Passive Voice

Passive Voice

Farmers cultivate grapes in the North (A)

Grapes are cultivated in the North (P) Use the Active (A) to focus on the person

who performs the action. Use the Passive (P) to focus on the result of

the action, not the person who performs it.

a) Wool is produced here. ( SIMPLE PRESENT) They produce wool.

am / is /are + p.p

b) Wool is being produced here right now. (PRESENT PROGRESSIVE) They are producing...

am / is /are being + p.p

c) Wool was produced here. (SIMPLE PAST) They produced...

was / were + p.p

d) Wool was being produced here ten years ago. (PAST PROGRESSIVE) They were producing...was / were being + p.p.

e) Wool has been produced here since 1900. (PRESENT PERFECT) They have produced wool...have / has been + p.p.

f) Wool had been produced here when the island was discovered. (PAST PERFECT) They had produced...had been + p.p.

g) Wool will be produced here next year. (FUTURE / WILL) They will produce...will be + p.p.

h) Wool is going to be produced here.(FUTURES / “BE GOING TO”) They’re going to produce...am / is / are going to be + p.p.

i) Wool will have been produced here by the year 2010. (FUTURE PERFECT) They will have produced...will have been + p.p.

By whom?1 “Yesterday”

2 The safety razor

3 Penicillin

4 “Psycho”

5 “Farewell to arms”

Use these verbs: sing; make, discover, invent, write.

By: Alexander Fleming, The Beatles, Ernest Hemingway, Alfred Hitchcock, King Camp Gillete,

Answer Key: By whom?

1. “Yesterday” was sung by the Beatles.

2. The safety razor was invented by King Camp Gillete.

3. Penicillin was discovered by Alexander Fleming.

4. “Psycho” was made by Alfred Hitchcock.

5. “A farewell to arms” was written by Ernest Hemingway.

Let’s recap...

All the cookies were eaten last night.Use the passive voice when you don’t know who performed the action.

Wheat is grown in the East.Use the passive when the person who performed the action is obvious. In this example it’s obvious that farmers are the people who grow wheat.

(The agent is understood, therefore is not used)

A mistake was made.

Use the passive when you don’t want to tell who performed the action.

The computer is protected from electrical damage by a special grounding plug.

The passive is more formal than the active. It’s more common in writing, especially in scientific and technical reports, and in newspaper articles. It’s less common in conversation.

You can include the agent (the person who performs the action) with a by-phrase if that information is important.

Matching exercise: Match the words and build up 5 statements in the passive voice. Use Present tense.

1. Mice

2. Fairy tales

3. Speech

4. Bones

5. The passive voice

( ) the president

( ) dogs

( ) children

( ) students

( ) cats

Answer key: matching exercise

Some possible answers: Mice are chased by cats. Fairy tales are loved by children. Speech is made by the president. Bones are eaten by dogs. The passive voice is learned by students.

Movie: Indiana Jones – Raiders of the lost ark

Reading comprehension task:

1. Harrison Ford did / Steven Spielberg did.

2. Indiana Jones / It was released in 1981.

3. Yes, it was. The theaters gathered $ 242 million ans was the 16th largest movie of all time.

4. Action movie.

Grammar task:

The movie is produced by Lucasfilm and distributed by Paramont pictures.

Raiders of the lost ark was released in 1981...

Even though Raiders was made before...

After watching the excerpt of the video...

1. Sand was placed in the bag by Indiana Jones.

2. He was frightened by spiders.3. He was killed by spears / had already been

killed...4. He was surrounded by indians.5. It was taken away by Indiana’s enemy.6. He was chased and shot by the indians.7. He was scared by a snake.

Extra: Unscramble the sentences:

1 Fruits and vegetables

chemicals discovered badly contaminated by Japan

2 America bomb been being dropped by Columbus

3 Dangerous was was first 1492 by factories

4 An atom have are in burned in air pollution

Answer Key: unscramble...

1. America was discovered in 1492 by Columbus.

2. An atom bomb was first dropped in Japan.

3. Dangerous chemicals are being burned by factories.

4. Fruits and vegetables have been badly contaminated by air pollution.

Answer Key – Exercise A

1. Taxes are going to be raised again this year.

2. The window had been broken before we got here.

3. The church tower may have been struck by lightning

4. The painting would have been finished if I hadn’t been interrupted

5. This machine was invented by Leonardo Da Vinci.

6. The agreement will not be signed at the summit meeting.

7. The match was postponed because of the fog.

8. This damage needs to be repaired.

9. Would the problem be solved if they came earlier?

10. The road was being mended, so we had to go a different way.

Passive Voice – two subjects

When there are two subjects in the active voice any one of them can be the subject of the passive voice.

The passive agent (by...)is usually eliminated

e.g. He sends letters to Mary.

1. Letters are sent to Mary.(by him)

2. Mary is sent letters. (by him)

Answer key Passive voice – two subjects

1. a) A story was told to us (by Doug)

b) We were told a story (by Doug)

2. a) A card will be sent to Charlie (by Rita)

b) Charlie will be sent a card (by Rita)

3. a) A book has been given to us

b) We have been given a book

Exercise III

1. A letter is being typed

2. The problem can be solved

3. The questions will be answered

4. The work must be finished

5. Wasn’t the thief caught by the policemen?

6. The products of human labor are being destroyed by war

Exercise IV

1. Did John bring all these gifts?

2. They will soon forget the incident

3. She always convinces you

4. Do they speak English all over the world?

5. Did Lincoln write these famous words?

6. The young architect is going to build the new church

Exercise V1. C 2. A 3. C 4. B 5. E

Exercise VIC / E / A / B / D / F

Exercise VII1. Many books were written by Jules Verne

2. The monster was seen by many people

3. The garden will be cleaned by us

4. The window has been broken by the kids

More exercises...

1. Research and development are conducted in the department

2. I was told that the train would leave as soon as possible

3. More information on this project is needed to carry it on

4. We are not allowed to smoke in here5. Our project was rejected due to the new

downsizing policies

6. The students’ applications should be handed in until March 20th

7. The telephone companies which do not implement the necessary changes will be fined

8. The old farm house is currently being refurbished

9. The building looked bran-new. It had been painted

10. The lights have been turned off without any prior notice

PASSIVE VOICE CONSOLIDATION- answer key

It’s not known exactly when gun powder was invented. It’s known for a fact that rockets and fireworks were made by the Chinese long before gunpowder was used in Europe, which occured at about the beginning of the thirtieth century.It’s believed that the “Age of Chivalry” was brought to an end by gunpowder, since a mounted knight could be brought down by anyone with a firearm.

In fact, efficient firearms were not developed until the 16th century. It was used in engineering work and in mining, but it was found to be extremely dangerous. Gunpowder has now been replaced by modern explosives, but it’s still used for making fireworks, just as the Chinese did.

Extra Oral Practice:Answer the questions using the passive voice

1. What’s the best thing you’ve ever been invited to?

2. When were the Twin Towers torn down?

3. Have you ever been robbed?

4. What is being destroyed by CFCs?

5. When was the last time you were kept waiting?

6. When was Brazil discovered?