Passive Voice –

Professor Nagy

BE + 3rd

Verb to be in its various forms

AND

3rd column, that is, PAST PARTICIPLE of the main verb.

EXAMPLE: ( to build built built)

1st

2nd

3rd

Infinitive

Simple Past

Past Participle

To build

built

built

-Basic concepts:

Example:

Somebody built this house in 1930.

This house WAS built in 1930.

"This house is very old. It was built in 1930." (Who built the house is either not known or not important)

 

(if the active is in the SIMPLE PRESENT, the passive will be in the SIMPLE PRESENT too)

Example:

Careless driving CAUSES many accidents.(S. Present)

Passive = BE + 3rd

Verbs to be in the Simple Present : AM, IS, ARE.

Many accidents (PLURAL) = ARE.

Many accidents ARE CAUSED BY careless driving.

(BY = passive agent)

 

 

 

 

 

 

( if the active is in the SIMPLE PAST, the passive will be in the SIMPLE PAST too)

1st

2nd

3rd

Infinitive

Simple Past

Past Participle

To steal

stole

Stolen

ACTIVE:

Somebody stole a lot of money in the robbery.

Verbs to be in the Simple Past: WAS & WERE

PASSIVE:

A lot of money WAS STOLEN in the robbery BY somebody.

Or

BY somebody = too vague, we may ommit.

A lot of money WAS STOLEN in the robbery.

(WHO stole the money is either not known or not important)

( if the active is in the PRESENT PERFECT, the passive will be in the PRESENT PERFECT too)

Example:

1st

2nd

3rd

Infinitive

Simple Past

Past Participle

To clean

cleaned

cleaned

ACTIVE:

Somebody HAS CLEANED this room.

Verbs to be in the PRESENT PERFECT: HAVE BEEN

HAS BEEN

PASSIVE:

This room HAS BEEN CLEANED (BY somebody.)

BY somebody = too vague, we may ommit

This room HAS BEEN CLEANED.

 

    • Keep the verb tense

( if the active is in the PRESENT CONTINUOUS, the passive will be in the PRESENT CONTINUOUS too)

Example:

There is somebody walking behind us.

Somebody is following us.

There is somebody walking behind us.

Somebody is following us.

Remember: you must paraphrase the sentence, not change its meaning, that is, you must say the same thing with different words. Passive is one of the most common grammar points in exams. Beware!

TO BE in PRESENT CONTINUOUS:

IS BEING

ARE BEING

There is somebody walking behind us.

Somebody is following us.

WATCH OUT! US = Object pronoun

You must change to a SUBJECT pronoun!!!!!!!!

US ----- WE

PASSIVE:

WE ARE BEING FOLLOWED (BY somebody.)

BY somebody = too vague, we may ommit

REVIEW:
 

Subject Pronoun

Object Pronoun

1st singular

I

ME

2nd singular

YOU

YOU

3rd singular

HE, SHE, IT

HIM, HER, IT

1st plural

WE

US

2nd plural

YOU

YOU

3rd plural

THEY

THEM

Subject Pronoun

Object Pronoun

1st

I

ME

2nd

YOU

YOU

3rd

HE, SHE, IT

HIM, HER, IT

1st

WE

US

2nd

YOU

YOU

3rd

THEY

THEM

 

 

    • Keep the verb tense

( if the active is in the PAST CONTINUOUS, the passive will be in the PAST CONTINUOUS too)

Example:

There WAS somebody walking behind HER.

Somebody WAS following HER.

 

TO BE in PAST CONTINUOUS:

WAS BEING

WERE BEING

There WAS somebody walking behind her.

Somebody WAS following HER.

WATCH OUT! US = Object pronoun

You must change to a SUBJECT pronoun!!!!!!!!

HER ----- SHE

PASSIVE:

SHE WAS BEING FOLLOWED (BY somebody.)

BY somebody = too vague, we may ommit

 

 

 

ACTIVE:

Doctors may find a cure for cancer in a near future.

1st

2nd

3rd

Infinitive

Simple Past

Past Participle

To find

found

found

PASSIVE:

A cure for cancer MAY BE FOUND (BY doctors) in a near future.

