Passive 1(is done / was done)

Study this example:

This house was built in 1935.
Was built is passive.
Compare active and passive:
1935
Somebody built this house in 1935. (active)
subject object

This house was built in 1935. (passive)

subject

When we use an active verb, we say what the subject does:

OMy grandfather was a builder. He built this house in 1935.
o lt's a big company. It employs two hundred people.
When we use a passive verb, we say what happens to the subject:
O This house is quite old. It was built in 1935.
OTwo hundred people are employed by the company.
When we use the passive, who or what causes the action is ot nknown or unimportant:
DA lot of money was stolen in the robbery. (somebody a but we don't know who)
DIs this room cleaned every day? (does somebody clean s not important who)
If we want to say who does or what causes the action, we use
DThis house was built by my grandfather.
oTwo hundred people are employed by the company.
The passive is be (is/was etc.) + past participle (donelcleaned/seen etc.):
(be) done (be) cleaned (be) damaged (be) built (be) seen etc.
For irregular past participles (done/seen/known etc.), see Appendix 1.
Study the active and passive forms of the present simple and past simple:
Present simple
active: clean(s) /see(s) etc. Somebody cleans this room every day.
passive: am/is/are + cleaned/seen etc. This rOom is cleaned every day.
OMany accidents are caused by careless driving.
D Im not often invited to parties.
DHow is this word pronounced?
Past sinple
active: cleaned/saw etc.
Somebody cleaned this room yesterday.
passive: was/were + cleaned/seen etc.
This room was cleaned yesterday.
OWe were woken up by a loud noise during the
ODid you go to the party? No, Iwasn't
night.
OHow much mnoney was stolen in the
invited.'
robbery?
42.1 Complete the sentences using one of these verbs in the correct form, present or past:
cause damage hold invite make
overtake show surround translate write
1Many accidents ..re..causea. bydangerous driving.
2 Cheese from milk.
3 The roof of the building in astorm a few days ago.
4 You tothe wedding. Why didn't you go?
S Acinema is aplace where flms
6 In the United States, elections for president every tour years.
7 Originally the book in Spanish, and a few years ago it
into English.
8 Although we were driving quite fast, we by a lot of other cars.
9 Youcan't see the house from theroad. It by trees.
42.2 Write questions using the passive. Some are present and some are past.
1Ask about glass. (how /make?).Ho.is..glass.made?
2 Ask about television. (when / invent?)
3 Ask about mountains. (how / form?)
4 Ask about Pluto (the planet). (when / discover?)
5Ask about silver. (what / use for?)
42.3 Put the verb into the correct form, present simple or past simple, active or passive.
1It's a big factory. Five hundred people ...are.employed. (employ) there.
2 .Did somebody..lean...(somebody / clean) this room yesterday?
3 Water
(cover) most of the earth's surface.
4 How much of the earth's surface (cover) by water?
5 The park gates (lock) at 6.30 p.m. every evening.
6 The letter (post) a week ago and it (arrive) yesterday.
7 The boat hit a rock and (sink) quickly. Fortunately everybody
(rescue).
8 Richard's parents (die) when he was very young. He and his sister
(bring up) by their grandparents.
9 Iwas born in London, but I (grow up) in Canada.
10 While I was on holiday, my camera (steal) from my hotel room.
11 While I was on holiday, my camera (disappear) from my hotel room.
12 Why (Sue /resign) from her job? Didn't she enjoy it?
13 Why (Bill /sack) from his job? What did he do wrong?
14 The company is not independent. It (own) by a much larger company.
15 Isaw an accident last night. Somebody (call) an ambulance but nobody
(injure), so the ambulance (not / need).
16 Where (these photographs / take)? In London?
(you / take) them, or somebody else?
17 Sometimes it's quite noisy living here, but it's not a problem for me
(not / bother) by it.
*2.4 Rewrite these sentences. Instead of using somebody, they. people etc.,write a passive sentence.
1Somebody cleans the room every day. The.room.45..cleaned..exery day..
2 They cancelled all flights because of fog. All
3People don't use this road much.
4 Somebody accused me of stealing money. I
5 How do people learn languages? How
6 Somebody warned us not to go out alone.
Passive 2 (be done / been done /
being done)
Study the following active and passive forms:

Infinitive
active: (to) do/clean/see etc. Somebody will clean the room later.
passive: (to) be + done/cleaned/seen etc. The room will be cleaned later.
O The situation is serious. Something must be done before it's too late.
DAmystery is something that cant beexplained.
OThe music was very loud and could be heard from a long way away.
OA new supermarket isgoing to be built next year.
O Please go away. I want to be left alone.

