Passive

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 3-6

Passives

Part 1

Wat betekent 'passief' ?

Why a passive sentence?

De lijdende vorm (passive) kun je gebruiken als het niet belangrijk is wie iets doet. 

Passive bestaat uit:

 'to be' + past participle (volt. dlw)

The student is taught (by the teacher).

The man was bitten (by the dog).

How to recognize a passive sentence...

- check if there is a form of 'to be' used (be, am, are, is, was, were, been)

- is it followed by a past participle (voltooid deelwoord)?

- is it followed by 'by + noun or pronoun? If not, can it be followed by 'by zombies'?

Are all answers 'yes'? 

Congratulations, you have a passive sentence.

The Government is planning a new road near my house.

1. passive
2. active

Boys like to play soccer.

1. passive
2. active

This room has been painted blue.

1. passive
2. active

Cricket is played in Australia.

1. passive
2. active

The friends have been looking forward to meeting her.

1. passive
2. active

The search will be stopped because of the storm.

1. passive
2. active

From active to passive...

Om een actieve zin passief te maken, moet het lijdend voorwerp vooraan in de zin komen te staan.

The cat chases the mouse.

'The mouse' wordt onderwerp van de passieve zin.

'chases' is een werkwoord in de t.t. --> t.t. van "to be" --> is

gevolgd door het voltooid deelwoord van 'chase' --> chased

onderwerp

lijdend voorwerp

Je gebruikt de werkwoorden die in de actieve zin worden gebruikt.

De zin wordt dan:

The mouse is chased (by the cat)

 

t.t. van to be

voltooid deelwoord van 'chase'

Denk eraan

- heb je een vorm van 'to be' gebruikt?

- heb je het voltooid deelwoord van het werkwoord gebruikt?

- kun je er 'by zombies' achter zetten?

Julia rescued three cats.

Practise

Correct the mistakes in the sentences. Two are correct. Type Correct by any sentences that are correct.

So far, the video of me spilling coffee down myself has being viewed 56,000 times!

The mayor has announced plans for a new museum of archaeology to built in the city centre.

The local residents want the nightclub closed down immediately.

I was shocked to read about the body of English King Richard III being discovered underneath a car park.

Jacob got his copy of Sapiens signing by the author.

Whenever I’m in New York, I always go and have tested my eyes by this amazing optometrist in the Bronx.

Think...

1. How does the tone or emphasis change when switching from active to passive voice?
2. Which version (active or passive) sounds more engaging or clear? Why?
3. When might it be more appropriate to use passive voice in writing (e.g., scientific reports, emphasis on action over the actor)?

What have you learned today?

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