Passive Voice Grammar Guide mgr Anna Waligrska Kotfas

Passive Voice Grammar Guide mgr Anna Waligórska – Kotfas PWSZ Konin

Introduction Ø Passive voice is used when the focus is on the action. It is not important or not known who or what is performing 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. )

Use: Agent not important We often use the passive: Ø when the agent (the person or thing which causes an action) is not known: She was murdered. (= We don’t know who did it. )

Use: Agent not important We often use the passive: Ø when the agent is obvious from the context or from general knowledge: She has been sacked. (= obviously by her employer)

Use: Agent not important We often use the passive: Ø when the agent is not important or relevant: Wars have been fought throughout history. (= Who fought them is not important here. )

Use: Agent not mentioned We often use the passive: Ø when we wish to avoid mentioning the agent (for example, when we don’t want to directly blame any specific person, or we want to avoid personal responsibility): I see the washing-up hasn’t been done. Oh dear, look, the vase has been broken. Don’t blame me. Nothing can be done about it.

Use: Agent not mentioned Ø By omitting the agent we can describe general feelings, opinions or beliefs rather than those of a particular person or group: São Paulo is said to be the fastest-growing city in South America. Rio de Janeiro has been described as the most beautiful city in the Americas.

Use: Focus on issues The passive is often used in formal English to: Ø focus on the issues rather than on the people involved (this is very common in academic and scientific English): The research was carried out over a period of six months.

Use: Focus on issues The passive is often used in formal English to: Ø describe rules and procedures: Answers must be written in ink. Candidates will be interviewed in alphabetical order.

Use: Focus on issues The passive is often used in formal English to: Ø describe commercial, industrial and scientific processes: Minutes are taken and then submitted to the chair for approval. Components are electronically tagged and transported to the production line.

Use: Focus on issues The passive is often used in formal English to: Ø describe historical, economic and social processes: Tribal lands were sold over a period of fifty years. The currency has been devalued twice since the war.

Verb Form Ø Passive is formed with: TO BE + Past Participle (v-ed / 3 f) l l l the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence the 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)

Present Simple Passive Ø Active: Subject Verb Object Rita writes a letter. Ø Passive: A letter is written by Rita. to be + 3 f

Present Simple Passive Practice Change active into passive: Ø A: He opens the door. P: Ø A: They don't help you. P: Ø A: Does the police officer catch the thief? P:

Present Simple Passive Practice Change active into passive: Ø A: He opens the door. P: The door is opened (by him). Ø A: They don't help you. P: You aren’t helped (by them). Ø A: Does the police officer catch the thief? P: Is the thief caught (by the police officer)?

Past Simple Passive Ø Active: Subject Verb Object Rita wrote a letter. was written to be + 3 f by Rita. Ø Passive: A letter

Past Simple Passive Practice Change active into passive: Ø A: Somebody hit me. P: Ø A: They didn't make their beds. P: Ø A: Did he send the letter? P:

Past Simple Passive Practice Change active into passive: Ø A: Somebody hit me. P: I was hit. Ø A: They didn't make their beds. P: Their beds weren’t made. Ø A: Did he send the letter? P: Was the letter sent?

Future Simple Passive Ø Active: Subject Verb Object Rita will write a letter. Ø Passive: A letter will be written by Rita. will + v to be + 3 f

Future Simple Passive Practice Change active into passive: Ø A: Jane will buy a new computer. P: Ø A: They won't show the new film. P: Ø A: Will the plumber repair the shower? P:

Future Simple Passive Practice Change active into passive: Ø A: Jane will buy a new computer. P: A new computer will be bought. Ø A: They won't show the new film. P: The new film won’t be shown. Ø A: Will the plumber repair the shower? P: Will the shower be repaired?

Present Continuous Passive Ø Active: Subject Verb Object Rita is writing a letter. Ø Passive: A letter is being written by Rita. to be + v-ing to be + 3 f being

Present Continuous Passive Practice Change active into passive: Ø A: Sheila is drinking a cup of tea. P: Ø A: I am not writing a poem. P: Ø A: Is she watering the flowers? P:

Present Continuous Passive Practice Change active into passive: Ø A: Sheila is drinking a cup of tea. P: A cup of tea is being drunk. Ø A: I am not writing a poem. P: A poem isn’t being written. Ø A: Is she watering the flowers? P: Are the flowers being watered?

Present Perfect Passive Ø Active: Subject Verb Object Rita has written a letter. Ø Passive: A letter has been written by Rita. have + 3 f to be + 3 f been

Present Perfect Passive Practice Change active into passive: Ø A: Kerrie has paid the bill. P: Ø A: They haven’t read the book. P: Ø A: Has she phoned them? P:

Present Perfect Passive Practice Change active into passive: Ø A: Kerrie has paid the bill. P: The bill has been paid. Ø A: They haven’t read the book. P: The book hasn’t been read. Ø A: Has she phoned them? P: Have they been phoned?

Sentences with two objects Ø 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. Ø Which object to transform into a subject depends on what you want to put the focus on.

Sentences with two objects Subject Verb Object 1 Object 2 Ø A: Rita wrote a letter to me. Ø P: A letter I was written to me by Rita. was written a letter to by Rita.

Sentences with two objects Practice Change active into passive: Ø A: Our neighbour gives me (1) a lift (2). P: P: Ø A: She told him (1) a lie (2). P: P: Ø A: They will offer her (1) a seat (2). P: P:

Sentences with two objects Practice Change active into passive: Ø A: Our neighbour gives me (1) a lift (2). P: I am given a lift. P: A lift is given to me. Ø A: She told him (1) a lie (2). P: He was told a lie. P: A lie was told to him. Ø A: They will offer her (1) a seat (2). P: She will be offered a seat. P: A seat will be offered to her.

Sentences with two objects Practice Change active into passive: Ø A: I am sending them (1) a letter (2). P: P: Ø A: The waiter has brought us (1) the coffee (2). P: P:

Sentences with two objects Practice Change active into passive: Ø A: I am sending them (1) a letter (2). P: They are being sent a letter. P: A letter is being sent to them. Ø A: The waiter has brought us (1) the coffee (2). P: We have been brought the coffee. P: The coffee has been brought to us.

Bibliography 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Bourke K. : Verbs and Tenses: Intermediate. Test it, Fix it. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006. Leech G. , Cruickshank B. , Ivanic R. : An A-Z of English Grammar & Usage. Harlow: Longman, 2004. Murphy R. : English Grammar in Use. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006. Swan M. : Practical English Usage. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005. Thomas A. J. , Martinet A. V. : A practical English Grammar. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1986. Vince M. : Intermediate Language Practice (New Edition). Oxford: Macmillan Education 2010.