 

 

    • TWO OBJECTS!!!

Watch out! Passive voice with two objects can be tricky! It tests your knowledge in passive as well as in plural of nouns. Remember POLICE is always PLURAL whereas INFORMATION is always SINGULAR.

We gave the police the information.

Or

We gave the information to the police.

1st

2nd

3rd

Infinitive

Simple Past

Past Participle

To give

gave

given

The police WERE GIVEN the information.

The information WAS GIVEN to the police.

 

Common verbs with two objects: ask, offer, pay, show, teach, tell.

Challenging extras:

1. They offered me the job

2. We will give you plenty of time to decide.

3. Has anybody shown you the new machine?

4. Somebody paid the men $200.

5. They didn’t give me the money.

6. They asked me some difficult questions at the interview.

7. Janet’s colleagues gave her a present when she retired.

8. Nobody told me that George was sick.

9. How much will they pay you?

10. I think they should have offered Tom the job.

11. Has anybody shown you what to do?

Extras 2:

Rewrite these sentences. Instead of using ‘somebody’ or ‘they’, write a passive sentence.

2.1 Somebody has cleaned the room.

The room

2.2 They have postponed the concert.

The

2.3 Somebody is using the computer at the moment.

The computer

2.4 I didn’t realize that somebody was recording our conversation.

I didn’t realize

2.5 When we got to the stadium we found that they had canceled the game.

When we got to the stadium, we found that

2.6 They are building a new ring road round the city.

2.7 They have built a new hospital near the airport.

2.8 Somebody cleans the room every day.

2.9 They canceled all flights because of the fog.

2.10 People don’t use this road very often.

2.11 Somebody accused me of stealing money.

2.12 How do people learn languages?

How

2.13 People advised us not to go out alone.

2.14 They make cheese from milk.

2.15 Originally Cervantes wrote Don Quixote in Spanish.

 

 

Answer key

  1. They offered me the job

    2. I was offered the job (by them).

  2. We will give you plenty of time to decide.

    3. You will be given plenty of time to decide.

  3. Has anybody shown you the new machine?

    4. Have you been shown the new machine

  4. Somebody paid the men $200.

    5. The men were paid $200.

  5. They didn’t give me the money.

    6. I wasn’t given the money.

  6. They asked me some difficult questions at the interview.

    7. I was asked some difficult questions at the interview.

  7. Janet’s colleagues gave her a present when she retired.

    8. Janet was given a present when she retired.

  8. Nobody told me that George was sick.

    9. I wasn’t told (by anybody) that George was sick.

  9. How much will they pay you?

    10. How much will you be paid?

  10. I think they should have offered Tom the job.

    11. I think Tom should have been offered the job.

  11. Has anybody shown you what to do?

Have you been shown what to do?

 

Extras 2:

Rewrite these sentences. Instead of using ‘somebody’ or ‘they’, write a passive sentence.

2.1 Somebody has cleaned the room.

The room has been cleaned.

2.2 They have postponed the concert.

The has been postponed.

2.3 Somebody is using the computer at the moment.

The computer is being used at the moment.

2.4 I didn’t realize that somebody was recording our conversation.

I didn’t realize our conversation was being recorded.

2.5 When we got to the stadium we found that they had canceled the game.

When we got to the stadium, we found that the game had been canceled.

2.6 They are building a new ring road round the city.

A new ring road round the city is being built.

2.7 They have built a new hospital near the airport.

A new hospital near the airport is being built.

2.8 Somebody cleans the room every day.

The room is cleaned every day.

2.9 They canceled all flights because of the fog.

All flights were canceled because of the fog.

2.10 People don’t use this road very often.

This road isn’t used very often.

2.11 Somebody accused me of stealing money.

I was accused of stealing money.

2.12 How do people learn languages?

How are languages learned?

2.13 People advised us not to go out alone.

We were advised not to go out alone.

2.14 They make cheese from milk.

Cheese is made from milk.

2.15 Originally Cervantes wrote Don Quixote in Spanish.

Originally Don Quixote was written by Cervantes in Spanish.

XXX
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