TOPIC: PASSIVE VOICE

KHAIRUL HAFIZDAZMIDA

SITI NOR HAJAR FATIN NURFAZIERA

Back-2-Basics

The performer

of the action

AGENT

Receiver of the action

OBJECT

WHAT SPORT DID YOU PLAY YESTERDAY?

The passive voice is used…

• We want to focus attention on the person or thing affected by the action, the object: The mouse was chased by the cat.

• We do not know who the agent is:'I don’t know who did it, but my pet

rabbit has been fed.'

PASSIVE AND ACTIVE

In passive voice, the subject receives the action of the verb. In active voice, the subject performs the action of the verb.

Passive voice takes the form “B is done (by A)”

Active voice takes the form “A does B” He drops a bottle of water.

The bottle was dropped by him.

Active voice subjects perform an act

We ... chose ... plastic film to cover the microphone.

Active voice

Subject Verb Object

Passive voice subjects are acted on

Plastic film … was chosen … to cover the microphone.

Passive voice

Subject Verb Object

We ... chose ... plastic film to cover the microphone.

Active voice

Subject Verb Object

Differences between Active Voice and Passive Voice

Passive Voice in Verb FormsVerb Form Construction Example

Present Simple Am/is/are + PP How is this word pronounced?

Present Continuous Am/is/are being + PP The chairs are being repaired by John.

Present Perfect Simple Has/have been + PP The windows have been cleaned by Ali

Verb Form Construction Example

Past Simple Was/were + PP This picture was painted by Picasso.

Past Continuous Was/were being + PP The book was being read by the boy.

Past Perfect Simple Had been + PP My work had been finished by me.

Phrasal Verbs in passive voice

What is phrasal verbs ??

Phrasal verbs are called two-word verbs are made up of a verb + particle.

Ex: Put on, look up, pick out…

On, off, up, down, in and out are common particle.

• Adverbs and prepositions look the same. However, adverbs are part of the verb phrase, and they often change the meaning of the verb.

Verb + adverbShe’s looking up the word. (She’s searching for the word in the dictionary)

Verb + preposition She’s looking up at the sky. (She’s looking in the direction of the sky)

• Transitive phrasal verbs have objects and most of them are separable.

• Which means that the object can come:

After the verb + particle or between the verb + particle

We dropped off the students.We dropped the students off.

Phrasal verbs can be transitive or intransitive

• BE CAREFUL!! When the object is pronoun, it must come between the verb and the particle.

We dropped them off. and NOT We dropped off them.

Some phrasal verbs are intransitive.Intransitive phrasal verbs do not have objects.

Dr. Sunnil grew up in Texas. He got back late.

How can we use phrasal verbs in the passive??

Active: They called off the meeting. Passive: The meeting was called off.

Active: His grandmother looked after him.Passive: He was looked after by his

grandmother.

Active: They figured out the problems.Passive: The problems were figured out.

We were questioning by the immigration officer at the airport.

Correct: We were questioned by the immigration officer at the airport.

In this sentence, the verb ‘question’ is transitive, so you can use it in passive voice. However, this sentence uses the wrong form.

Common Mistakes

False: Martin’s accident was occurred on the Tuen Mun Highway.

Correct : Martin’s accident occurred on the Tuen Mun Highway.

In this sentence, the verb ‘occur’ is an intransitive verb. Therefore, you cannot use ‘occur’ in a passive voice sentence.

Exercise

Change to the passive voiceLucy noted the time of arrival for the rocket and the strobe light flash.

The time of arrival was noted for the rocket and the strobe light flash.

We used the atomic clocks to verify that the rocket had arrived before the light.

The atomic clocks were used to verify that the rocket had arrived before the light.

The team also noted the effects of the impact.The effects of the impact were also noted.

Change to the passive voiceLucy noted the time of arrival for the rocket and the strobe light flash.

The time of arrival was noted for the rocket and the strobe light flash.

We used the atomic clocks to verify that the rocket had arrived before the light.

The atomic clocks were used to verify that the rocket had arrived before the light.

The team also noted the effects of the impact.The effects of the impact were also noted.

Change to the passive voice

Lucy noted the time of arrival for the rocket and the strobe light flash.

The time of arrival was noted for the rocket and the strobe light flash.

We used the atomic clocks to verify that the rocket had arrived before the light.

The atomic clocks were used to verify that the rocket had arrived before the light.

The team also noted the effects of the impact.The effects of the impact were also noted.

Change to the passive voiceLucy noted the time of arrival for the rocket and the strobe light flash.

The time of arrival was noted for the rocket and the strobe light flash.

We used the atomic clocks to verify that the rocket had arrived before the light.

The atomic clocks were used to verify that the rocket had arrived before the light.

The team also noted the effects of the impact.The effects of the impact were also noted.

Change to the passive voice

Lucy noted the time of arrival for the rocket and the strobe light flash.

The time of arrival was noted for the rocket and the strobe light flash.

We used the atomic clocks to verify that the rocket had arrived before the light.

The atomic clocks were used to verify that the rocket had arrived before the light.

The team also noted the effects of the impact.The effects of the impact were also noted.

Change to the passive voiceLucy noted the time of arrival for the rocket and the strobe light flash.

The time of arrival was noted for the rocket and the strobe light flash.

We used the atomic clocks to verify that the rocket had arrived before the light.

The atomic clocks were used to verify that the rocket had arrived before the light.

The team also noted the effects of the impact.The effects of the impact were also noted.