general

1. Look at the newspaper headline below and try to guess what the
article is about.
ROBBERY IN TAKSIM

2. Read the text in 1 minute and check
your guesses.
ROBBERY IN TAKSIM
Armed robbers have escaped with an unknown amount of cash from a
bank in Taksim. People think that at least ten million dollars in cash and
some jewellery were taken but the bank has not explained the amount
yet.
An old lady outside the bank called 155 and the police arrived within
minutes after gunshots were heard from inside the bank and. The police
went into the building. However, it was too late because all the thieves
escaped. All the customers and staff were in a state of shock.
Text taken and adapted from http://www.eltbase.com/vtr_item.php?type=mat&matid=159

3. ROBBERY IN TAKSIM
Armed robbers have escaped with an unknown amount of cash
from a bank in Taksim. People think that at least ten million
dollars in cash and some jewellery were taken but the bank
has not explained the amount yet.
An old lady outside the bank called 155 and the police arrived
within minutes after gunshots were heard from inside the
bank. The police went into the building. However, it was too
late because all the thieves escaped. All the customers and
staff were in a state of shock.
1. How much was taken from the bank?
2. What was heard from inside the bank?

4. Answers:
1. At least ten million dollars in cash and some
jewellery were taken.
2. Gunshots were heard from inside the bank.

5. In these sentences the verbs are in the passive
voice.
Why do we use passive voice?
Let’s look at the sentences again together.

6. At least ten million dollars in cash
and some jewellery were taken.
*Who took the cash and valuables?
*Do you know the names of robbers?
*What is important? The people or the action?
Shots were heard from inside the
bank.
*Who shot the gun?
*Do you know the names of shooters?
*What is important? The people or the action?

7. *When the verb is in the active voice, the subject performs the
action.
*Active: THE ROBBERS took at least 10 million dollars in cash and
some jewellery.
*When the verb is in the passive voice, the subject receives the
action.
*Passive: At least 10 million dollars and some
jewellery were taken.
*The active voice focuses on the person who does the action while the
passive voice focuses on the receiver or the result of the action.

8. *Sometimes the passive voice mentions the person who does the
action and we use “by” to show this person because he or she is
important.
*Mickey Mouse was created by Walt Disney.
*Sometimes it is not necessary to mention the person because we
don’t know or don’t care about him/her.
*The winners’ names are not known until the night of the ceremony.

9. in reports of events when the action
is more important than the person

10. Tense Active Passive
Simple Present A committee chooses the
best actor.
?
Present Continuous They are presenting an
award right now.
?
Simple Past They announced the
winner’s name.
?
Past Continuous They were taking photos. ?
Present Perfect They have already chosen
the best movie.
?
Future They will pick the best
movie.
They are going to pick the
best movie.
?
Modals They should / can / may /
have to / must / could
announce the winner’s
?

12. PASSIVE - FORM
*Positive:
*Julia Roberts has been seen in many movies.
*Negative:
*The names of the winners cannot be printed in tomorrow’s
newspaper.
*Question:
*Was that movie presented in black and white?

13. 1. The safe ------------------- (open) by the banker.
2. Money and other valuables ----------------- (put) in a bag by
the robbers.
3. The building ----------------------- (surround) by the police.
4. The robbers ------------------------ (not catch).
Fill in the blanks in the following sentences about the story you read by
using past passive.

14. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the
verbs according to the correct tenses.
1. The awards ceremony -------- -------- (see)by millions of people
every year.
2. Which actor ---------- --------- --------- (choose) next year?
3. So far many movies ------- ------- -------- (make) about World War
II.
4. James Cameron ---------- --------- (give) an award in 1997 for Best
Director, for Titanic.
5. A good movie -------- ------- ------- (show) at a teather near my
house now.
6. Star Wars ------- -------- (make) in 1977.
7. The movie ------- -------- ------- (show) on TV many times.
8. Over 2,000 Academy Awards --------- -------- --------- (give) out
since 1929.
9. A: When ------- sound -------- (add) to movies?
B: It -------- ---------- (add) in 1927.

15. 1) Active: The test --------------------------------- .
Passive: The test -------------------------------- .
2) Active: My textbook --------------------------- .
Passive: My textbook -------------------------- .
3) Active: My best friend ------------------------- .
Passive: My best friend ----------------------- .
4) Active: Movies ---------------------------------- .
Passive: Movies --------------------------------- .
5) Active: Actors --------------------------------- .
Passive : Actors -------------------------------- .
*Write an active & a passive sentence for
each subject. Choose an appropriate tense.

16. For further practİce visit the following websites:
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/passive
http://a4esl.org/q/h/9704/ck-michigan1.html
http://www.eslgo.com/quizzes/raiderspassive.html
http://esl.about.com/library/quiz/blgrquiz_passive2.htm
http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises_list/passiv.htm
http://www.englishgrammar.org/passive-voice-exercise/
http://www.e-grammar.org/passive-voice/