This lesson contains 24 slides, with interactive quizzes and text slides.
Lesson duration is: 45 min
Items in this lesson
The bike was stolen (passive voice)
Slide 1 - Slide
I drank two cups of coffee ( this is an active sentence)
Slide 2 - Slide
I drank two cups of coffee
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 3 - Slide
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.
Two cups of coffee were drunk (we can add "by me" but this isn't necessary)
Slide 4 - Slide
How to make the passive in English
We make the passive by putting the verb 'to be' into whatever tense we need and then adding the past participle. For regular verbs we make the past participle by adding 'ed' to the infinitive. So 'play' becomes played.
Slide 5 - Slide
Slide 6 - Slide
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 7 - 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 8 - Slide
Now you try:
Passive 1 (present simple)
Make these active present simple sentences passive. You don't need to repeat 'somebody'.
Slide 9 - Slide
Somebody sends emails.
Slide 10 - Open question
Somebody buys the presents.
Slide 11 - Open question
Somebody often steals cars.
Slide 12 - 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 13 - Slide
Passive 2 (past simple)
Make these active present simple sentences passive. You don't need to repeat 'somebody'.
Slide 14 - Slide
Somebody found the key.
Slide 15 - Open question
Somebody made mistakes.
Slide 16 - 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 17 - Slide
Passive 3 (present perfect)
Make these present perfect sentences passive. You don't need to repeat 'somebody'.
Slide 18 - Slide
Somebody has watered the plants.
Slide 19 - Open question
Somebody has taken the money.
Slide 20 - 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 21 - Slide
Discussion
Slide 22 - Slide
Use the passive in real situations
Brainstorm the types of things that have been or will be provided by the builders in the new building.