the internet for help if you need. Make sure the tense and voice are correct.

The road to hell_________ with good intentions. (pave)

A liar _________ when he tells the truth. (not believe)

Desires _________ by delays. (nourish)

Danger foreseen __ half ______. (avoid)

What ____ cannot be undone. (do)

Rome _____________in a day. (not build)

Ask no questions and you _________ no lies. (tell)

Fill in the blanks.This restaurant sells many kinds of food. Many kinds of food are sold _____(in / by) this restaurant.

The waitress gave me some tea. I _____ _____ some tea. Some tea __________ _________ to me.

He baked the bread. The bread was baked by _________.

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Which sentence is better, A or B? Why?- Alice grows many vegetables in the garden. A. Many vegetables are grown by Alice in the garden. B Many vegetables are grown in the garden by Alice.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What is the problem with this sentence?- The mealtime was finished at 12 p.m.__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Turn these sentence into the active voice. If you cannot, why not?- Dim sum are prepared by either frying or steaming. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

- She was drawing a picture when I arrived. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

- Hong Kong is a paradise of food.__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rewrite these ungrammatical sentences into grammatical sentences in the passive voice. - I was eaten an ice cream. (X)

- The hamburger was eat by Calvin. (X)

- He was prepared a dish. (X)

- I have been managed a restaurant since 2004. (X)

To know more about passive voice, look for the topics ‘voice’, ‘adverbials’, ‘end weight’, ‘end focus’, ‘agency’, ‘transitivity’ and ‘indirect objects’ in an advanced grammar book.

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SourcesGraphs and photos adapted from South China Morning Post, http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1644516/discovery-relics-sha-tin-central-mtr-site-has-cost-hk3-billion; www.lightbulbbooks.com; and internet sources.

Texts adapted from ‘Britain’s Roman Villas’ from “Mosaica”, http://englishstandarts.blogspot.hk/2012/06/passive-voice-texts-proverbs-and.html; JHS textbook; New journey through history(1A), - Kan & Tang, Aristo, 2012; Understanding Integrated Science for the 21st Century Book 1A (3rd Edition) – W.K. Chan, W.Y. Luk, A. Kai, K.S. Lam, Aristo, 2012.