the passive

Time for super grammar!

The passive voice

start

index

1. active voice

2. passive voice

3. comparing active and passive

all tenses

Exercise 1

01

subject

Look at this sentence:

verb

Gustave Eiffel built the Eiffel tower in 1881.

time adverbial

object

This sentence is in the active voice. Click on each word group to discover its function in the sentence.

Next

02

subject

Look at this sentence:

verb

This tower was built by Gustave Eiffel in 1881.

agent

time adverbial

This sentence is in the passive. Click on each word group to discover its function in the sentence.

Next

active voice

Passive voice

• When we use a passive verb, we say what happens to the subject.

• When we use an active verb, we say what the subject does.

Example: The Joker broke into the Metropolis bank yesterday evening and stole $5 million.

Example: The Metropolis bank was broken into yesterday evening, and $5 million was stolen.

Next

Tenses

02

01

Present simple passive

Present simple active

Lenovo produces these computers.

These computers are produced by Lenovo.

04

Past simple passive

Past simple active

03

These computers were produced by Lenovo.

Lenovo produced these computers.

Next

No!

Try again...

Exercise 1

1) 200 people are employed by the company. 2) Somebody cleans this room every day. 3) The thief was finally arrested last week. 4) The enemy was defeated. 5) The White House was built in 1792. 6) I am tall and I have blond hair. 7) Many accidents are caused by careless driving. 8) We were woken up by a loud noise during the night. 9) The Harry Potter series, by J.K. Rowling, was a best seller. 10) Harry Potter and the Philosopher's stone was published in 1997.

Do you recognise the passive voice? Tick only on the passive sentences!

check

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Well done!

thanks!