1. THE PASSIVE
USE OF PASSIVE
THE PASSIVE VOICE IS USED WHEN THE FOCUS IS ON THE
ACTION. IT IS NOT IMPORTANT OR NOT KNOWN, HOWEVER, WHO
OR WHAT IS PERFORMING THE ACTION.
Example: My bike was stolen. ( We don’t know who did it)
SOMETIMES A STATEMENT IN PASSIVE IS MORE POLITE THAN
ACTIVE VOICE, AS THE FOLLOWING EXAMPLE SHOWS:
Example: A mistake was made. (I focus on the fact that a mistake was
made, but I do not blame anyone)
2. HOW TO TRANSFORM
SUBJECT + VERB + OBJECT
OBJECT + VERB + SUBJECT
TO BE + PAST PARTICIPLE
(Appropriate tense)
- The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of
the passive.
- When we want to say who does the action, we add by + the
subject. Sometimes it can be omitted.
3. MAIN FORMS OF THE PASSIVE VERB PHRASE
ACTIVE
Present simple: play
Present continuous:
am/is/are playing
Past simple: played
Past continuous: was/were
playing
Present perfect: have/has
played
PASSIVE
Am / is / are BEING played
Am / is / are played
Was /were played
Was/were BEING played
Have / has BEEN played
4. Past perfect: had played
Future: will play
Future: Am/is/are going to
play
Modals: Can play
should play
must play
will BE played
Had BEEN played
Am/is/are going to BE played
Can BE played
Should BE played
Must BE played
5. EXAMPLES
Active : John WRITES postcards every week.
Passive : Postcards ARE WRITTEN every week by John.
Active: We WILL PLAY tennis tomorrow
Passive: Tennis WILL BE PLAYED tomorrow (by us)
Active: The students ARE DOING a Maths exam
Passive : A Maths exam IS BEING DONE by the students
6.
7. EXERCISE 1
1.They built that skyscraper in 1934.
2. The students will have finished the course by July.
3. They are repairing that street this month.
4. They make shoes in that factory.
5. My friends have finished the new product design.
6. Mary was cooking dinner when I arrived.
7. They are going to perform Beethoven's Fifth Symphony next
weekend.
8.They had finished the preparations by the time the guests
arrived.
