The Passive

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The Passive

• Dragana Filipovic

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The World Keeps Informed With Readers Digest
(an advert)

• Readers Digest was founded in 1922.
• Today it is read by people in every country in
  the world.
• Shouldnt you be one of them? Subscribe today.
• Which information can you get from the advert?
• The name of the founder
• The number of years the magazine has existed
• The price of the magazine

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The Passive CheckTrue or false?

• The object of an active sentence becomes the
  subject of the passive sentence.
• Passive statements always have a form of the verb
  be.
• Passive statements always have an object.

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• The object of an active sentence becomes the
  subject of the passive sentence. True
• Passive statements always have a form of the verb
  be. True
• Passive statements always have an object. False

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(No Transcript)
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Passive Statements
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• Yes / No Questions
• Be Subject Past
• Participle
• Is it sold in China?
• Was
• Short Answers
• Yes, it is. No, it isnt.
• was. wasnt.

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Wh- Questions

• Wh- Word Be Subject Past Participle
• Where is it sold ?
• When was it published ?

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• Complete this sentence with the passive form of
  the verb print.
• How many copies of Readers Digest _____ last
  year?
• ? were printed

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The Passive

• Active and passive sentences usually have the
  same meaning but the focus is different.
• Active
• Millions of people read the magazine.
• Passive
• The magazine is read by millions of people.

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The Passive

• Form the passive with the correct form (tense) of
  
• be past participle.
• It is written in nineteen languages.
• It was published in 1922.
• These copies have just been printed.

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Use the passive when

• the agent (the person or thing doing the action)
  is unknown or not important.
• The magazine was founded in 1922. (I
  dont know who founded it.)

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Use the passive when

• the identity of the agent is clear from the
  context.
• The magazine is sold in newsagents. (We can
  assume that the people who work in the
  newsagents sell it. We dont need to mention
  them.)

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Use the passive when

• you want to avoid mentioning the agent.
• Some mistakes were made in that article.
  (I know who
  made the mistakes but I dont want to blame the
  person who made them.)

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• Use the passive with by if you mention the agent.
• The article was written by a psychologist.

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Mention the agent when

• You introduce necessary new information about the
  agent.
• John Dent is a famous sports writer. He has just
  been hired by Sports Weekly to write a monthly
  column.
• (The name of Johns employer is necessary new
  information.)

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Mention the agent when

• You want to give credit to someone who created
  something.
• The article was written by John Dent.
• The agent is surprising or interesting.
• Our windows are washed by a robot.

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Be careful!

• In most cases, you do not need to mention an
  agent in passive sentences.
• Do not include an agent unnecessarily.
• The magazine is published once a week.
• NOT The magazine is published by the publisher
  once a week.

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Are these sentences ACTIVE or PASSIVE?

• Readers Digest was founded in 1922.
• Millions of people read it.
• A large-type edition is also printed.
• They also record it.
• Readers Digest is published once a month.

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Are these sentences ACTIVE or PASSIVE?

• It has been translated in many languages.
• Many readers subscribe to the magazine.
• It is sold in newsagents throughout the country.
• I read an interesting article in it last month.
• This article was written by a famous scientist.

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Use the passive form of the verbs in the first
set of brackets to complete the following report.
Include the agent (from the second set of
brackets) only if absolutely necessary.
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• Did you know?
• Modern Reader was founded by A.J. Thompson ten
  years ago. (found) (A.J. Thompson)
• At first it _______ only in English. (print) (the
  printer)
• Today it _______ in three foreign-language
  editions. (publish) (the publisher)
• It _____ in more than ten countries. (read)
  (readers)

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• Since 2000, twenty new employees ______ . (hire)
  (our international offices)
• Back at home, ten new computers ____ last month.
  (purchase) (the company)
• They ____ to write our award-winning articles.
  (use) (our writers)
• Modern Reader _______ all over the world.
  (advertise) (advertisers)

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• Our editorial staff ________ last month.
  (interview) (Live at Ten TV)
• The interview __________. (see) (millions of
  viewers)

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Correct Sentences

• Did you know?
• At first it was printed only in English. (print)
  (the printer)
• Today it is published in three foreign-language
  editions. (publish) (the publisher)
• It is read in more than ten countries. (read)
  (readers)

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• Since 2000, twenty new employees have been hired
  by our international offices . (hire) (our
  international offices)
• Back at home, ten new computers were purchased
  last month. (purchase) (the company)
• They are used to write our award-winning
  articles. (use) (our writers)
• Modern Reader is advertised all over the world.
  (advertise) (advertisers)

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• Our editorial staff were interviewed by Live at
  Ten TV last month. (interview) (Live at Ten TV)
• The interview was seen by millions of viewers.
  (see) (millions of viewers)

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ACTIVE ?PASSIVE

• Object (Active) ? Subject (Passive)
• be past participle

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Turn the sentence into the PASSIVE

• Present Simple
• am / are / is past participle
• ACTIVE They discuss important subjects every
  lunch time.
• PASSIVE
• Important subjects are discussed every lunch
  time.

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Turn the sentence into the PASSIVE

• Present Continuous
• am / are / is being past participle
• ACTIVE They are still considering this matter.
• PASSIVE
• This matter is still being considered.

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Turn the sentence into the PASSIVE

• Past Simple
• was / were past participle
• ACTIVE They announced the date for the talks.
• PASSIVE
• The date for the talks was announced.

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Turn the sentence into the PASSIVE

• Past Continuous
• was / were being past participle
• ACTIVE They were making every effort to end the
  strike.
• PASSIVE
• Every effort was being made to end the strike.

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Turn the sentence into the PASSIVE

• Present Perfect
• has / have been past participle
• ACTIVE They have built a new stadium in London.
• PASSIVE
• A new stadium has been built in London.

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Turn the sentence into the PASSIVE

• Past Perfect
• had been past participle
• ACTIVE They had finished the work by the end of
  1998.
• PASSIVE
• The work had been finished by the end of 1998.

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Turn the sentence into the PASSIVE

• Future Simple
• will be past participle
• ACTIVE A top consultant will examine you.
• PASSIVE
• You will be examined by a top consultant.

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Turn the sentence into the PASSIVE

• Future Perfect
• will have been past participle
• ACTIVE In the next ten years, women will have
  achieved full equality.
• PASSIVE
• In the next ten years, full equality will have
  been achieved.

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Turn the sentence into the PASSIVE

• be going to (future)
• am / are / is going to be past participle
• ACTIVE They are going to close the factory.
• PASSIVE
• The factory is going to be closed.

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The Passive

• to be continued
• ?