5to passive voice class

Passive voice class Use of Passive 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. In the example above, the focus is on the fact that my bike was stolen. I do not know, however, who did it. Sometimes a statement in passive is more polite than active voice, as the following example shows: Example: A mistake was made. In this case, I focus on the fact that a mistake was made, but I do not blame anyone (e.g. You have made a mistake.). Form of Passive Subject + finite form of to be + Past Participle (3rd column of irregular verbs) Example: A letter was written. When rewriting active sentences in passive voice, note the following: • the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence • the finite form of the verb is changed (to be + past participle) • the subject of the active sentence becomes the object of the passive sentence (or is dropped) Examples of Passive Tense Subject Verb Object Simple Present Active: Rita writes a letter. Passive: A letter is written by Rita. Simple Past Active: Rita wrote a letter. Passive: A letter was written by Rita. Present Perfect Active: Rita has written a letter. Passive: A letter has been written by Rita. Future I Active: Rita will write a letter. Passive: A letter will be written by Rita. Hilfsverben Active: Rita can write a letter. Passive: A letter can be written by Rita. Examples of Passive Tense Subject Verb Object Present Progressive Active: Rita is writing a letter. Passive: A letter is being written by Rita. Past Progressive Active: Rita was writing a letter. Passive: A letter was being written by Rita. Past Perfect Active: Rita had written a letter. Passive: A letter had been written by Rita. Future II Active: Rita will have written a letter. Passive: A letter will have been written by Rita. Conditional I Active: Rita would write a letter. Passive: A letter would be written by Rita. Conditional II Active: Rita would have written a letter. Passive: A letter would have been written by Rita. Passive Sentences with Two Objects Rewriting an active sentence with two objects in passive voice means that one of the two objects becomes the subject, the other one remains an object. Which object to transform into a subject depends on what you want to put the focus on. Subject Verb Object 1 Object 2 Active: Rita Wrote a letter to me. Passive: A letter was written to me by Rita. Passive: I was written a letter by Rita. . As you can see in the examples, adding by Rita does not sound very elegant. That’s why it is usually dropped. Personal and Impersonal Passive Personal Passive simply means that the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence. So every verb that needs an object (transitive verb) can form a personal passive. Example: They build houses. – Houses are built. Verbs without an object (intransitive verb) normally cannot form a personal passive sentence (as there is no object that can become the subject of the passive sentence). If you want to use an intransitive verb in passive voice, you need an impersonal construction – therefore this passive is called Impersonal Passive. Example: he says – it is said Impersonal Passive is not as common in English as in some other languages (e.g. German, Latin). In English, Impersonal Passive is only possible with verbs of perception (e. g. say, think, know). Example: They say that women live longer than men. – It is said that women live longer than men. Although Impersonal Passive is possible here, Personal Passive is more common. Example: They say that women live longer than men. – Women are said to live longer than men. The subject of the subordinate clause (women) goes to the beginning of the sentence; the verb of perception is put into passive voice. The rest of the sentence is added using an infinitive construction with 'to' (certain auxiliary verbs and that are dropped). Sometimes the term Personal Passive is used in English lessons if the indirect object of an active sentence is to become the subject of the passive sentence. Exercise on Passive Voice - Present Progressive Rewrite the sentences in passive voice. 1. Sheila is drinking a cup of tea. - A cup of tea is being drunk by Sheila. 2. My father is washing the car. - The car is being washed by my father. 3. Farmer Joe is milking the cows. - The cows are being milked by farmer Joe. 4. She is taking a picture of him. - A picture of him is being taken by her. 5. I am writing a poem. - A poem is being written by me. 6. We are not playing football. - Football is not being played by us. 7. He is not wearing a tie. - A tie is not being worn by him. 8. Is she preparing the party? - Is the party being prepared by her? 9. Are they talking about the meeting? - Is the meeting being talked about by them? 10. Is she watering the flowers? - Are the flowers being watered by her? Exercise on Passive Voice - Simple Present Rewrite the sentences in passive voice. 1. He opens the door. - The door is opened by him. 2. We set the table. - The table is set by us. 3. She pays a lot of money. - A lot of money is paid by her. 4. I draw a picture. - A picture is drawn by me. 5. They wear blue shoes. - Blue shoes are worn by them. 6. They don't help you. - You are not helped by them. 7. He doesn't open the book. - The book is not opened by him. 8. You do not write the letter. - The letter is not written by you. 9. Does your mum pick you up? - Are you picked up by your mum? 10. Does the police officer catch the thief? - Is the thief caught by the police officer? Exercise on Passive Voice - Simple Past Rewrite the sentences in passive voice. 1. She sang a song. - A song was sung by her. 2. Somebody hit me. - I was hit by somebody. 3. We stopped the bus. - The bus was stopped by us. 4. A thief stole my car. - My car was stolen by a thief. 5. They didn't let him go. - He was not let go by them. 6. She didn't win the prize. - The prize was not won by her. 7. They didn't make their beds. - Their beds were not made by them. 8. I did not tell them. - They were not told by me. 9. Did you tell them? - Were they told by you? 10. Did he send the letter? - Was the letter sent by him? Exercise on Passive Voice - Present Perfect Rewrite the sentences in passive voice. 1. Kerrie has paid the bill. - The bill has been paid by Kerrie. 2. I have eaten a hamburger. - A hamburger has been eaten by me. 3. We have cycled five miles. - Five miles have been cycled by us. 4. I have opened the present. - The present has been opened by me. 5. They have not read the book. - The book has not been read by them. 6. You have not sent the parcel. - The parcel has not been sent by you. 7. We have not agreed to this issue. - This issue has not been agreed to by us. 8. They have not caught the thieves. - The thieves have not been caught by them. 9. Has she phoned him? - Has he been phoned by her? 10. Have they noticed us? - Have we been noticed by them? Exercise on Passive Voice - Future I Rewrite the sentences in passive voice. 1. Jane will buy a new computer. - A new computer will be bought by Jane. 2. Her boyfriend will install it. - It will be installed by her boyfriend. 3. Millions of people will visit the museum. - The museum will be visited by millions of people. 4. Our boss will sign the contract. - The contract will be signed by our boss. 5. You will not do it. - It will not be done by you. 6. They will not show the new film. - The new film will not be shown by them. 7. He won't see Sue. - Sue will not be seen by him. 8. They will not ask him. - He will not be asked by them. 9. Will the company employ a new worker? - Will a new worker be employed by the company? 10. Will the plumber repair the shower? - Will the shower be repaired by the plumber? Passive Voice - Exercise with Auxiliary Verbs Rewrite the sentences in passive voice. 1. I can answer the question. - The question can be answered by me. 2. She would carry the box. - The box would be carried by her. 3. You should open the window. - The window should be opened by you. 4. We might play cards. - Cards might be played by us. 5. You ought to wash the car. - The car ought to be washed by you 6. He must fill in the form. - The form must be filled in by him. 7. They need not buy bread. - Bread need not be bought by them. 8. He could not read the sentence. - The sentence could not be read by him. 9. Will the teacher test our English? - Will our English be tested by the teacher? 10. Could Jenny lock the door? - Could the door be locked by Jenny?