1. PASSIVES
We make the passive using ‘be’ and the past participle (‘done’, ‘played’ etc.).
We use the "passive" when we don’t know, or we are not interested in, who
does an action.
* John Logie Baird invented television in the 1920s (active voice)
Television was invented in the 1920s by John Logie Baird (passive voice)
SEE THAT:
1)the subject John Logie Baird becomes complement preceded by the
preposition "by".
2)the verb invented is changed into the correct form of
"be" + the participle of the verb
3)the object television becomes the subject in the passive sentence
ACTIVE: SUBJ. + VERB + OBJ.
PASSIVE: OBJ. + BE+PARTIC. + BY+SUBJ.
2. Sometimes the subject is not used in the passive because it is
unknown or it is too evident:
* Someone stole my car yesterday (we don´t know who stole the
car)
My car was stolen yesterday (we don´t use "someone" in the
passive)
* The doctor will operate my mother in a few days (it is evident that
the person who operates in a hospital is a doctor)
My mother will be operated in a few days (we don´t use "the
doctor" in the passive)
We must be careful when we use a person and a possessive
adjective:
* Sue lost her book.
Sue´s book was lost (we don´t say "Her book was lost by Sue"
because it seems that "Sue" and "her" are different people.
So we take the possessive ´s after the subject).
