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The Passive Voice

Masoud Ahrabi

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1 Active sentences and passive sentences 2 Form of the passive 3 Transitive and intransitive verbs 4 Using the by-phrase 5 Passive modal auxiliaries 6 Participial adjectives: -ed vs. -ing

CONTENTS

The passive

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1 ACTIVE SENTENCES AND PASSIVE SENTENCES

The chair is being made by the carpenter.

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(a) ACTIVE: The carpenter sanded the wood.

(b) PASSIVE: The wood was sanded by the carpenter.

same meaning

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by + O


(c) Carol sold the house.

(d) The house was sold by Carol.

S O ACTIVE:

PASSIVE: S

object of active subject of passive

subject of active object of by

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2 FORM OF THE PASSIVE

Cars are driven by people.

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BE + PAST PARTICIPLE

(a) Cars are driven by people.

(b) The award was given by the boss.

(c) The book will be published by Pearson.

Passive structure in all tenses: a be form instead of the verb + PP of main verb

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Forms of “be”:

Present:

Past:

Continuous:

PP:

Simple:

am- is - are was- were being been be

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SIMPLE PRESENT People drive cars. Cars are driven by people.

SIMPLE PAST The new job thrilled Tim. Tim was thrilled by the new job.

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PRESENT PROGRESSIVE The boys are eating the cookies. The cookies are being eaten by the boys.

PAST PROGRESSIVE Jamal was washing the dishes. The dishes were being washed by Jamal.

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PRESENT PERFECT Al has printed the photo. The photo has been printed by Al.

FUTURE Talya will make the announcement. The announcement will be made by Talya.

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Name Construction Example (simple) future will be + pp You'll be told soon enough.

future perfect will have been + pp Everything will have been done by Tuesday

simple present am/are/is + pp English is spoken here.

present progressive am/are/is being + pp Excuse the mess; the house is being painted.

present perfect have/has been + pp I have been informed about it.

simple past was/were + pp I wasn't invited, but I went.

past progressive was/were being + pp I felt as if I was being watched.

past perfect had been + pp I knew why I had been chosen.

Future progressive passives (will be being + pp) and perfect progressive passives (has been being + pp) are unusual.

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LET’S PRACTICE

a. People were shot on the streets.

b. The police shot the demonstrators on the streets.

What’s the difference?

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The nuts were gathered by the squirrel.

LET’S PRACTICE

ACTIVE PASSIVE

The squirrel gathered the nuts.

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The wall was painted by Matthew.

LET’S PRACTICE

ACTIVE PASSIVE

Matthew painted the wall.

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The election results will be determined by the voters.

LET’S PRACTICE

ACTIVE PASSIVE

The voters will determine the election results.

Talk: p.233

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3 TRANSITIVE AND INTRANSITIVE VERBS

Erica sneezed.

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(a -c) TRANSITIVE (d-f) INTRANSITIVE

Janet earned the promotion. They saw the accident.

S V O

A problem occurred. They arrived late.

S V

TRANSITIVE

verb + object

INTRANSITIVE

verb + object

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(i) ACTIVE: Birds fly. (j) PASSIVE: (Not possible)

(g) ACTIVE: Janet earned the promotion. (h) PASSIVE: The promotion was earned by Janet.

(k) INCORRECT: Birds are fly.

TRANSITIVE VERBS

INTRANSITIVE VERBS

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LET’S PRACTICE

transitive intransitive

It rained yesterday.

?

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LET’S PRACTICE


Eva won a medal. PASSIVE: _______________________ A medal was won by Eva.

?

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LET’S PRACTICE


Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web.

PASSIVE: _______________________ The World Wide Web was invented by Tim Berners-Lee. _______________________

?

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10-4 USING THE BY- PHRASE

This painting was done by my mother.

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(a) This desk was made by Manuel.

by phrase important information

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(b) This desk was made in Taiwan. (c) Corn is eaten in many places. (d) That apartment was built in 2007. (e) Spanish is spoken in many countries.

usually NO by-phrase

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10-4 LET’S PRACTICE

ACTIVE PASSIVE

Shakespeare wrote Hamlet.

Hamlet was written by Shakespeare.

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ACTIVE PASSIVE

Many students use computers.

Computers are used by many students.

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ACTIVE PASSIVE

Tina taught me how to knit.

I was taught to knit by Tina.

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10-5 PASSIVE MODAL AUXILIARIES

Lin will e-mail you.

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4 PASSIVE MODAL AUXILIARIES

Lin will send it. It will be sent by Lin. Lin can send it. It can be sent by Lin. Lin must send it. It must be sent by Lin. Lin may send it. It may be sent by Lin.

ACTIVE MODAL AUXILIARIES

PASSIVE MODAL AUXILIARIES

FORM: modal + be + past participle

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LET’S PRACTICE

ACTIVE MODALS

PASSIVE MODALS

Someone must mow the grass today.

This grass __________________. must be mowed today

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LET’S PRACTICE

You should not feed candy to babies.

Babies _____________________. should not be fed candy

ACTIVE MODALS

PASSIVE MODALS

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Hurricanes cannot be controlled.

LET’S PRACTICE

__________________________

People cannot control hurricanes. ACTIVE MODALS

PASSIVE MODALS

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6 PARTICIPIAL ADJECTIVES: -ED VS. -ING

Emma makes pottery. I am interested in making pottery.

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(a) I am interested in pottery. INCORRECT: I am interesting in pottery.

(b) Pottery is interesting. INCORRECT: Pottery is interested.

past participle feelings present participle cause of feeling

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Ben was thrilled with the promotion.

(c) Ben was thrilled. (d) The promotion was thrilling.

past participle passive meaning present participle cause of feeling

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(e) I heard some disappointing news. (f) Jill read the shortened version of the book.

participial adjectives + nouns

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LET’S PRACTICE

surprised surprising

Kobra Sakineh

Sakineh’s news must be __________. Kobra looks very __________.

surprised

surprising

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Most people are truly ________ when they first see it.

LET’S PRACTICE

amazed amazing

The Great Wall is ________.

amazed

amazing

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Thanks for your attention

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Documents

passive cars

active passive matthew

b passive

j passive

passive forms

passive structure

h passive

active sentences