2. USE
The PASSIVE VOICE is used when the focus of
attention is on the action.
We only use the passive when we are interested in the
object or when we do not know who caused the
action.
My bike was stolen
The focus is on the fact that my bike was stolen.
I do not know, however, who did it.
3. VERB STRUCTURE
BE + PAST PARTICIPLE
Architects design buildings.
Buildings ____________ by architects.
Spielberg directed the film “ET”.
“ET” _____________ by Spielberg.
In the same tense as the main verb in the active
sentence.
are designed
was directed
4. Coldplay wrote the song “Viva la vida”.
The song “Viva la vida”. was written by Coldplay
Subject
Agent
Verb
be + past
participle
Direct Object
Subject
Changes from active to passive
5. Verb tenses
tense active passive
Present simple Peter builds houses
Past simple Peter built a house last year
Present perfect Peter has built many houses
Past perfect Peter had built a house
Will-future Peter will build a house
Going to-future Peter is going to build a house
Modal verbs Peter might build a new house
Houses are built by Peter
A house was built by Peter last year
Many houses have been built by Peter
A house had been built by Peter
A house will be built by Peter
A house is going to be built by Peter
A new house might be built by Peter
6. Sometimes GET is used instead of BE with a passive meaning,
which makes the sentence more informal.
He gets paid every week
They are going to get married next week
He got stuck in a traffic
jam
yesterday
9. The DVD recorder has not been repaired by the mechanic
The mechanic has not repaired the DVD recorder
10. Beachball can be played on that beach by them.
They can play beachball on that beach
11. THE AGENT
The subject of the active sentence becomes the AGENT of the
passive sentence. But we only use it when it introduces
important information.
We omit BY + AGENT:
1) when the agent is unknown.
2) when the agent is not very important or it’s too obvious.
3) if we do not want to name the agent.
The criminal has just been arrested by the police.
12. Three cats were rescued by Julia
Julia rescued three cats
Is the
agent
needed
here
13. The DVD recorder has not been repaired (by the mechanic)
(The agent seems too obvious to be mentioned, so in this case it
could be omitted; the important thing is the action)
The mechanic has not repaired the DVD recorder
Is the
agent
needed
here
14. Beachball can be played on that beach.
(We don’t know exactly who they are and the important thing is
that beachball is allowed on the beach)
They can play beachball on that beach
Is the
agent
needed
here
15. VERBS WITH TWO OBJECTS
Some sentences have two objects: DIRECT and
INDIRECT OBJECT. Most of the times, it is more
common to use the INDIRECT OBJECT as a
SUBJECT.
Subject
They
Verb
showed
IO
me
DO
their last album.
I
Subject
was shown
Verb
their last album
DO
(BY them).
Agent
16. VERBS WITH TWO OBJECTS
However, sometimes we prefer to emphasize the
DIRECT OBJECT.
Subject
They
Verb
sent
IO
me
DO
a mysterious letter.
to me
IO
was sent
Verb
A mysterious letter
Subject
(BY them).
Agent
18. English is not spoken here
They don’t speak English here
19. Tom was being prepared his breakfast
Breakfast was being prepared for Tom
The waiter was preparing breakfastf for Tom
20. I have been sent a text message by Michael
A text message has been sent to me by Michael
Michael has sent me a text message
21. The students were told a hilarious joke by their teacher
A hilarious joke was told to them by the teacher
The teacher told them a hilarious joke
22. Your eyes should be kept wide open
You should keep your eyes wide open; there are lots of pickpockets around!
23. Verbs with prepositions in the passive
When we put an active sentence into
passive and a preposition follows
after the verb (e.g. break into, look
after), the preposition remains
immediately after the verb.
active passive
Someone broke into the pet
shop
The pet shop was broken
into
She could look after our cat
The police are looking into
the crime
Our cat could be looked
after
The crime is being looked
into
24. Remember …
HAVE / GET something DONE is a passive structure
You use it when you want to indicate that you paid someone to
do
something for you:
They had their house
painted blue.
(Professional house painters did the work.)
25. THE PASSIVE WITH REPORTING VERBS
We can use the passive to report feelings and beliefs.
Reporting verbs commonly used: accept, believe, expect, hope, know,
say, think, understand.
It is known that many pop singers come from
England.
(People know that many pop singers come from England)
It was thought that he had started the fire
(People thought that he had started the fire)
It + passive reporting verb + that + sentence
26.
27. They are opening new restaurants every
day
New restaurants are being opened every day
28. The concept of “fast food” has changed
human behaviour
Human behaviour has been changed by the
concept of “fast food”.
29. They teach the staff at the McDonald’s
university.
Staff are taught at the McDonald’s university
30. Fast food destroyed the “golden age” of
family mealtimes.
The “golden age” of family mealtimes was
destroyed by fast food
31. In Japan people had regarded eating
standing up as bad manners.
In Japan, eating standing up had been
regarded as bad manners
32. People will never forget Richard McDonald
Richard McDonald will never be forgotten
33. We can’t ignore the effect of fast food on
our lives
The effect of fast food on our lives can’t be
ignored
34. They have spread the American model
around the world
The American model has been spread
around the world
35.
36. They told me the film was
good
I was told the film was good
37. Her mother taught her how to
cook
She was taught how to cook by her
mother
38. His boss offered him more
money
He was offered more money by his boss
39. They promised me they would finish the
work today
I was promised that they would finish the
work today
40. Someone in the street gave us free tickets
for a concert
We were given free tickets for a concert
in the street
41. They asked him to make a speech at the
wedding
He was asked to make a speech at the
wedding
42.
43. ACTIVE or PASSIVE?
Active Form
[DOER] + [verb] + [RECEIVER]
John does the washing up every day
Passive Form
[RECEIVER] + [be] + [past participle] + [by] + [DOER]
The washing up is done by John every day
47. was shocked
Active: The news shocked everybody a few years ago
Everybody _____ (shock) by the news a few years ago
48. has been teaching
The sentence cannot be changed into the passive as there are no direct or
indirect objects
Mr. Green _____ (teach) at the University since 1989.
54. A prize ___ (give) to whoever solves this equation
55. will be given
Another Passive: Whoever solves this equation will be given a prize
Active: They will give a prize to whoever solves this equation
A prize ___ (give) to whoever solves this equation
63. was being cooked / was cooked / had been cooked
Active: He was cooking /cooked / had cooked dinner when I arrived
Dinner______ (cook) when I arrived
67. The marks of the
students … (discuss)
every month and if
their parents …..
(have) any
questions they can
contact the teachers.
are discussed
have
68. This program …(start) 3
years ago. Many students
…(already/use) it and they
are completely satisfied
with the results that …
(achieve).
started
have already used
have been achieved
69. An interesting documentary
…..…. (show) on TV now.
Come and listen!
They …. (just/say) that a
new vaccine against AIDS
…… (already/find) and
that soon they
….(complete) the trials.
is being showed
have just said
has already been found
will complete
70. Mary …(have) her
math
lesson twice a week.
Last week when she ...
(go) to see her tutor,
she …(see) a note that
her tutor … (leave)
there informing that the
lesson ….. (cancel).
has
saw
went
had left
had been cancelled
71. No information …(receive)
yet.
We hope that when Alfred
…. (come) he …. (tell) us
some news.
comes
has been received
will tell
