PASSIVE VOICE

THE PASSIVE VOICE

Ana García

THE PASSIVE VOICE

VERB FORMS AND STRUCTURE

ACTIVE VOICE

The active voice is the typical word order. We put the subject first. The subject is the ‘doer’ or agent of the verb: Edward Barnes designed these houses in the 1880s.

ACTIVE VOICE: SUBJECT=DOER/AGENT

ACTIVE vs PASSIVE VOICE

We use the terms active voice and passive voice to talk about ways of organising the content of a clause: Cambridge University Press published this book. (active) This book was published by Cambridge University Press. (passive)

We use the passive: - if the doer of the verb is not important, - not known - if we do not want to say who the doer is.

PASSIVE VOICE

In the passive, the person or thing that the action was done to becomes the topic or theme. We can leave out the ‘doer’ or agent, or we can place the ‘doer’ in a prepositional phrase (by + ‘doer’): These houses were designed in the 1880s (by Edward Barnes).

BE + PAST PARTICIPLE

PASSIVE VERB FORMS

1. Romeo and Juliet ___________________ by Shakespeare. (WRITE)2. The books _________________________ yet. (NOT PUBLISH)3. As soon as I got home, I realized that my wallet _________________________. (STEAL)4. Dinner _________________________ between 5 and 10 p.m. every day. (SERVE)5. No letters _________________________ since the start of the strike. (DELIVER)6. The building _________________________ torn down when we got there (BE).7. Progress in many fields of science _________________________ in the last decade. (MAKE)8. Since last week 5 of the 7 terrorists _________________________. (CATCH)9. Taxes _________________________ by the new government next month. (INCREASE)10.The classroom _________________________ next week. (REDECORATE)11.The church _________________________ by a famous architect in the 18th century. (DESIGN)12.The tunnel _________________________ at the moment, so it's closed for all traffic. (REPAIR)

13.My phone _________________________. I can't find it anywhere. (TAKE)14.The application _________________________ by Friday. (MUST SEND) 15.When we first met, I had _________________________ a job at the bank. (ALREADY OFFER) 16.Olives _________________________ in Mediterranean countries. (GROW) 17.He _________________________ French when he spent his childhood there. (TEACH) 18."A Hard Days Night" _________________________ by the Beatles. (WRITE) 19.We _________________________ about the hurricane for the last few days. (WARN) 20.Before the meeting was over all the food _________________________. (EAT) 21.I _____________________________ extra pay this month. (ALREADY GIVE) 22.I _________________________ by the music so I couldn't concentrate. (DISTURB) 23.Aluminium _________________________ out of bauxite. (MAKE) 24._________________________________________ yet? (THE PACKAGES , DELIVER) 25.A UFO _________________________ by several witnesses yesterday evening. (SEE)

STEPS TO TRANSFORM AN ACTIVE SENTENCE INTO THE PASSIVE

STEP 3

STEP 1

What is the verb tense in the active sentence? has written (Present perfect)

STEP 2

Identify the SUBJECT, the VERB and the OBJECT of the active sentence: Rita has written a letter.

Move the OBJECT to become the new subject of the passive sentence: A letter...

STEP 6

What do we do with the subject of the active sentence? We can omit it, or use a prepositional phrase introduced by "BY". A letter has been written by Rita

STEP 4

STEP 5

Conjugate the verb BE in the same tense: have/has been

Add the past participle of the main verb in the active voice: has been written

LET'S PRACTISE

STEPS TO FOLLOW

STEP 1. Identify the subject, verb and object of the active sentence: The children are baking a cake. STEP 2. Move the object to become the subject of the passive. A cake... STEP 3. What is the verb tense in the active sentence? are baking - Present Continuous. STEP 4. Conjugate the verb BE in the same tense. A cake is being STEP 5. Add the past participle of the main verb in the active clause. A cake is being baked STEP 6. (By + subject of the active sentence) A cake is being baked by the children.

