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The Passive 2º Bach

The document explains the use of the passive voice in English, highlighting its importance when the action is more significant than the subject or when the subject is unknown or irrelevant. It provides guidelines on how to form passive sentences, including the use of the verb 'to be' and the past participle, as well as examples for practice. Additionally, it discusses the impersonal passive, often used in reporting verbs, and provides examples to illustrate its application.

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24 views12 pages

The Passive 2º Bach

The document explains the use of the passive voice in English, highlighting its importance when the action is more significant than the subject or when the subject is unknown or irrelevant. It provides guidelines on how to form passive sentences, including the use of the verb 'to be' and the past participle, as well as examples for practice. Additionally, it discusses the impersonal passive, often used in reporting verbs, and provides examples to illustrate its application.

Uploaded by

alvarogallinas
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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THE PASSIVE

USE OF THE PASSIVE


We use the Passive to say that the action is
more important than the subject because:
• we don’t know the subject
A dog has been stolen.
• the subject is not relevant
A new shopping centre will be built.
• we avoid starting a sentence with
«somebody», «nobody», «people», etc.
TO BE + PAST PARTICIPLE OF THE VERB
HOW TO FORM A PASSIVE SENTENCE:

1. The direct or the indirect object becomes the subject of the sentence.

Jill decorated the room with flowers.

The room was decorated with flowers by Jill.

He told Jim that the end was predictable.

Jim was told that the end was predictable.


2. We use the verb TO BE in the same tense it had in the active sentence.

She has finished all her assignments.

All her assignments have been finished by her.


HOW TO FORM A PASSIVE SENTENCE:

3. In modals and with «be going to», we write the following verb in the
passive form.

We must take action before it is too late.

Action must be taken before it is too late.

4. The subject of the active form goes to the end of the sentence, preceded
by «by». It is the agent. (When the subject in the active is «they»,»people», «someone», we don’t write the
agent.

Someone wrote the report.

The report was written .


HOW TO FORM A PASSIVE SENTENCE

ACTIVE: Sean gave Anna a nice present


subject verb Oi Od

PASSIVE1: A nice present was given to Anna by Sean


subject verb Oi agent

ACTIVE: Sean gave Anna a nice present


subject verb Oi Od

PASSIVE2: Anna was given a nice present by Sean


subject verb Od agent
PRACTICE:

1. Children can read books.

Books can be read by children.

2. The dog should bring the bones.

The bones should be brought by the dog.

3. The pupils must answer all the questions.

All the questions must be answered by the pupils.

4. The police should do a good job.

A good job should be done by the police.


PRACTICE:

5. They took him to hospital.

He was taken to hospital.

6. Where do they make these videos?

Where are these videos made?

7. Someone has painted the office.


The office has been painted.

8. Someone is helping me with the housework.

I am being helped with the housework.

9. Someone is going to send her some flowers.

She is going to be sent some flowers.


IMPERSONAL PASSIVE
• It is a special case of passive, commonly associated
with reporting verbs, that is verbs of saying and
thinking: think, believe, say, report, know, consider,
presume, hope…. These verbs are often followed by a
to-infinitive form in the passive. It is translated as "se
dice", "se piensa", etc...
• These types of sentences are very common in
newspapers and TV news, and more colloquially, when
someone is gossiping.
• Ex.: Active- The police think the terrorists are in France.
Passive- The terrorists are thought to be in France.
IMPERSONAL PASSIVE 2
1. We take the subject of the second sentence (the terrorists)
2. We make the reporting verb think (simple present) passive in
the same tense as in the active: are thought (simple present
passive).
3. Finally, the verb of the second sentence (are) becomes
infinitive: to be.

Ex.: Active- The police think the terrorists are in France.


Passive- The terrorists are thought to be in France.
IMPERSONAL PASSIVE 3
• Or we introduce “It” as the subject of the passive verb and
keep the rest of the active sentence.

Example:

It is thought that the terrorists are in France.


IMPERSONAL PASSIVE 4
• With the verb "expect" the verb in the
subordinate clause normally goes in Future
Simple.
Example:
It is expected that the documentary will reach audiences.
(Se espera o esperan que el documental llegue a todos los
públicos).

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