The passive: simple present simple past
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1 © National Geographic Learning Level 3 Unit 10a The passive: simple present, simple past Life Apples—the world’s favorite fruit • More than 50 million tons of apples are grown every year. • The first apples were grown in central Asia. • The first apple tree was brought to Europe by Alexander the Great. • Apples were introduced to the Americas by Europeans in the 1600s. • Today, most apples are produced in China. • Apples aren’t usually found in tropical countries. Presentation We often use the passive when it’s obvious or not important who does an action. Most apples are grown in China. (It doesn’t matter who grows them.) The passive focuses attention on an action or the object of the action. The object of the action becomes the subject of the verb. action object People grow apples in China. subject verb Apples are grown in China. To form the passive, use the verb be 1 past participle. Affirmative and negative – simple present and simple past This apple juice is / was isn’t / wasn’t made in China. These apples are / were aren’t / weren’t grown Questions – simple present and simple past Is / was this apple juice made in China? Where are / were these apples grown? by When you want to say who or what was responsible for the action (the subject or agent of the action) you use by: Apples were introduced to the Americas by Europeans in the 1600s. You may not want to say who or what did the action. You can also say: Apples were introduced to the Americas in the 1600s. You don’t normally use by when the agent is … • obvious and therefore unnecessary: The first apples were grown in central Asia by Asian farmers . • unknown: An apple was left on my desk. (I don’t know who left it there.)
Transcript of The passive: simple present simple past
1 © National Geographic Learning
Level 3 Unit 10aThe passive: simple present, simple pastLife
Apples—the world’s favorite fruit• Morethan50milliontonsofapplesaregrown every
year.• ThefirstapplesweregrownincentralAsia.• ThefirstappletreewasbroughttoEuropebyAlexander
theGreat.• AppleswereintroducedtotheAmericasbyEuropeans
inthe1600s.• Today,mostapplesareproducedinChina.• Applesaren’tusuallyfoundintropicalcountries.
Presentation
Weoftenusethepassivewhenit’sobviousornotimportantwhodoesanaction.Most apples are grown in China. (Itdoesn’tmatterwhogrowsthem.)Thepassivefocusesattentiononanactionortheobjectoftheaction.Theobjectoftheactionbecomesthesubjectoftheverb.
action object
People grow apples in China.
subject verb
Apples are grown in China.
Toformthepassive,usetheverbbe1pastparticiple.
Affirmative and negative – simple present and simple past
This apple juiceis / wasisn’t / wasn’t
made
in China.
These applesare / werearen’t / weren’t
grown
Questions – simple present and simple past
Is / was this apple juice made in China?
Where are / were these apples grown?
by
Whenyouwanttosaywhoorwhatwasresponsiblefortheaction(thesubjectoragentoftheaction)youuseby:Apples were introduced to the Americas by Europeans in the 1600s.Youmaynotwanttosaywhoorwhatdidtheaction.Youcanalsosay:Apples were introduced to the Americas in the 1600s.Youdon’tnormallyuse bywhentheagentis…• obviousandthereforeunnecessary:
The first apples were grown in central Asia by Asianfarmers.
• unknown:An apple was left on my desk.(Idon’tknowwholeftitthere.)
86541_U10_rev02_001-004.indd 1 01/08/18 5:54 pm
2 © National Geographic Learning
Level 3 Unit 10aExercises
Exercises
1 Complete the sentences with the simple present passive or the simple past passive form of the verb in parentheses.
Banana factsThefirstbananas1 (grow)inPapuaNewGuinea.Nowbananas2 (produce)inover100tropicalcountriesallovertheworld.Greenbananas3bananas45
(use)forcooking,andyellow( eat)uncooked.Bananaskin(use)formakingpaper.
Thebananatree6 (introduce)totheeastcoastofAfricabyMuslimArabs.Thefirstbananas7 (bring)totheAmericasbyPortuguesesailorsinthe16thcenturyAD.Hundredsofaccidents8 (cause)everyyearbypeopleslippingonbananaskins.
2 Complete the second sentence so that it has the same meaning as the first sentence. Use a passive verb.
1 Peopleinthewestbuytoomuchfood.Toomuchfood inthewest.
2 Wedonoteatallthefoodwebuy.Notallthefoodwebuy .
3 Lastyearwethrewawaymorethansixmilliontonsoffood.Morethansixmilliontonnoffood lastyear.
4 The“LoveFoodHateWaste”organizationstartedacampaigntostopwaste.Acampaigntostopwaste by .
5 Thecampaignerspersuadedthousandsofpeopletowastelessfood..
3 12 Cross out the phrases with by where they are not necessary. Then listen and check.
1 PastawasfirstbroughttoItalybyMarcoPolo.2 Pastaisnoweatenbypeopleallovertheworld.3 TomatoeswerefirstgrowninSouthAmericabytomatogrowers.4 ThefirstcookbookwithtomatorecipeswaswritteninNaplesby
awriter.5 ParmesancheeseismadeinItalybythecheesemakersofParma.6 Thecheeseismadebycheesemakerswithcow’smilk.
86541_U10_rev02_001-004.indd 2 01/08/18 5:54 pm
Thousands of people