ACTIVE

PASSIVE

A cake is being baked by the children

The children are baking a cake.

When the subject in the active sentence is an indefinite pronoun.

When the subject in the active sentence is "people".

Don't specify the by-complement

I am making a cake. A cake is being made. People can obtain the form from the post office. The form can be obtained from the post office. Someone has stolen my mobile phone. My mobile phone has been stolen. The police arrested the thief. The thief was arrested.

When the subject in the active sentence is a personal pronoun

When the subject in the active sentence is irrelevant or obvious.

TO REVISE

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1. He has bought a fiat car.2. I put down the pen. 3. I saw a hut at a distance. 4. All of them welcomed the suggestion enthusiastically. 5. Most of my friends have watched this movie. 6. The teacher appreciated the boy’s work. 7. Somebody has stolen the bicycle. 8. The police finally caught the notorious thief. 9. The head of the organization will run the project. 10. Firemen miraculously saved the people living on the second and third floors. 11. I am drafting a document now. 12. She will have sent the report.

Sophia sold the car to him. Sophia sold him the car.

I.O. as SUBJECT

D.O. as SUBJECT

He was sold the car by Sophia.

The car was sold to him by Sophia.

DOUBLE OBJECT

1. They will ask you a lot of questions at the interview.2. Nobody told me the story.3. His colleagues gave him a present when he retired.4. We will send you your examination results as soon as they are ready.5. They didn’t ask me my name.6. They should have offered Tom the job.7. They are showing the students the new computer room.8. The bank gave me a loan for a new house.9. They showed him the gun.10. The boss offered him a rise for his hard work.

1.- A lot of questions will be asked to you at the interview. 1.- You will be asked a lot of questions at the interview. 2.- The story wasn't told to me. 2.- I wasn't told the story. 3.- A present was given to him by his colleagues when he retired. 3.- He was given a present by his colleagues when he retired. 4.- Your examination results will be sent to you as soon as they are ready. 4.- You will be sent your examinations results as soon as they are ready. 5.- My name wasn't asked to me. 5.- I wasn't asked my name

6.- The job should have been offered to Bob. 6.- Bob should have been offered the job. 7.- The new computer room is being shown to the students. 7.- The students are being shown the new computer room. 8.- A loan for a new house was given to me. 8.- I was given a loan for a new house. 9.- The gun was shown to him. 9.- He was shown the gun. 10.- A raise was offered to him (by the boss) for his hard work (by the boss) 10.- He was offered a raise (by the boss) for his hard work (by the boss)

PASSIVE REPORTING STRUCTURES IMPERSONAL PASSIVE

REPORTING VERBS

We'll find this structre in sentences which have a reporting verb in the active voice in the main clause. There are two possible passive sentences: an impersonal passive and a personal one

SUPPOSE SUGGEST THINK UNDERSTAND

DECLARE DISCOVER ESTIMATE EXPECT HOPE

AGREE ANNOUNCE BELIEVE CLAIM CONSIDER

KNOW REPORT RUMOUR SAY SHOW

Impersonal passive

The sentence will have an idefinite subject and a reporting verb followed by a that-clause (the direct object) with its own subject, verb and complements. People say that Stephen will move to the city centre. IT + reporting verb in the passive + that + subject + verb It is said that Stephen will move to the city centre. They know that Michael won the race. It is known that Michael won the race.

Impersonal passive

Personal passive

People say that Stephen will move to the city centre. Subject + reporting verb in the passive + to-infinitive Stephen is said to move to the city centre. If the verb in the subordinate clause refers to the past, we'll get: Subject + reporting verb in the passive + PERFECT INFINITIVE They know that Michael won the race. Michael is known to have won the race.

1. A journalist reports that they are leaving Las Vegas tomorrow night. 2. The lecturer thought that Columbus never realized that he had discovered America. 3. Their parents thought that the teenagers were dancing at the disco. 4. Everybody thinks that she sings beautifully 5. The children reported that their friends were swimming when they disappeared. 6. People believed that they had killed the animals during the night. 7. My friends think that my parents are the best parents in the world. 8. They believed that the horse was a present.

