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Passive Voice

Passive Voice

Use of Passive

Passive voice is used when the focus is on the action. It is not important or not known, however, who or what is performing the action.

Example: My bike was stolen.

In the example above, the focus is on the fact that my bike was stolen. I do not know, however, who did it.

Sometimes a statement in passive is more polite than active voice, as the following example shows:

Example: A mistake was made.

In this case, I focus on the fact that a mistake was made, but I do not blame anyone (e.g. You have made a mistake.).

Form of Passive

Subject + finite form of to be + Past Participle (3rd column of irregular verbs)

Example: A letter was written.

When rewriting active sentences in passive voice, note the following:

the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence

the finite form of the verb is changed (to be + past participle)

the subject of the active sentence becomes the object of the passive sentence (or is dropped)

Examples of Passive Level: lower intermediate

Tense		Subject	Verb	Object
Simple Present	Active:	Rita	writes	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	is written	by Rita.
Simple Past	Active:	Rita	wrote	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	was written	by Rita.
Present Perfect	Active:	Rita	has written	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	has been written	by Rita.
Future I	Active:	Rita	will write	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	will be written	by Rita.
Hilfsverben	Active:	Rita	can write	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	can be written	by Rita.

Examples of Passive Level: upper intermediate

Tense		Subject	Verb	Object
Present Progressive	Active:	Rita	is writing	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	is being written	by Rita.
Past Progressive	Active:	Rita	was writing	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	was being written	by Rita.
Past Perfect	Active:	Rita	had written	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	had been written	by Rita.
Future II	Active:	Rita	will have written	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	will have been written	by Rita.
Conditional I	Active:	Rita	would write	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	would be written	by Rita.
Conditional II	Active:	Rita	would have written	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	would have been written	by Rita.

Passive Sentences with Two Objects Level: intermediate

Rewriting an active sentence with two objects in passive voice means that one of the two objects becomes the subject, the other one remains an object. Which object to transform into a subject depends on what you want to put the focus on.

	Subject	Verb	Object 1	Object 2
Active:	Rita	wrote	a letter	to me.
Passive:	A letter	was written	to me	by Rita.
Passive:	I	was written	a letter	by Rita.

.

As you can see in the examples, adding by Rita does not sound very elegant. That’s why it is usually dropped.

Personal and Impersonal Passive

Personal Passive simply means that the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence. So every verb that needs an object (transitive verb) can form a personal passive.

Example: They build houses. – Houses are built.

Verbs without an object (intransitive verb) normally cannot form a personal passive sentence (as there is no object that can become the subject of the passive sentence). If you want to use an intransitive verb in passive voice, you need an impersonal construction – therefore this passive is called Impersonal Passive.

Example: he says – it is said

Impersonal Passive is not as common in English as in some other languages (e.g. German, Latin). In English, Impersonal Passive is only possible with verbs of perception (e. g. say, think, know).

Example: They say that women live longer than men. – It is said that women live longer than men.

Although Impersonal Passive is possible here, Personal Passive is more common.

Example: They say that women live longer than men. – Women are said to live longer than men.

The subject of the subordinate clause (women) goes to the beginning of the sentence; the verb of perception is put into passive voice. The rest of the sentence is added using an infinitive construction with 'to' (certain auxiliary verbs and that are dropped).

Sometimes the term Personal Passive is used in English lessons if the indirect object of an active sentence is to become the subject of the passive sentence.

PRACTICE

Exercise on Passive Voice - Simple Present

Rewrite the sentences in passive voice.

1. He opens the door. -

2. We set the table. -

3. She pays a lot of money. -

4. I draw a picture. -

5. They wear blue shoes. -

6. They don't help you. -

7. He doesn't open the book. -

8. You do not write the letter. -

9. Does your mum pick you up? -

10. Does the police catch the thief? -

Simple Past

Rewrite the sentences in passive voice.

1. She sang a song. -

2. Somebody hit me. -

3. We stopped the bus. -

4. A thief stole my car. -

5. They didn't let him go. -

6. She didn't win the prize. -

7. They didn't make their beds. -

8. I did not tell them. -

9. Did you tell them? -

10. Did he send the letter? -

Send the exercises to mgruiz@cantv.net

Present Perfect

Present Perfect

Rewrite the sentences in passive voice.

1. Kerrie has paid the bill. -

2. I have eaten a hamburger. -

3. We have cycled five miles. -

4. I have opened the present. -

5. They have not read the book. -

6. You have not sent the parcel. -

7. We have not agreed to this issue. -

8. They have not caught the thieves. -

9. Has she phoned him? -

10. Have they noticed us? -

Summary - The Fellowship of the Ring (J.R.R. Tolkien)

Summaries are usually written in present tense. Simple present is the most important tense in summaries. But other tenses are important,too.

Decide whether to use simple present, simple past, present perfect, conjunctive or passive voice. Use the long forms.

The Fellowship of the Ring (be) the first book of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings trilogy, which (set) in a fictive world, Middle Earth. It (tell) the story of Frodo, a hobbit, and a magic ring.

