Description and practice for the passive voice

1. Intermediate
Passive voice

2. USE
 The PASSIVE VOICE is used when the focus of
attention is on the action.
 We only use the passive when we are interested in the
object or when we do not know who caused the
action.
My bike was stolen
The focus is on the fact that my bike was stolen.
I do not know, however, who did it.

3. VERB STRUCTURE
BE + PAST PARTICIPLE
 Architects design buildings.
Buildings ____________ by architects.
 Spielberg directed the film “ET”.
“ET” _____________ by Spielberg.
In the same tense as the main verb in the active sentence.
are designed
was directed

4. Coldplay wrote the song “Viva la vida”.
The song “Viva la vida”. was written by Coldplay
Subject
Agent
Verb
be + past participle
Direct Object
Subject
Changes from active to passive

5. Verb tenses
tense active passive
Present simple Peter builds houses
Past simple Peter built a house last year
Present perfect Peter has built many houses
Past perfect Peter had built a house
Will-future Peter will build a house
Going to-future Peter is going to build a house
Modal verbs Peter might build a new house
Houses are built by Peter
A house was built by Peter last year
Many houses have been built by Peter
A house had been built by Peter
A house will be built by Peter
A house is going to be built by Peter
A new house might be built by Peter

6.  Sometimes GET is used instead of BE with a passive meaning,
which makes the sentence more informal.
He gets paid every week
They are going to get married next week
He got stuck in a traffic jam
yesterday

7. Let’s practise!
Change
from
active to
passive

8. Three cats were rescued by Julia
Julia rescued three cats

9. The DVD recorder has not been repaired by the
mechanic
The mechanic has not repaired the DVD recorder

10. Beachball can be played on that beach by them.
They can play beachball on that beach

11. THE AGENT
 The subject of the active sentence becomes the AGENT of the
passive sentence. But we only use it when it introduces
important information.
 We omit BY + AGENT:
1) when the agent is unknown.
2) when the agent is not very important or it’s too obvious.
3) if we do not want to name the agent.
The criminal has just been arrested by the police.

12. Three cats were rescued by Julia
Julia rescued three cats
Is the
agent
needed
here

13. The DVD recorder has not been repaired (by the
mechanic)
(The agent seems too obvious to be mentioned, so in this case it could be omitted;
The mechanic has not repaired the DVD recorder
Is the
agent
needed
here

14. Beachball can be played on that beach.
(We don’t know exactly who they are and the important thing is that
beachball is allowed on the beach)
They can play beachball on that beach
Is the
agent
needed
here

15. VERBS WITH TWO OBJECTS
 Some sentences have two objects: DIRECT and INDIRECT
OBJECT. Most of the times, it is more common to use the
INDIRECT OBJECT as a SUBJECT.
Subject
They
Verb
showed
IO
me
DO
their last album.
I
Subject
was shown
Verb
their last album
DO
(BY them).
Agent

16. VERBS WITH TWO OBJECTS
 However, sometimes we prefer to emphasize the
DIRECT OBJECT.
Subject
They
Verb
sent
IO
me
DO
a mysterious letter.
to me
IO
was sent
Verb
A mysterious letter
Subject
(BY them).
Agent

17. Let’s have some more practice!

18. English is not spoken here
They don’t speak English here

19.  Tom was being prepared his breakfast
 Breakfast was being prepared for Tom
The waiter was preparing breakfastf for Tom

20.  I have been sent a text message by Michael
 A text message has been sent to me by Michael
Michael has sent me a text message

21.  The students were told a hilarious joke by their teacher
 A hilarious joke was told to them by the teacher
The teacher told them a hilarious joke

22.  Your eyes should be kept wide open
You should keep your eyes wide open; there are lots of
pickpockets around!

23. Verbs with prepositions in the passive
 When we put an active sentence into
passive and a preposition follows after
the verb (e.g. break into, look after), the
preposition remains immediately after
the verb.
active passive
Someone broke into the pet shop The pet shop was broken into
She could look after our cat
The police are looking into the
crime
Our cat could be looked after
The crime is being looked into

24. Remember …
HAVE / GET something DONE is a passive structure
You use it when you want to indicate that you paid someone to do
something for you:
They had their house
painted blue.
(Professional house painters did the work.)

