An Introduction To The Passive For Advanced Levels
An Introduction To The Passive For Advanced Levels
An Introduction To The Passive For Advanced Levels
ACTIVE:
Ceruantes
wrote
Don Quixote.
I.
The first horses in North America arrived in the 1500s. They were brought by Spanish
sotdiers and [ater used by missionaries for transportation. Soon, they were adopted
by Native Americans at[ over the western territories. They became part of the great
buffalo cutture of the Ptains lndians.
ll.
The first horses in North America arrived in the 1500s. Spanish sotdiers brought them,
and later missionaries used them for transportation. Soon, Native Americans at[ over
the western territories adopted them. They became part of the great buffato culture
of the Ptains lndians.
1.
Verbs that
Most transitive verbs can be used in the passive. A transitive verb is one which has an object, e.g.
atch
Intransitive verbs cannot be used in the passive. An intransitive verb is one which does not have an
fall ) Rodney fell and hurt his leg.
object, e.g.
Here are some intransitive verbs. None of these verbs can be used in a passive form:
appear
collide
die
fall
lie
rise
stand
arrive
come
disappear
happen
look
seem
sit
collapse
constitute
exist
last
resemble
sleep
take place
vanish
wait
become
consist of
emerge
have
occur
The passive is formed with the verb to be in the appropriate tense + the past participle of the main
verb. In the case of modals, e.g. could, musfi it is formed with the modal + be + past pafticiple.
Tense
present simple
castle
is
being
past
simple
I The Parthenon
past
continuous
present
perfect
perfect
was
built in the
being
restored.
been
Sth
century BC.
They
had
been
future
You
will
be
modals
Food
should
past
be
l[OfE: In informal English, get can sometimes be used instead of be to form the passive. The agent is
not generally mentioned: Tom got stopped for speeding on the highway.
3.
In an active sentence, the subject is the person or thing that does the action:
Liverpool beat Manchester United last Saturday.
In a passive sentence, the subject of the verb is the person or thing that is affected by the action:
Manchester United were beaten by Liverpool last Saturday.
When we want to focus on the person or thing affected by the action instead of the doer of the action,
we use the passive.
4.
When we use the passive, we can choose to include the agent or not. The agent is the person or thing
responsible for the action: The record is held bv Sheila Richards.
We do not include the agent:
a.
b.
When we
is and
c.
When the
d.
When the
agent is obvious.
The thief was sentenced to five years in prison by the judge.
Exercises
A.
,1
necessary.
If something is
,2
Complete these sentences with the following verbs (in the correct form):
wake up
2
3
4
5
6
The situation is serious. Something *wt .....b-q...dp..n9-.... before it's roo late.
I haven't received the letter. It might ....h*.:f.p..k?&n....?.9\|.... to rhe wrong address.
A decision will not
........... unril rhe next meeting.
Do you think that more money should
on education?
This road is in very bad condition. It should
a long time ago.
The injured man couldn't walk and had to ..................-....
electrical fault.
I told the hotel receptionist I wanted to
Rewrite these sentences. lnstead of using somebody or they etc., write a passive sentence.
4 I didn't
.............-.--..
'V7hen
we got to the stadium, we found that they had cancelled the game.
4 I"Iy umbrella
5
7
.....1....tI9I1k....W.k.r-9.*#5....fu11.o.y.d-,...
.....H.*.y9...9.q*....P.Unk.&...fu-e-..w.&f.1........
take) Somebody
Ann can't use her office at the moment. (it / redecorate) It .........................
The photocopier broke down yesterday, but now it's OK. (it / work / again; it / repair)
It,...............................
not
see
/ since then)
ages)
11 A friend of mine was mugged on his way home a few nights ago. (you I
ever I mug?)
I'll never forget the earthquake that was happened in Turkey in 1999. It occurred on August
2.
The earthquake was taken place in the middle of the night causing my city to vanish over night.
3.
17.
Evefihing was shaken and was moved around. Our car outside was collided with other cars that
were parked on the street.
4. The eafthquake
was lasted only a couple minutes but in that short time every thing was destroyed.
5.
After it stopped, I looked around. The house I had been sleeping in was destroyed, The house was
resembled a house made of cards that had fallen down.
7. I heard people walking around and shouting, I was afraid. Suddenly my father was appeared
in
B.
In the next few hours, people were emerged from the fallen buildings and were walking in the
street looking for family.
9.
My family, which was consisted of five people, was now only made up of two.
C, Omifting
the agent
Why is there no agent in the following senfences? Match the sentence with the most appropiate reason,
a-d. There may be more than one reason.
Example: The secretary was given a pay
raise.
c,
The agent
is
obvious.
lt
employer.
1, Gauguin's most impoftant paintings were produced during the years he spent in Tahiti.
2. Silence must be observed at alltimes.
3. The house had been redecorated since my last visit.
4. I was told to be there by five at the latest.
5. Oh my goodness - I've been robbed!
6. Smith was given a five-year sentence for his pat in the robbery.
D. Passives with'get'
Circle the correct verb forms to complete fhe senfences.
1. When two people first
meet
get
dressed
tired
lost
get worried
get drunk
2. When it's late at night, most people.,. get married get
get sunburned
3. People who stay out in the sun too long... get arrested get
get worried
4. Some people drink too much at a party and they... get crowded get
5. Married people who argue too often sometimes... get sunburned get scared get divorced
get
get bored
6. When a movie isn't very interesting, people... get
get replaced
7. Drugs that are trafficked illegally... get confiscated get
drunk
excited
scared
arrested
bored
E. Active to Passive
Putthefollowing shorf fexfs intothepassive. Donotincludetheagentunless it'simportant.
1.
The police arrested Smith at Newtown Hospital last night. Doctors were taking him to the operating
theater when the police arrived. One of his accomplices had accidentally shot him in the knee during
the get-away. The police are interrogating Smith at Sunhill Police Station. They will charge him with
armed robbery. They have charged him twice for similar offences in the last five years.
2,
The government will close three more coal mines over the next two years. They have already closed
a total of six since they came into office. They are asking miners to consider voluntary redundancy.
including the stages and seats. For each seat they add the row and seat numbers, plus any other
special restrictions. With this electronic layout travel agents show the layout to ticket buyers and
reserve seats for them.
The Ticket Event program is connected to the BART system. Whenever customers change the
layout they notify the BART Ticket Event group. Ticket Event uses DistribSoft to distribute the
layout of the Ticket Event module of the BART system. Within 24 hourc, all booking agencies can
use the updated layout.