Perfect infinitive
active: (to) have + done/cleaned/seen etc. Somebody should have cleaned the room.
passive: (to) have been done/cleaned/seen etc. The room should have been cleaned.
O Ihaven't received the letter yet. It might have been sent to the wrong address.
DIf you hadn't left the car unlocked, it wouldn't have been stolen.
oThere were some problems at first, but they seem tohave been solved.

Present perfect
active: have/has + done etc. The room looks nice. Somebody has cleaned it
passive: have/has been + done etc. The room looks nice. It has been cleaned.
D Have you heard? The concert has been cancelled.
OHave you ever been bitten by a dog?
D 'Are you going to the party?" No, I haven't been invited.'
Past perfect
active: had + done etc. The room looked nice. Somebody had cleaned it
passive: had been + done etc. The room looked nice.It had been cleaned.
nThe vegetables didn't taste very good. They
n The car was three years old but had been cooked too long.
hadn't been used very much.

Present continuous
active: am/is/are + (do)ing
Somebody is cleaning the room at the moment.
passive: am/is/are + being (done) The room is being cleaned at the
DThere's somebody moment.
walking
D(in a shop) Can Ihelp behind us. I think we are being followed.
you?' No, thank you. I'm being
Past continuous
served.'
active: was/were + (doling
Somebody was cleaning the room when I arrived.
passive: was/were +being (done) The room was being cleaned
D There was somebody when Iarrived.
walking behind us. We were being
Passive 1,3 ’ Units 42, 44 followed.
EXer Unit 43
an1 What do these words mean? Use it can ... or it can't ....
Use a dictionary if necessary.
If something is
1washable, it can be washed 4 unusable,
2 unbreakable, it S invisible,
3edible, 6 portable,
43.2 Complete these sentences with the following verbs (in the
correct form):
arrest carry cause de make repair send spend
Sometimes you need have (might have, should have etc.). wake up
1 The situation is serious. Something
must....done... before it's too late.
2 Ihaven't received the letter. It might.have been sent to the wIong address.
3 A decision will not
until the next meeting.
4 Do you think that more money should
on education?
5This road is in very bad condition. It should
6The injured man couldn't walk and had to a long time ago.
7It's not certain how the fire started, but it might
electrical fault. by an
8 I told the hotelreceptionist I wanted to at 6.30 the next morning.
9 If you hadn't pushed the policeman, you wouldn't
43.3 Rewrite these sentences. Instead of using
somebody or they etc., write a passive sentence.
1 Somebody has cleaned the room. Ihe room has been ceaned.
2 They have postponed the meeting. The
3Somebody is using the computer at the moment.
The computer
4 Ididn't realise that somebody was recording our
I didn't realise that conversation.
5 When we got to the stadium, we found that they had cancelled the
gamne.
When we got to the stadium, we found that
6 They are building a newring road round the city.

7 They have built a new hospital near the airport.

43,4 Make sentences from the words in brackets. Sometimes the verb is active, sometimes passive.
1There's somebody behind us. (I think / we / follow).think. we re being..followed.
2 This room looks different. (you /paint /the walls?) .....
Haxe.yOu painted the walls?
3 Mycar has disappeared. (it / steal!) It
4 My umbrella has disappeared. (somebody / take) Somebody
SSam gets a higher salary now. (he/ promote) He
6 Ann can't use her office at the moment. (it /redecorate) It ..

7 The photocopier broke down yesterday, but now it's OK. (it /work / again ; it /repair)
It It
8When I went into the room, Isaw that the table and chairs were not in the same place.
(the furniture / move) The
3 The man next door disappeared six months ago. (he / not /see / since then)
He
10 Twonder how Jane is these days. (|/ not / see / for ages)
1Afriend of mine was mugged on his way home a few nights ago. (you/ ever / mug?)
’ Additional