25. THE PASSIVE WITH REPORTING VERBS
 We can use the passive to report feelings and beliefs.
 Reporting verbs commonly used: accept, believe, expect, hope, know,
say, think, understand.
It is known that many pop singers come from England.
(People know that many pop singers come from England)
It was thought that he had started the fire
(People thought that he had started the fire)
It + passive reporting verb + that + sentence

27. They are opening new restaurants every day
New restaurants are being opened every day

28. The concept of “fast food” has changed human
behaviour
Human behaviour has been changed by the
concept of “fast food”.

29. They teach the staff at the McDonald’s
university.
Staff are taught at the McDonald’s university

30. Fast food destroyed the “golden age” of family
mealtimes.
The “golden age” of family mealtimes was
destroyed by fast food

31. In Japan people had regarded eating standing
up as bad manners.
In Japan, eating standing up had been regarded as
bad manners

32. People will never forget Richard McDonald
Richard McDonald will never be forgotten

33. We can’t ignore the effect of fast food on our lives
The effect of fast food on our lives can’t be ignored

34. They have spread the American model around the
world
The American model has been spread around the
world

36. They told me the film was good
I was told the film was good

37. Her mother taught her how to cook
She was taught how to cook by her mother

38. His boss offered him more money
He was offered more money by his boss

39. They promised me they would finish the work
today
I was promised that they would finish the work
today

40. Someone in the street gave us free tickets for a
concert
We were given free tickets for a concert in the
street

41. They asked him to make a speech at the wedding
He was asked to make a speech at the wedding

43. ACTIVE or PASSIVE?
Active Form
 [DOER] + [verb] + [RECEIVER]
John does the washing up every day
Passive Form
 [RECEIVER] + [be] + [past participle] + [by] + [DOER]
The washing up is done by John every day

44. Active or passive

46. Everybody _____ (shock) by the news a few years ago

47. was shocked
Active: The news shocked everybody a few years ago
Everybody _____ (shock) by the news a few years ago

48. has been teaching
The sentence cannot be changed into the passive as there are no direct or
indirect objects
Mr. Green _____ (teach) at the University since 1989.

49. Mr. Green _____ (teach) at the University since 1989.

50. A new book ______ (publish) by that company next year

51. will be published
Active: The company will publish a new book next year
A new book ______ (publish) by that company next year

52. He ___ (not remember) the girl's name now

53. doesn’t remember
Passive:The girl’s name is not remembered by him now
He ___ (not remember) the girl's name now

54. A prize ___ (give) to whoever solves this equation

55. will be given
Another Passive: Whoever solves this equation will be given a prize
Active: They will give a prize to whoever solves this equation
A prize ___ (give) to whoever solves this equation

56. When the tourists arrived, the problem _______ (solve)

57. had been solved
Active: When the tourists arrived, they had already solved the
problem.
When the tourists arrived, the problem _______ (solve)

58. They _______ (make) these tools of plastic

59. make
Passive: These tools are made of plastic
They _______ (make) these tools of plastic

60. But these ones ______ (make) of iron

61. are made
Active: But they make these ones of iron
But these ones ______ (make) of iron

62. Dinner______ (cook) when I arrived

63. was being cooked / was cooked / had been cooked
Active: He was cooking /cooked / had cooked dinner when I arrived
Dinner______ (cook) when I arrived

64. Those dresses____ (only/can/wash) in cold water

65. can only be washed
Active: You can only wash those dresses in cold water
Those dresses____ (only/can/wash) in cold water

66. Active or passive in context…

67.  The marks of the
students … (discuss)
every month and if their
parents ….. (have)
any questions they can
contact the teachers.
are discussed
have

68.  This program …(start) 3
years ago. Many students
…(already/use) it and they
are completely satisfied with
the results that … (achieve).
started
have already used
have been achieved

69.  An interesting documentary
…..…. (show) on TV now.
Come and listen!
They …. (just/say) that a
new vaccine against AIDS
…… (already/find) and
that soon they ….(complete)
the trials.
is being showed
have just said
has already been found
will complete

70.  Mary …(have) her math
lesson twice a week.
Last week when she ... (go)
to see her tutor, she
…(see) a note that her
tutor … (leave) there
informing that the lesson
….. (cancel).
has
saw
went
had left
had been cancelled

71.  No information …(receive)
yet.
We hope that when Alfred
…. (come) he …. (tell) us
some news.
comes
has been received
will tell