This lesson contains 27 slides, with interactive quizzes, text slides and 1 video.
Lesson duration is: 45 min
Items in this lesson
The bike was stolen (passive voice)
Slide 1 - Slide
The cleaner is cleaning the kitchen
It is an active sentence, it has the subject first ( the person that does the verb)
followed by the verb and finally the object ( the person or thing that the action happens to.
S + V + O
Slide 2 - Slide
The kitchen is being cleaned.
Slide 3 - Slide
https:
Slide 4 - Link
But we don't always need to make sentences this way!
We might want to put the object first, or perhaps we don't want to say who did something. This can happen for lots of reasons. In this case we use the passive which puts the object first.
the kitchen is being cleaned (we can add "by the cleaner" but this isn't necessary)
Slide 5 - Slide
How to make the passive in English
- by changing the word order
- by putting the verb 'to be' into whatever tense we need and then adding the past participle.
Slide 6 - Slide
Slide 7 - Slide
Slide 8 - Video
When should we use the passive?
When we want to change the focus of the sentence. The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo Da Vinci. (We are more interested in the painting than the artist in this sentence)
When who or what causes the action is unknown or unimportant or obvious: He was arrested (obvious agent, the police). My bike has been stolen (unknown agent)
In factual or scientific writing. The chemical is placed in a test tube and the data entered into the computer.
Slide 9 - Slide
continued .......
4. formal writing: The brochure will be finished next month.
5. In order to put the new information at the end of the sentence to improve the style: Three books are used regularly in the class. The books were written by Dr. Bell. ('Dr. Bell wrote the books' sound clumsy)
6. When the subject is very long: I was surprised by how well the students did in the test. (More natural than: 'how well the students did in the test surprised me')
Slide 10 - Slide
Tekst
ACTIVE
PASSIVE
Jones was carrying a six-pack of beer and a bottle of white wine.
Jones was seen running away from the convenience store.
Three sobriety tests were administered.
Patterson was looking in his wallet for his driver’s license.
Both witnesses were questioned.
Finch was having difficulty answering the questions.
Slide 11 - Drag question
Now you try:
Passive 1 (present simple)
Make these active present simple sentences passive. You don't need to repeat 'somebody'.
Slide 12 - Slide
Somebody sends emails.
Slide 13 - Open question
Somebody buys the presents.
Slide 14 - Open question
Somebody often steals cars.
Slide 15 - Open question
More exercises - present simple
Somebody prefers chocolate.
Somebody plays loud music.
Somebody speaks English here.
Somebody loves the London parks.
Somebody reads a lot of books.
Somebody cooks dinner every day.
Somebody cleans the classroom every day
Slide 16 - Slide
Passive 2 (past simple)
Make these active present simple sentences passive. You don't need to repeat 'somebody'.
Slide 17 - Slide
Somebody found the key.
Slide 18 - Open question
Somebody made mistakes.
Slide 19 - Open question
exercises in the Past simple
Somebody cleaned the rooms.
Somebody fixed the laptop.
Somebody built that house.
Somebody wrote Esio Trot.
Somebody stole my iPad.
Somebody closed the windows.
Slide 20 - Slide
Passive 3 (present perfect)
Make these present perfect sentences passive. You don't need to repeat 'somebody'.
Slide 21 - Slide
Somebody has watered the plants.
Slide 22 - Open question
Somebody has taken the money.
Slide 23 - Open question
Passive and present perfect
Somebody has bought the presents.
Somebody has killed the President.
Somebody has elected that man.
Somebody has ordered new books.
Somebody has sent the email.
Somebody has eaten the strawberries.
Somebody has turned on the air conditioning.
Slide 24 - Slide
Discussion
Slide 25 - Slide
Use the passive in real situations
Brainstorm the types of things that have been or will be provided by the in a new school building.