• A journalist reports that they are leaving Las Vegas tomorrow night.
• It is reported that they are leaving Las Vegas tomorrow night.
• They are reported to be leaving Las Vegas tomorrow night.
• The lecturer thought that Columbus never realized that he had discovered America.
• It was thought that Columbus never realized that he had discovered America.
• Columbus was thought to never have realized that he had discovered America.
• Their parents thought that the teenagers were dancing at the disco.
• It was thought that the teenagers were dancing at the disco.
• The teenagers were thought to be / have been dancing at the disco.
• Everybody thinks that she sings beautifully.
• It is thought that she sings beautifully.
• She is thought to sing beautifully.

• The children reported that their friends were swimming when they disappeared.
• It was reported that their friends were swimming when they disappeared.
• Their friends were reported to have been swimming when they disappeared.
• People believed that they had killed the animals during the night.
• It was believed that they had killed the animals during the night.
• They were believed to have killed the animals during the night.
• My friends think that my parents are the best parents in the world.
• It is thought that my parents are the best parents in the world.
• My parents are thought to be the best parents in the world.

• They believed that the horse was a present.
• It was believed that the horse was a present.
• The horse was believed to be a present.

1.People are thinking that drugs are very dangerous. 2.They knew that Mr. Brown was stealing iron from the factory. 3.Ancient people thought that the stars would fall on them. 4. People consider that the team will be classified for the final. 5. Everybody says that he settled the business. 6. The reporters believed that the meeting would finish soon. 7. Reporters at the airport are expecting that the president will be arriving soon. 8. The students all know that Shakespeare was born in Stratford. 9. The police think the terrorists are in France. 10.Everybody thinks that Bruce Springsteen is a great singer.

1. People are thinking that drugs are very dangerous.
1. It is being thought that drugs are very dangerous.
2. Drugs are being thought to be very dangerous.
2. They knew that Mr. Brown was stealing iron from the factory.
1. It was known that Mr. Brown was stealing iron from the factory.
2. Mr Brown was known to have been stealing iron from the factory.
3. Ancient people thought that the stars would fall on them.
1. It was thought that the stars would fall on them.
2. The stars were thought to fall on them.
4. People consider that the team will be classified for the final.
1. It is considered that the team will be classified for the final.
2. The team is considered to classify for the final
5. Everybody says that he settled the business.
1. It is said that he settled the business.
2. He is said to have settled the business.

6. The reporters believed that the meeting would finish soon.a. It was believed that the meeting would finish soon. b. The meeting was believed to fisnish soon.7. Reporters at the airport are expecting that the president will be arriving soon.a. It is being expected that the president will be arriving soon. b. The president is being expected to be arriving soon.8. The students all know that Shakespeare was born in Stratford.a. It is known that Shakespeare was born in Stratford. b. Shakespeare is known to have been born in Stratford.9. The police think the terrorists are in France.a. It is thought that the terrorists are in France. b. The terrorists are thought to be in France.10.Everybody thinks that Bruce Springsteen is a great singer.a. It is thought that Bruce Springsteen is a great singer. b. Bruce Springteen is thought to be a great singer.

THE CAUSATIVE

STRUCTURE AND USE

HAVE / GET + OBJECT + PAST PARTICIPLE

The past participle has a passive meaning in this structure.

FORM

They had their house painted

We use the causative to talk about things which are done: - for the subject of the sentence - by someone or something else. He is going to have his teeth checked (by a dentist) (He is not checking his teeth himself)

Use

We use this structure to talk about actions that we do not do ourselves, but which we arrange for another person (who is usually a professional) to do for us. She is having her wedding dress designed by Carolina Herrera. (Someone is designing her dress)

We use this structure to talk about bad or unpleasant things which happen to us. She has had her bike stolen. (Her bike has been stolen)

THE CAUSATIVE

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