As the story (begin) , Frodo (give) a magic ring. The wizard Gandalf then (tell) him of the Rings of Power and of Sauron, the Dark Lord, who (make) the Master Ring to rule all other Rings. Gandalf (advise) Frodo to leave home and keep the ring out of Sauron's hands who already (send) his Black Riders in search for it. Frodo's ring (give) Sauron the power to enslave Middle Earth

Text-Exercises

The Canterville Ghost Level: lower intermediate

Questions on the text

highlight verbs in Passive Voice

Chapter I

When the American, Mr Otis, bought Canterville Castle, everyone told him that this was very foolish, as the place was haunted. But Mr Otis answered, “I come from a modern country, where we have everything that money can buy. And if there were such a thing as a ghost in Europe, we would have it at home in one of our museums.”

A few weeks later, on a lovely July evening, Mr Otis, his wife and their children, Washington, Virginia and the twins, went down to their new home. When they entered the avenue of Canterville Castle, the sky suddenly became dark and a spooky stillness was in the air.

Mrs Umney, the housekeeper, led them into the library of the castle, where they sat down and began to look around. Suddenly, Mrs Otis saw a red stain on the floor just by the fireplace and said to Mrs Umney, “I am afraid something has been spilt there.”

“Yes, madam,” said the old housekeeper in a low voice, “blood has been spilt on that spot.”

“How terrible,” said Mrs Otis; “I don't want any blood-stains in my sitting-room. It must be removed at once.”

The old woman smiled and answered, “It is the blood of Lady Eleanore de Canterville, who was murdered on that spot by her husband, Sir Simon de Canterville, in 1575. Sir Simon disappeared seven years later. His body has never been found, but his ghost still haunts the Castle. The blood-stain is a tourist attraction now and it cannot be removed.”

“That is all nonsense,” said Washington, the eldest son of the Otis family, “stain remover will clean it up in no time,” and he took a bottle of stain remover out of his pocket and cleaned the spot. But as soon as the blood-stain had disappeared, a terrible flash of lightning lit up the room and a fearful peal of thunder made the whole building shake.

Complete the following chart

ACTIVE	PASSIVE
Simple Present: Mary helps the boy	The boy is helped by Mary
PresentProgressive:Mary_____________________	The boy is being helped by Mary.
Present Perfect:Mary has helped the boy	The boy__________________________by Mary
Simple Past:Mary_____________the boy	The boy was helped by Mary
Past Progressive:Mary was helping the boy	The boy____________________by Mary
Past Perfect:Mary___________the boy	The boy had been helped by Mary
Simple Future:Mary will help the boy	The boy_____________by Mary
Be going to:Mary__________help the boy	The boy is going to be helped by Mary
Future Perfect:Mary will have helped the boy	The boy_______________by Mary

Exercises

1) Someone invited you to the party. : You were invited to the party by someone.

2) _____________________________________: Rice is grown in many countries.

3) Someone is televising the game: ___________________________________________

4) _____________________________: Reading is taught in the first grade.

5) Someone told you to be here at ten:________________________________________

6) _____________________________: That was made in México by someone.

7) Someone is going to reserve dinner:__________________________________

8) ________________________________:Tomorrow the news will be announced by someone.

9) Someone has made a mistake:_____________________________________________

10) ______________________________: A teacher is being giving.

Michigan Test

Passive Voice and Modals

1)Detroit ___ Motown in the past.
a. was called
b. is called
c. called
d. is calling
Answer a

2)Detroit ___ as the first capital city of Michigan, but now Lansing is the capital city of Michigan.
a. chosen
b. was chosen
c. have been chosen
Answer b

3)The university of Michigan is one of the best universities in the United States and it ___ in Ann Arbor.
a. located
b. location
c. is located
Answer c

4)In the year 2003, Western Michigan University located in Kalamazoo, Michigan ___ with the opportunity of being one hundred years old.
a. will be celebrating
b. will have a celebration
c. will have been celebrated
Answer a

5)The five great lakes of the world ___ in Michigan.
a. can find
b. can be found
c. can found
Answer b

6)The University of Michigan and Michigan State University are famous for their football teams. ___ of them are ranked highly in the United States.
a. Both
b. Among
c. Neither
d. All
Answer a

7)Michigan has three big lakes. They are Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, and Lake Erie. ___ of them have wonderful scenery in the Fall.
a. Both
b. Neither
c. All
Answer c

8)You ___ more careful when you go to Detroit at night because there a lots of drive-by shootings.
a. might be
b. must be
c. may be
d. should be
Answer d

9)You ___ winter clothes to visit the state of Michigan in December because the weather is so cold.
a. should bring
b. would bring
c. could bring
d. bring
Answer a

10)You ___ cars on Mackinac Island in Michigan.
a. may not see
b. may not seen
c. might not seen
d. may not have seen
Answer a

11)You ___ faster than 70 miles per hour on the highway in Michigan. It's the law.
a. may not drive
b. must not drive
c. will not drive

Answer b

12)You ___ west if you want to go to Kalamazoo from Detroit.
a. must go
b. could go
c. can go
Answer a

Send your exercises to the e-mail: mgruiz@cantv.net